'Good Morning America' Recently Made Some Noticable Changes
Towards the end of 2021, Good Morning America incorporated a big change to its production that you may have missed. Newscast Studio, reported in December that the weekend edition of GMA moved to a new studio. The weekend team at GMA includes Janai Norman, Eva Pilgrim, Whit Johnson and Rob Marciano.
GMA's weekend edition was previously broadcast from the same studio in Times Square that the weekday show airs from. However, in mid-December, it returned to its roots at Studio TV3. The morning show's weekend episodes were originally broadcast from Studio TV3. So, it's a return to form that has long been in the making. Sources told Newscast Studio that GMA's weekend edition was always due to return to Studio TV3.
Of course, they returned to Studio TV3 with a new set-up in tow. ABC brought in a semicircular desk that can seat three anchors while also allowing them to socially distance themselves. The background features a video backdrop, which is one that is typically used for World News Tonight. The video wall also includes a fun tie to the weekday edition, as it can showcase a virtual set extension that looks just like the studio in Times Square.
As GMA viewers know, this isn't the only major change that the series has implemented this year. In August, longtime anchor Dan Harris announced that he would be leaving the news program. Harris, who departed the show this past fall, stated that he would be leaving in order to focus on his meditation company, Ten Percent Happier. The anchor, who served as a host on the weekend edition of GMA, previously shared on a live broadcast, "This was a difficult decision for me. As some of you may know, I've been spending a lot of time on my extracurricular gig, my side hustle, a meditation company, called Ten Percent Happier. It's been a lot to juggle and even though I'm a public proponent of work/life balance, if I'm honest, I've struggled to follow my own advice."
Harris continued to say that working on GMA was "one of the highlights of my life." He added, "My colleagues, both on and off the air, have become like a family. I really do love these people, and I am going to miss them horribly." Harris' departure came after working with ABC News for over two decades, as he joined the network's news team in March 2000.