Networks in a frenzy of royal wedding coverage

TV hopes Americans still are interested in fairy tales

By GAIL PENNINGTON ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

April 22, 2011, 3:41PM

Where will you be Friday morning? The TV networks hope you'll be up early, sipping a cup of tea and dabbing your eyes with a lace hankie as Britain's Prince William marries Kate Middleton in festivities that will be seen around the world.

When William's father, Prince Charles, married Diana Spencer 30 years ago, 17 million Americans set their alarms to celebrate with them. Pajama-clad friends (some wearing hats!) gathered for viewing parties. Mothers woke up daughters for a royal bonding experience.

Those little girls who watched, awestruck, as Diana arrived in her glass carriage are grown up now. So is Diana's son William, who at 28 is eight years older than his mother was when she said her ill-fated vows to his father.

As U.S. television networks, and of course the BBC, go all-out to cover the wedding of William and Kate, the wild card is whether the interest is there this time around. Then, there's that early wake-up time. The wedding is set for 11 a.m. London time, at Westminster Abbey. That's 5 a.m. in Texas, and much of the coverage will take place even earlier in the day. That also was true for Diana's wedding but, in 1981, only a tiny percentage of homes had VCRs; today, almost anybody who wants to sleep to a reasonable hour can set their DVR and watch later.

TV, though, is plunging in as if certain of viewers' interest. Specials began airing last week, and coverage intensifies today. Among Friday's highlights:

BBC America will simulcast the BBC from 2-5:30 a.m. Coverage will include the ceremony at 5 a.m. If your cable options don't include BBC America, go online: BBC.com will stream the wedding live at www.bbc.com/royalwedding starting at 4:45 a.m. (By Friday, BBC America says it will have offered 184 hours of royal programming in the previous four months.)

NBC will have the entire Today team in London. Joined by Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, Today will cover the festivities beginning at 3 a.m., and Dateline will air a two-hour "instant documentary" at 8 p.m., anchored by Ann Curry.

Evening News anchor Katie Couric will lead CBS coverage from London, with Erica Hill at Buckingham Palace for an extra-early Early Show beginning at 4 a.m. Couric will host The Royal Wedding: Modern Majesty at 7 p.m.

Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters will lead ABC's coverage, beginning with Good Morning America at 3 a.m., with Robin Roberts at Westminster Abbey. That night, Walters will recap the day's events in a two-hour 20/20 starting at 8 p.m.

Fox News Channel will have Shepard Smith, Martha MacCallum, Gretchen Carlson and Jonathan Hunt reporting, beginning at 3 a.m. That night, FNC will highlight special moments from the day.

On CNN, Piers Morgan and Anderson Cooper will be joined by "special contributor" Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) for live coverage beginning at 4 a.m. Piers Morgan Live will air from London beginning Monday , and Anderson Cooper 360 will cross the pond beginning Wednesday.

E!, MSNBC and TLC also will broadcast live from the wedding Friday morning.

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