Taking the helm at ABC's World News during a holiday week when many big name anchors go on vacation, Diane Sawyer debuted tonight leading an evening newscast most notable for the fact that it all felt so, well, usual.

There were slightly snazzier new graphics featuring Sawyer's name before a glittering globe. And there was a short interview with Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But what may have been most surprising, was that morning anchor George Stephanopoulos showed up to talk about the Senate's new health care legislation -- given his new anchor gig on Good Morning America, couldn't the network find somebody else to explain the crazy politics of the moment?

Even Sawyer's interview with the Iranian leader, which reportedly kept her from attending outgoing anchor Charles Gibson's retirement party, didn't produce much fireworks. It's not as if she was the first American TV anchor to ask him about the clear hypocritical dissonance between the rhetoric coming out of his mouth -- claiming Iranian citizens have freedom to protest publicly amid reports of executions of protestors -- and the reality of independent reports.

He denied reports the country is testing a new trigger for a nuclear weapon and denied reports that protestors of his election were being punished or killed.

Absent any reporting to challenge him, there was little Sawyer could do  beyond maintaining an incredulous note in her voice while showcasing his evasions. I'm hopeful the extended interview on Nightline will be more illuminating

Still, it was a smart stroke to kick off her new newscast with a maximum of traditional news and a minimum of personal stuff. Aside from a brief reference at the show's start, a shout out to Gibson at the show's end and the newscast's new name, you could hardly tell the difference between this broadcast and the many times Sawyer has filled in for Gibson during his time leading the program. Which is clearly the point.

With a traditional and shrinking audience, ABC has clearly decided it makes more sense to court those who are still watching than try sparking any new excitement over the evening newscast, at least at first.

It may be a winning strategy for taking over a newscast. But it doesn't bode well for the future of a medium where fans are dying of old age faster than they can be replaced.