Good Morning Nepal

Teamwork tips and more from the trio which has reached the milestone of a thousand episodes together Good Morning Nepal is a television show that is aired on AP1 television at 6:30 am every morning. The show has three hosts: Ashesh Kant Sharma, Sameer Mani Dixit and Sareeta Shri Gyawali. Sharma is a management consultant by profession; Dixit is a research scientist with focus on infectious diseases and Gyawali has worked in television on and off for the past 20 years besides being an entrepreneur. The three hosts brought together by chance celebrate working together on their 1000th episode; each complementing the other through their individual strengths as presenters. The show has been hugely successful on morning television refreshing in its approach to bringing together people from different walks of life to express their opinions on various subject matters. It also raises issues and concerns that impact the welfare of the common citizen. But what do the three think about the future of television in the changing digital landscape and how do they work as a team? Here’s what they had to share:

What is your definition of “Good TV Content”?

Ashesh: Viewers are looking for something pleasant with consistency and dynamism and nowadays with all the options available “good’ may not just be in the numbers but is about creating a loyal niche viewership. Sareeta: Good TV content has to be informative, innovative, entertaining and a good representation of our society. Also, I believe it has to be motivating and positive.

What’s special about Good Morning Nepal? Can you share with us your experiences with the show?

Sameer: Good Morning Nepal is special because it is a live daily breakfast show, something Nepal had never really experienced in its true essence. Unlike weekly live or recorded entertainment shows, GMN brings daily fresh content to its viewers to allow them to start a fresh new day with information based entertainment. My experience has been that of jumping into a swimming pool without any swimming lessons, but eventually not only learning how to stay afloat but also learning and enjoying swimming in the process. It has been an amazing experience to move to a very different arena, that of the media, while maintaining my professional career as a scientist. It has been a wonderful journey so far. Sareeta: Usually most television shows in Nepal are presented in a very formal manner unless it’s a comedy show. So, when we first started an informative program in a very casual way, it was not easily accepted by all the viewers. It was a challenge for us in the starting days which later became our strength and made us different from others.

What does teamwork mean to you?

Ashesh: Teamwork happens when you find a common objective and you are able to completely understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team members. For a TV show with multiple hosts it is very important as you are completely relying on your co-host/team member for everything. Also your on-screen synergy is very crucial to create consistent content every day. We need to watch each other’s back every day and enjoy each other’s company as well. Sareeta: If the project involves the team it is very important that the team members give 100% to bring the best outcome and that is possible only when the team members understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and bring the best out in each other. Ours is a live show and we are not actors but only presenters and when we do not get along, it shows on TV which not only hampers our show but also upsets our viewers. That’s why it is very important for us to be team players, which I believe we are.

How do work through differences in opinions?

Sameer: We all have different personalities and opinions, a natural human trait. We regularly have differences in opinion. However, we have all accepted that we share a common goal - of improving GMN any which way we can. Thus, no matter how big our differences in opinions, we discuss, debate but come to a common understanding in a democratic manner. Sareeta: When it comes to co-hosting, we are three different people from different walks of life with tree different personalities. We are three very opinionated and strong headed individuals. We have our own opinions and disagreements at times. But we believe there is nothing a good communication cannot solve. And the same applies to our other team members.

Where do you think television and TV shows are heading due to the rise in Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms?

Ashesh: OTT or the non-linear formats have definitely changed the way we understand television but I still feel television and especially live television still has a long way to go. Television is a household item and it will remain so. I think TV’s biggest appeal is its connection with the audience. Evolution will happen with tech advancements and the platforms will change but more real time content dissemination will be the key for its relevance. Sameer: While OTT is the future of visual entertainment, TV is also here to stay. We must not forget that radio was prophesied to disappear a long time ago when traditional television started. Yet radio remains popular worldwide and continues to entertain and inform. TV will stay but needs to ensure it learns to integrate with online media. Live shows will continue to entertain via traditional television.

What are your favourite shows and hosts?

Ashesh: It may sound funny but after coming into TV media I have started to watch less of television content on television but I do enjoy a few late night talk shows or mainly watch sports on TV. Bhusan Dahal is definitely someone I have always looked up to as a TV personality and a host. He was also the one behind putting our team and show together so there is a lot of respect and admiration for him. Sameer: I spent the majority of my youth in the USA, and as such their breakfast shows used to be my favourite. I regularly enjoyed late night shows also. David Letterman used to be one of my favourite TV show hosts. I also used to enjoy watching a game show called ‘Jeopardy’ hosted by Alex Trebek. One of my favourite shows continues to be the American comedy series, ‘Whose line is it anyway?’ Ryan Lee Stiles is my favourite performer in this show. Lately, I am enjoying watching Deepak Bajracharya and Cherisa Bajracharya host #TMMS- I find this a unique father-daughter combination, and entertainment is guaranteed. Sareeta: Tough question! A show with good content and a host with good presentation and nice pleasing personality would be my answer. I also spent a majority of my youth life in the USA. As a student of media, I was required to watch and critique lots of television content. Good Morning America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Wendy Williams Show and the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson were some of my favourites.

Who is the one person you’ve had on the show that is unforgettable?

Ashesh: Being a big cricket buff and a big fan of South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes, it was a great fan moment for me when we were able to have him on our show. When I found out that he was in Nepal, I went through all the possible means to make him come to our show. After following up for days, I literally begged him to come to our show and indeed he did. It was an absolute dream come true to be able to sit down and do an interview with him. It is something I will always cherish throughout my life. Sameer: For me, it has to be Indian Guru Shree Shivkrupanand Swami who had come to Nepal in November 2018 at the invitation of Nepal government to carry out a series of yoga camps and religious pravachans. We had hosted him on GMN on KTV. He did not speak Nepali or English and his language of preference was Hindi. I, on the other hand, have a very weak grasp on spoken Hindi although I understand the language very well. My co-host Ashesh and I ended up conducting the 25-minute discussion in Hindi. Sareeta: If I have to pick one person, then that would be Bhusan Dahal. It is because he was invited as our first guest on our first show on the occasion of World Television Day.

One person you would want on the show...

Ashesh: I think my ultimate dream guest for my show would be Amitabh Bachchan. I have been a big fan ever since I could understand films and if ever we are able to have him on our show it will surely be one of the greatest achievements. Sameer: I would like to have our current Prime Minister on the show but not as a political figure. I would want him to talk about his daily routine, hobbies, any entertaining topic other than pure politics.