Afrocentric

If you were to ask many people in England, which are the most watched shows tele, many would mention the following:

  •  Eastenders
  •  Hollyoaks
  •  Emmerdale
  •  Downton Abbey
  •  Skins
  •  Gavin and Stacey
  • Sherlock
  • My Family  

The list goes on, some of theme am sure I have never even heard of to be honest. I used to be a huge fan of Britain’s got talent and the likes of Dancing on ice but down the line I have lost interest in them. But thank goodness for the internet that allows us to watch a wide variety of interesting shows, series, sitcoms, romantic comedy, movies …whatever u may call them. I will be honest with you before I moved to the UK, I was fascinated by British comedy shows such as Fawlty towers, Keeping up appearances and of course Mr Bean. I must say, I can still watch Mr Bean for the umpteenth time and still find myself laughing. British comedy is hilarious if you get their sense of humor.

 Regardless of the variety of entertainment on tele, I never find anything to watch. From time to time, I long to watch things more to do with Africa. By this I mean, I love watching African movies, African shows and also listen or watch African news. I do get fed up of the same old news and sometimes just want a breath of fresh air, if you know what I mean. Hence, after searching high and low, I discovered two African channels and one being a Nollywood channel. Am sure am not the only person who enjoys watching Nigerian movies. I have watched so many to the extent that some have become too predictable for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I really admire the Nigerian film industry and do hope that some day my own country, Zambia, would produce movies of the same caliber. Which brings me to what initially made me write this post.  

 Some time last week, a friend of mine sent me a link for the new series that started i think a month ago. Its a Zambian Series called Love Games. At first, I was very skeptical even before I saw it because from what I have watched before(other series from the likes of Kabanana, Banja, play circle ) I didn’t expect much. However, as I watched the first series, I was impressed. To start with, the picture quality is superb, crystal clear in HD, then the whole set up, contemporary interior designing, their costumes , all these things made me realize how far we have come as Zambians. It also has a contemporary outlook on how life in Zambia is like and at the same time incorporates our rich culture.  I am hooked on the series which airs every Wednesday evenings at 8pm Zambian time, however, I get to watch it online on Youtube or vimeo. Love Games is a drama series that follows the lives and relationships of five females, who are related either through blood or friendship. Check it and see what you think of it.

Source

Another series that I have grown to love is Mzansi Love: Kasi style. Its not a Zambian series rather a South African series. Its a romantic comedy anthology television series based on Nollybooks novels published by Moky Makura and produced by Fireworx Media which follows the stories of yound and sassy South African women trying to navigate the tricky waters of romance in a modern society. Each episode is a stand alone rom-com and feature a variaty of female protangonists, from an aspiring cheff to a budding journalist and an electric marketing exec. Really worth watching in my opinion. I remember I used to watch quite a number of South African soaps and series whilst I was growing up in Zambia. SABC channels would bring shows such as the infamous Isidingo (which am sure most of you have watched),Generations, Backstage, Soul City, Scandal and many others. Unfortunately I lost track of all these series but luckily enough the African channel on Sky shows Scandal every week. So whilst others are anticipating watching the likes of Eastenders am anxiously waiting to watch Scandal. 

Source

Source

Last but not the least, we go all the way to Kenya. Shuga: Love, Sex, Money is a ground breaking Kenyan show. Its a hard hitting six-part series which delves into the lives, loves and ambitions of a group of cool young students. Their bright lives and fabulous futures teeter on a knife edge due to their appetite for life’s dangerous thrills. The drama unfold through interlinking tales as the buzz of Friday nights’s love and sex, leave inedible marks on the main players. I hope other Africans in diaspora who share the same homesick feeling from time to time, find solace in such kind of television shows. It makes me feel at home, besides me eating my local delicacies and some Ben & Jerry’s Ice-cream. Thank you for stopping by and hope you all have a wonderful week. X

Source

Follow:
%d bloggers like this: