Day 23 – TV Show

Posted on by Sonali

Today’s question – “Favourite shows from every decade of your life”

When I was born, purchasing a television in India was a big deal. We not have one till 1980. So I spent the first 6 years of my life without any television. Not that I knew any different, the world around me was the same – no one had a TV.

1974-1984

When we ultimately had a TV in 1980, it was a black and white Texla in its own case. We only had DoorDarshan at that time so the content was limited. The shows that I remember are Chitrahaar which came every Wednesday and Sunday. It was a movie song program and we used to wait to watch the 6-7 songs from different movies. The other show I remember from that decade is Rajani. It was a show about this housewife who takes on lax government officials to get work done. The show had an indelible impression on my young mind and sowed the seeds for activism in me.

1985 – 1994

This was the peak decade for series on DoorDarshan(DD). Content was king and some of the best series that I have watched till date came in that time. Some of my favourites are listed below:

  • Wah Janab – I don’t remember much about the series except that it had Shekhar Suman in it in a Qawwali cap.
  • Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi – That remained a family favourite for years and I went and bought the DVD when it was released. The series was about family life of Shafi Inamdar and Swaroop Sampat with her younger brother Ramesh Bedi. The highlight of the series was Sathish Shah who played a different character in each series. The series introduced so many new faces who became stalwarts in the industry. I still have fond memories of the series.
  • Karamchand – The first detective series on DD. It introduced us to Pankaj Kapur and Sushmita Mukherjee, who played the memorable character of Kitty in the series. The dialogue “Shut up, Kitty” is iconic and yiu just have to say that to people of our generation to know the TV series.
  • Vikram aur Betaal – This was the series made on the childhood stories that we had read and heard from our grandma. The series is about king Vikramaditya, bound by a vow, transporting the corpse of Betaal from one place to another. Betaal tells him a story and asks him a question at the end. The king has to answer the question and the moment he speaks, Betaal goes back to the tree. The tales were fascinating and Arun Govil and Sajjan played their roles of Vikram and Betaal fabulously. I loved the series and hope I get to see it again sometime but not sure if it is available anywhere.
  • Hum Log – It was the first Indian daily Soap Opera and introduced so many amazing actors to the industry, some of them still performing. The charatters of daadi, Basesar Ram, Bhagwanti, Lallu etc remain iconic till date. The story about a middle class family and their shenanigans was relatable to a lot of families in the 80s and that led to its popularity.
  • Buniyaad – Another Indian Soap Opera, this time about undivided India and the horrors of partition. Directed by the acclaimed director Ramesh Sippy, it is one of the best series aired in India ever. Again, content and the characters in the series gave it its exalted status. It also made the careers of a lot of actors who were in the series and the character of Lochan played by Soni Razdan was my all time favourite.
  • Ramayana – Ramananda Sagar’s Ramayana was a turning point in Indian television history. Making a TV series on the most revered religious text for. Hindus is a risky business in a country like India. But what he did was beautiful. It helped the kids who did not know much about the tale of Rama or the stories beyond the yearly local Ramleelas. The actors who played the lead characters were worshipped and the streets were empty when Ramayana was on DD. The electricity board had to ensure that there was no power cut at the time as there was no concept of reruns. It was family time and we all used to watch together with a a lot of questions for my grandma who used to love telling us the stories, having read the Ramayana multiple times.
  • Mahabharata – Just like Ramayana, BR Chopra Mahabharata changed the landscape of Indian TV. It was a relatively unknown story and piqued the interest of the masses. It still remains one of the most elaborate and best version of Mahabharata ever shown.
  • Fauji – This is the show that catapulted Shah Rukh Khan to stardom and the dialogue “I say chaps” still invokes memories. The series was made on Indian Army and it was said that after the series there was a surge in people wanting to join the Army.
  • Byomkesh Bakshi – The Indian version of Poirot, this was a classic detective series with the lead role aptly played by Rajat Kapoor, in Dhoti and Kurta no less.
  • Dekh Bhai Dekh – The very first Indian sitcom produced by Jaya Bachchan, it was laugh a riot. The story of three generations of family living together and the situational comedy was new to the Indian television. It remains a firm favourite after so many years and I have the whole collection.
  • Farmaan – It was not the most known series but one of my all time favourite. It was based on a novel called Alam Panah and the subtle love story was much appreciated by many.

1995 – 2004

This was the era of the advent of cable television in India. It was also the decade of the Ekta Kapoor brand of family drama which is not my cup of tea, so I don’t have a huge number of favourites.

  • Hum Paanch – The story about five girls, their father, their stepmother and their ghost mother was a top notch comedy.
  • Amanat – Another family drama about seven sisters raised by a single father, it was a series much loved for the portrayal of father daughter relationship.
  • Hip Hip Hurray – A series on school students and growing up as you seek independence. It was relatable to the changing India.
  • Kaun Banega Crorepati – The Indian version of Who wants to be a millionaire was hosted by none other than the great Amitabh Bachchan. His impeccable Hindi and his baritone meant that the show was a hit even before it was aired.
  • Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai – I loved the show especially for the character played by Ratna Pathak Shah. She was unabashedly a self centred mother in law who made fun of her Daughter in law middle class upbringing. It was way ahead of the time it wa ps aired.

2005 – 2014

We moved to Australia in 2004 but I watched both Hindi series and local television, thanks to the internet. Some of my favourite from this decade which is based in when I watched them rather than their release

  • Friends – I had only watched a few episodes of this before moving to Australia. But it was here that I fell in love with the iconic series. I bought all the seasons and since then it has been the sitcom which I have watched umpteen times and is my go to when I have nothing else to watch.
  • How I met your Mother – I got hooked on to the series possibly because it was a spinoff on friends but with different characters and different storyline. The last two seasons did get derailed but I loved the season as a whole.
  • The IT Crowd – This one is a favourite of both my husband and I especially the dialogue “Have you tried shutting it and starting it again”. The characters and the British accent was endearing.

2015 – 2024

With the advent of the content creators like Netflix and Prime, there were too many series but the ones that I continue to watch are as below:

  • How to get away with murder – What a glorious series! Watch it for the sheer brilliance of Viola Davis.
  • Downton Abbey – Another one that is always running in the background in our house. The series has been so popular that there have been two successful movie spinoffs. The British lords during their peak before the world war is so aptly shown in the series. The characters are very well etched out and remain a firm favourite in our house.
  • The Big Bang Theory – Another brilliant sitcom which made nerds of the world cool. Sheldon and his straight face unemotional conversations were the highlight for me. I even love the spinoff Young Sheldon. I have watched it a couple of time and discover something new every time.

These are just a slice of my favourite series. For a TV buff like me, there are so many more that I have watched over the years and loved. I am looking fwd to chronicling my favourite over the next decade.