More TVNZ 7 bashing

Just seen yesterday's Media7 and Backbenches on the TVNZ site. My co-blogger said I was a bit too critical last time when I wrote about them; well after viewing the second episodes I am vindicated. Readers of this blog and people who know me (and judges, the police etc.) will be accustomed to my long-held stance of telling it how it is and not giving a tinkers what other people think. But on this one occasion I'll tone it down and pull my punches because I don't want to burn any more professional and industry bridges, so let me apologise in advance for my lack of forthrightness.

Back Benches

Wallace Chapman's floor manager or whatever still doesn't seem to exist as he has to prompt the applause. David bloody Farrar almost single-handedly managed to hijack the show: watch as he simulates tossing his locks in vanity as he clasps the mic off Wallace and prepares to take over; watch as Wallace tries to yank the mic off him but he pulls back from his range and plows on regardless. Beautiful.

The mix of MPs was once again weaker than a Chinese labour law. Wallace was still laughing loudly - and alone - at his own non-jokes. And the "peeping and peering" item on rummaging through MPs' offices is rather flat. The first item that he found - or really what National MP Judith Collins directed him to - which was prominently left on her desk was a biography of NZ RAF commander Sir Keith Park. She remarked that she's really into the Second World War - at which point a better informed rummager would have confronted her over her startling NZ Herald comment that the person she most admires in the whole world is Erwin Rommel - as in Erwin Hitler's bodyguard Rommel, a Nazi. How terribly even-handed she is over the War. But that never happened - instead we got to see a little zen garden she has on a sideboard - how cute.

Wallace rambled somewhat shambolically through his agenda and the often ultra-minimal responses from his guests. I saw Ron Mark downing his pint, and he did get into the spirit of the thing, but as for the others: stilted. The one who looked most at ease, composed, researched, and prepared was that nasally David bloody Farrar!

What did we learn from the show? Nothing. It would be cruel to say the best thing about it is the retro McPhail and Gadsby theme music. So I won't mention it then.

Media 7

Purely to annoy me, Rusty had his most shitty, manky old op shop shirt on which was unbuttoned seemingly to the navel and as the show progressed it became more and more open and lop-sided. Unco to the max, like a homeless John Campbell. Maybe it was deliberate - Kenny Everett style. And why does he have a studio audience? Their presence is utterly redundant - I mean totally without purpose. The only reason that I could think of for their existence is to boost Rusty's ego enable the host's self confidence. Pointless.

The discussion on economic reporting in the mass media was as dull and predictable and boring as it could have been. It doesn't help that Russell has this depressing flat drone whenever he speaks - like Chis Laidlaw was his father or something. When the economist (Nana) started to fire up to take on the editor (Hickey) Russell shut him down instantly in case it became passionate, interesting, entertaining and watchable. Bad call.

It would be insulting to say the best thing about it was Simon Pound's jaunt over to Waiheke to expose the local media war, so I just won't go there.

... and yet I'll keep watching.