Melissa Haris Perry's INTENTIONS may be good. Her delivery is like nails scraping down a blackboard.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

14. No drama

Teevee is visual and people want to be entertained. They want to see a story unfold, even on a political show. They want to see at least some level of confrontation and adversity, whether towards a guest, towards an idea, or a political personality who isn't present. As they say in film school, drama is conflict. A story involves adversity and the overcoming of adversity. It's what all the entertaining shows on MSNBC have in common, from Bashir and Sharpton to Maddow and Matthews. Harris-Perry seems to dwell on little twists and turns of nuance but doesn't take it anywhere. She never seems to come to the political point. And she's too agreeable with her guests. It's not a question of being hostile or impolite. Rachel Maddow can smile sweetly like a baby assassin while hitting the Republicans with a sledge hammer when making a point. Harris-Perry seems satisfied if she's taught her audience a new factoid and then moves on. She's probably terrific in the classroom but not on television. This morning she had Margaret Cho on her show who would have made a more colorful and entertaining host.