The reviews are in: Tough night for CNN’s ‘Parker Spitzer’

For weeks, CNN has been heavily promoting its new 8 p.m. hosts, Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer, and their aptly titled show, "Parker Spitzer." The liberal and conservative counterparts talked up the 8 p.m. show last week on "Larry King Live" and in several media interviews Monday.

So television critics were sure to be watching closely on Monday night when the former New York governor and the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist discussed politics and hot-button issues around a (fairly small) studio table. The show -- made up of taped segments -- was intended to follow in the tradition of the freewheeling live program "Morning Joe," while also evoking a "cocktail party" vibe in which smart, interesting guests banter about the issues of the day. There's even a segment called the "Political Party" that involves asking guests a variety of questions, such as revealing their own "guilty pleasure." (For the record: Spitzer is a big NASCAR fan, and the Nation's Ari Melber really enjoys Mike and Ike's candies.)

Some critics, however, may be hoping their next party invite gets lost in the mail, judging by a few of the less-than-stellar reviews below.

Alessandra Stanley (New York Times): "The ickiness factor of "Parker Spitzer" may subside, but the first glimpse of CNN's latest offering on Monday was hard to watch." The two hosts, she continued, "playfully, almost flirtatiously, discussed the news of the day — 'Crossfire' meets 'Moonlighting.' Last week, Larry King told the duo that they had 'chemistry' — if so, it carries a queasy whiff of sulfur."

David Zurawik (Baltimore Sun): The critic summed up the show as "a load of obnoxious, self-important noise." Zurawik added later: "Here's an axiom for talk TV: If a show host keeps telling you how smart his or her show is, it probably isn't. And it's annoying in a narcissistic kind of way for them to keep making the claim — because they are saying by extension how smart they are."

Dan Kennedy (The Guardian): "The program — an hour-long talk show — presented a paradox that could only be explained by one of Einstein's equations about the time-space continuum. The segments between commercials were over in a flash, hurtling by so quickly that the guests barely had a chance to get in a few words. Yet, taken as a whole, 'Parker Spitzer' felt like it was never going to end."

Inside Cable News: "'Parker Spitzer' is woefully short on ideas and long on enthusiasm. The enthusiasm is there but right from the top Parker Spitzer run home to what they're already known for; Parker railing on Sarah Palin and Spitzer railing on Wall Street. We already know what they think about those subjects. Tell us something we don't know. Give us a reason to tune in."