Friday, July 26, 2013

Mixed Bag

I wouldn't exactly say I've made Kwaku Doe famous by blogging about him, but I do get phone calls every once in a while saying: "I just saw Kwaku Doe. The guy you've been talking about".

Sometime ago (I think like two weeks ago), I got a phone call about Kwaku Doe. Now, I'm kinda used to that and I was kinda expecting to hear the usual ("I just saw Kwaku Doe"). Well, I did hear that, and in addition, I heard "what is wrong with that guy?" A friend of mine saw Kwaku Doe and recognised him from the description I've been giving about him and the description of his location. What did my friend do? Well, he figured if Dentaa has been going on about this guy and giving him money, then I could give him money too (mind you, this guy does not give money to beggars). My friend gives Kwaku Doe Gp40 and what does Kwaku do? Say thank you and walk away? Oh no! Kwaku gave the money right back and said it wasn't enough to buy kenkey and fish. Seriously?

I've watched "Da Kink in My Hair" like twice on Viasat 1 and I think it's ok. But if you ask me the title should be changed to "Da Kink in My Jamaican Hair living in Canada" (maybe producers thought about that but decided it was too long so they shortened it).

Earlier this week, I was watching Viasat 1 and then there was an ad for "Twisted Tips". The look on my face was (I couldn't see my face but I'm sure it was) priceless. Seriously? was all I said. In my head, they moved "Twisted Tips" from Saturday 4pm (or is it 4:30pm? could never figure out the time for that show. still can't figure it out now that they're showing us hair made in Jamaica and living in Canada) to another time. "Urgh!" The ad ended and the time for the programme was shown as 4pm on Saturday. Right after that ad, there's another ad for "Da Kink in My Hair" also showing on Saturday, 4pm. I figured it was a mistake on the part of Viasat 1 (seriously, how can you make such a mistake and make the blood pressure of some of us rise like that?), until I saw the same ad for "Twisted Tips" yesterday. This time there was no follow up ad of "Da Kink in My Hair". What's going on Viasat 1? Someone confused over there or something? Y'all making my blood pressure really rise. I'd watch Jamaican hair any day over twisted things. Unless y'all trying to tell us you have the technology  to show two different programmes at the same time on your network.

I really still am trying to wrap my head around "xoxo". There are times I watch it and I think that's pretty ok. Other times I watch and I just baulk hmmmmmm... TV series made in Gh are that bad.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Twisted Things REPLACED!!!

Have no idea why I always refer to the programme as "Twisted Things" when I know very well it is "Twisted Tips". I guess "Twisted Things" does have a nicer ring to it, and having watched the programme, I think it really is about things that are twisted. Matter of fact, the whole show is twisted.

That said, I take great pleasure in announcing that "Twisted Tips" has been replaced on Viasat 1. In my last update, I said "Twisted Tips" didn't show when it was supposed to two weeks ago. Well, it didn't show again last week, and like the week before, "Freaky Eaters" was shown in its place (I guess that was the unofficial taking off of "Twisted Tips").

So this week, I'm watching Viasat 1 (I think I was watching "A Shelter for Love") and then there was an ad break, and then there was an ad for a new programme on Viasat 1, which is to air on the same day, at the same time "Twisted Tips" was showing. I guess then it's safe to say that "Twisted Tips" is gone (maybe they couldn't get sponsors after all. every one of that show I watched saw producers advertising begging for sponsorship at the end).

The replacement is *drumroll...* "Da Kink in My Hair", a Canadian sitcom. Don't get me wrong. I love Canada, but couldn't the replacement have been another TV series from Gh? Or is there really a dearth of TV series worth watching in Gh? Seriously, just about every television station in Gh shows at least one telenovela, and though so many viewers are hooked on them (I know I'm so hooked on "A Shelter for Love". I call it "Luciana"), it really would be great to get viewers hooked on some Gh telenovela or sitcom or soap opera or series. Wouldn't it be a nice feeling if people all over the world went through a lot of hassle to download the latest episode of some Gh series online, just like I (plus plenty other Ghanaians) do to get the latest episode of my favourite series? I doubt if 1. "Afia Schwarzenegger" for example, is available online, and 2. if anyone (Ghanaian or otherwise) is interested in downloading it (complete waste if you ask me).

I love watching a lot of foreign content, hence my joy when Viasat 1 came to Gh, and my disdain when they took up airing a whole lot of not worth watching local content. But right now, I've been thinking a lot, and I really would love for my favourite TV programme to be out of Gh (I am after all Ghanaian).

I watched "xoxo" last Saturday, and it seemed what I feared was kinda coming true. I did say I hoped the one episode I watched and liked was not a one off thing. Watching last week, I honestly did not enjoy the show at all. I know producers of the show are trying to be different by giving viewers the chance to vote for their favourite outcome out of two, at the end of each show, but seriously, does everything in Gh have to involve text voting? And I do wonder if producers go along with the highest voted outcome or if it is just some ploy to get the moneys (premium charges for such text messages) of viewers and promise them one prize or another or just for the fun of it, but still go along with whatever story line they had intended.

Well, we'll see how "Da Kink in My Hair" goes (never watched an episode before). I'm having a feeling I might like it, since it's not out of Gh. I really don't know, but it's not an African thing, cos I do watch some Nigerian TV series and I enjoy them (not all of them but a whole lot of the ones I've watched), and I do love some SA ones I've watched too. Really wondering what's happening with the Gh entertainment.

Just hoping "Twisted Things" doesn't end up showing up again at a later time or worse yet, maybe it has not been replaced but has just been moved to another day or time. Still hoping my writing about it had something to do with its removal (still seriously doubting it).

Friday, July 05, 2013

Updates... Missing Kwaku Doe...

The "Deadly Billboard" I've been going on about has been removed. I'd like to think my writing about it had something to do with its removal (I seriously doubt it).

The "Active Advertising" billboard was taken down not long after my post. Again I'd like to think my writing about it had something to do with its removal (seriously doubting). The ad has been replaced with another, advertising a prayer summit, and guess what? The advertisers don't want us to actively guess when the summit is taking place (somebody wised up or different advertisers).


At least this one tells us the programme is in June (no more guessing)
I stopped watching "Twisted Tips". I guess I got tired of criticising plenty. And then the Saturday before last Saturday, I happened to be watching the station that shows "Twisted Tips", at the time "Twisted Tips" is supposed to be shown, and guess what? It didn't show. They rather showed a programme about people with weird eating habits. There was something about a guy that ate raw meat (imagine that). Interesting thing is, I figure I'd enjoy eating raw meat myself more than watching "Twisted Tips". After the weird eating thingy, there was another Ghanaian series that didn't exactly blow me away, but was so much more refreshing than what I'm used to from Gh. That was my first time ever watching "xoxo". I must admit, it wasn't bad at all (for once I'm not critiquing some programme out of Gh. if it's good, I'll say it). What really got me is, that was my first time watching, and though it's a series, I was able to follow (just hoping it wasn't a one-off thing and I just caught them on a good episode).

I came across another garbage truck a couple of weeks ago, and in my estimation, what I saw seemed a whole lot more dangerous than the first one I wrote about (this one was so much smaller). Still makes me wonder how safe it is.


At least the truck was moving real slow.
 I MISS KWAKU DOE!


Took this not too long ago, and guess what? He's still in the same business.


Saved (Twice)

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