Rupert Murdoch does a better job of 50 year TV history than our own bloody 'public broadcaster'
Oh the irony! Oh the irony! Oh the irony! I feel a Len Brown head slapping and chest pounder coming on. Rupert Murdochs Prime TV's 50 year history of NZ TV was a trillion, billion light years ahead of the abomination TVNZ shat up earlier this month. How could Rupert do a better job of public broadcasting than our very own fucking public broadcaster??? I suppose TVNZ handing over all our public archives in the form of the Heartland channel to Rupert helped, but still, how horrifically embarrassing.
It was incredible watching Prime's 50 year history of some of the most important issues our country has faced and the impact TV had over those issues. The legalization of homosexuality, nuclear testing, Bastion Point, how evil Robert Muldoon was and the fascist NZ Police beating protesters at the Springbok tour. Normally NZers have polite amnesia about our recent political past (John Key can't even remember of he was pro or anti the Springbok tour) but this intelligent, thoughtful documentary didn't flinch about discussing ideas and politics and philosophy. This is what TV should do, this was a triumph of a doco!
Watching that evil Robert Muldoon attempt to destroy our nation for him and his National Party's political gain, watching those pro Springbok redneck tour maggots screaming for the rugby to start, watching the cops who all volunteered to bash protesters (did you know the NZ cops actually have a plaque congratulating themselves for their actions during the Springbok tour - the wankers), watching Maori dragged away from Bastion Point, watching those dirty filthy Christian fundies screaming against gay rights (in the exact same way they screamed for their right to bash their kids recently) - liberal NZers have allowed our redneck fellow countrymen off the hook far too often and it was amazing to see a NZ doco brave enough to show out redneck fellow countrymen up.
The public broadcasting ethos that was still alive in NZ TV was shown in this Prime doco to have such an immense impact on public discourse in a way that the sparkle encrusted turd of todays TVNZ can't muster.
Such a joy to see Alister Barry, Geoff Murphey, Tom Scott, Sean Duffey and the director of Patu get the recognition they so richly deserve.
Congratulations John Bates, Irene Gardiner and Cream Media! Why can't we have this type of public broadcasting rather than the pap we get currently served up and why must we look to Rupert for it rather than our own TVNZ?
(Please, please, please don't tell me TVNZ that your next 50 year news celebration programme you have scheduled won't just be a lazy compilation of 75 odd events that you will even more lazily decide based on online voters, please tell me it's not just that? Please, please, please.)
posted by Bomber @ 8:30 am
10 comments
10 Comments:
TVNZ should have been promoted as 50 years of Jason Gunn
It was limp and pathetic
Primes was primo-
Lest we forget
Yeah agree Primes doco on NZ TV is great......TVNZ have done a shit job so far.
To anon above:
Only by remembering past mistakes, do we make sure not to repeat them.
You cannot deny that in order to be part of a peace flotilla first you need a boat or yacht which may have been more commonplace in the period defined by this doco.However apart from the helmeted protests getting cracked over the skull with wooden truncheons and the odd uncovered skull as well, the protests I saw remain the privilege of an intellectual elite all with the time off to attend events of their own choosing and all with a bookcase of their own to sit in front of as they pontificate on their own massaged ego's and if you don't believe have a listen to today's intellectual's John Tamihere describing his own viepoint in the paper and Willie Jackson's column in the local rag.
To anon above:
As someone who participated on the front line of the protests and stood in the field at Hamilton I can say very clearly that those of us who stood shoulder to shoulder saw the events and politics of the day not as the bookcase of an intellectual elite but more the unleashed energy of a great nation taking back our voice.
BASTION POINT
(SOME FACTS)
Ngati Whatua sold thousands of hectares of land as the capital changed hands.Governor George Grey ruled that of the 341 pounds paid by the government for twelve hundred hectares six months later sold for 25,275 pounds be bought back and also confiscated.The money was used to build roads and bridges like grafton bridge before bus lanes and strengthening and other vital infrastructure for the fast pace of growth something not totally uncommon to the isthmus these days as well.
TE KAWAU.
285 HECTARES was all that remained in the tribes hands.The government once again confiscated land the five hectares at the headland for keeping out the russians at Takaparawha Point (1858)at the time but paid 1500 pounds compo as the land was never used for that reason.
Chapter 45.STAND OFF AT BASTION POINT.PAGE 271.GREAT TALES FROM NZ HISTORY.GORDON McLAUCHLAN.
What annoys me is the fact that TV3 and C4 (now owned by Ironbridge) consistently make better NZ programming, on a DAILY basis. I'm not sure if the stats back me up on this (at least wiki does) but they seem to air more NZ programs as well. What does TVNZ have? Shortland Street, and Mitre 10 dream home. Embarrassing.
Robert Mulldoon wasent evil mate..its was fucking labour and how they made mulldoon into a figure of public hate. Those that call him evil that is the words of his enemys whom ;later gained office and manipulated public opinion agaisnt mulldoon by manipulating the facts!
John Bates steered me your way...I don't want to steel your thunder but invite you'all to take a look (and register) at my research site , as another place you can post comments about the Prime series--but also contribute more general comments about television in the life of New Zealand--all in the cause of academic research, but also to acknowledge a very important anniversary.
Prime is very graciously putting this address as a tag on the end credits of 50 Years.
Geoff Lealand
Screen and Media Studies, University of Waikato
Oops--I mean 'steal'.
A link is missing from the message above--is this policy for your web, or should I do it another way?
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