Television series
Firing Line with Margaret Hoover
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A 30-minute conversation show where Margaret Hoover interviews thinkers, politicians, and cultural figures across the ideological spectrum. It revives William F. Buckley's 1966 format: civil, substantive, genuinely curious. For people who want to understand opposing views without the performance, and who think talking across difference is still possible.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy hearing two sharp people argue a contested question in good faith, and like seeing old debates from the original show set against today's arguments.
Skip it if you want a loose, chatty talk show or a fast pace; this is a measured half hour built around sustained argument, with little room for lightness or spectacle.
What it asks of you: Each episode runs half an hour, so you'll need patience for long answers and the discipline to follow a point to its end rather than waiting for a punchline.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The McLaughlin Group1982
Four political commentators from left, right, and centre argue fiercely but respectfully every week, modelling how people with real disagreements can engage without contempt.
But The format is repetitive, the panellists can interrupt, and nobody ever actually changes their mind.
Charlie Rose1992
Long-form interviews with writers, scientists, artists, and political figures. Rose asks follow-ups, listens, and lets conversations breathe. Every episode teaches you something.
But Rose's personal conduct was later revealed to be abusive, and the show's reverent tone can feel like it's designed to flatter powerful people.
Frontline1983
Documentary investigations into politics, policy, and power. Rigorous, well-reported, and designed to show how the world actually works rather than how politicians claim it does.
But Frontline doesn't debate—it reports. If you want back-and-forth, you'll have to infer the other side.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Firing Line with Margaret Hoover
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst2015
Like Firing Line, it's about sustained conversation with a difficult subject. But where Firing Line seeks to clarify ideas, this seeks to understand a person, and the ambiguity is the point.
A seven-part series where Andrew Jarecki interviews Robert Durst over years. It's structured like a detective story, but the real mystery is psychological—what is this man, and what is he actually confessing? Riveting and deeply disturbing.
But Durst is monstrous, and the series can feel exploitative. It's also very long and benefits from genuine investment in its questions.
More like this (1)
Meet the Press1947
The original and still the standard. A panel of journalists asks tough questions of newsmakers. It's the place people go when they have something to say and need to be tested.
But Format is rigid, time is short, and it often becomes sparring rather than conversation. Politicians have refined their ability to use these minutes without actually answering.
People
Cast
Margaret HooverHost