Predicting Pippa's return to TVNZ

Pippa Wetzell. Photo / Supplied

Last week TVNZ announced it was relocating its weekday mid-morning programme Good Morning from Wellington to Auckland from the end of the year.

Industry insiders tell me the network is keen to completely revamp the three-hour show with new presenters, new guest stars and new producers.

TVNZ boss Rick Ellis diplomatically said it was important to grow the programme. "We want to build the show from its current strong base to make it even more attractive to audiences and advertisers."

But sources tell me the show rates financially thanks to the advertorial content but induces cringe among colleagues. It's dubbed the show for stay-at-home-mums that even mums don't want to stay home and watch. But that's all about to change.

TVNZ said some production staff may be relocated to Auckland but up to 12 full-time positions will be made redundant. However, an industry insider speculates not many, if any, of the Wellington staff will be invited to move to Auckland to work on the new show.

"They need to completely revive Good Morning and give it an absolute overhaul," the insider said. That would mean no Brendon Pongia, no Sarah Bradley, and no kooky Astar.

"The show really needs to be aspirational," another industry source said. "The presenters need to be sexy; the content needs to be inviting; the style needs to be glamorous, tabloid-type news, entertainment and infomercials. It needs to give viewers a reason to wag work and watch the show."

While Good Morning has been based in Wellington at Avalon studios, there has been no onus on producers to tie it in from Breakfast which precedes it. Instead, two completely disparate programmes roll one after the other.

Worse, the line between editorial integrity and advertorials has been blurred. Good Morning presenters are often seen trialling the products in the paid-for segments themselves.

So, who could front the new show? My money is on glamorous mother-of-three Pippa Wetzell, who would add an undeniable sizzling sex factor.

She may have waddled away from Breakfast to have her third baby, but she may be persuaded to return to the mothership.

Male co-hosts are harder to pick. Jason Gunn or Marc Ellis could be contenders. So too could Jeremy Wells or Paul Holmes.

Interestingly, I ran into New Zealand-born, Aussie-based Richard Wilkins, 56, at the Bryan Ferry concert last month at Villa Maria. He was glued to his Kiwi girlfriend, former model Rebecca, who lives on the North Shore.

The Nine Network entertainment editor crosses the Tasman regularly to visit her. Perhaps we could entice him to make his roots here permanently. He would make a fantastic co-host alongside Pippa.

Industry sources say the success of the new show will rely on the presenters and the production staff to keep it fresh and inviting.

Media insiders tip former Herald on Sunday assistant editor and 20/20 producer Carolyne Meng-Yee as a leading contender to run the programme as executive producer. Would she return to TVNZ? I'll keep you posted.

-Herald On Sunday / View