Christy Essien |
Zebrudaya |
Clarus & Zebrudaya |
There is no doubt that in the
time past, especially for those who had the opportunity to own or see a TV in
the 70's to early 90's when TV was for the elites, there was always this joy to
catch up with some of the programmes on air back then.
To those of the young chaps like
us who got to know much of TV during the mid to late 80's and most of the early
90's, the TV experience then is of a nostalgic feeling now.
There is no doubt that we of the
then generations and before us confirm that these present generations are
getting mixed and watered TV content and programming like a saccharined
palm-wine.
In those days, especially in the
early 70's, 80's and by extension, 90's, TV programming were full of
entertainment and educating value fillings.
Though there were no 24hr TV
broadcast at that time, but for the period of six hours of TV operations, TV
was truly fun for its various viewers. One could remember like yesterday when
by 4pm, we were first greeted with music for an hour with the coloured strips
adorning the TV.
By 5pm, the national anthem is
played, and then cartoons follows. This was almost the tradition during
weekdays until the 9pm network news on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA),
which many parents don't miss for anything.
By that time, children were
expected to have gone to bed or just compulsorily listen to NTA network news,
then the close of TV broadcast by 10pm.
Taking a drive through the past,
there is no doubt that generations then always weep for the present generations
for what they have missed; good and educating TV programming.
How would one quickly forget The
Village Headmaster, one of Nigerian's longest TV drama series back then? The
good acting prowess of Oloja of Oja land played by Dejumo Lewis, Gorimapa, Sisi
Clara, Teacher Oghenem Councillor Balogun and others that made this TV drama
one of the best from Nigeria.
How would one also forget Things
Fall Apart of the Pete Edochie (Okonkwo) fame? Also was The New Masquerade
which had the likes of Chief Zebrudaya alias 4:30, Ovloria, Gringori, Clarus,
the one and only Prince Jegede Sokoya and his troublesome Apena (late Christy
Essien) wife.
Another TV programme back then
was Hotel De Jordan, which had Idemudia, Kokori, late Sam Loco Efe. This
programme was back then the toast of the Benin people on NTA Benin.
Other great programmes back then
were Cock crow at dawn, Mirror in the sun, Ripples, Behind the cloud, Adio
Family, Basi & Company, Second Chance, Samanja, Sura the tailor, Koko
close, Awada Kerikeri.
Also were Third Eye, Mind
Bending, Pot of life, Magana Jarice, Mind your language, Hammer House of Horror,
Soul Train, CI5 (The professionals), which was a British detective TV drama
series that featured our own veteran actor, Olu Jacobs, and many others.
While the adults were busy
enjoying the above TV programmes, the kids at that time also had the cause to
be excited staying glued to TV when finally allowed to, as parents then always
lock their TV's with padlocks.
Programmes like Tales by Moon
light, which was a reason why most kids would always want to be at home by 6pm
on Sundays. Also was Sesame Street, Voltron, which was much introduced by a
test run pay TV in the early 90's (Clapperboard).
Also was Rintinti (the police
dog), how can one forget Dr Who, this was also one the best TV programmes for
the kids back then before the Supermans, Tom and Jerrys of this world took
over.
The list of these good and great
programmes is many. Mentioning them only makes one sit and cry for our new
generation of kids who have now become something else due to the adulterated TV
contents they are now being exposed to.
The new TV content and trend is
music and dance, which is filled with lots of degrading moral value fillings.
What mostly sell a TV content nowadays is X-rated contents. This is eminent in
our present music videos, Reality programmes, and so on.
Though many have asked and
wondered where we all got it wrong from, but that still remains a puzzle yet to
be unraveled.
The new generational kids have
argued that those TV programmes that wowed us in the past did so because there
was not much competition as we now have. Their point is that back then; it was
mainly the NTA and maybe, LTV that were providing TV contents to Nigerians.
They have also argued that TV
viewers back then were not exposed to lots of distractions and technologies we
now have. Example is the internet that makes it possible to view programmes
from other lands, see X-rated materials online, etc.
Also is the fact that, as some
put, they are now highly exposed. This some say that if those old programmes
were done in this present world, it would not pull much effect as they did back
then.
They believe that those TV
programmes pulled those attractions because those then were left with no choice
of other TV content to watch.
But how true is the fact that if
Things Fall Apart, The New Masquerade, Village headmaster and others were to be
originally be on TV now, they would not wow viewers of this generation of TV
viewers? Where did we get it wrong? Was 24hrs TV programming and the
decentralization of TV in Nigeria a blessing or a curse?
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