OPINION OVERLOAD

I tuned into the debut of Bomber's Blog (Stratos TV, Sky 89 9.15pm) last night to see what it was all about.

Basically its Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury doing what he does on the Tumeke! blog most days - giving his opinion on whatever is on his mind at the time.

In a short fifteen minute show Bradbury ran through a series of topics. These included Iran, John Key, the French President Sarkozy and his opposition to Muslim women wearing burkhas, Clayton Weatherston (the academic turned, allegedly, psychotic killer) and something about the US military bombing a funeral in Pakistan. I think singer Michael Jackson was mentioned somewhere in there as well.

I'm writing this review a few hours later on Saturday morning but I'd be hard pressed to recount all the details of Bradbury's monologue.

I think part of the problem was that he tried to stuff too many topics and too many opinions into a short show.

Perhaps it would of been better to concentrate on one topic or a common theme. Too often I was left waiting for Bradbury to elaborate on a issue, to draw out a new perspective, but he had already sped off to a new unrelated topic.

And I don't think his style helped either. It was basically a torrent of words with Bradbury barely pausing for breath as he ran through his script.

You can get way with that 'in your face' technique on blogs but I don't think it works well on television. Too often Bradbury seemed like he was straining for effect rather than conveying information. I'm still not sure what point he was trying to make about Iran.

If Bradbury is going to talk straight to camera for fifteen minutes or so he's got to be a little bit more clever about it.

I'm a regular viewer of The Daily Show. Jon Stewart make his points economically; short. digestible comments, subtle references, considered pauses, the occasional ad-lib, the clever understating of issues. The guy is a master at what he does.

Bradbury should take a close look at how Stewart manages his show.

This review has been more abut style than content. That's because if you read Bradbury on Tumeke! then you know what he's about.

He's a Labour Party supporter so you get soft social liberalism. Despite his bombastic approach, his 'subversiveness' only runs as far as attacking John Key and the National-led Government.

It's not my cup of tea.

Still, its good to see Bradbury on television - he's definitely preferable to the right wing politics of Paul Henry and the sheer nonsense of Wendy Petrie.

I'll keep watching.