Long-anticipated news: KTVU’s Dennis Richmond is retiring. Dennis Richmond: the dean of Bay Area talking heads. He just came back from an extended absence occasioned by neck surgery, and his retirement this year was anticipated. His contract was up; and though it’s believable that KTVU wanted to keep him on even at a salary at or approaching seven figures, it sounds like he’d had enough. He’s leaving May 21, five days before his 65th birthday. His replacement–who will sit beside Julie Haener, in all her semi-bland blondeness?–is unknown. Dave Clark, late of L.A. and new at the station in the 5 a.m. slot, could be the man. Or maybe Frank Somerville, a pretty boy with the look of a very earnest deer in the headlights, who was doing fill-in duty for Richmond.
And truthfully, he has looked like he’d had enough for several years, anyway. More and more often he has looked and sounded tired, impatient, and uninterested.
The Chronicle has the story: Longtime anchor Dennis Richmond to leave KTVU in May
And KTVU has a slideshow on Dennis’s many looks over the past few decades: Dennis Richmond through the years
I’ve always been a Dennis fan – he’s been on for so long, every night he’s like a part of the family. My money is on Frank getting the gig. Who sits next to him? My hope was that Sara Sidner would get the regular spot but I haven’t seen her in a while at all. Julie Haener, please no.
What is it about Julie Haener? Granted, I’m not watching the show or any other broadcast TV, period, for the time being. But I saw enough of her to see that she is totally competent and very nearly totally devoid of personality. I feel like a twit saying that after beating on Leslie Griffith for so long; Leslie at her best had both personality and the ability to communicate intelligently. Unfortunately, her best seemed years behind her.
Funny. When I first saw your headling, I read it as “Adius mustacho.”
“Adios mustacho” would be a much better headline!