Today, which used to own the morning show race, is all set to get beat out by Good Morning America for the third week in a row. Even the Olympics couldn’t save the summer for NBC–ratings were down 7 percent overall.

And ABC is trying to hold on to that boost. Guest stars such as Oprah Winfrey, former Today darling (and currently the host of a syndicated talk show on ABC) Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Stephen Colbert are going to guest co-host while Robin Roberts is out getting a bone marrow transplant. Current First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady hopeful Ann Romney are also both rumored to be in talks to guest host.

Savannah Guthrie, the former NBC legal analyst who replaced Ms. Curry, just can’t compete with that--no matter how many Kris Jenner exclusives she gets.

Al Roker, spicy (NBC)

Who would have thought Al Roker had a snarky side? During Today’s segment this morning on the Olympic women's rowing team, the usually jolly Mr. Roker made a thinly veiled dig at Matt Lauer for not standing by their co-star Ann Curry when she was abruptly fired in June.

http://youtu.be/VvgrlyWrU5A
Mr. Lauer noted: "The tradition here in New York is that you throw her in the Hudson River."
To which Al "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" Roker: "Which is different than in our tradition, which is to throw one of us under the bus. But that's another story."

Then everyone chuckled uncomfortably and Mr. Roker segued into the weather report.

Per some kind of Today tradition, Ms. Guthrie was introduced twice.

"I'm glad you played it again because I was so nervous I didn't hear it the first time," she told co-anchor Matt Lauer.

We'd be nervous too if we had Good Morning America nipping at our heels. During Ms. Curry's tenure, ABC's rival program broke Today's sixteen-year winning streak. During her last week, GMA tied Today. (Though Today maintained its hold on the crucial 25-54-year-olds demographic.)

"We're happiest because you bring a great attitude and what we like to call a weird sense of humor to this program," Mr. Lauer said.

"7:02 and he's already calling me weird." she replied.

Is this what chemistry sounds like?

Guthrie.

That was fast! Just a day after Ann Curry took her final bows, Savannah Guthrie, host of Today's third hour, has been named the show's co-anchor. Ms. Guthrie is NBC's chief legal correspondent, a role in which she will remain.

Campbell Brown (Patrick McMullan)

At yesterday's luncheon for Makers, the series of online videos on ground-breaking women, we ran into onetime NBC News mainstay Campbell Brown, who departed the network for CNN in 2007. Given that Ms. Brown was a member of the Today family, we asked her about the departure of Ann Curry, which was at that point less than 24 hours away.

"Here's the thing!" she told us--she had been out of the country for two weeks, and needed us to present a primer. After being informed of Ms. Curry's fate at Today, Ms. Brown contemplated. "I've known Ann Curry for years. She was so kind to me when I left NBC that I'm really sorry that she's going through that--I don't think it's fair."

This morning, Ms. Curry was given a brief send-off, during which she cried while discussing how she was unable to "carry the ball to the finish line." A fifteen-year veteran of Today, Ms. Curry recently stated she hoped to make it to 20.

Ann Curry (Patrick McMullan)

Last summer, we stopped by a luncheon for Gloria Steinem at which all guests were asked to declare Ms. Steinem's significance in three words or less. (For instance: “Essential. Formidable. Witty,” was Tina Brown's contribution.)

Perhaps the signs of reportedly-fired Today host Ann Curry's burdened mind were already at play that summer. “I have four words: a woman who loved us,” said Ms. Curry, employing five.

It is said that soon Ms. Curry will be counting to ten million--the size, in dollars, of her severance package from Today.

"I've been at Today for 15 years and I'd love to make it to 20. I think eventually I want to become a teacher, like my father wanted to be, and hopefully positively influence the next generation."

Yikes. She also said that she takes it really hard when Today loses to rival ABC's Good Morning America.

"It's hard not to take it personally. You worry, Am I not good enough? Am I not what people need? Am I asking the right questions? When people say negative things or speculate, you can't help but feel hurt. I know NBC pays my salary but I have never doubted who I work for. I think about the people who watch. They're the ones who matter to me. I want to feel I haven't dropped the ball when it comes to them."

A small silver lining: Ms. Curry's not going into negotiations totally disempowered. She's resolved to, like Mika Brzezinski always says, "know her value."

"I don't always understand my worth. I think it's a chronic condition for women. I'm not talking about professionally. I'm talking about in our personal lives. We constantly punish ourselves with degrading thoughts when we look at ourselves in the mirror. We allow people to treat us poorly, we allow our husbands or boyfriends to get away with things or we have relationships with girlfriends or colleagues who don't treat us well. We don't defend ourselves as we would our own children. Women have demanded and gotten better jobs and more power. But the one thing we deserve is a better relationship with ourselves. We waste too much time beating ourselves up. I think at my age of 55, it's time to stop doing that."

55?! Wow, she looks great.

Ms. Curry at Cannes.

Today host Ann Curry has hired attorney Robert Barnett to represent her in negotiations with NBC as the network transitions her to a new job within the company, reports The New York Times.

Morning show watchers think Ms. Curry and her recently re-upped co-host Matt Lauer's lack of chemistry has contributed to the longtime front-runner getting beat by rival Good Morning America this spring.

Her most likely replacement is 9 a.m. host Savannah Guthrie, and Ms. Curry is said to be interested in a newsier post, perhaps as a foreign correspondent. Mr. Barnett brokered a similar deal for Christiane Amanpour, who left ABC's The Week and became a "global affairs anchor" at the network, as well as an anchor at CNN.

They say she'll be out by the Olympics.

"Is there any proof to back up these charges?" Ann Curry asked.

"I don't know of any proof exactly," Ms. McCain said, "but I think when there's a leak like this you have to look and see who is benefitting and the President is obviously benefitting from this."

"I had a conversation with my father last night and he he said this is the worst security breach he's ever seen in his entire career," she went on. "For me, that sends absolute chills up and down my spine about exactly what we have given the terrorists and our enemies through these security leaks. And whomever is doing this is not putting their country first and thinking about America and the safety of our troops and that's scary."

"I think we need more leaks not less," Mr. Hayes rebutted. "I mean, I actually think we should know how the war is operating and what's going on with a kill list operating out of the White House and what covert activities we're engaged in."

The two speed-talkers agreed to disagree.

[via Huffington Post]

Katie Couric (Getty Images)

Onetime queen of the morning Katie Couric is reclaiming her throne--for one short week. She'll be guest-hosting Good Morning America for the week beginning April 2, as part of her new utility-player duties at ABC in the leadup to her new chat show, Katie, in the fall.

This comes at a pivotal time for morning news, as Ann Curry reportedly is losing or has lost the esteem of her colleagues at Today (where she occupies Ms. Couric's old seat) and Matt Lauer ponders whether he can get more money elsewhere. A world-beating week for ABC might raise blood pressures among Today producers accustomed to first place.