In September 2008, Good Morning America visited “50 States in 50 Days” aboard an Amtrak train. Each day, the crew would broadcast the show from different parts of each state. (Just how they got that train to Hawaii is unclear to me.) This year, in celebrating the TV show’s 50th anniversary, GMA will attempt to do the same thing in a bigger way.
Beginning on July 3, the morning show will debut its new special series, “50 States in 50 Weeks: America the Beautiful”. Each week, a GMA anchor or correspondent will visit and report from a different state. While there, they will shine the spotlight on the real people who are making a difference within their community.
“This series is a chance for us to explore the country and share stories that reflect the heart of each state,” said Simone Swink, senior executive producer of Good Morning America. “We’re looking forward to meeting people, highlighting what makes each state special, and proudly keeping the ‘A’ in ‘GMA.’”
The first stop will be Delaware which is only fitting since it was the first state to be admitted to the United States.
“I can’t think of a better way to kick off this journey than in Delaware, our very first state,” said Ginger Zee, the show’s chief meteorologist who was chosen to interview the heroic lifeguards of Rehoboth Beach.
“Meeting the Rehoboth Beach lifeguards and seeing their commitment to community and safety perfectly captures the spirit of what this series is all about, especially ahead of Fourth of July weekend.”
“50 States in 50 Weeks” will continue through the first week of July 2026, where our country will be celebrating its own milestone – 250 years of independence. Additional coverage from the series will air on GMA3, ABC News Live, and ABC News digital and social platforms.
Good Morning America’s actual anniversary doesn’t happen until later this year. Its’ predecessor aired for less than a year.
AM America debuted on January 6, 1975 with hosts Bill Beutel and Stephanie Edwards with Peter Jennings and Robert Kennedy reading the morning news. The show was an attempt to steal away some of the viewers of NBC’s Today Show which at that time was being hosted by Jim Hartz and Barbara Walters.
After months of trying, AM America didn’t make a dent in Today’s ratings. In fact, some of ABC affiliate stations pre-empted the new show for a local one called The Morning Exchange. That show had a more relaxed approach to the news, offered weather updates at the top and bottom of each hour and shared stories of general interest and entertainment topics in addition to the morning’s headlines. ABC was inspired.
It wasn’t long before AM America was revamped and renamed, Good Morning America which debuted on November 3, 1975 with new hosts, David Hartman and Nancy Dussault.
Currently hosted by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, GMA has seen a lot of changes over the years many of which will no doubt be highlighted later this year.
Main Image: Michael Strahan, Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos (ABC)
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