5 posts tagged “dancing with the stars”

If you had to be on a reality television show, which one would you pick?

With respect to those friends of mine who have appeared on reality TV shows—and in their defence it was relatively early in the run so they didn’t know what to expect—you would have to be absolutely bonkers to be on one. At least as a contestant. You know, as a host or a judge it wouldn’t be so bad. Jason Gunn is great on Wheel of Fortune and his other shows but on the local incarnation of the non-show of shows, Strictly Come Dancing, I reckon I could do a better job, be more debonair and not need to play with my Thingy; and given the ease of the tasks on The Apprentice, wouldn’t it be great to sit in Donald’s or Sir Alan’s seat and abuse the crap out of a bunch of whiners for failing on a task that a first-year business school student could do?

I can’t tell you how far along the segment this happened, but I did say on Good Morning today that it was 2040 and that I am in a coma, thinking that it’s 2007. The reference seemed to go over everyone’s heads.
   Funny: they will all watch bloody Dancing with the Stars at Tuesday 8.30 p.m. but not Life on Mars, which had the same timeslot for the seven weeks prior.
   Since I need to watch at least one time-travelling cop each Tuesday, the excellent American series Day Break has just started here, on TV2. Pity the Yanks only made 13 and showed seven. (We may show all 13.) And they laugh at the Brits for having short TV series: at least Life on Mars lasted 16 and had a finalé.
   Even though I might champion my friend Megan, I have to say, to her eternal disappointment, that I do not watch Dancing. It did not stop the Pong Man (Brendon Pongia) asking me for my support, but I said it had been promised to Megan prior.
   Still, John Rowles was on my show. That is just too cool. The man is a legend.

I met John Rowles today when he guest-starred on Good Morning. The guy is a hero to me, not because he can sing, but because he broke through as a New Zealand entertainer internationally before most people had heard of the country. We may deservedly give Peter Jackson et al a pat on the back, but John broke the mould.
   You wouldn’t know it, but the guy was taking Strepsils before he went on. And he sounds exactly the same as he did in 1967. Hard to believe it’s been 40 years since that song, ‘Cheryl Moana Marie’, hit the charts.
   He told Sarah Bradley that it was a mixture of being cold in London and watching Hawai’i Five-O that helped write the song. Still a great bloke, who took the time to have his picture taken with make-up lady Deborah, and with me.
   As to our segment, it was better balanced today, running a record 17 minutes with the addition of Craig (the Pommy judge) from Dancing with the Stars. The extra time only worked because Andrew Wood, the researcher for the show, gave us such great questions to work from. I don’t mind the longer segment, but the topic has to be great.

[Cross-posted] I normally would not do this but a friend is on this show.
   Vote for Megan Alatini and Jonny Williams on Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand!
   She has chosen Youthline as her charity. Megan’s words in an email to me: ‘I feel the young people of NZ need some positive direction and encouragement’.
   To vote, please text (using one of those newfangled cellphones) Megan to 8981 or dial (0900) 89-812. Being a 900 number, there is a charge involved, so caveat emptor.
   If you have any gigs or functions, Megan and Jonny are willing to perform live to help the charity.

Here are some of the first photos from last night, though when I think about it, these would have been taken after midnight, April 1. They are copyright, so please: no pinching. At the left: Miss Universe New Zealand 2007, Laural Barrett, flanked by first runner-up Sylvia Laurenson, and second runner-up Jessica Body. At right: Laural, close-up. There’ll be more on Laural in the June 2007 issue of Lucire.

March 31, 2007 end of the night

   Then there is a slightly lower-quality shot of Hilary, myself, Sylvia, Laural, May and Megan. Which reminds me: vote for Megan and Johnny on Dancing with the Stars, series three! There have been a lot of Paul Holmes billboards for the new series, and I for one am disappointed with that. I mean, they want the series to succeed, don’t they? And didn’t Holmes get a 2 per cent share for his show after he switched channels?
   I don’t think TVNZ understands that it’s not Holmes who will get the viewers in, but the timeslot and programme goodwill.
   I know I would rather see Megan than Paul on the ads.