Quarantined TV personalities are offering a peek at their book collections, wallpaper and cats

The Washington Post

"The pandemic means that America is seeing familiar faces in an unfamiliar setting: their homes," write Jura Koncius and Roxanne Roberts. "Some are elegant. Some are bohemian. Some are bare-bones. All reveal something we never knew about their owners, whom we welcome into our living rooms on a daily basis. It’s all uncharted territory." Craig Melvin, for instance, was called out for his “fabulous,” “psychedelic” and “trippy" wallpaper on the first day of broadcasting from his home office in Connecticut last week after a fellow 9 a.m. Today staffer tested positive for coronavirus. So the next day, he had to move to his less-distracting basement. "Unlike the glossy, carefully curated spreads in shelter magazines, these celebrity spaces have a makeshift quality — which somehow makes their owners a bit more human," write Koncius and Roberts, who add: "The most popular setting for most media types is their home office — or what looks like an office. Some are guest bedrooms hastily converted into mini-broadcasting studios. Some are dimly lit finished basements. Some are kitchens...Most pundits select bookcases as their background: It’s scholarly, serious, and sends a message about their education and sophistication. Some bookcases are simple — Ikea Billy is a favorite — but some are elaborate affairs with beautiful hardwoods, custom millwork and fancy lighting. Other sneak peeks into hosts’ personalities also turn up on shelves: Ivy League coffee mugs, big-time awards, diplomas, kids’ toys." For Melvin's fellow Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, working from home has meant the conversion of a basement room into a home studio, including a teleprompter that's operated remotely. Meanwhile, "ABC’s The View has three out of four regular hosts working remotely," report Koncius and Roberts. "Executive Producer Brian Teta and his crew worked with each host to find the spot in their home that would be the best place to broadcast and make them comfortable. Whoopi Goldberg is in a spare room in her New Jersey home, and Joy Behar in her home office on Long Island. Meghan McCain is doing the show from her dining room table. Her backdrop is a vintage American flag that she bought in college."

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