Maori TV waka sets sail in fine style

By GREG DIXON

And so the waka finally slipped into the water. After the false starts, the shenanigans of a Canadian fraudster and the carping of naysayers, the launch of Maori Television was a relief.

Few TV channels have had such a difficult genesis. Few have such a demanding brief - to entertain, to educate and to help celebrate a language and culture. Few, from balance sheet to viewing numbers, will be scrutinised so intensely.

So how unexpected to see it arrive with such confidence and style. There was even, I can't help saying it, a certain brashness to it, a we're-here-and-we're-good belief that made watching practically infectious.

And in the face of the apparent dumbing down of our two major free-to-air networks, it offered a pleasing depth as well as breadth.

There were opening glitches - and indulgences.

In Pakeha terms, the opening ceremony went on forever. But fair enough: the station's gestation had seemed to take forever.

At times, too, the commentary of the opening ceremony sounded as if they'd handed a microphone to an excited child.

And I'm not sure what's up with the subtitles.

Roughly half the programming was in Maori, half in English. Yet the subtitles were only in Maori during, for example, the jolly, unpretentious, bilingual food programme Kai Time On The Road.

Of course, the channel is for Maori. But if it wants, as it says, Pakeha viewers as well as Maori, it will have to cut monolinguists like myself some slack.

But it looks terrific: slick, sharp-looking titles; sharp, slick-looking young presenters; a spooky-looking animated kids show, Moko Toa (couldn't understand a word; still captivated).

Part of the day was a primer for the service. The rest was a clear effort to show it can cover all programming bases - comedy, kids' stuff, a music show, two documentaries and news - almost all damned good.

It was a day of greatest hits: the comedy, a best of Billy T James, Maori's first television star (his work hasn't aged well); a repeat screening of the 1992 documentary on Dame Whina Cooper (it made most recent local documentaries look under-researched and half-arsed); an airing of the much-lauded film Ngati.

Repeats yes, but then all channels have those. However, by its new programmes it will be judged.

Take note Gerry Brownlee, the signs are encouraging. Last week, the Opposition Maori Affairs spokesman said if the Nats became government they'd be taking a long, hard look at Maori Television. If it's a dog ... well, the implications are obvious.

Judged on day one's impressive showing in the telly show ring, this is a pup that's happy, healthy and very bouncy indeed.

And whatever happens from today, one very important thing happened in New Zealand television yesterday: it just became a whole lot more interesting.