Most Jamaicans today have cable or dish television and watch the Jamaican stations TVJ, CVM and Love TV mostly for the news. Recently I have been feeling quite patriotic (maybe it’s the independence fever) and have been watching a lot of Jamaican television. I must admit I’ve been very disappointed as it would seem that we have totally lost our identity. We have become such copycats of the Americans that it is very sad.
For example, they have Good Morning America, we have Smile Jamaica. They have American Idol we have Rising Star. They have Fear Factor we have Golden Nugget. They have Americas Top Model we have Faces of Summer. They have Dinner and a Movie we have Dinner and a Movie, we didn’t even bother to change that name.
The latest one now being advertised is Court TV, ‘Give me a break’. Have we not one original idea in our heads. To compound the situation we don’t even try to change the script. The personalities of the American personnel in most of these reality shows are copied to a tee. Some even have the same name.
Jamaica hasn’t had much of its own television shows in the pass but what shows we did (or do) have were well appreciated. Take Ring Ding. I remember being glued to the television every Saturday morning. Not to mention how much we learnt form Miss Lou and Mas Ran on our Jamaican culture. Lime Tree Lane was an all Jamaican drama not to be missed. Even now Royal Palm has quite a few Jamaicans hooked.
Come on Jamaica, we are more creative than that. Surely we can have our own reality shows with a bit more of us in it. In the mean time, I guest its back to cable.
Nuff Love.