Firing Line (TV program)

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American public affairs television show

title: "Firing Line (TV program)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["william-f.-buckley-jr.", "1960s-american-television-talk-shows", "1970s-american-television-talk-shows", "1980s-american-television-talk-shows", "1990s-american-television-talk-shows", "2020s-american-television-talk-shows", "conservative-television-in-the-united-states", "first-run-syndicated-television-programs-in-the-united-states", "pbs-original-programming", "south-carolina-educational-television", "1966-american-television-series-debuts", "1999-american-television-series-endings", "2018-american-television-series-debuts", "american-english-language-television-shows", "american-television-series-revived-after-cancellation"] description: "American public affairs television show" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firing_Line_(TV_program)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American public affairs television show ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox television"]

FieldValue
imageFiring Line title.jpg
captionTitle screen from the first season of Firing Line
alt_nameFiring Line with William F. Buckley Jr.
genreTalk show
directorWarren Steibel
presenterWilliam F. Buckley Jr. (1966–1999)
Margaret Hoover (2018–present)
theme_music_composerJohann Sebastian Bach
openthemeBrandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Third Movement (Allegro assai)
countryUnited States
languageEnglish
num_seasons34
num_episodes1,504
list_episodesList of Firing Line episodes
runtime60 minutes (1966–1988)
30 minutes (1988–1999, 2018–)
120 minutes (debate specials:
1978–1999)
companyWOR-TV (1966–1971)
SCETV (1971–1999)
WNET (2018–)
channelFirst-run syndication (1966–1971)
PBS (1971–1999, June 22, 2018–)
first_aired
last_aired
first_aired2
last_aired2present
relatedFiring Line with Margaret Hoover
::

| image = Firing Line title.jpg | caption = Title screen from the first season of Firing Line | alt_name = Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. | genre = Talk show | director = Warren Steibel | presenter = William F. Buckley Jr. (1966–1999) Margaret Hoover (2018–present) | theme_music_composer = Johann Sebastian Bach | opentheme = Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Third Movement (Allegro assai) | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 34 | num_episodes = 1,504 | list_episodes = List of Firing Line episodes | runtime = 60 minutes (1966–1988) 30 minutes (1988–1999, 2018–) 120 minutes (debate specials: 1978–1999) | company = WOR-TV (1966–1971) SCETV (1971–1999) WNET (2018–) | channel = First-run syndication (1966–1971) PBS (1971–1999, June 22, 2018–) | first_aired = | last_aired = | first_aired2 = | last_aired2 = present | related = Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Firing Line is an American public affairs television show. It first ran from 1966 to 1999, with conservative author and columnist William F. Buckley Jr. as host. It was relaunched in 2018 with Margaret Hoover as host.

With 1,504 episodes over 33 years under Buckley, Firing Line was the longest-running public affairs show with a single host in television history. The program featured many influential public figures in the United States and won an Emmy Award in 1969.

Broadcast history

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/William_F._Buckley,_Jr._1985.jpg" caption="Original host Buckley in 1985"] ::

Firing Line began on April 4, 1966, as an hour-long show (including breaks) for commercial television. The program was produced at WOR-TV in New York City and was syndicated nationally through that station's parent company RKO General and later Show Corporation of America, a syndication firm which RKO acquired majority ownership of in 1968. Firing Line was mainly seen on weekends in low-rated afternoon or late-night time slots, because of the program's admitted appeal to a small, "middle-brow" demographic group. The first 39 episodes of the series were taped in black-and-white; the series was converted to color in January 1967.

In the fall of 1966, Firing Line began to appear on noncommercial educational television stations, mostly in areas where RKO General found it difficult to sell the program to a commercial outlet. After 240 episodes aired in commercial syndication Firing Line moved exclusively to noncommercial television in May 1971, distributed by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and produced under the auspices of the Southern Educational Communications Association, an arm of South Carolina Educational Television. This was somewhat unusual, given the reputation among many conservatives that PBS unfairly discriminated against non-liberal viewpoints in its other programming. SECA/SCETV, however, was one of the very few public broadcasting entities of the time that was sympathetic to the conservative movement.

Because the program received a relatively unfavorable Sunday evening timeslot on PBS' schedule in the early 1970s, Buckley and long-time director Warren Steibel briefly attempted to return Firing Line to commercial TV, but could not find sponsors. Thus, the program would remain on PBS until Buckley and Steibel discontinued production on December 17, 1999, with Buckley's final episode airing December 26, 1999.

In April 2018, PBS announced that it would begin airing a new Firing Line, hosted by Margaret Hoover.

Buckley tenure

Show format

Although the program's format varied over the years, it typically featured Buckley interviewing, and exchanging views with, a guest, while seated together in front of a small studio audience. Standing or sitting further away in the studio, an "examiner", typically a liberal, would ask questions, generally toward the end of the show. Most guests were intellectuals or those in positions of power, being notable in the fields of politics, religion, literature and academia. Their views could either sharply contrast or be in strong agreement with Buckley's.

Reflecting Buckley's talents and preferences, the exchange of views was almost always polite, and the guests were given time to answer questions at length, giving the program a leisurely pace. "The show was devoted to a leisurely examination of issues and ideas at an extremely high level", according to Jeff Greenfield, who frequently appeared as an examiner. John Kenneth Galbraith said of the program, "Firing Line is one of the rare occasions when you have a chance to correct the errors of the man who's interrogating you."

The show might be compared in politeness and style of discourse to other national public interview shows, specifically those hosted by Richard Heffner, Charlie Rose or Terry Gross, but Buckley was clearly interested in debate. In a 1999 Salon.com article, The Weekly Standard editor William Kristol summarized Buckley's approach to the show: "Buckley really believes that in order to convince, you have to debate and not just preach, which of course means risking the possibility that someone will beat you in debate." Buckley was not averse to asking tough questions of friendly guests either, according to Tom Wolfe, who recalled the interviewer asking him whether there were really any original insights in his book The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Buckley and his producer, Warren Steibel, used various methods over the years to bring extra perspectives to the show. In the early years, there would often be a panel of questioners. In 1977 the panel was replaced by an "examiner" who played a larger part in the proceedings. Examiners varied, with Jeff Greenfield, Michael Kinsley, Harriet Pilpel, and Mark Green appearing most frequently. When the show was shortened to 30 minutes in 1988, the role of examiner was eliminated, but there was often a moderator, whose role was similar to that of the moderator in a formal debate. The moderator would introduce both host and guest, and then ask the opening question.

Starting in 1978, scattered among the regular broadcasts were occasional specials and two-hour formal debates, with opening statements, cross-examination, and closing statements. In 1988, at Buckley's request, the running time of regular program shows was reduced from one hour to a half-hour. Beginning in March 1993, the two-hour formal debates would often be followed by half-hour shows in which most or all of the participants engaged in informal discussion. In the 1980s and 1990s, the debate episodes were frequently broadcast on the Monday evenings after PBS pledge drives concluded.

A recurring episode that Buckley had rebroadcast every Christmas, beginning in 1981, was an interview he did with Malcolm Muggeridge at his home in Sussex, England. The title of the episode was "How Does One Find Faith?" The episode deals with questions that are religious and spiritual in nature.

Buckley's persona

Buckley's distinctive mannerisms were prominently displayed by the program and were part of the public images of both the show and Buckley. Buckley was frequently seen leaning far back in his chair, a pen near his mouth and a clipboard in hand. His flicking tongue, widening eyes, and flashing smile also characterized his style, as did his multi-syllabic vocabulary. Buckley's voice was widely satirized, for instance by Robin Williams on Saturday Night Live and in the animated movie Aladdin.

At the same time that guests were treated politely, Buckley might also gently mock them, particularly if he was friendly with them, as with John Kenneth Galbraith or examiner Mark Green. "You've been on the show close to 100 times over the years", Buckley once asked Green. "Tell me, Mark, have you learned anything yet?" When Allen Ginsberg asked if he could sing a song in praise of Krishna, Buckley acceded and the poet chanted "Hare Krishna" repeatedly as he played dolefully on a harmonium. According to Richard Brookhiser, an associate of Buckley's, the host commented that it was "the most unharried Krishna I've ever heard".

Buckley's celebrated politeness sometimes wore thin: In a 1969 debate with linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky, Buckley said, "I rejoice in your disposition to argue the Vietnam question, especially when I recognize what an act of self-control this must involve." Chomsky acknowledged, "Sometimes I lose my temper. Maybe not tonight." "Maybe not tonight", Buckley said, "because if you would I'd smash you in the goddamn face." (This comment was a joking throwback to Buckley's famous response to Gore Vidal, when, during another Vietnam debate, Vidal called Buckley a "crypto-Nazi".)

Buckley usually addressed his guests as "Mr." or "Mrs." He once called Margaret Thatcher "Margaret" because he thought she had addressed him as "Bill". He was embarrassed later when he saw the transcript and realized she had been referring to a legislative bill. He immediately wrote a personal letter of apology to the Prime Minister.

For the show's 15th anniversary in 1981, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Vernon Jordan, Henry Kissinger, and Louis Auchincloss presided over a party for Buckley at the New York Yacht Club.

Guests

Prominent guests on the program included:

Hoover tenure

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Margaret_Hoover_(5452772933).jpg" caption="Hoover (pictured in 2011) became host in 2018"] ::

Revival

Margaret Hoover hosts the Firing Line reboot on PBS. The show premiered on June 2, 2018, on WNET, which serves the New York metropolitan area, and is the largest PBS market in the country. The show maintains the original format of deep exchange of ideas with a single guest on a single issue within its 26-minute runtime. It is produced weekly at the WNET Tisch Studios.

Episodes

The first fourteen episodes of the program featured guests representing a variety of sociopolitical ideologies, including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Ohio Governor John Kasich, journalist Gretchen Carlson, Senator Jeff Merkley, "the rising star of the political Left", Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and "accidental icon of the conservative movement", Jordan Peterson. Margaret Hoover's interview with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earned national and international attention for the latter's comments ranging from the state of capitalism and the unemployment rate in the United States to the State of Israel, which earned Ocasio-Cortez derision at the time. The former governor of New Jersey Chris Christie was interviewed in which he referred to the crimes that Jared Kushner's father committed as "loathsome". Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas declared in his interview that the U.S. could defeat Iran with, "two strikes. The first strike and the last strike."

Reception

The New York Times wrote that, "Under Ms. Hoover's direction, the discourse is civil and substantive." A review of the show by the National Review states, "the reincarnation of Firing Line comes at an interesting time, and a needful one." In the run-up to the show's television premiere Politico said, "It seems like a great idea, so let's test drive it and see what happens." CNN anchor Poppy Harlow stated that Firing Line with Margaret Hoover "is appointment television in my house" on CNN Newsroom. Hoover has made multiple television appearances for the Firing Line reboot, including ones on Good Morning America, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Real Time with Bill Maher.

In May 2019 Hoover was awarded Journalist of the Year by the Algemeiner Journal for her work as host.

Guests

Theme music

Beginning with the move of the program to public television in 1971, the theme music of Firing Line was the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Third Movement (Allegro assai), by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Release

A number of episodes of the show have been released on DVD by the Hoover Institution Library and Archives at Stanford University, and are sold exclusively through Amazon.com, which also makes episodes accessible via Amazon Video. For a slightly higher price, the Hoover Archive supplies unreleased episodes on DVD through its website. Episodes with playlists by year are now available on YouTube.

Digitized audiovisual recordings and transcripts of more than 1,500 Firing Line episodes were contributed to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting via external links from the Hoover Institution Library and Archives at Stanford University.

References

References

  1. Ferguson, Andrew. (December 20, 1999). "All quiet on the Firing Line: William F. Buckley Jr. flicks his tongue and skewers his guests one last time".
  2. Simon, Scott. (June 9, 2018). "William F. Buckley's 'Firing Line' Returns With Margaret Hoover". [[NPR]].
  3. "Primetime Emmy Awards - 1969". [[IMDb]].
  4. "Register of the Firing Line (Television Program) broadcast records". Online Archives of California.
  5. (March 11, 1968). "Showcorporation to handle RKO shows.".
  6. (March 1, 2008). "Longtime Firing Line host William F. Buckley Jr. Dies". [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]].
  7. Ferguson, Andrew. (March 10, 2008). "On the 'Firing Line'".
  8. Hendershot, Heather. (June 1, 2018). "Is America Ready for Kinder, Gentler Political TV?".
  9. (September 5, 1966). "Buckley show sold to ETVs.".
  10. (February 15, 1971). "'Firing Line' program advances to ETV front.".
  11. (February 28, 2018). "PBS Announces Conservative Talk Show As Trump Administration Mulls Whacking Pubcaster's Funding".
  12. "Register of the Firing Line (Television Program) broadcast records". [[Online Archive of California]].
  13. Ferguson, Andrew. (December 27, 1999). "All Quiet on the Firing Line: William F. Buckley Jr.".
  14. (April 26, 2018). "'Firing Line': PBS Reloads Public-Affairs Show With Host Margaret Hoover".
  15. Konigsberg, Erik. (February 29, 2008). "On TV, Buckley Led Urbane Debating Club". [[The New York Times]].
  16. Konigsberg, Erik. (February 29, 2008). "On TV, Buckley Led Urbane Debating Club". The New York Times.
  17. Lehman, Susan. (January 7, 1999). "Firing Line Ceases Fire".
  18. Konigsberg, Erik. (February 29, 2008). "On TV, Buckley Led Urbane Debating Club". The New York Times.
  19. "Register of the Firing Line (Television Program) broadcast records". Online Archive of California.
  20. Fowler, Jack. (December 25, 2015). "A Buckley Christmas Tradition".
  21. Tsai, Michelle. (February 28, 2008). "Why Did William F. Buckley Jr. Talk Like That?".
  22. Matlow, Orli. (July 30, 2015). "Pop Culture References In 'Aladdin' That Are Sooooooo Outdated Now".
  23. Martin, Douglas. (December 8, 2008). "William Buckley Jr. is dead at 82". The New York Times.
  24. Koningsberg, Erik. (February 29, 2008). "On TV, Buckley Led Urbane Debating Club". The New York Times.
  25. (April 3, 1969). "Vietnam and the Intellectuals". Hoover Institution Library and Archives: Firing Line broadcast records.
  26. Lind, Michael. (August 24, 2015). "Buckley vs. Vidal: The Real Story".
  27. Buckley Jr., William F.. (October 28, 1975). "Just Call Me Bill".
  28. Kakutani, Michiko. (February 25, 1981). "Buckley's 'Firing Line' Celebrates 15 Years". The New York Times.
  29. "Firing Line Guests". Hoover Institution Library and Archives.
  30. Simon, Scott. (June 8, 2018). "William F. Buckley's 'Firing Line' Returns With Margaret Hoover". NPR.
  31. "Firing Line with Margaret Hoover".
  32. (August 2025). "WNET Sponsorship". [[WNET]].
  33. (February 24, 2004). "WGBH Boston and Thirteen/WNET New York, Two of America's Largest Public Broadcasters, Join Forces to Launch World and Create - Two New Digital Channels Serving Viewers Across the Northeast". [[Business Wire]].
  34. Falk, Tyler. (April 27, 2018). "PBS rekindles political debate show 'Firing Line'". [[Current (newspaper).
  35. Newman, Andy. (June 27, 2018). "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Emerges as a Political Star". The New York Times.
  36. Arnold, Megan. (August 24, 2018). "Jordan Peterson is a Conservative, Not a Classical Liberal". Libertarianism.org.
  37. "Firing Line Episodes Season 1 - 2018". [[PBS]].
  38. "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrong on several counts about unemployment".
  39. (July 16, 2018). "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticizes Israel for 'the occupation of Palestine'".
  40. Cillizza, Chris. (July 18, 2018). "Democrats should maybe slow their roll on pushing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as their next big star". CNN.
  41. Warner, Liam. (July 17, 2018). "Ocasio-Cortez Embarrasses Herself on Firing Line".
  42. Victor, Daniel. (January 30, 2019). "Chris Christie Says Jared Kushner's Father Committed a 'Loathsome' Crime". The New York Times.
  43. Vogt, Bailey. (May 15, 2019). "Sen. Tom Cotton: U.S. could win potential war with Iran in 'two strikes'". [[The Washington Times]].
  44. Green, Penelope. (July 11, 2018). "Margaret Hoover and John Avlon on their Post-Partisan Marriage". The New York Times.
  45. Williamson, Kevin. (June 3, 2018). "A Hoover Restoration".
  46. Hendershot, Heather. (June 1, 2018). "Is America Ready for Kinder, Gentler Political TV?".
  47. (August 8, 2018). "CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow". CNN.
  48. (June 25, 2018). "Good Morning America". ABC.
  49. (June 27, 2018). "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". CBS.
  50. Neale, April. (June 15, 2018). "George Will, Billy Eichner and Margaret Hoover on Real Time with Bill Maher". Monsters and Critics.
  51. Staff, Algemeiner. (May 16, 2019). "Journalists Margaret Hoover, Jackson Diehl Honored at Algemeiner Summer Benefit". [[Algemeiner Journal]].
  52. "Firing Line". [[American Archive of Public Broadcasting]].
  53. "Firing Line". Hoover Institution.

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