10 Reasons I Like Indian TV Shows

By Rakesh Raman

You’d often hear that Indian TV programming has been getting dumber and dumber with tired sitcoms, vulgar reality shows, news that looks like paid-for propaganda, and so on.

Majority may have this view. But you know, I’m an optimist to the hilt. I see silver lining around every dark cloud.

That’s why I like Indian TV shows. You know, why? Here are the 10 solid reasons:

1. Dedicated: The Indian TV channels are so dedicated that they’ll keep showing you something or the other for all 24 hours, day in and day out. If you don’t like all that they show, it’s your problem. They’re always at your service.

2. Collaborative: Other businesses may have cut-throat rivalry. But Indian TV channels work with perfect harmony with each other. They’ll dig out one piece of ordinary information from somewhere and collaborate in such a way that you’ll see the same story on all the channels – repeated in different flavours from dawn to dusk.

3. Groundbreaking: Even when they’ve to report about the cry of a crow, all the TV channels will claim in one voice they were the first to report about the crow’s cry. You must trust all of them. I do.

4. Intelligent: They play with numbers intelligently. In a poll, when not even eight people have called them, they’d say 80% of the people in the country prefer Bebo to Bips (some trivial question). They can cleverly conceal the total number of callers, who are few.

5. Benevolent: Indian TV channels also double as awards distribution agencies. This reflects their kindness when they forget all ethical considerations of a media company and throw commercially influenced awards on people they like. The surprising part in this awards business is that these TV channels can choose people for their national awards based on an opinion poll of just 800 people in a country of 1.2 billion people. But let’s not get into their hidden intentions. After all, money-making is more important than professional ethics – for them.

6. Supportive: Most TV anchors are so supportive that their questions are longer than the expected answers of the persons they interview. They simply want to save others from any embarrassment from their journalistic curiosity. As a result, you’ll often notice that in a one-to-one TV show of 20 minutes, close to 12 minutes are consumed by the show host.

7. Creative: They can show you how a cow gives birth to a cat. And they’ll repeat such a program from morning to evening in such a way that you’d start believing that it can happen. Instead of switching off your TV sets to these shows, you must applaud their creative skills of showing you the unbelievable content.

8. Entertaining: You can’t say their content quality is bad. These TV channels always give you the best they can. You need to change your perspective. When they show you a comedy, assume that you’re watching a tragedy. And when they show you a sad show, take it as a humorous drama. This way, you’ll start enjoying all their shows. When they show the horror shows, then kids – who are supposed to feel scared – will watch them with great interest. Try it.

9. Never-Ending: If you believe in rebirth, you’ll find that some of the family shows on Indian TV channels are still on when you come in your next birth – while you may have watched them for years during your present life. This is their commitment to serve you with the same programs in your seven births – at least.

10. Versatile: Others may think that a TV journalist needs to have complete subject knowledge to host a show. This argument doesn’t hold true here. Our TV people are so versatile that they can handle in the same breath all that you want – actions, elections, mobiles, missiles, you name it.

So, is that all? No, that’s not all. I must tell you that I got so overwhelmed by the quality of our TV shows that a few days ago I decided to dispose of my TV box. Now, I don’t own a TV. So, I don’t have to watch it.

By Rakesh Raman, the managing editor of Raman Media Network.

You can also read: More Articles by the RMN Editor, Rakesh Raman