Kerre Woodham: Awkward pauses to fill but then it's early days yet

Maori Television got it right. There's absolutely no point in beginning your election campaign coverage the moment the polls close, because nothing happens.

It's like throwing a party, and waiting for the guests to arrive. The hosts grow increasingly manic as they try to pretend they're having a good time, while the sausage rolls go cold, the streamers grow limp and the early arrivals chat awkwardly amongst themselves.

I don't know if you saw the 2005 Election Night Drinking Game. It was on the back of The Fix, a local gig guide, and you took one drink if, for example any candidate other than Tariana Turia spoke Maori, two drinks if there was a technical hitch, and you drained your glass if John Campbell or Mark Sainsbury mentioned The Worm, the foreshore issue, or "I'll have to stop you there".

Just as well there were no drinks for the phrase "It's early days yet" or else we'd have all been tits up and comatose before 9pm.

So while TVNZ and TV3 kicked off at 7, Maori Television began their coverage just after 8. They featured skits, interviews, and music and turned their night into a real party. They were focusing on the Maori seats and had reporters, all in corporate T-shirts, in each of the Maori electorates.

Temuera Morrison, Moana Maniapoto and Stacey Daniels hosted and did a fine job. But if you were looking for coverage that was more than niche specific, you had to go to one of the main channels and here TVNZ's coverage was far superior to that of TV3's.

Last election, TV3 was the winner on presentation. This year, TVNZ had it all over their rivals. In terms of set, technical capability, personnel and entertainment, TVNZ were way out in front.

It had its A-team front and centre with Susan Wood and Mark Sainsbury hosting and Judy Bailey reading what was loosely called news.

Is it really credible to announce the make-up of Parliament when only 4 per cent of the vote has been counted? Still, when nothing is happening you need movement and variety and that's where TVNZ won out.

The Americana set worked well, the experts were rotated nicely, and Hugh Sundae and Jeremy Wells provided a quirky touch reporting from Greymouth's Rivingtons Hotel. I thought the virtual Parliament was the least successful innovation.

There's an art in talking to nothing - that's why you should never sneer at weather presenters - and Professor Roberts did a masterful job.

In contrast, TV3 looked as though they'd had to put their coverage together on a shoestring. John Campbell and his four experts were stuck behind desks on a dull beige set.

Therese Arsenau was a wonderful commentator - the find of the night - and Deborah Coddington offered interesting insights, pointing out that Act had often voted with the Greens on issues of personal responsibility. Andrew Little was competent and Michael Laws was revelling in being able to use words like testicle, but I missed a lot of what he said as I was appalled by his bizarre eye make-up. (I know it's bourgeois to mention it, and Ma'a Nonu wears his unashamedly, but Ma'a is cool and Michael is not.)

Nor were the skits that interspersed TV3's coverage. There are possibly some people who found them hilarious but I'm thinking they would be people who'd be voting for the legalisation of cannabis. Even Campbell's professionalism and charm couldn't keep me on 3 for longer than a few minutes at a time. Still, I'm filing this report at 9pm and, as they were all saying, "it's very early days yet".

- HERALD ON SUNDAY