Are we really entertained on Television? Part-I

When it comes to television programming related to entertainment I feel that we r steadily going downhill. Before saying something about present situation let’s have a look when it all started.

Unit the early eighties it was Radio in form of Vividh Bharti which ruled the roost for any sort of entertainment. At that point of time all we have in the name of entertainment on TV was a regular dose of Hindi Movies & our fav biweekly Chitrahaar.

In 1982 when Asiad happened for the first time we saw programming in colour. Few years later the era of television soaps started with the success of Hum Log a serial, which shared the joys & sorrow of Indian middle class. It was followed by another hugely successful serial Buniyaad based on the story woven around partition era. Then came serials based on epics like Ramayna & Mahabharta which captivated Indian audience for few years.
The success of these serial started an era of soaps which is continuing till date. In the late nineties our national broadcaster DD was joined by new cable channels like DD Metro Star Plus, Sony & Zee.

So what these channels have really offered us in past few years?
A host of serials enacting the same saas bahu saga, family intrigues in so called joint business family with full of 3rd, 4th & 5th angles !. Such was the regular dose of these multi vitamin capsules in the lives of section of our population consisting mostly of housewives that they became addicted to it. Indians always love melodrama so there was enough twists & turns put in by the likes of Ekta Kapoor’s to keep them interested weeks after weeks soaring the TRP ratings of their umpteenth K….. products.

But my question to these money monger production houses is straight & simple.
What is their creativity quotient?
Why all the serials have same plot, same type of characters & a same feel!
It ‘s a shame on the successful soap directors that even with so much success they failed to do something new, something more challenging. I agree that creativity is not always accompanied by the success but then there was no effort at all from their side. Their brethren from other section of media have fared much better!

Look at the advertising industry!
Our advertisements are just world class! Not only they have come up with innovative ideas every now & then but at the same time they have thoroughly entertained us. Bollywood is still formula prone but still there is new breed of directors who have avoided the clichés & given us something fresh to ponder upon…

But why I have been forced to write my post on this subject. Not because of these serials! I hardly see any of them. My main anger is directed on another breed of television programming which is the IN THING today.
More about it in my next part !!

To be continued…