'Opportunity Knocks' lacks interest

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33917, 9 August 1975, Page 5

'Opportunity Knocks ' lacks interest

Entrants in TV2’s talent quest. “Opportunity Knocks.” step onto the stage on front of t he television cameras “raw” — without props and with no performance aids, such as prerecording of voice. So ran the introduction of the compere. Rhys Jones. But it did not help much — the show was just boring. Having said that about starry-eyed local hopefuls, one is immediately struck by twinges of remorse. Why knock a programme that sets out to give local talent a chance to develop, or deny some-one the chance of

it up at a hotel in J Fiji? But whatever one’s view) about encouraging local i talent, the fact remains that! TV2 has set out to capitalise! on this by making a programme series featuring; talent. . And the channel is primarily concerned not so much with the people appearing as with capturing as wide a ) viewing audience as possible. The criterion therefore must be: is it good viewing? Still, there is always the possibility of a startling find among eager entrants, and the series has quite a long time to run yet. The only trouble from TV2’s point of view is that if it continues to bore viewers they will all switch to TVl’s M.A.S.H., which is in the same slot. Television One’s weather girl, Tina, is most acceptable in her job. I But is it necessary for Tina ) to end up pronouncing Taupo: as “Toepoe” every' night. It’s! only a quibble, because Tina’s) a favourite in our house, too.)

If you are a channel! switcher, you can end up see-'

ing quite surprising coverage of one item. For example, by the time the helicopter reroofing item was shown on both channels we had a pretty good idea of what happened, even down to the fact that some of the roofing iron nearby collected a camera team.

One result of twin channel coverage by separate news teams in Christchurch was the varying treatment of Symphony Orchestra conductor Brian Priestman. Television One with Malcolm Hopwood doing the interviewing clearly emerged as the winner, collecting a first-class piece with pungent comment from the conductor for “Tonight at Nine.” Bryan Allpress, who interviewed Mr Priestman in the Town Hall against a distracting background of musicions coming and going, did not do nearly as well.

McCloud galloped along the sand in Hawaii, the setting for a marathon effort to clear Chief Clifford of a murder charge. Many a lesser man would Have left the chief to his fate, but not the intrepid McCloud, no sir. Why do we watch such stuff?—K.C.