The problem for me is that "Countdown" is rapidly becoming predictable and generic; a distressing development for a show that really has its own internal vibe and attitude. I still watch the show every night, but there are times when my interest fades, and I find myself hitting the fast forward button to get through a segment.

The challenge of doing a show like "Countdown" is that when it's going well, the natural inclination is to fall into a routine. Every day is a scramble to put together guests and topics, and you find yourself falling back on the same familiar faces. And so it is with "Countdown," which tends to draw its regular guests from a roster of about seven or eight regulars.

Dana Milbank, Jonathan Alter, Rachel Maddow, Eugene Robinson, Maria Milito during "American Idol" season…it's a guest list any longtime "Countdown" viewer can rattle off pretty quickly. There's nothing wrong with any of these folks, they all rightfully deserve camera time and attention.

But they're also appearing on "Countdown" because they tend to reflect Olbermann's opinions on politics and pop culture, and at some point, it tends to be all a bit intellectually incestuous. The typical conversation consists of Olbermann saying, "Point a, point b and then point c." Then the guest agrees with all three points, and perhaps brings in point b2 as a way of expanding the conversation. It all has a "Groundhog's Day" quality to it that I find maddening.

Now I'm not looking for a "Crossfire" type of dialogue from Olbermann and "Countdown." I don't even want that type of mock bully-debate that Fox News has turned into its trademark.

I would like to see a wider list of guests, and the occasional comment from them that surprises me. I want the overall show to be as smart and unexpected as Olbermann's segments, and that certainly isn't the case right now.

It also might be fun to intermittently bring in a guest who can nicely disagree with Olbermann. The anchor has shown the ability to criticize himself (even including himself in his "Worst Persons In The World" segment). So it's not that far of a jump to bring on some guests who are a bit unpredictable or even mocking of some liberal bastions. "Countdown" does a much better job of mocking the conservatives than it does liberals, and as a life-long liberal, I can tell you that we've have as many goofball idiots as any other part of the political spectrum.

Regardless of what happens, I'm sure I'll continue watching "Countdown." I just won't enjoy it as much.