Talk-show host and actor Charles Grodin has left MSNBC, but
he will be developing a series of personal commentary specials for Courtroom Television
Network, officials said last week.
Grodin enjoyed a five-year run as the host of Charles
Grodin on CNBC and MSNBC. The talk show moved to MSNBC from CNBC in July 1998. But
Grodin said he wants to return to Hollywood and his film career, while also doing some
daytime specials for Court TV.
At Court TV, Grodin will do commentaries that focus on
topical, controversial crime and justice issues.
The first will be about four women serving mandatory
sentences of 15 years to life at the maximum-security prison in Bedford, N.Y. As
first-time offenders acting as couriers for small amounts of drugs, the women were subject
to one of the toughest drug penalties in America. For the past two years, Grodin has been
pushing for their clemency.
"Charles Grodin is known to many of us for his
extraordinary career in comedy and feature films," Court TV president Henry Schleiff
said in a prepared statement. "Over the years, as a talk-show host, he has also
become an articulate spokesman regarding a number of issues, including those related to
the American system of justice. We welcome Chuck to the Court TV family."
In his own statement, Grodin said. "I look forward to
exploring different platforms that will enable me to put focus on social issues in the
country that do not get sufficient attention. In addition, it has become increasingly
clear to me that being in the movies, more than ever, can be a real asset and will give me
a forum to speak out for the unprotected."
Grodin's films include Midnight Run with Robert
De Niro and Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty.
