RICHARD DREW/AP Co-hosts Katie Couric and Matt Lauer opened Couric's farewell broadcast on NBC's 'Today' show in 2006. Sources say Couric could be back as a fill-in for a few months this year. NBC bosses are looking at yesterday for the future of "Today."
Katie Couric is being considered as a substitute co-host for the "Today" show when co-host Savannah Guthrie goes on maternity leave this year, network sources tell the Daily News.
"It makes perfect sense," an NBC News staffer said. "The viewers loved her and Matt Lauer together. This would be a chance to give them exactly what they want."
Guthrie, 42, is five months pregnant and expected to be away from the show for a few months beginning in late summer.
NBC officials cautioned that there have been no official talks with Couric's camp about the fill-in job and that another fan favorite, Meredith Vieira, has also been suggested as a possibility, along with current "internal talent."
"With the 'Today' show in a good place, we are blessed with great talent and many options to temporarily fill Savannah's chair while she's on leave, but there's no plan yet," an NBC News spokeswoman said. "Stay tuned."
Couric, 57, left "Today" in 2006 to become anchor of the "CBS Evening News" and then joined ABC in 2011. The Disney-owned company distributed her daytime talk show while she also served as a special news correspondent contributing to "Today" archrival "Good Morning America" and other news programming.
Buzz of Couric's potential return to NBC News appears to have begun over cocktails at a star-studded event to celebrate the redesign of The New York Observer.
NBC Couric joined 'Today' in 1991, while Lauer came on board in 1997. 
JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS Couric, 57, left 'Today' in 2006 to become anchor of the 'CBS Evening News' and then joined ABC in 2011. 
NBC NewsWire/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Savannah Guthrie, co-host on 'Today,' is five months pregnant and expected to be away from the show for a few months beginning in late summer. 
Andrew Toth/Getty The idea that Couric might return as picked up increasing momentum in recent weeks.As boldfaced names like Martha Stewart, Ray Kelly and ex-Giants star Justin Tuck mingled, Lauer and Couric casually discussed how "cool" it might be if she sat in for Guthrie, a partygoer said.
The idea picked up steam on Saturday night when Couric was seen chatting with Guthrie and other NBC News talent at the White House Correspondents' dinner, and the two have had lunch at least twice in recent weeks, sources said.
"Savannah isn't going anywhere," an insider close to the situation said, noting that the potential gig would only be temporary and Guthrie would of course return to the show after her maternity leave.
"If it could be worked out, it would make total sense for Katie or Meredith, two familiar faces for 'Today' viewers," the insider said, adding: "While this could make sense, it is just speculation, and there have not been any serious conversations about making it happen."
There is of course the chance that NBC could go with both, or even a roster of rotating co-hosts.
Still, "Today," which is pushing hard to beat "Good Morning America" and regain its top-watched status, would benefit from even a short-term boost from reuniting Couric and Lauer.
"Just because there are longstanding relationships, doesn't mean that anything will come of this," a source close to the situation cautioned.
Source : http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/katie-couric-eyed-fill-in-nbc-today-show-article-1.1779565
