MSNBC axes ‘Alex Wagner Tonight’

By Michael P. Hill • February 24, 2025

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Following news of the cancellation of “The ReidOut,” MSNBC has also canceled “Alex Wagner Tonight,” a four-day-a-week show meant to fill the spot normally occupied by Rachel Maddow since her show went to a once-per-week format.

MSNBC cancels ‘The ReidOut,’ may move weekend hosts to timeslot

The cancellation is part of a broader programming overhaul that is expected to be announced Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, reported Dylan Byers of Puck News.

‘Alex Wagner Tonight’ stretches imagery to form laser line-like effects

“Alex Wagner Tonight” debuted in August 2022. It replaced “MSNBC Prime,” which had temporarily taken over the 9 p.m. eastern timeslot that had been held by “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

Maddow announced in April 2022, after returning from an extended break to focus on other projects, that her show would convert to a once-per-week format, airing only on Monday nights.

To fill the remaining four days of the weekend first used the “Prime” branding. This show largely retained the format of “TRMS,” including using matching graphics, but was hosted by a rotating cast of anchors.

MSNBC then announced it would launch what would become “Alex Wagner Tonight” in June 2022.

Wager has been a longtime contributor to MSNBC going back to Keith Olbermann’s “Countdown” days. Prior to that, she worked for a variety of publications and projects, as well as CBS News. She originally hosted “Now with Alex Wagner” on MSNBC from late 2011 to the summer of 2015, when it was canceled as part of a focus more on news reporting during the day. “Now” had aired first at noon and then 4 p.m.

Maddow returned to her nightly format in January 2025 and was planned to remain on that schedule through the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second administration.