Watching Sainsbury awful stuff

The horrific tragedy that struck Samoa last week will never be forgotten, but more's the pity we can't wipe away the memory of some of our media coverage of the tragedy.

In terrible times like those experienced in the Pacific, many New Zealanders turn to their television screens to find out the latest, see the images and get a distant feel for what is going on.

We don't really want to hear "broadcasters" like Mark Sainsbury ask painful and ridiculous questions.

It was cringe-worthy stuff.

As Sainsbury bumbled his way through the obvious "how do you feel"-type questions, viewers must have been thinking "How bad can it get?".

With Samoa recently tossed and turned like piece of cloth in a washing machine on the last spin cycle, here we have a man in a suit, standing in a nice warm television studio, walrus moustache at the ready, flinging dodgy questions at those in the centre of the drama.

Awful stuff.

A tragedy.

The most cruel of fates.

And that's just Sainsbury.

As journalists, our job is to tell the story, not become the story.

In moments of tragedy and loss, it is our role to let the images and the words tell the story.

We don't take centre stage, we don't hijack the story.

And now for something completely different.

And it is good news.

Wrestling is coming back to our screens.

New Zealand pro-wrestling to be exact.

As a child, I remember being glued to the screen watching Ernie Leonard and Barry Holland present On The Mat.

It was classic Kiwi fare on the box without all the hype and hoopla that has, quite frankly, made the sport a bit of a mockery in the United States.

This is wrestling as it should be - fun, entertaining and not taking itself too seriously.

So when a press release came across my desk titled "Kiwi Wrestling Returns to TV after 25 Years" you can imagine my interest was piqued.

Off The Ropes is a 13-part series filmed in Wellington and will screen on Prime TV later this year.

And get this - a former munitions store, previously used by film director Peter Jackson, is being transformed into a central ring with tiered seating and state of the art sound, lighting and special effects equipment.

Sounds explosive.

Can't wait.

Don't miss: The Nightmare on Elm Street horror movie seasons, Saturdays, Sky Movie Greats, 8.30pm.

Growing up, these were some of the scariest movies out there.

Rest your brain for a couple of hours every Saturday for the next few weeks and enjoy.

Don't bother: Fringe, TV2, Wednesdays, 8.30pm: Never got the hang of this series which I think might be a bit too clever for its own good.