Imagine playing a game of two-up at a casino and just before the pennies hit the floor, a cover comes across to conceal how the coins have fallen and the players are told to go for a toilet break and the result will be revealed on their return.There would be a riot and they would never return!
That is basically what the punters are being served up with the launch of Channel 7's National Bingo Night, hosted by Tim Campbell of Home and Away fame.
He is assisted by what 7 describes as the "co-host" of the game, Renee Bargh whose only duty seems to be to bend over, pull the oversized bingo balls out of a concealed slot and hold them up to the camera, all the while trying to display a cheesy grin as wide as the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The only positive thing that a discerning viewer might say about Renee Bargh is that she certainly has her future in front of her.
The clown act of the Sunday night show is "Tanny" whose real name is Tanveer Ahmed, who masquerades as the National Bingo Night Commissioner, strolling through the audience checking cards and nauseously declaring: "Noooooooooooo bingo". He sounds as genuine as a manager of an Indian call centre.As the numbers are selected, they are sucked up a chute where a camera catches them hurtling along.
The television audience is not shown the balls making their entire way to the actual "pick-up point" where Renee stands dutifully awaiting their arrival.
Nor is the viewing audience shown exactly what contraption she is removing the balls from.
How is the "black box" from which she retrieves each ball actually connected to the suction chute? No one sitting in their homes around Australia would have a clue.
To make matters worse, a couple of times during the show - AFTER the ball had been sucked out of the barrel, it sat in the black box waiting to be picked up by Renee - and then 7 crossed to an ad break.
These shows need total transparency. Once a ball is selected, it should be immediately displayed to the public, not hidden from view.
Contrast this with Channel 7's Lotto Draw on a Saturday Night.
The television public can see the movement of each ball from the barrel, along the tube to the point where it emerges from the machine. It is visible at all times. There is no concealment and there can be no skullduggery. Each winning number is announced immediately.
Viewers are not treated like dills with concealed compartments and invisible ball delivery.
There can be a lot of money riding on National Bingo Night for home viewers, so every aspect of the game needs to be above board.
There is no suggestion of any manipulation of the actual game - but the television audience needs to be fully aware of what is happening, not cute camera angles and ad breaks between ball declaration.
National Bingo Night is officially licensed by the governments of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT.
If Channel 7 doesn't make some quick changes to the show's format and presentation, the ratings will tumble over future weeks.
Then 7 can blame poor Tim Cambell for one of the network's few failures in 2007.
