Savannah Guthrie's 'Today' Return Flopped as NBC Prepared for Crowds Like a 'Justin Bieber Concert' Amid Mom Nancy's Disappearance

Savannah Guthrie's return to the Today show amid her mother Nancy Guthrie's disappearance wasn't the "massive moment" many had anticipated.

“Everybody at NBC thought there were going to be hundreds of people, if not thousands of people, in the plaza," entertainment journalist Rob Shuter said during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show on Tuesday, April 21. "They’d hired extra security. They thought that this would be like a pop concert, like Justin Bieber was in the plaza. A decent size turned up, but it was not overwhelming."

The NBC anchor, 54, returned to the daytime talk show for the April 6 broadcast, nearly two months after her mother was reported missing on February 1.

Though Today did see a slight bump in viewership, Shuter said network executives expected more, adding, "The Savannah card, the Savannah moment didn’t quite turn out to be what they wanted, what they hoped, what they expected."

Though host Megyn Kelly acknowledged that the Today show saw a six percent bump in total viewers during the week of Savannah's return, she argued the issue came down to star power.

"Savannah was never a big star. People have empathy for her, but it didn't make her a big star, even now, that they really want to watch deliver the news," Kelly, 55, explained. "It's far far from where it was when it was Katie [Couric] and Matt Lauer, and the morning show wars had [journalists] who became celebrities because the shows were so popular."

Savannah made her talk show return despite her mother remaining missing.

Police believe the 84-year-old matriarch was abducted from her Tucson, Ariz., home during the early hours of February 1, prompting Savannah to take a leave of absence, with Hoda Kotb returning from retirement that same month to fill in.

Hoda continued stepping in as host for Craig Melvin during his April 13 to April 20 vacation, a move sources called a "no-brainer" given her strong on-air bond with Savannah.

“It’s Savannah’s second week back, and Hoda is a safe space for her. They’ve been through a lot together and have a meaningful connection," a source told a news outlet, adding that she's a "steady hand and calm presence for the staff."

The investigation into Nancy's disappearance remains ongoing. The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department have made no credible leads or suspects known to the public as the search for Nancy enters its third month.