GHAFLA THROWBACK: Back In The Day When KBC Was The Dopest TV Station In Kenya, These Were The Top Ten Shows That Kept Us Sufficiently Entertained

Over the past few days, Kenyans have been dragged through dark times. Most of us have been left with no choice but to watch the ‘mama’ of all stations- KBC. Due to the digital migration battles, all the other popular stations have been off air.

KBC is plain boring nowadays, but that’s not how it always used to be. In the 90s, the state-owned station was the bomb. The program line up was so spectacular that you felt guilty or annoyed when you missed a single program. I was a kid and I enjoyed every bit of the experience.

Without further delay, here is the list of the TV programs that used to rock when KBC was……uuum. When KBC was KBC, just to put it in layman terms.

Tausi

The family drama still stands as the most magnificently written Kenyan TV show of all time. Its characters included the likes of Mzee Kasri, Linda and Master Sugu. Tausi’s producers focused on bending the show to angles we could all relate to. Snippets of it can still be found on YouTube and KBC’s archives of course.

Adventures Of Sinbad

Sinbad was TV gold. Every Sunday at 1:30 pm, all the kids would cut their play time short just to occupy the best sit in the living room before the show’s glorious soundtrack began. Sinbad was a bombshell- full of adventure and exciting action. It centered around a sailor called Sinbad and his crew battling magical villains.

Conan

Another masterpiece about a sword-wielding warrior who bore the habit of slicing enemies like they were cake. Overall, the series focuses on Conan’s personal vendetta against Hissah Zuhl, an evil sorcerer (who appears in almost every episode, with a sarcastic reanimated skull as a clairvoyant servant), constantly seeking to kill Conan. In short, the show as a box of entertainment galore

Tahamaki

The best Cop Vs Gangsta drama that has ever been produced in Kenya. Even though it got scary at times with the killings, this TV show was way beyond it’s time. Police would raid the hideouts of gangsters in Mahindra vehicles and engage them amazing gun battles.

WWF

Forget, WWE, back in the day there was WWF (World Wrestling Federation) where fights were intense and the stories were deep. The earlier version of the wrestling franchise also boasted of hardcore wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, the overweight Yokozina, British Bulldog, Hitman, Stone Cold and Psycho Sid. Don’t we all wish time would rewind?

Rex: A Cop’s Best friend

A cult classic., the show was about a German Shepherd police dog Rex, and the rest of the team at the Vienna Kriminalpolizei homicide police unit, as they work worked together to solve crimes. Some of us still love dogs because of Rex

Robocop

Nowadays, there are too many shitty Robocop movies being produced but in the 90s there was the Robocop TV series. Made to appeal primarily to children and young teenagers, it lacked the graphic violence that has the hallmark of Robocop movies. Despite that, the show still managed to be incorporate well-coordinated action sequences thus making it a favorite among adults too.

Walker Texas Ranger

Starring the well-celebrated action hero Chuck Norris, Walker Texas Ranger was in a league of its own. The show was known for its moral values. For example, the characters refrained from the use of drugs, and they participated in community service. Martial arts were displayed prominently as the primary tool of law enforcement and occasionally as a tool for Walker and company to reach out to the community. The show has since become one of the most popular action shows in television history.

Vitimbi

The current crop of Kenyan comedians has to be thankful for shows such as vitimbi and the great men and women who starred in them. Vitmbi, together with Vituko and Kinyonga helped lay the foundation for Kenyan comedy. Oh hail the legends such as Mzee ojwang, Baba Ziro, Likobe and the late Masanduku

Tarzan

The show was a hit among kids. The storyline rolled around a jungle warrior who only had animals as his friends. Almost everything he did was thrilling and exciting.