‘Eddie Everywhere’ to host A Current Affair
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
In what can only be described as one of the most bizarre moves in recent television history, Eddie McGuire will host A Current Affair next week.
Can I just say, WHAT THE?
Yes folks, welcome to Who Wants To Be A Current Affairs Host?
Leila McKinnon has been hosting all this week, allowing Tracy Grimshaw two weeks off to relocate back to Melbourne. Grimshaw still has one more week to go.
It is unclear why Leila McKinnon, married to CEO David Gyngell, is not in the chair next week.
It is also unclear why no other reporter from A Current Affair or news presenter from the Nine stable has been brought in to helm the show. Ellen Fanning? Mike Munro? Karl Stefanovic has also filled in as temporary host. McGuire did start out in news, but in sports journalism. Surely, if you are a rising Nine news presenter you are officially allowed to feel ignored.
After sensibly resting McGuire for 2008, Nine is about to reinstate that “Eddie Everywhere” tag in one fell swoop.
Nine has been very coy on McGuire’s on air role in 2008, finally bringing him back to air for 1 v 100 last night in the Southern states.
Presumably this is a one-week experiment by Nine to see if Eddie Everywhere (sorry, I’d held off that tag for a while but all bets are off now) can hold his own in a new format. It’s a stunt that will no doubt attract a resurgence in figures, just as a stunt with, say Humphrey B. Bear hosting would achieve.
You also have to wonder how comfortable Tracy Grimshaw is with this move. How does a stunt undermine her contribution to the show? Does it suggest any game show host can front ACA? Pity the poor publicists also expected to defend this as a logical and positive move.
For a network that prides itself on News and Current Affairs it is a peculiar move, Mr. Westacott…
That said, now that Nine has bitten the bullet, I hope the show goes the whole hog. Let McGuire introduce some diet and bra stories. Toss in the shonky builder items and see how long he enjoys doing that. Bring back some studio interviews so that we see McGuire in full flight. Can he hold his own in a debate? Of course. Is he fair and balanced? That’s for viewers to decide.
No doubt from Monday they will all have an opinion.
Finally, as a drinking game, TV Tonight also recommends viewers take a swig everytime you don’t hear the word “boned.”
Additional source: Herald Sun
15 Responses
Tomorrow night “the shoe store owner with no soul”. Eddie lost some dignity at the end of that line that’s for sure.
1 v 100
Total 359,000
Mel: 199,000, Adel: 90,000, Per: 71,000.
Fourth in all 3 cities behind ABC* incl half of BH&G in Melb.
*it lifted over Stateline in Adelaide but not Collectors.
Its probably a publicity stunt.. as Today tonight always seems to win.
But I can’t see Eddie pulling off the crap that current affairs pumps out..
I seem him being as terrible as naomi robson or what ever her name was/is
I wonder whether Eddie will be able to mention collingwood every single night?
Haha this is the reason I come to this blog. Great articles like this presented in a witty, satirical manner. Oh, and the TV news is good too.
On topic, yes Eddie may not be fit for the role but I’d rather see him host it over Ray Martin. That guy irks me like no other.
I’m in favour of absolutely anything that hastens the demise of one or more parts of the 6:30 timeslot as currently seen on the commercial broadcasters.
I’m guessing that Peter Luck is otherwise engaged for the week?
Still on the Eddie topic, but slightly skewed elsewhere, how did 1 vs 100 do last night?
I want to see the sock puppet!
At the end of Eddies career when the tribute shows pour out and the banquets and ribbons and all that stuff happens, this is just another 2 minute segment for the 50-1 reasons why Eddie is our supreme leader show. I’m sure we will hear the “When I was a kid I always wanted to host………(insert any C9 show here)”
Eddie wont rest till we switch on our TV’s and see him hosting every show 24/7, he’ll join High-5 next.
how weird, I reckon it will do ok in Melbourne, they love him there and its already ACA’s strongest market..be interesting to see if it does well if they give Grimshaw the flick..heavens…
We all know that A Current Affair has been lagging nationally in the ratings for some time. And even though Eddie sometimes has the ability to attract ratings interest and was a sports journalist in a previous incarnation, his casual, jocular presenting style is certainly not for a “serious” current affairs show.
I am in total agreeance with your view, D.Knox.
Whoever is making these decisions in Nine’s News and Current Affairs office should be sacked immediately. A Current Affair should get back to reporting serious news and current affairs instead of wallowing in this insipid mess of “Underbelly”/trash-mag/gossip style television.
To see a respected journalist like Tracy Grimshaw fronting such crap must be destroying to her soul.
So is this Ch 9’s way of saying that there’s no need for a journalist to host this show any more because ACA is no longer a news program and has morphed into a variety show?
At a guess i would say that it is because Leila, Karl & Mike are Sydney based. And the set for ACA has probably been moved to Melbourne over the weekend. So instead of flying someone down and the expenses involved in that they have tried to experiment and use someone that is on their payroll, lives in Melbourne and isnt being utilized at present. McGuire did do a story for ACA last year (or earlier this year) and also that 60 Minutes story on Sam.
We will probably see Eddie (or another Melbourne based Nine Employee) covering for Tracy in the future. I cant see them using any of the Sydney Based guys anymore….. sorry Karl stuck on Today it is for you.
Hey David i got a quick question for you regarding ACA…. after the last commercial break there is always an Ad for the Today Show but it is clearly part of ACA and not the commercial break (the Nine watermark is on screen)… I am guessin that is so it is shown on the Regional Networks as well and the Metro market. Is that classed as advertising? Or are ads that a network does for its own programs etc not included in the Ad quota. And if they are included what does that “Ad” come under, part of the show or a commerical break?
Classic photo!
Looking forward to seeing big Ed on ACA just for curiosity sake.
Back in the 80s, A Current Affair used to be the hard hitting current affairs show that everyone used to watch. Since the mid-90s, the show has been in decline and now it has well and truly stopped being a decent current affairs show and is now a laughing stock.