MALCOLM HOPWOOD

Last updated05:30, April 29 2017

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New Zealand's own Martin Henderson stars as Dr Nathan Riggs in Grey's Anatomy.

"I could bring a whitebait fritter?" asks Dr Nathan Riggs. With that he disappears.

It was a great opening line from Grey's Anatomy newcomer but he was gone, only to turn up at a housewarming minus the West Coast delicacy.

I watched Grey's Anatomy (TV2, Tuesdays) purely to see how Martin Henderson replaced Dr McDreamy. It was all very strange. As Dr Riggs, he attended the dinner party, sat on the couch, was treated as if he was infectious and received instructions not to date Dr Maggie.

When she suggested dinner, he delivered the line "I'm not ready to date anyone, right now".

READ MORE: *How Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams dominated the BET Awards *Martin Henderson discusses being Grey Anatomy's new McHunky *Sara Ramirez as Dr Callie Torres clocks out of Grey's Anatomy

What Martin is doing on Grey's Anatomy, a series beyond its used by date, is mysterious. Probably he's earning a pay cheque while he sorts his career out.

Meanwhile, can someone freeze a kilo of whitebait and send it to him so he can do something meaningful?

The episode focused on the future of Dr Alex Karev who'd previously attacked Dr Andrew DeLuca. He's slapped on the wrist with a wet admissions ticket and gets assigned to "the clinic", whatever that is.

The highlight of the episode was a patient who's called her tumour Wilma after her ex-husband's mistress. She wants it removed. It could be time for Grey's Anatomy to surgically remove itself.

Have you heard of a target shooter who farms, preaches, reads, drinks and sings tenor in the choir? Country Calendar (TV One, Sundays) had it all when it featured Tracey Peters, who farms somewhere north of Taihape.

Since her husband died 25 years ago, Tracey has run sheep, beef, deer and ponies on her two farms and accomplished enough in her spare hours to fill two lifetimes. Paramount is being chaplain to the army and priest in charge of St Margaret's Anglican Church, Taihape.

There, her flock don't need to be dagged or neutered. They stand on two legs, sing hymns, take communion and wear merino in winter.

Tracey is an intriguing woman. She doesn't pull the wool over your eyes when she talks of filling the day with farming, visiting, preaching and belonging to just about every club listed in the Rangitikei electorate.

Country Calendar remains enjoyable and meaningful because it tells stories about rural people such as Tracey who achieve incredible things. And if her life isn't busy enough, Tracey's represented New Zealand at the Oceania Games in target shooting. When she retires there won't be anyone left of her calibre.

Horror Homes (Prime, Wednesdays) is a misnomer. The programme's not another name for Cowboy Builders where dodgy handymen inflict nightmare repairs on people's properties. These homes are thoroughly liveable. The horror comes from elsewhere.

In the case of a bed and breakfast in Staffordshire, the owners discovered a sink hole close to their front door and land slipping away into the valley below. In London, an elderly woman experienced a tsunami of sewage filling her bath and toilet and flowing around her floors, while heavy trucks ruined Andy and Dawn Drummond's idyllic existence when they trundled to a new subdivision at the end of the cul-de- sac.

While I feel for those people, including the elderly reporter whose home was struck by a maverick bolt of lightning, Horror Homes is an hour of misery. I'd prefer to watch a repeat of Hogan's Heroes.

If you've ever listened to a recorded voice say "your call is important to us" and hung on while the world has moved to another millennium, then Fair Go (TV One, Mondays) has joined you.

They tested out five major businesses. The fastest was Spark which replied in two minutes while KiwiBank took 34 minutes. Fair Go didn't say whether the call was answered in Bombay or the Philippines, although one of the team members had a manila folder.

I applaud them but, to achieve success, they need to try out the call centres for weeks on end until there's an improvement. Wouldn't it be great if a real live voice answered the phone? You'd forget what you rang about.

Hosted by Neil Oliver, Coast NZ (TV One, Mondays) visited the West Coast and Buller. A friend of mine was once described as a plate of collapsed pancakes on jandals and, sure enough, the Punakaiki Rocks, which inspired his looks, were featured.

Neil's team explored Denniston and sought greenstone on the driftwood strewn beaches south of Greymouth. They also discovered a hideaway near Westport where Brian Morgan has been whitebaiting for 65 years.

Brian, could you courier Martin Henderson a kilo so he doesn't fritter his life away?

-Stuff

Read more here:
Grey's Anatomy needs urgent surgery - Stuff.co.nz