‘Mainland Touch' has good start

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 23

‘Mainland Touch ' has good start

By

FELICITY PRICE

At long last “The Mainland Touch” has brought news of Christchurch to the televison screen. its debut on TVI on Monday night was long awaited, much heralded, and well overdue. After all, you could count the number of times Christchurch or Canterbury got a mention on the national news (or rather, the North Island news) on the fingers of one land — or two, if you counted the sports and racing. However, now that “The Mainland Touch” is here, and is going to continue to be with us every weeknight at 7.30 p.m., it

would appear —if the initial programme is anything to go by — that the top portion of the South Island is going to be well served with an excellent regional television news bulletin. . - After a self-confessed nervous introduction, Rodney Bryant handed over to Bob Sutton, who put forward five topical news items, one sports item, and the weather. The ’lead story, about the increase in passengers for a change on Christchurch Transport Board buses was covered well, with good use of graphics ■and captions to illustrate Jacts and figures, and it

set the tone for the items that followed it — all of them interesting and regionally significant. A short comical piece followed, with a certain controversial visiting windowcleaner appearing apparently starkers at Rodney Bryant’s office window. It did not labour the point, thankfully, and nicely rounded off the first half of the programme. But it was in the second half that “The Mainland Touch” really started to spark. Any visitor to Christchurch in the last few days could well be ex-

cused for thinking they must have wandered into either a puritanical outpost or a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah, . hat with all the fuss about “Statements,” “Confessions of a Window Cleaner,” car dealcss who only employ Christians, the banning of a student magazine from the city’s streets, and reports of protests about the pop song “Jezebel.” To this end, Rodney Bryant asked his three studio guests — Father Felix .Donnelly, Cr Newton Dodge, and a representative from the New Life Centre whose name escapes me— a fair ques-

tion. “Are we on the verge of a religious revolution in Christchurch?” The ensuing, heated de= bate was the stuff of which good television is made. Quoth Father Donnelly: “I have heard about the South Island wanting to secede from the North Island. but now I’m beginning to think the South Island might be trying to secede from the 20th Century.” Good point. Cr Dodge and his ally from the New Life Centre kept reminding everyone that they were Christians and were trying to safeguard the morals of a community at risk. Ten minutes and a half later, the debate had to be brought to an abrupt halt by the mediator, Rodney Bryant, whose programme had run out of time. But he concluded: “We hope ‘The Mainland Touch’ has enlightened you on this issue. We’re going to continue discussing it here — we hope you do at home.” As the studio lights dimmed, he then waved his arms about frentically, nervously exulted, no doubt, that the first programme had gone off so well.

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