Amanpour

Lore & Background

Amanpour debuted on September 21, 2009 on CNN International, airing weekdays on CNN International and Sundays on CNN/US. Its first run ended in April 2010 after Amanpour departed CNN to host This Week on ABC. Upon her return to the network in 2011, CNN International relaunched the series, which returned on April 16, 2012. The program airs weekdays in the afternoon in North America and during primetime in Europe. In November 2015, it began airing on CNN in the US on weekdays.

The show has three segments: 'The Brief,' where Amanpour tells a story from a different perspective; a second segment typically featuring an interview with a high-profile news maker or politician; and 'Imagine a World,' her final thought on a topic not discussed on the show. When Amanpour reports in the field, she anchors the entire program remotely. The program has featured interviews with figures such as Joko Widodo, Robert Mugabe, Jacob Zuma, Queen Rania of Jordan, and a rare joint interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Bob Gates.

On December 4, 2017, it was announced that Amanpour would re-air on PBS as an interim replacement for Charlie Rose after sexual harassment allegations led to that program's cancellation. The PBS version was initially branded as Amanpour on PBS, then retitled Amanpour & Company, beginning September 10, 2018. On that same date, as part of a revamp of CNN International's European primetime line-up, Amanpour moved to 19.00 CET/18.00 UK and expanded to a one-hour show.

Reader's Guide

Amanpour is notable as a revived series that returned after its host left for a competing network. The program's significance lies in its format of three distinct segments, including personal storytelling and high-profile interviews with world leaders and newsmakers. Its revival on PBS as a replacement for Charlie Rose underscores its role in filling a gap in public affairs programming. The show has received generally positive reviews, with Mattie Kahn of Elle calling it 'Charismatic and brilliant.' It has won awards including Television Personality of the Year at the AIB Media Excellence Awards in 2015 and a Gracie Award in 2016 for best Talk Show - News. The program expanded to CNN Brazil in March 2020 and had an intermittent presence on CNN Philippines starting in 2016, with a full-time relaunch there on January 1, 2018, lasting until January 29, 2024.

Did You Know?

• The show debuted on September 21, 2009, and its first run ended in April 2010 when Amanpour left to host ABC's This Week.
• It was revived on April 16, 2012, after Amanpour returned to CNN International.
• In December 2017, it was announced as an interim replacement for Charlie Rose on PBS after sexual harassment allegations against Rose.
• The program expanded to a one-hour show on September 10, 2018, as part of a CNN International European primetime revamp.