South African TV worth watching (Pt. 1)
Why do programs like Baywatch, or Knight Rider, the A-Team for that matter go on to find wider appeal world wide. These programs break the bonds of social and cultural convention to speak to those base emotions common to all humanity. Emotions such as: Lust; Violence; Social Justice; Sex and Thrills. But not with too much complexity, mind you. Murdock from the A-Team was merely “insane”. They never really explored the tradegy of his mental illness.
“So why this sudden bout of uncalled for tenderness, Greig?” I hear you ask. “Do you have a new sweetie? Are you going soft on us?” The answers to those questions are “No” and “No”. I merely put these thoughts before you because I realised that there is a HUGE gap in the local series market, a chance to make some decent money.
Ever tuned into any locally produced series? You soon flip channels faster than an epileptic fry-cook who’s spent 30 years behind the grill.
Why is that? Well, probably because misguided liberals are handing out the cash in a vague attempt to try to “intellectualise” and “understand” what happened to all of us in the past.
Look: Shit happened. But intellectuals often forget the mental resilience of the people who inhabit this continent. People here are TOUGH mentally. They have to be. They don’t crumble after being raped, robbed, stabbed, beaten or all 4 at once.
They simply can’t AFFORD to.
Nowhere is there a better example of forgive-and-forget than the people who I employ in my food business. These are people who are old enough to have a genuine claim to the title of “Victim of Apartheid”. Nothing disgusts me more than a 14 year old loin rat who takes part in a mass riot, wantonly destroying things claiming to be a “freedom fighter” or a “victim of apartheid”. You disgrace all those who have come before you.
The people who work for me acknowledge that a great wrong was done to them. They can recall times so tough that they make even ME blanch. But they also realise that that time has passed and that no amount of grieving can undo all the tradegy that has befallen them in the past. They realise that the only way to move now, is forward. To build a better tomorrow for themselves.
That being said, I noticed that many of the tv programs that captivated me as a child revolved around “Good guys bringing Bad guys to justice” type shows. America during the 80’s struggled with rising crime rates and the populace turned to stories that brought hope, of one day finding people who could bring evildoers to justice.
South Africa is in exactly the same frame of mind now. Why not use concepts from epic 80’s shows and re-interpret them for our modern context?
Lets make shows that will captivate and resonate with a public that is fed-up over crime. Here are a few of my best ideas for shows:
1) The Black Knight Rider
Nolie Damane, a young female black university student is walking home one day, only to be wounded in a hail of gunfire between two rival taxi associations. She wakes up in a private hospital run by the billionaire industrialist, Jakkie Vermeulen, only to find that she is now a paraplegic and will be wheelchair bound for life.
She tries hard to re-habilitate herself through physical therapy, touching the distant Vermeulen with her determination. Vermeulen then offers Nolie a chance to fight crime with his vast wealth working to aid her in her quest for justice.
Vermeulen gives Nolie access to his most secret high tech anti crime project, the Metal Overdrive Turbo Ordinance Recoil Keeper Arresting Revenger One (Or M.O.T.O.R.K.A.R. 1) for short. We learn that Vermeulen’s Right-wing younger brother Jako Vermeulen died in a similar senseless hail of gunfire, thus fueling Jakkie Vermeulen’s desire to bring those responsible to justice. It is this digitised version of Vermeulen’s dead brother that serves as the artificial intelligence Avatar for the M.O.T.O.R.K.A.R.1.
To avoid suspicion, the powerful and hi tech M.O.T.O.R.K.A.R.1 is clad in the black skin of a Toyota-Hi-Ace Mini bus under the guise of a Taxi. But no ordinary Taxi.
Its professional Rockford-Fosgate sound system dampens and distracts observers when the two .50 calibre machine guns mounted behind the headlamps fire.
It also features a 3G wireless internet connection with Vermeulen’s intelligence division, offering on the spot advice and analysis. The ashtray serves as a mobile laboratory able to identify every drug known to man.
Fully bulletproof, and running off a turbo charged bio diesel engine capable of reaching pursuit speeds of up to 400 km per hour, the M.O.T.O.R.K.A.R. 1 is a force to be reckoned with.
Coupled with this, Nolie is given the use of a special wheelchair; capapble of short range flight on jump jets; an accelerated motorised engine capable of accelerating the specially re-inforced chair to speeds of up to 80km per hour; and a special tazer that can kill or stun over short ranges. She is also given a special set of Kevlar riding leathers and a “Smart” helmet capable of projecting video onto the visor. It also serves as a hands free cellphone and two-way radio.
Thus armed Nolie Damane is reborn and will stalk the night, as a Black Knight, to fight crime with the help of the digital ghost of reformed right-winger Jako Vermeulen.
To Be Continued!!
