The struggle for local content on TV

I have been dismayed by the endless ‘classroom setting’ shows that are currently a trend on our local television networks, or the sloppy ‘copy pasted’ prank shows that are slowly becoming the ‘in’ thing.

For a nation that grew up on Tausi, Tahamaki, Vioja Mahakamani, Vitimbi and Mizizi, the Kenyan ‘visual’ scene has fallen into a deep slumber.

‘Content is King’ is a catchphrase thrown around in the marketing and communication sector, but what sort of kingdom does it rule? Well, the phrase is not new; it’s been around for a while.

We live in a world where content is overwhelming in its abundance but the case is different in Kenya. It’s almost as if content has become a foreign thing.

Here its the same script and cast in every show; are we that scared of thinking? Switch on your TV during the weekday and apart from the news, which is also running on the ‘anything for hits’ slogan — even stretching to using sex appeal to get viewership — the rest of the programming is sad.

If it’s not some cliché Spanish/ Mexican soap opera it’s a West African movie or a local version of Gags; Just for Laughs. But there are a few good local shows that get airtime.

Just like in the radio sector, programme controllers have been afraid to ‘risk’; either that or the media just needs new people. Radio was flat in the past - apart from the quality of music being above par, there was zero content. It wasn’t until one station ‘risked’ by incorporating comedians as co-hosts that radio became interesting.

That was new to the market and as expected over the months that followed, every radio station had comedians in their roster, proving that we are a ‘copy paste’ industry. But back to television.

How many times do you watch foreign TV shows and just smile at the brilliance of the brains behind them? Kenya has a lot of talent but many talented directors and producers fail to make the cut because they are not ‘famous’ or not friends with the ‘TV people’.

NAIROBI HALF LIFE

Nairobi Half Life is evidence enough. Not many people knew Tosh before his movie but I’m glad the spotlight is now shining on him. This is a hot-button issue; it’s almost as if a handful of household names are given a spot on every TV channel flooding our living rooms with poorly done shows.

It’s more like throwing the dice — no target audience (look, we just caught them off-guard!)

First was Naswa, which is more like a local version of Gilbert Rozon’s Just for Laughs. Okay, we might have all had a laugh here and there, but come on, we have all seen that before. A few months after Naswa, all TV stations caught the ‘prank fever’; a wave of caught-on-camera shows swept across the electronic media as every TV station clamoured for a piece of that cake.

Can’t anyone create something different? Something new and fresh, or at least if one is going to ‘steal’ an idea, try and tweak it. Enough with the prank shows. Please stop! It’s getting redundant. You watch a prank on TV station X and think, “I’ve seen that on TV station Y’. Are script writers and directors getting lazy? Must local TV be such a bore fest? Can’t the ‘revolution’ be televised?

Teacher Wanjiku and other short stories.

A month ago, stand-up comedian Teacher Wanjiku had her TV show cancelled after one episode on air. Not that it came as a shocker after the backlash it elicited on social media.

It was like the promo of the show sold the viewers something different from what we saw on her debut episode. I cringed when the show came on and asked myself several questions; was that all they had after the hype? Was the show scripted, directed and produced by a rocket scientist?*** Or maybe I wasn’t the target audience.

The saddest part was that a senior executive at the TV station watched a pilot episode and approved the show, which begs the question; who are the people in charge? It was a terrible idea letting the show air.

You don’t do ‘trial and error’ on mainstream media. Not to be a sadist but the show being cancelled was a blessing, it was a sign. Give the audience better or nothing.

Class in Session.

When Tahidi High debuted, just from the first episode one could easily tell it was going to be an amazing show; the script was well written, the show well directed and produced and the cast had talented actors and actresses. They never seemed to run out of content for each episode. It was what local TV needed at that point and time.

Flash-forward four years later, we have several different classroom/high school shows running simultaneously on different TV stations. That’s how creative Kenyans get as far as content is concerned. We wait for someone to do it then we copy-paste and own it.

ALL NOT LOST

Still all is not lost. There are producers, creatives and directors going against the grain to bring us quality programmes: the amazing brains behind Mali, XYZ, Off-Side, State House, Lies that Bind, Ideal Space, just to name a few, should be the people leading from the front. There is rumour of a ‘socialite’ show coming soon to a TV station near you.

I watched the pilot and I pray daily that it doesn’t get approved. The TV industry has invested heavily in engaging its audience through irrelevant content and it’s about time this changed.