I recently checked out a list of tv shows that have been picked up by Hollywood studios and streaming services and something peculiar stood out to me. A number of these shows were remakes/reboots/revivals of TV shows that were popular in the 80s and 90s. Then there are those that are based on movies from the past. When you dig deeper you find that some of these new shows are coming back for the third or fourth time with new cast. There is a reason for this; great story ideas resonate with people no matter the generation.
Back home in Ghana we saw an experiment of this idea go very well. When I first heard about YOLO (and the fact that it was based on one of my favorite shows growing up ‘Things We Do For Love’) I was skeptical. But in a short amount of time, it was everywhere. It even gave us a few new celebrities including Fella Makafui. I don’t know what happened to the show but there has not been another reboot of its kind since then. That is something I can’t understand.
I like to believe I grew up during the golden age of television in Ghana. There were variety shows (Concert Party), ‘musicals’ (Cantata), Cop shows (Inspector Bediako), Family Comedies (Home Sweet Home) etc. Whatever facet of the Ghanaian life you found yourself, came from or aspired to, there was a TV show you could relate to. Then they were all gone. There are a lot of reasons why this happened and for a long time I know there have not been a lot of quality programming on Ghanaian television made in Ghana.
However, with the establishment of the National Film Authority and DSTV’s Akwaaba Magic channel dedicated to local content, there seems to be a resurgence of the industry on the horizon. That is why I think this would be a good time for some filmmakers to consider rebooting/remaking/reviving old TV shows and movies. A lot of these shows have audiences who loved it and still miss it. Those audiences have grown up to have children of their own that they will be excited to introduce to these shows and share them with. And those who were not old enough to have seen those shows when they run probably have parents who have mentioned them. But one underrated reason why I believe these shows will be great is that a lot of them did not get to end properly which both leaves room for continuation or even the opportunity to go in a new direction.
One of our philosophies here at Mango Juice is that giving Africans in the diaspora more ways to connect to their roots back home leads to a well informed and better engaged diaspora and we believe that media and content is one of the big ways to do that. For that reason, the likelihood that a lot of these shows will have a huge diaspora audience is almost guaranteed.
Just incase someone has heard my case and is considering what I have said, I would like to make a suggestion of classic Ghanaian tv shows that I believe should be brought back in some way. This list was compiled from our team members here at Mango Juice both in United States and Ghana.
- Inspector Bediako (Rebooted on Akwaaba Magic starting December 6,2021)
- Home Sweet Home
- Concert Party
- About To Wed
- Kejetia
- Suncity
- By The Fireside
- Cantata
- Agoro
- Taxi Driver
- Dada Boat
If I missed any shows that you believe should be revived; tell us in the comments below.
Editor’s Note: Article has been updated to include information about Inspector Bediako’s reboot
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