# Why doesn't anyone air a debate show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635 "2012-11-10T23:57:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![figure9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@figure9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/figure9)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/1 "2012-11-10T23:57:17Z")
I think that people would like to hear both sides of an argument before coming to a conclusion. Why isn’t someone airing a show that allows supporters from each side of an issue to present their case, and then have an intelligent discussion afterwards? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/2 "2012-11-11T00:06:41Z")
You mean something like Real Time with Bill Maher? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/3 "2012-11-11T00:14:12Z")
> [@figure9](#): > > I think that people would like to hear both sides of an argument before coming to a conclusion. Why isn’t someone airing a show that allows supporters from each side of an issue to present their case, and then have an intelligent discussion afterwards? I’d like to see a show where the participants’ heads appear in a grid Brady Bunch style. Each participant gets a predetermined chunk of time and the others can’t interrupt and talk over like the McLaughlin Group shout-fest. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/4 "2012-11-11T00:35:09Z")
You mean like “[Point / Counterpoint](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3t-DuN8t6U)”? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/5 "2012-11-11T00:43:16Z")
You mean like [Question Time](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_Time_%28TV_series%29) (UK series)? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/6 "2012-11-11T00:48:09Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#): > > You mean something like Real Time with Bill Maher? I think we want a show without a smarmy dickhead hosting it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/7 "2012-11-11T00:48:14Z")
You mean like [Intelligence Squared](http://intelligencesquaredus.org/)? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/8 "2012-11-11T01:46:23Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/9 "2012-11-11T01:51:24Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > You mean like [Intelligence Squared](http://intelligencesquaredus.org/)? Was coming in to mention this one. It was/is apparently a UK thing originally; the one pitting Hitch and Stephen Fry against some Catholic MP and an African Bishop on whether the Catholic Church was a force for good is lovely. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/10 "2012-11-11T02:13:21Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#): > > You mean something like Real Time with Bill Maher? I haven’t seen this show since it was on network tv, but from what I remember, it was more of a coffee table discussion rather than a formal debate. I think a debate show is an interesting concept, but not likely to gain much popular traction. Maybe if the losers had to eat bugs or something. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/11 "2012-11-11T02:20:50Z")
You mean like Pardon the Interruption? ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/12 "2012-11-11T02:47:24Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > the one pitting Hitch and Stephen Fry against some Catholic MP and an African Bishop on whether the Catholic Church was a force for good is lovely. Will definitely have to check that one out! ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/13 "2012-11-11T04:51:07Z")
Check YouTube–it’s worth it if you’ve got an hour to spare. ---
**Author:** ![bramma23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@bramma23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bramma23)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/14 "2012-11-11T16:26:59Z")
For politics, they had Crossfire, but Jon Stewart was a guest and shredded the hosts and the entire concept and it was cancelled soon after. > **[Crossfire (disambiguation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossfire_(TV_series)#Jon_Stewart.27s_appearance)** > > A crossfire is a military term for the siting of weapons so that their arcs of fire overlap. > Crossfire may also refer to: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aFQFB5YpDZE/hqdefault.jpg "Jon Stewart on Crossfire") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE) ---
**Author:** ![figure9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@figure9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/figure9)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/15 "2012-11-11T17:39:09Z")
I did not know any of these shows except Real Time, and I don’t see that because I don’t have HBO. Thanks for all the links, I’ll be watching these on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/16 "2012-11-11T22:41:02Z")
While some may argue (heh!) with this suggestion, perhaps, [The McLaughlin Group](http://www.mclaughlin.com/)? ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/17 "2012-11-11T22:56:31Z")
Crazy idea, but you could even watch the actual debates; > **[Parliaments News - BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/parliaments)** > > Get the latest BBC Politics news: breaking news, comment and analysis plus political guides and in-depth special reports on UK and EU politics. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/18 "2012-11-11T23:27:19Z")
It’s hard to find a show on TV these days that gives equal time to both sides, and inevitably the hosts’ own political viewpoint sets the tone of the debate. That said, there are hosts who are aware of their biases, and strive to give equal time to opposing viewpoints. On a daily basis, Rachel Maddow does an excellent job of letting people with whom she disagrees have their say. She used to have a regular segment with her political polar opposite Pat Buchanan (it ended when he went on a racist rant). The problem is that she has had a very difficult time getting politicians with opposing viewpoints as guests, probably because she cheerfully gives them more than enough rope to hang themselves. Every Saturday and Sunday, Chris Hayes hosts _Up with Chris Hayes_, two hours of intelligent discussion, and almost always has at least one guest representing the opposing viewpoint, who are again, allowed to express their viewpoint in full. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/19 "2012-11-11T23:45:19Z")
“Both sides”? How many topics have only two sides to them? A show based on that premise would be so distorted that it wouldn’t be informative anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635/20 "2012-11-12T00:12:30Z")
Here’s one I miss: [Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tough_Crowd_with_Colin_Quinn) RIP Patrice. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-air-a-debate-show/640635.md?page=2)