COMMENT: What people say they want and what people actually want are often two completely different things. For example, I say I want to exercise and get in shape but what I actually want is to not do those things.
This is where I'm at with TVNZ Breakfast as newhost, national treasure and very serious newsman John Campbell takes a seat behind its desk.
"Kia ora, everyone," Campbell beamed on the first day of his new job. "Welcome. It's great to have you with us. Thanks for coming."
His warm welcome was welcomed. True I hadn't come far, just down the hall, but it had been a bleary-eyed and resentful journey from my bedroom. It was an ungodly hour and it was dark and cold as I fumbled my way into the lounge to flick on the telly.
It's always darkest before the dawn and on the cheery Breakfast set it was about to get pitch black. Cutting straight to Daniel Faitaua he read the first news bulletin of the morning.
Junior doctors on strike, the harsh realities of struggling New Zealanders, a horror road toll, Syrian war and Simon Bridges banging on about slushies like he'd uncovered that the PM had been deleting emails from a private email server.
"I just want to say what a privilege and honour it is to have you here John Campbell, and to be able work alongside you," Faitaua said after the bulletin as he took a seat at the desk.
"That's a lovely thing to say, thank you Daniel," Campbell replied, before sharing a memory of shaking Faitaua's hand at his graduation ceremony many years earlier.
Breakfast co-host Hayley Host wasn't gushing, I think because she was starstruck.
"It feels surreal," she said.
"It feels like I've forgotten about Jack," said weather presenter Matty McLean.
"Oh, don't say that!" Campbell boomed, laughing. But, McLean was on to something. It did indeed feel like the whole show had forgotten about departed host Jack Tame. His tenure on the show often came under fire for his light-ent approach. Despite the dude's journalistic bonafides his slick hair and shiny teeth allowed him to pivot from real news to frothy fluff comfortably.
John Campbell and Wendy Petrie presenting the ONE News 6 o'clock news. Photo / supplied.
This is something Campbell is going to have to work on. Late in the show he'd barely been able to contain a dismissive smirk during some royal baby news and when asked if he'd spend $200 to spend the night in a giant potato - don't ask - had replied with a terse, bants-stopping "No".
But for the most part he was full of bonhomie and enthusiasm. But that could be because most parts of the show were now hard-hitting, serious, news. The thing we all said we wanted whenever we saw Tame or Holt messing about.
"We've got three hours we can tell stories, we can engage with the country and we can do work that matters," Campbell had said earlier. "I'm very excited about it. I'm prepared to get up early."
"That won't last," quipped McLean, who I'm beginning to think may be something of a prophet.
But now it was time for Faitaua and the news. Horror road crash, apocalyptic weather, South Island airport closure, deadly violence in Syria.
It was depressingly heavy. Monday's... am I right?
And then John Campbell said, "White supremacy. A really important interview before 8".
It wasn't even 8am yet? Oh, dear gawd. Already a junior doctor had talked about the strike, Campbell's first crusade had been introduced by sending him to a homeless shelter and the gang had discussed the atrocious road death toll twice. It was all getting a bit much. I needed a cup of tea and a lie down. But you can't start your day by going back to bed.
Fortunately some light occasionally shone through; Campbell's shock admission that he inhaled at a Fleetwood Mac gig at Athletic Park, a humorous discussion about the price of movie tickets (Campbell: "When I went to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang it cost 20c!") and a humorous dismissal of Posh Spice.
It's encouraging that Campbell already has easy bants with the team. Even on day one everyone was settling into their humour roles with Campbell. But it's his good-natured antagonism and jolly jousting with strict timekeeper Faitaua that's clearly going to blossom wonderfully. Thank goodness because we're gonna need something to laugh about amongst all the hard news misery.
Another life....John Campbell welcomes champion Olympic sailor Peter Burling at The Cloud. Photo / Michael Craig.
These jovial moments can be considered the few delicious sultanas floating in your bowl of good-for-you-but-untasty bran, because what Campbell wants is for Breakfast to pick up where Campbell: Live left off. It's what his considerable fanbase want. It's what I thought I wanted. Until I got it. What I now realise is I want to be able to stomach my breakfast.
We absolutely need hard-hitting and worthy journalism. But maybe not before I've finished my cereal.
