Before the proliferation of television stations in Ghana, GBC-TV (the sole TV provider) treated consumers with lots of interesting programs that we still relish today.
As opposed to today’s epoch of television where TV stations try to outshine and outpace each other with explicit foreign telenovelas, GBC-TV which was later christened GTV, televised pure organic local and foreign contents that still remain unparalleled.
I have painstakingly selected some of these programs that will make you feel nostalgic.
1. Oshin- Oshin was a Japanese serialized television program which began airing on our TV sets in the early 90’s. My statistics indicate that Oshin and Acapulco Bay (TV3) remain the most watched serials of all time in our broadcasting history.
The plot revolved around the main protagonists, seven year old Oshin who was abused and manhandled when she was sent off by her father to work as a babysitter to support her poor family. Despite the barrage of abuses, Oshin still endured the turbulences for the sake of her parents.
Her misfortune trailed her throughout adulthood but eventually there were moments of respite for Oshin when she overcame all obstacles and heaved a sigh of big relief.
Such was the popularity of Oshin that minutes after the show, adults and teenagers gathered in small groups to discuss the plot from the their biased perspective. People openly shed tears for Oshin forgetting that she was only a fictitious character.
2. Osofo Daazie
Osofo Daazie became a huge success with the local and elite people in the 80’s. Lots of the cast of this popular drama are dead while few survivors are either old or ailing. Bea Kissi, Frimpong Manso, Super O.D, and S.K. Oppong and others are just some of few names that make up one of the most sought after local drama in the country.
Every household stayed glued to their black and white TV sets every Sunday while these actors dazzled viewers with their dexterity. The main objective of every episode is to transmit a message, which borders around themes that mirrors everyday life in our Ghanaian set up to viewers.
The late Nana Bosompra later assembled some of the cast of Osofo Daazie to form the integral components of another hilarious and hit TV show called Cantata.