Friday, July 15, 2016

On The Air: Intentional Talk (2011)

Intentional Talk is one of MLB Network's signature programs, bordering on the weird & wacky. This show doesn't really take an off-season. Instead, it's trimmed from an hour during the season to a half-hour, from November to March.

Former ballplayer Kevin Millar co-hosts with one of the busiest men in sports, Chris Rose, who also works for Fox and NFL Network. Rose is no stranger to talk shows, having emceed The Best Damn Sports Show Period a few years back. He's basically the foil to Millar's occasional clowning, but Millar also puts his years of experience to good use in doing interviews.

Sometimes, the show is at MLB's New Jersey studio. Other times, the guys will be out West at their homes (Millar in Texas, Rose in California), linked together by satellite. Granted, some of the highlights are also used, and played to death, on MLB Tonight, and some of the sound effects come from other television genres, used for comic effect.

For this season, the open has both of the guys miming Saliva's "Ladies & Gentlemen":



Not sure how much of a stake Fox has in MLB Network, if not also NFL Network, but they'd be wise to lock up both Rose and Millar long term and keep them away from ESPN.

Rating: A-.

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