Your never going to believe this, sorry, hang on its tabloid TV repeating itself, you will believe.

The Nine Network’s A Current Affair has done yet another rip-off of an idea from the Sydney Daily Telegraph. But it’s no ordinary rip-off, it was a rip-off of a stunt that backfired on the Tele a few months ago.

Back in March readers with advanced memories will remember the kerfuffle caused by the Tele and its editor, Campbell Reid, when he sent pregnant employees out onto the Sydney bus system to see if Sydney was indeed rude.

Yep, they were blared the front page story: Sydneysiders were very rude people, very inconsiderate. Unfortunately for Campbell Reid, a man in one of the photographs took considerable exception to being depicted as being rude because he could see the photographer and smelled a stunt.

So when he found out from a friend that the woman in the photograph was a News Ltd employee he was upset and told Crikey and the Tele. But he got the brush off from the News gang.

But that hasn’t stopped ACA following the Tele in pulling this particular stunt. Another example of the formula driven approach to “current affairs” TV as practiced by ACA, and Today Tonight over on Seven. But it must be said TT does mock indignation better than the mob at Nine.

The story undid the fine demolition job that Ray Martin did on Derryn Hinch on the question whether Graham Kennedy died on AIDS. It was Martin at his toughest and best. Pity about the reversion to formula for the rest of ACA last night.