MARIEKE AND THE MAGIC CIRCLE CLUB
So as of today, Channel Ten will no longer be broadcasting The Circle.
And that is a pity, I think. The Circle was an engaging, warm, funny show hosted by intelligent, challenging, politically astute women. At the time of its ignominious death by axing it wasn’t necessarily setting the ratings world aflame, but it was never going to – not with its gentle mid-morning timeslot and cheerily awkward infomercials. It was what it was: a daytime television show with a passionate and devoted audience, and without warning it was yanked from air and replaced with overseas content.
Why?
The fault lies, more or less, with this gentleman.
For those happily unaware of his existence (and there are thousands of you out there, millions) the ratings for his inexorably awful breakfast television show currently number less than the population of Dubbo – his name is Paul Henry.
A radio and television host originating from New Zealand, Henry was sacked in a flurry of scandal by TVNZ in October 2010 after interviewing Prime Minister John Key about the then-NZ Governor-General, Anand Satyanand.
As the Sydney Morning Herald reported:
“He (Henry) asked, wasn’t it time to appoint a G-G ’who looks and sounds like a New Zealander’?
“The racist subtext – that a dark-skinned man with an Indian name couldn’t be a real Kiwi – couldn’t be explained away. Henry’s mocking of Indian minister Sheila Dikshit’s name around the same time sealed his fate, and – after a public backlash – TVNZ pushed him off a cliff.”
The entertainment world often has a penchant for hosts who titillate and appall, who say things others dare not and thumb their nose at “political correctness”.
Every time that irascible cockstain Sam Newman performs in blackface on The Footy Show, or pokes fun at mentally challenged or obese people in the street, or makes the sort of rapey innuendo that should more often than not be responded to with a swift kick to the penis, hundreds – thousands! – of Channel Nine viewers tut to themselves, throw beer cans at the screen, or simply huff indignantly into their telephones.
They also keep watching.
Newman is the sort of “love him or hate him” character network executives fap off into their Kleenex over. He says something revolting and the letters of complaint are penned in a flurry of indignation and the op-ed pieces are printed in chest-beating orgies of sanctimony and nothing changes, not really, not ever.
Newman and company just keep on keeping on (see: Jones, Alan).
Henry has attempted to set himself up as this sort of patented “outrageous” character – he’ll say what he wants, when he wants, about gays, refugees, women drivers, stop me if you’ve heard this one before, to hell with the pious naysayers, edgy in-your-face comedic insights brings in the viewers, bitches!
It’s an act that’s been done to death, usually by people smarter and sharper than Henry and, if those who come before are anything to go by, it eventually chips away at the soul.
One need only look into the cold, dead trout eyes of “King” Kyle Sandilands to see that a life lived being an obnoxious fuckbag in the public eye is a life spiritually unfulfilled.
‘Guess how many times I’ve cried whilst masturbating today, loyal subjects?’
No doubt when Channel Ten signed Henry as the host of their brand new Breakfast show they were hoping some of this gormless attention-grabbing would cause a charge of outraged audiences to shriek at their television screens and hover with breathless anticipation. The three-year contract was rumoured to be worth one million dollars per year, and Ten talked up the possibility of scandal months in advance.
That Paul Henry! Whatever would he say next? Tune in tomorrow at 6am!
But nobody – nobody – watched Paul Henry. And as Breakfast continues its bedraggled, confused limp into obscurity, that rumoured one million dollar a year contract is now the reason a lot of very fine Channel Ten employees just lost their jobs.
Hearsay has it that Ten even tried to handball Henry off to be the face of panel show Can of Worms but those involved threw a grade-A shitfit and, like a scabies-addled pound dog, nobody wants to claim Henry and he was was shunted back to the poorly-conceived hosting position from whence he came.
Because Channel Ten don’t know what to do with their bad investment, they’ve garrotted a warm, funny, politically interesting, female-driven show and left it for dead.
Because they pandered to a puffed-up testicular bubo of a human being and signed him for far more money than his half-baked brand of “infamy” is worth, they’ve decimated the public face of their morning lineup and left people far more deserving of a decent paycheck on the unemployment line.
And this new “improved” Breakfast (just you watch) will duly poach segmenteers from The Circle, and offer them less money for doing a job they once loved, and they’ll obediently go and perform because nobody wants to get a commercial overlord offside.
And it’s not good, and it’s not right, and it’s about time someone pointed out the fucking disgrace of the whole affair.
You can read The Hoopla women’s reaction to the axing of The Circle here.
*Marieke Hardy is…an author, TV scriptwriter, entrepreneur, commentator and all-round national wonder. She blogs here. This piece appears with her kind permission.
61 Responses to this article
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Jackie August 3, 2012
Wow…just wow…it’s like you were in my head…I’ve never been much of Circle watcher…by I gave breakfast a go for 3 days.
Apparently they forget it’s television and revert back to a talkback style connection with their meagre audience. So caller’s voices are bleated over the TV screen whilst we see Mr, Henry pulls faces as he not only tries to understand the comment but translate it to kiwi.
IMHO they sacked the wrong person when they sacked Andrew Rochford. Unforunately the firecracker they thought was Paul Henry turned out to be a dud and they are now stuck with him. Perhaps they could dress him up as an elf and put him on a kid’s show as the level of questions he asked during interview is at about 5 year old level.
I’m sorry that good ladies of the circle AND production staff have lost their jobs or been “reallocated” It’s no way to run a network!
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Gabriele Niklaus August 3, 2012
Totally agree, it is absolutely appalling. Typically stupid executives who have no idea what their viewers want and if they do they ignore them.
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Louisa August 3, 2012
Marieke! What a treat to log on and find a piece by you. Your writing is gold. So many funny expressions e.g. shitfit. And such bold insight. Hope you get invited back.
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Dirty Pierre August 3, 2012
Stop sitting on the fence, girl… what do you think of him?
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FerrelBerryl August 3, 2012
I have a new girl crush to go with my existing crush on the circle girls. I literally watch one show on television and that was the (first, pre infomercial bit) of The Circle. Now no network will reach this A Demographic new Mother with money to spend.
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sharon T August 3, 2012
I’m not a daytime tv watcher either, however, this latest action by television programmers doesn’t surprise me at all. Let’s hope there will be some regrouping of those ladies soon to have another go at daytime entertainment for those at home.
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Lou August 3, 2012
Yes this sums it up perfectly. Sacrifice the women to save the million dollar man. Sucks.
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merran August 3, 2012
Never watched the circle, or watched Channel 10 breakfast programme, but thought this was a great read!! Well said!
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Moz August 3, 2012
Circle, while no threat to “The View, was a wa, genuinely appealing show that matched its time slot to its audience nicely. The appalling Henry
apparently now referring to himself as an Aussie,as in using “we” when referring to Aussies,will inevitably founder. Eventually to return to nz and prob ( maybe hopefully ) rubbish the sucker who paid him a small fortune for no return! -
Maddie August 3, 2012
So refreshing to read the truth of how this came about. Anyone who has seen all three commercial morning shows at 9am could see The Circle stood out for intelligence, wit and heart ( just disregard the advertorials, it is just the reality of paying the bills).
I suggest everyone who cares about this send a clear email to Ten advising they won’t be watching Ten at all until the program is reinstated! Has anyone thought of replacing its current breakfast show at 7am with The Circle? How about the obnoxious NZ guy being kept on as the highest paid person doing their advertorials….. -
Mary August 3, 2012
I am a big an of the Circle, it was a warm, funny, intelligent and sometimes silly show that covered all manner of topics relevent to Australians. They actually spent more than 3 mins talking to guests unlike the other shows in the same timeslot. Apparently it is going to be replaced by another American talk show(called The Talk) with content relevent to America not us. We already have The View for that. I think I will tune into Sonia and David on channel 9 now.
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Robin P August 3, 2012
OMG! So true Marieke. Thanks for putting the thoughts of the rest of us into words!
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Lizzie August 3, 2012
Don’t forget, he’s from Auckland (lived/worked – in the industry- there for almost 6 yrs. & they hold us in GREAT contempt. IMHO). M you are spot on! Maybe the network is trying to *stuff* FTA TV (see London 2012 ch 9 coverage) to help gFoxtel pat TV model be more viable???? (re: FOXTEL / NEWS cnxtion)
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Lizzie August 3, 2012
BTW: love the article M
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Robz August 3, 2012
I’ve never watched The Circle as I’m never home at that time of day, so I cannot comment on it. But I have tried watching Breakfast several times (quite I few more than it deserved I’ll admit). I don’t get the whole Paul Henry thing – he certainly isn’t likable; but neither is he controversial or particular offensive – he is just plain boring. There is absolutely no reason to watch him.
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FAGINA August 3, 2012
The Circle was a piss-poor Aussie attempt at copying The View. It featured tired old fat slappers and that wrinkly old BUTTROSE (lol) who seems to appear everywhere. Nothing on it was ever relevant, just rehashed newspaper and current affairs hype. As for infomercials……. anyone who does them should be retired.
If any of you supporters had the slightest piece of intelligence, you wouldn’t be watching daytime TV
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Kelly August 4, 2012
Oh Fagina. If you were so damned intelligent, you wouldn’t even be aware of the show was about that you deem so tedious.
Bugger off !
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Pauline Stephens August 3, 2012
Oh my god – that was gold!!! I was saying to my friends that 10 must have paid a lot if money for that idiot Henry – very sad that a show that was original and fun is gone – well said and good on you –
It was a great show and Henry is a dick – I watched it for 5mins the other day and I couldn’t stand it and the girl could be quiet good if it wasn’t for the million dollar man
I live her on the project – oh no – that will prob be the next to go -
Dickmojo August 3, 2012
Yes of course, its all men’s fault… Wouldn’t have anything to do with the way its presenters disgraced themselves and caused national outrage over their unbelievably inappropriate and derogatory slagging of a Victoria Cross winner, of course not. DUH!
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Kelly August 4, 2012
Um, dickmojo that was a storm in a tea cup ! The soldier involved (Ben) was charming and made it clear he did not take offence and accepted their apology.Anyone with half a brain could see that. Furthermore, one bad joke never gets anyone kicked off Australian TV … unless you’re a chick, of course. Sam Newman, that ranting loon Bolt and other such imbeciles get free rein without getting the boot.
I suggest changing your user name to dickhead.
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Jasmine August 3, 2012
What an appallingly ignorant piece of crap from Hardy. Yes, Paul Henry & Breakfast program are awful but so were the ratings & performance of the women on The Circle whose pedestrian discussions were an embarrassment to intelligent women everywhere.
They weren’t clever, funny & certainly weren’t interesting…probably why they had such horrendous ratings. Good riddance.
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Brendan August 3, 2012
Jasmine, you’ll find that Breakfast had far, far, far lower ratings than The Circle.
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Lee M August 3, 2012
Well said. I have often wondered who is in charge of television programming because the have no discernible grip on what people really want to watch. It’s not rocket science…just ask us. We want real content not sensationalism. Much like our news reporting really.
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Alicia August 3, 2012
Love this blog! Confirms what I believed to be true… Channel 10 are pathetic & gutless.
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symyn August 3, 2012
dear marieke,
i agree with you that paul henry is an awful character, one who does not belong on our screens or in our ears. i also think it’s a shame that the circle has been axed, on general principle, since a lot of people seemed to like it and it was nice to have some independent, intelligent women filling a niche on tv. unfortunately, the rest of this post was rubbish. do you care about sam newman’s opinion of yourself? i should think not. then why would he care about yours? while the points about the circle and henry were well made, i found the rest of this rant to be infantile and ignorant. fuckbag? cockstain? fapping? grow up. the public is not stupid; we can see that alan jones and kyle sandilands and their ilk occupy the extreme end of one detestable half of a spectrum, and that people like you and catherine deveny occupy the other detestable half. we, wisely, try and find a sensible middle ground. i think that maybe you do not see yourself in this way. you should think about it.
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Dramaqueen August 3, 2012
Well said Marieke,
I too am appalled at the continuing media survival of all these blustering, ignorant, misognyst, homophobic, loud mouthed, arrogant media men. They open their mouths and so much negative bile comes out – it confounds me how they have an audience at all. -
Heather August 3, 2012
Well said. Loved those people on the Circle.
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mary August 3, 2012
MTR also failed in Melbourne radio
That controversial crap doesnt go well in Melbourne
People are soo over that bs in cosmopolitan educated melbourne
Bolt was sued remember as well
That demographic is an old granny crowd that is few and far between
Wake up execs and do your research!!
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mary August 3, 2012
Furthermore when will the abc get rid of those think tank guys ??
They were persecuted at an outside broadcast to a disgruntled middle class crowd that reflects how sick people are of the young jerks talking rubbish with narcissistic nerds
Wankerish abc is turning into a commercial network
Its been murdoched!!
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mary August 3, 2012
Why doesn’t Bolt go to the U.S and do his own show there and take them with him??
There is a larger audience and more ignoramuses to spew out ill informed crap
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Kaffy August 3, 2012
Thankyou Marieke. You have articulated my thoughts so much better than I could have in the circumstances. Hope Channel 10 learns a lesson….hope they all do actually.
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Colin August 3, 2012
Very well said, Marieke. A disgrace to import him here in the first place – our own local talent not good enough? Also, I wish we could rid our TV screens of all infomercial/advertorial content. It’s high time Midday was brought back. I met Ray Martin only a couple of years back, and he agreed there’s a place, even a need, for a show such as Midday, for all the people at home during the day, and supporting local talent (as well as hosting international guests). Ray agreed with me that the executives made the wrong decision when they authorized the demise of such a valuable and iconic daytime staple. But, I guess, that’s just the way TV is these days. I switch off.
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DeeKay August 4, 2012
I liked the piece, but it’s missing something: options for action.
Don’t like something on commercial TV? Don’t just add your +1s here, take note of which ads run during the show and tell those companies how their association with the show and the network is reflecting badly on them. Feeling even more bolshie? Organise a boycott of their product/service and spread the word and see if it takes off.
Go on, do something.
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Kelly August 4, 2012
Ok so after using two posts abusing trolls, I want to add my own point, not that I think it will get published.
I love the article and agree with everything Ms H said except for one point. The man responsible isn’t Paul Henry. It’s Lachlan Murdoch. He’s the “executive” that approved the hiring of Henry as well as gave Andrew Bolt his own show (in an attempt to stop him screaming on street corners, I assume).
Lachie was also the bright spark that ordered the flick for the circle. This follows on from other brilliant business moves such as investing in OneTel. My business tip? If you want to make millions, follow that handsome Lachie and do the opposite of what he does !
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tim August 4, 2012
I bet Sarah Murdoch wont get the sack or will she??
The public have turned away from mainstream tv in droves
I remember many years ago i saw a model defacating in her pants on those model type shows from the us
Says a lot about the state of the medium today
Go SBS!!!
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jane August 4, 2012
Lets see a reality based show around Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch??
That would be really fun to watch!!
smirk
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moiby August 4, 2012
I hardly ever saw The Circle due to work, but I had the displeasure of seeing the breakfast show once – and I couldn’t agree more with your article.
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VRog August 4, 2012
Marieke – I love you! Henry is a douchebag of the highest order and the fact we imported him from NZ, when we have plenty of our own home-grown douchebags (Sandilands, Jones et al), is an utter embarrassment.
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JoanneH August 4, 2012
I thought the girls on The Circle were great, all were bright and down to earth. The show was a good mix of entertainment and information. It is insulting to replace Australian content with more B grade American pap.
The show that urgently needs axing features that pontificating, politically biased love child of Gina and Alan Jones – Andrew Bolt. I am afraid he will end up getting a daily show – just for political balance of course!!
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Sharryn August 4, 2012
While I agree it is a shame to lose The Circle(it kept me company during the mornings of my first year with a new baby) it is an even greater shame to read this article. Why lower yourself to the level of insults when you could produce an intelligent defence of the value of women hosting and being seen in the media? It seems to me that the author and some of the people on this page need to consider the disservice they do to women everywhere when they buy into exchanging crude and childish comments.
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just saying August 4, 2012
Dream show line up
Waleed Alys wife Susan Cartland as host
Virginia Trioli as guest host
Laura Tingle weekly politics reporter
Dr Leslie Cannold as a rotating fill in every month
Alex Greenwich and Tim Wilson as the gay cute couple for a comedy line up on love and relationships
smirk
Waleed Aly for everything else
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Keating Fanboy August 5, 2012
Just Saying,
Will Susan Cartland have to wear a Burka?I take it your post was just a joke?
As for the demise of the Circle, I was unsure of whether it was a good or fair thing, but if Marieke Hardy thinks it was unjust, then clearly Channel 10 did the right thing.
It would be awesome if they could run The Bolt Report in place of the Circle.
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Mez August 4, 2012
I love Paul Henry! I hate the circle and couldn’t care less that they’ve axed it.
As for being blah blah intelligent women? Really? Yumi Stymes insulted Corporal Ben Robert-Smith VC and admitted she didn’t know anything about him! Ignorant.
Chrissie Swan is a delight but the other leave me cold.
I just love how the feminists have come out in defence of this show for the sole reason that it provided tv work for women – never mind that it was a brain numbing program FULL of demeaning infomercials and very little else.
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Bob August 13, 2012
I wonder if there is enough in the kitty to purchase another Logie for the new series of the Can of Worms
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just saying August 4, 2012
I adore men especially Aussie business men
Great sense of humour and wonderful work ethic
however the Aussie tosser/wanker is a different breed and a global joke
Thats what the media reflects in those type of hosts
Many men i know are sick of them also and are labelled as losers
Respect is required not being condescending and patronising to your audience
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FAGINA August 4, 2012
Hey KELLY, on the bright side this give you more time to read twilight, read, I meant watch
As for your ridiculous intelligence comment, for that to be true I would have to live in a box and not watch tv.
run along now sweetie.
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Kelly August 4, 2012
Oh Fangina, no pouting. You are the one who tried to connect watching The Circle to low intelligence. If you can’t take it, then don’t dish it out.
I do think is hilarious that you are still trying to make a point on the consumption of popular culture and its connection to intelligence – no matter how clumsy or ham fisted you’re being (Twilight? How did that come in to it?)
Of course, you’re just proving my original point that you must be a tedious bore.
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amd August 4, 2012
I caught a few moments of it here and there. Typically do not watch TV in the mornings, and for very good reason. It was a pretty terrible show, from the little I saw, I couldn’t stay interested for long enough to tune in for any longer, so all I can say is I won’t miss it. It does seem a shame to be replacing it with an import which doesn’t sound like it will offer anything more substantial. But really, it was just a morning TV show, when all’s said and done.
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ellenni August 4, 2012
who is paul henry? does anyone know him and why is he worth 1 million dollars? who the hell is in charge of the ch 10 programming? so unless the circle comes back its goodbye ch 10 – i am not enamoured with any of your programmes. only watched the circle and house.
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Mumabulous August 5, 2012
Thank Marieke, for reinforcing my decision not to watch commercial TV, unless Don Draper is involved.
Mumabulous@mum-abulous.com -
Kimberley M August 5, 2012
Yes, Yes, YES! Agree with everything you said, Marieke. Plus I do love an article that contains the words Shitfit and Cockstain. Bravo!
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just saying August 5, 2012
of course it was a joke keating fanboy…,
smirk
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Christine August 5, 2012
I did like “The Circle” Until Denise and Chrissie left. Then it just became O.K. I thought Georgie held the show together and Yumi was just a piece of crap really. Paul Henry is “Non Politically Correct” Ya Hooooo for that!!!!
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Leesa August 6, 2012
This article is amazing. Paul Henry is the worst thing to hit our Aussie screens but I don’t think he realises that he’s not ‘bad’ in a good way!
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foolio August 6, 2012
As an expat Kiwi, I was bewildered as to why on earth Channel 10 picked up Paul Henry. He certainly pulled the wool (pun intended) over their eyes…
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FerrylBerrryl August 6, 2012
Paul Henry was imported AFTER a bunch of programming execs and producers were poached by Channel 10 from TVNZ. They clearly made zero effort to understand the market and did a colour-by-numbers job. What works in NZ clearly doesn’t work in Aus if for no other reason than because we have an excess if right wing tosspots here who aren’t nearly as beige and wet as Paul Henry
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Sue Wise August 7, 2012
Proof that the tv channels hold their viewers in contempt! The older generation doesn’t seem to matter, most programs seem aimed at a younger demographic. Shame on you channel ten for removing The Circle but keeping on that obnoxious twit Paul Henry, get rid of him and maybe the Breakfast show would do better. Thanks Marieke for you wonderfully entertaining story.
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someguy August 7, 2012
laid was terrible.
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Cree Millington August 7, 2012
Right on the money as always Marieke. Thankyou. “Cockstain”…. So apt. What about Skidmark? In comparison to a turd, he is an impossible to remove stain that cannot be explained away. He is akin to the remnants of faecal matter on an otherwise perfectly acceptable pair of undergarments. Ditto this supercilious f*cktard Henry. What purpose do these men serve other than to confirm that we are heading downwards at an increasingly rapid rate.
