In addition, “Nightline” at 11:35 will have a post-debate wrap up, featuring highlights and more analysis.

Online, debate coverage will be anchored by Amy Walter and Dan Harris from 8-11:30 PM, and will be available on ABCNews.com, all of the network’s apps, Yahoo! News and on YouTube.

More information below.
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George Stephanopoulos ended the conversation talking about something Olbermann and conservative George Will agreed on: baseball, specifically the saving of Fenway Park which faced the wrecking ball in the 1990s and this week celebrated its 100th birthday.

While the show still focused on national politics and policy — and baseball — it originated from far outside the Beltway, at ABC News studios in New York.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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“This Week with Christiane Amanpour” debuted this morning on ABC with the veteran foreign correspondent telling viewers, “After 20 years covering the world, the story in this country is turning into one of the most fascinating.”

The headline from Amanpour’s two headliner guests, Secy. Robert Gates and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both pre-taped on Friday to accommodate their schedules, was their disagreement on the pace of U.S. troops leaving Afghanistan.

While the host was new, the round-table consisted of three familiar names: George Will, Donna Brazile and Paul Krugman and a new face who fit with Amanpour’s goal of giving the show a more outside-the-beltway feel: from Madrid, Amanpour welcomed Ahmed Rashid, who was billed as “the world authority on the Taliban.” The opening voice-over also featured a new tagline featuring the global focus: “From all across our world to the heart of our nation’s capitol.”

There was new music from trumpeter Chris Botti and a new show open and set backdrop, changing out the blue “This Week” logo with a map of the world in red. The Sunday funnies remained.

Following this morning’s show Amanpour told TVNewser, “It’s great to finally be underway, and I’m so pleased to have had two great first guests and a wonderful round table. I’m excited about having this platform to explore the issues that affect Americans. I want to open the window on the world to help with the understanding of all of the global challenges out there.” Amanpour’s opening welcome after the jump…

Did you watch? If so, what did you think?

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TVNewser spoke with Amanpour this evening for a Q&A about working on a D.C.-based political show (she’ll still live in New York) and her thoughts about departing the network where she’s been such a prominent figure.

What are your feelings about leaving CNN?

Amanpour: I thought about this long and hard. Clearly, as you can imagine, it was an intense decision-making process. I’ve spent 26 and a half years at CNN and together with my colleagues we’ve built this incredible place. I have a great amount of respect and admiration for CNN.

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a part of this honored tradition that is “This Week” and to build on it with an international perspective, and build on what “This Week” has forged over the years.

What kind of changes are you planning for the program?

Amanpour: The nuts and bolts are a work in progress. This is a show that’s established in viewers’ minds and in their hearts and in their interests. What we’re doing is building on it to include the international perspective. We’ll focus on the vital domestic policies and issues of the day and the international policies and issues of the day. We’ll use the perspective that I’ve gained over the years of being around the world and interviewing world leaders all over the place.

The round table will continue with the amazing people like George Will, who’s a national treasure, Paul Krugman, Donna Brazile and the ABC correspondents, Jake Tapper, Jonathan Karl, Martha Raddatz, who’s had incredibly distinguished career. I’m very very proud to be able to join in a collegial way with all these people.

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Referring to comments made by White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, George Will says that Fox News might be “opinion journalism,” but that also “describes The New York Times, and certainly MSNBC.”

Laura Ingraham pointed out that when “esteemed journalist” Charlie Gibson had no clue about the ACORN scandal, there was “a collective gasp across the United States.”

“Charlie has had an amazing career,” said Stephanopoulos. “Let’s set aside that moment.” Much more in the clip:

Meanwhile, CNN’s “Reliable Sources” discussed the issue as well. Huffington Post national editor Nico Pitney, declaring, “By and large, the network is a 24-hour campaign against the Obama administration.” Pitney, like John Podesta on the “This Week” panel, used the talking point about Fox News SVP Bill Shine saying that Fox news is “the voice of the opposition.”

“Reliable Sources” clip after the jump…

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• ABC — Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos anchor coverage from the Capitol, from 9-10:30pmET. Jake Tapper, Jonathan Karl, George Will and Donna Brazile contribute. Nightline provides additional coverage and analysis at 11:35pmET, with Terry Moran anchoring from D.C.

• CBS — Katie Couric anchors from 9-10:30pmET, with a live Webcast on CBSNews.com and CNET.com immediately following. Bob Schieffer, Jeff Greenfield, Nancy Cordes, Lara Logan, Anthony Mason, Chip Reid and Dan Bartlett contribute.

• NBC — Brian Williams anchors from 9-10pmET. He will be joined by David Gregory, Chuck Todd, and Kelly O’Donnell.

• FOX — Shepard Smith anchors from Washington, D.C., beginning at 8:55pmET. Chris Wallace provides analysis and Shannon Bream reports from Capital Hill.

• CNN — Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown, Anderson Cooper and John King lead coverage from the Election Center in New York. Members of the BPTOT, including Gloria Borger and Roland Martin, will contribute. Shortly before the 9 p.m. address, Blitzer will introduce the address. A two-hour edition of AC 360 starts immediately after the address. “Larry King Live” airs live at MidnightET, with special guest, Sen. John McCain.

• FNC — Bret Baier anchors, beginning at 8:55pmET. Bill O’Reilly hosts a live O’Reilly Factor from 8-8:55pmET. On the Record with Greta Van Susteren airs live from 10:30-11pmET, followed by a Sean Hannity hosting a live “Hannity” from 11pm-MidnightET. Brit Hume joins Juan Williams, Nina Easton and Charles Krauthammer for post-address analysis, Major Garrett, Carl Cameron, Brian Wilson and Chris Wallace report for the coverage.

• MSNBC — Keith Olbermann introduces the address after Countdown, and a special edition of Countdown airs at 10pmET. The Rachel Maddow Show airs live at 11pmET and Hardball with Chris Matthews is live at MidnightET.

• CNBC — John Harwood and Larry Kudlow anchor the pre-speech coverage and a panel of guests join Harwood after the address. Also — Brian Williams will be on “Street Signs” at 2pmET after his lunch at the White House with the other anchors.

• FBN — Neil Cavuto anchors coverage, which includes Rich Edson and Peter Barnes reporting and Mack McLarty, former chief of staff for President Clinton, providing analysis.

• Bloomberg — Peter Cook anchors, with Al Hunt and Kathleen Hays contributing. Roger Altman and Frank Lavin provide analysis.

• PBS — Jim Lehrer anchors with Mark Shields and David Brooks providing analysis.

• C-SPAN — Airs the address live, with coverage beginning at 8pmET and a re-air at 11pmET.

> WebNewser has the coverage plans on the Web…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“This was a good conservative group, and we just had a great back and forth,” he said. “And he wants to keep the dialogue going with conservatives.”

Also at the dinner were Peggy Noonan, Paul Gigot and FNC contributors Bill Kristol and Charles Krauthammer. “He is charming, he is terribly smart, bright, well-informed, he has a great sense of humor,” said Kudlow.

Meanwhile Politico’s Michael Calderone writes about a meeting today between Obama and liberal commentators. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow was among those in attendance.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It will be his first Sunday morning interview since arriving in Washington, and begins ABC News’ week-long series, “America’s Economy: What’s the Fix?”

Also on the program: Newt Gingrich, Thomas Friedman, Peggy Noonan and George Will.

• Earlier: Common Bond: The Stephanopoulos-Obama Connection

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George Will says he would never do it.

Lou Dobbs calls it “a novel idea” but can’t imagine doing it.

Tucker Carlson says he’d do it in a heartbeat.

Will, Dobbs and Carlson, along with 20-plus other conservatives, were apparently on CBS’s list of potential candidates in fall 2004 for its investigative panel on Memogate, the New York Observer reports.

CBS, of course, eventually selected former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and ex-AP chief Louis Boccardi to pass judgment on Dan Rather – now suing his former employers for $70 million.

Newsweek’s Will, CNN’s Dobbs and MSNBC’s Carlson all say they were never contacted.

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We stopped in the green room where ABC News president David Westin was watching coverage along with correspondents Dr. Timothy Johnson, Betsy Stark and Brian Ross. Dr. Johnson, physician first, told us that he’d checked earlier in the day and there is a defibrillator in the studio. “A lot of adrenaline rushing tonight,” he said. Westin was pleased with the final story on World News, which featured ABC’s two off-air reporters following the Obama and McCain campaigns.

In a second green room, on-air guests waited for their turns on air, and, in the meantime, enjoyed the catering, as we discovered in the clip below.

Before we departed we ran into Good Morning America senior EP Jim Murphy who came to watch the coverage, so he knows what to expect first thing in the morning.

More pictures after the jump…

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Mark Halperin, Time Magazine
Electoral Vote — 349 Obama
Senate — 59 Democratic seats
House — Democrats net 28 House seats

Matthew Dowd, former Republican strategist:
Electoral Vote — 338 plus Obama
Senate — 8 plus pick up for Democrats
House — 17 plus pickup for Democrats

George Will, ABC News contributor:
Electoral Vote — 378 Obama
Senate — 8 pickups for the Democrats
House — 21 pickups for the Democrats

Donna Brazile, former Democratic strategist:
Electoral Vote — Obama 343
Senate — Democrats 59 plus runoff
House — Democrats pick up 29

George Stephanopoulos:
Electoral Vote — 353 Obama
Senate — 58, or 59 if there’s a run-off in Georgia.
House — 264 House Democrats (+28)

For what it’s worth Pres. Clinton won 370 electoral votes in 1992, 379 electoral votes in 1996. Pres. Bush won 271 electoral votes in 2000 and 286 electoral votes in 2004.

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