After watching the show I have to say it needs a permanent female panelist at the top of their game who can hold their own. Full marks to the chicks who have been on so far, but there should be a full timer with clout. A majority bloke debate is boring enough to listen to, but even worse to watch.

A great show but you have got to question Russell - too much the company line -this is soooo dodgy on the ABC. Taxpayers should'nt be funding to GPYR's client spin. Bullshit.

Sampson is the only one with interesting stuff to say. Russell seems to have been delegated to the fall guy role and the others just look out of their depth.

Does Todd look totally focused? The eyes were bugging even more than usual last night.

Hear it's rating well in certain parts of Wagga Wagga

11.47
I couldn't agree more.

According to the producer, they had a lot of trouble getting a list of female names to audition. The sad thing is that virtually no one in our industry was prepared to give them any names [ they wanted the profile for themselves] . Even sadder apparently the women who put themselves forward for an audition, were not prepared to put forward any of the great female talent we have in this country.

This is really gunna struggle now that Dance is up against it. Flick!!!

Toddy is so insightful, articulate, fair and HOT he owns the show. The likes of Sampson has got to bring more women into the business. Sad thing is most of the bokes in our game are like the others...

I actually think it's getting better. The team seems more relaxed, they're happier to disagree with each other - which is important - and their opinions are worth listening to. They make our industry sound a lot smarter than it actually is.

Todd is clearly the star, but I wouldn't underestimate the importance of Howcroft. Not only is he happy to play the fall guy, he's the one who clarifies the industry jargon and explains the way things work to the viewers, while also articulating the reason certain ads are done in certain ways. We in the industry may disagree with those reasons and hate the ads, but he explains them well for the non-industry people who, for some reason, are watching the show in large numbers.

The various co-stars are getting better each week as well.

I like the fact that the guest agencies are generally taking the "impossible brief" more seriously.

They're focusing on their ad skills first and injecting humour, rather than trying to be comedians, which I feared would be the case.

I am going to do something quite unheard of in this blog and retract my initial negative comments on the Gruen Transfer. I reckon the show has evolved really well and is obviously hitting a note with the public. And I agree, is making us look really good. Congrats and best wishes.

Last night's show hit an all time record of 1.34 million, highest ever in Melbourne too.

Yep, 3.43 I agree. I was dubious about the concept at first but last night's show was great- by far the best.

Smart, sexy, photogenic.

Does anyone know if Todd Sampson is married?

I probably shouldn't be watching the way I do if he is............

I'd be entering in my visa card details to www.toddsampson.com. I want my hot toddy!

Geeze this blog is lame sometimes... Hot or not? What a pack of jokers...

Todd may be the 'star' 1:43 but Howcroft is the big winner. Todd tries that little bit too hard to be funny and often comes off as a bit of a smart arse [read - the very thing clients dislike about agency people]. Whereas Howcroft just tries to help the viewer understand our business with his 'easy-listening' common sense comments. The clients out there might be 'entertained' by Todd but it's Howcroft they'd want to sit down and chat to.

This whole women in the industry thing is a bit pathetic. There are several people kicking ass in this part of the world who happen to be women. I'm astounded that it would be so much trouble to find high caliber women at the top of their field when all you need to do is read the industry press. Simone Bartley is the CEO of one of Australia's largest and most successful agencies, Saatchi & Saatchi, and has done a great job as a CEO in that network longer than most males. Rebecca Carrasco is a founding partner and ECD of CRC, an Australian independent, she has been responsible for a stack of great work and doing a Phd on ideas. Emma hill is ECD of another Australian flagship agency, Clemenger Melbourne, who has endured more turbulent times in that place than most people (male or female), yet she has always come up trumps and been responsible for fantastic work. And Sarah Barclay, although now ECD at JWT NY, is an Aussie with more clout than most men could dream of. It might not be possible to have her as a permanent panelist but she could be asked to do a guest appearance surely? Then if we look outside management there's a whole raft of other great people in this country who happen to be women at very senior levels in every department with loads of accolades. Not 2 hard really.

I don't think we're in disagreement, 1.58.

I agree with your analysis of Howcroft's role. But I think TV is TV, and Todd Sampson does the things TV needs - make the big statements, provide the colour and so on. Of course, he needs Howcroft at the other end of the table - and the scale - to provide the contrast. Sampson is Sam Newman to Howcroft's Eddie McGuire. (Apologies to both ad guys for that, but it's the only comparison I could think of on short notice.)

Of course, I meant to say we're NOT in disagreement.

In English: I agree with you.

10:04AM,

Lets hope the producers read this blog.

1:58 is so right. Howcroft is just playing the other guys. The more they get into one of their 'look at me, I'm the funniest and smartest' routines the more Howcroft just sits back and plays regular Mr.Nice Guy. I know which one 99.9% of clients would find more appealling.

Hmm, 10:45

Are the producers of one of the highest rating shows on the ABC going to take advice from a bunch of people who have never actually made a TV show

.... I'm guessing not.

It's a show about the industry that this blog is about. So there are probably a few worthwhile pointers to take on from what's said here, in amongst the rubbish. But yes, they do seem to know what they're doing for the most part...it's shaping up well.

Agree with 8:51 about Simpson. As far as MD's go I think creatives would find themselves working for Simpson but working with Howcroft.

Todd is Mr.Entertainment. Russell is Mr. Sensible. What's Matt's role?