Top of the morning shows

The AM Show presented by Amanda Gillies, Duncan Garner and Mark Richards.

I've given it a few weeks and according to various friends, there is life after Paul Henry.

I agree.

The Am Show TV3's brekky show with host Duncan Garner is refreshing. It's free of sarcastic, snide remarks about everyone good, bad or indifferent.

News stories fire ahead; stories reporting the news.

So no, I don't miss him muttering and pulling faces at every turn.

Who could miss the endless negative slanting of stories, people who are driving the best cars, dicks driving worst cars, who can drive who can't, all small towns are crap and on and on.

Henry would rave like a vocal trapeze artist, mostly swinging out to appal and shock everyone then bask in the adoration when he thought he'd been particularly clever.

Duncan Garner's affable Kiwi persona is the antithesis, and a huge move away from Henry.

To be fair Henry was funny at times, his facial expressions had the full comic factor but so often he went too far.

The new sportsreader Mark Richardson, is in complete contrast to the former Paul Henry fronted Breakfast 's mild mannered sports specialist Jim Kayes.

And Amanda Gillies is a quiet, savvy, smart newsreader.

But already there are those viewers niggling because she's not "gorgeous"to look at.
AAAAGH!

This week former TVNZ news presenter Rawdon Christie said, when on the The AM Show's daily panel, that it was the only breakfast TV show he watches. Christie left TVNZ's Breakfast six months ago, when he was dumped for the new look show of Hilary Barry and Jack Tame.

His comment came after Duncan had said it was nice to see him "back on the best breakfast show in town - do you agree?"

So,while it might have had a different name, new faces and a somehow even more strident colour treatment, The AM Show is confidently pulling ahead with the success set up initially Henry.

To be fair Henry had worked the show's format up to where it had become a winner.
However, there's something to be said for Garner's straight down the barrel delivery.

He tells it as it is without any histrionics.

We're still getting that avid Auckland city preference though and that will never change.
It's noticeable and we can't wholly blame old Henry for that.

The bias will carry on without him.