Al Sharpton made his official debut as the host of MSNBC’s 6pm hour, now called “PoliticsNation,” despite being the substitute host most of the summer.

“Let me tell you from the outset,” said Sharpton as he closed his first show. “I’m not going to be a robotic host reading the teleprompter, like a robot. Nor am I going to come in here and do the James Brown and do the electric slide to prove to you that I’m not stiff.” And the early reviews?

The NYTimes’ Alessandra Stanley:

He’s more subdued and dull as a host, weighed down by a teleprompter that he is still uncomfortable reading and by a desire for gravitas.

And Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly:

MSNBC is going down a wayward road in hiring Sharpton, because it makes the channel look desperate to throw on its screen someone who’s a familiar media face.