Wake up to double dawn
Richard Clune | The Sunday Telegraph | January 29, 2012 12:00AM
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The Today team: Steven Jacobs, Georgie Gardner, Lisa Wilkinson, Karl Stefanovic, Richard Wilkins and Ben Fordham, are pictured this morning on the new Today Show set at the Channel 9 studios in Willoughby. Picture: Tim Hunter Source: The Daily Telegraph
TOMORROW the sun will rise on a new-look Today and this columnist can't help but feel the show's new logo and set mirrors, well, Sunrise.
Gone are the blue tones, synonymous with the Nine breakfast staple's set, replaced by rich red and yellow hues that sit alongside an abundance of wood panelling.
For those glimpsing the revamped Today through bleary eyes tomorrow, you'd be forgiven for thinking a bizarre work swap program was in play. The updated Today logo, meanwhile, sparks a resemblance to, not only Sunrise, but that of its US namesake at NBC, starring Matt Lauer and Ann Curry (pic, right).
As always, Today co-host Karl Stefanovic was cheekily pragmatic regarding suggestions his program now shared a visual similarity with its arch rival. "Well, I encourage the Sunrise viewers to tune in and see if they like our set, see if it is similar and then stay," Stefanovic said.
"It's just nice for the network to give us a new set after all these years working out of Kerri-Anne's closet."
Indeed, the obvious outlay in shifting Today into the larger studio vacated by Kennerley and financing the vast new set (certainly impressive in its size, space and abilities) highlights the Nine executives' eagerness to endorse Today and the team's various east coast wins.
Not surprisingly, Sunrise EP Michael Pell wasn't buying it: "New sets don't equate to ratings points-- good content with a trusted and well-known team with proven chemistry does. That's what we have."
While Pell was tight-lipped regarding possible changes at Sunrise, it is understood the program will increase the use of location - local and international - in 2012 as it looks to maintain its national dominance.
Both programs are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of Ten's new effort, the ingeniously titled Breakfast -- the launch of which is rumoured for late February/early March.
"I've seen [imported Kiwi Breakfast co-host] Paul Henry before and he's a freaking nutter," Stefanovic said.
"He's out there. People should definitely have a look, make up their mind after a couple of seconds and then come back to us because I'm completely sane (by comparison)."
Meanwhile, Nine's replacement program for KAK, Mornings, hosted by Sonia Kruger and David Campbell, had their first full dress-rehearsal on Friday before going live on February 6.
source:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/wake-up-to-double-dawn/story-fn6b3v4f-1226256222861