Savannah Guthrie Takes the Helm of NBC’s Next Must-Watch Special Series
Savannah Guthrie takes the helm of NBC’s new special series, marking the network’s latest initiative.
NBC is rolling out a new civility play, and they are putting a familiar face in charge of the kickoff. Savannah Guthrie is hosting the first entry in a special series called 'Finding Common Ground' that is supposed to bring actual bipartisan conversations to the screen, not just the usual crossfire.
What NBC is launching
The plan is pretty straightforward: after a lot of audience feedback about how performatively angry and polarized the news feels, NBC is trying a recurring editorial series built around Democrats and Republicans sitting down to talk like human beings. The segments will live across multiple shows, not just one silo. Think Today, NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas, and Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, with Guthrie leading the very first outing.
The first event
Guthrie is moderating a live conversation between Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as part of the 'Toward a Better Politics' forum at The Washington National Cathedral. It is a legit bipartisan pairing, not just two people who agree on everything pretending they do not.
- Live kickoff: Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 8 PM ET on NBC News Now
- Replay: Wednesday, December 10 on The Today Show and Meet The Press NOW
- Where it goes next: Additional 'Finding Common Ground' segments are set to show up on Today, NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas, and Meet the Press with Kristen Welker
Why NBC says they are doing this
Network execs are framing the series as a reset button for political coverage. NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde put it this way:
'Finding Common Ground' is meant to bring 'civil dialogue' and 'cut through polarization'.
There is some data behind the self-reflection: The Los Angeles Times highlighted Pew Research numbers showing only 36% of U.S. adults now say they follow the news all or most of the time, down from 51% in 2016. That is a big drop, and yes, 2016 was not exactly yesterday.
How this fits into the TV landscape
If you watch Meet the Press, the name might sound familiar. Kristen Welker has been doing a 'Finding Common Ground' segment inside the Sunday roundtable, and this new series scales that idea up across NBC News. For context, Fox News has run a similar feature on 'Special Report With Bret Baier' called 'Common Ground'. Different networks, same pitch: fewer shouting matches, more substance.
One more bit of context
As University of Maryland lecturer Tom Bettag notes, this is also happening while mainstream outlets keep taking hits from right-wing critics and from President Trump for alleged bias. In other words, the timing is not subtle.
What to expect after the debut
NBC has not said how often 'Finding Common Ground' will pop up. The expectation right now is that Kristen Welker will host most of the segments going forward, with Guthrie setting the tone in the first outing. Whether this turns into a steady, useful franchise or just a periodic special will come down to how often NBC commits and whether the guests actually meet in the middle rather than just restating talking points. I am hopeful but I have seen this movie before.