CNN Mocked for Gayle King and Charles Barkley’s New Show and Its Terrible Title

When most people hear the term “King Charles,” they think of the actual king of England. But that title has dual meanings now. It’s been confirmed that Charles Barkley and Gayle King have joined forces for their own CNN primetime show, and it’s interestingly titled King Charles. Per TMZ, after months of rumors, it was confirmed on April 22 during TNT’s pregame coverage. King and Barkley joined the stage to talk about their new show. The show will be a weekly primetime show on CNN with centers on politics and timely topics. Barkley insists the show won’t be political, but it won’t shy away from discussing what’s necessary. The news of their new show comes amid major shakeups at CNN since a new CEO was appointed. 

King has been part of the CBS family for years, hosting news programs like CBS News, CBS This Morning, and CBS Mornings. After her polarizing interview with disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2019. It’s reported that King will earn $12 million a year from her contract with CNN. 

.@CNN CEO Chris Licht officially announces new show featuring Gayle King and Charles Barkley, titled “King Charles.”
– It will air weekly in primetime beginning this fall and running into 2024 pic.twitter.com/YfOenkPzRC

— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) April 22, 2023

Barkley is a television sports analyst for TNT and CBS Sports. The former basketball player played for 16 seasons. 

While many are excited about the joint venture, they can’t get over the show’s title. Social media users have been joking about it since the news broke. Others don’t think King and Barkley are a good match to host the show.

Here for it

This will be the ONLY reason to watch CNN! I’m sure the show will be excellent tv. King and Barkley-the only saving grace for a dumpster fire of a network. Gayle and Charles will finally give the channel some ratings

— Chad Slate (@Casl_life) April 22, 2023

While there’s a lot of chatter about the title and hosts, there are some fans. CNN has had major changes in recent months, some which have been controversial. One Twitter user welcomes King Charles with open arms.

News of fluff?

Show hasn’t occurred yet so unfair to judge, but how does it connect to a broader strategy? What will evening CNN shows be like — sounds more commentary/entertainment here, but not sure if other shows will be like that.

— Grade A USA (@gradeausa) April 22, 2023

The new mashup promises to stick to hot topics all around. But one Twitter user says its credibility may lack and be more of an entertainment show instead of hard news.

Bad decision

Remember when Magic Johnson had a late night talk show. This is giving me those cringe type vibes.

— E.L Smith (@elsmithcomedy) April 22, 2023

King and Barley have been trending as an odd pairing for a primetime news show. One Twitter user says it’s a disaster. 

Dumb moves?

So is it King Charles or King/Charles? Cause King Charles is a dumb name, #CNN. Doing a lot of dumb lately.

— Erik Childress (@EriktheMovieman) April 22, 2023

One Twitter user says the whole show title is dumb. They also aren’t fans of recent moves the network has made overall. 

Modify the title with punctuation

Hey @cnn I look forward to the upcoming Gayle King/Charles Barkley show, but why wouldn’t you put a comma between the names to clarify that it’s two people? “King Charles”, while perhaps a clever play on words, really opens up a lot of misinterpretation.

— DB30 (@DBoone30) April 22, 2023

One user had a clever suggestion to keep the title: add proper punctuation. That way, it’s a good play on words, but also differentiates the show from the royal family.

Royal Family News Updates?

The show is going to be called “King Charles” which will be…confusing, particularly given how obsessed Americans are with the royal family https://t.co/F40zcK6U2R

— Julia Macfarlane (@juliamacfarlane) April 22, 2023

The title is baffling for some, considering that covering the Royal Family on most news programs is an obsession. On the contrary, it shows lack of sexism with putting King’s name first.