When Lester Holt made an appearance on "The Ellen Show," Ellen DeGeneres admitted that she's a big fan of "Dateline NBC." However, she quickly acknowledged that the show's dark nature makes her question her obsession. When DeGeneres asked her guest why he thinks viewers are so enthralled with such horrifying stories, he had an answer all lined up. According to Holt, viewers are fixated when presented with proof that so-called ordinary people can turn out to be anything but. "Dateline" provides a look beyond the veil of normalcy, a view that leaves audiences transfixed.
"We talk about this a lot because, you know, people always want to talk about ... [they'll] stop me in an airport and go 'About that "Dateline,"' and they'll describe something. Maybe a husband killing the wife or something ... I mean, they're sad shows, but involve, often, people that you feel like you might know," Holt explained at the beginning of the interview (via YouTube). "Your next-door neighbor, somebody you work with. These are normal people who are suddenly thrust into these incredible situations."
The show's endurance demonstrates Holt's point. "Dateline" isn't a detached news segment. The stories are personal and tragic, often supported by first-hand accounts and thorough explanations of each scenario, a tactic that elevates the emotional impact of each episode. With so many years of anchoring experience under his belt, Holt's thought process definitely has merit.
