Meet the Press

If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.

NBC news Talk Show, originally moderated by Lawrence E. Spivak. Last hosted by Tim Russert under the title Meet the Press With Tim Russert, until his death in June 2008. David Gregory is the new host, starting in December 2008.

Launched on the radio in 1945, Meet the Press had its television première in 1947. It is the longest running show in the history of television. Its direct competitor, CBS radio and television programme Face the Nation, was introduced in 1954 with a very similar format.

The two are jokingly referred to on occassion as Beat the Press and Mace the Nation. They typically draw an audience of 3.5 million each for the weekly broadcasts.

Meet the Press was once described by Jon Stewart as "one of those shows that exists so that clips from it can be shown on other shows".

Tropes used in Meet the Press include:

Long Runner
Notable Original Music: "The Pulse of Events", part of the NBC News suite The Mission, composed by John Williams.
Political Programmes
Sound to Screen Adaptation
Talk Show