The love for telenovelas in Ghana has grown wild over the period. I was trying to remember the first tv station to show telenovela on our screen and the first telenovela that was shown, but as young as i was back then, only three tv stations come into mind when i asked myself this question, Gtv, Tv3 and Metro TV. It must have been one of them, i remember Metro Tv’s Bold and Beautiful somewhere in 1999 and Tv3’s Sunset Beach and Rosalinda. I can’t remember Gtv’s own now but i hope my readers, would give me that information so i can fix it when i am updating this article. Well, my question was “Has telenovelas had any effect on how Ghanaians perceive relationships and any positive impacts, it’s brought” Let me quickly zoom in to early 2011-2014, and try to remember some of the popular telenovelas, as those still remain fresh in my memory. To be honest, i love telenovelas but i am not an addict, but i get addicted sometimes especially when i watch the first 5 episodes or even watch any episode for the first time and it intrigues me, then i will keep on watching. I can remember Metro Tv’s Catalina and Sabastian, i would never forget that, i got soo angry with these characters because they would made up, then break up, made up and break up, i guess you remember right? I also loved Gtv’s Shades of Sin, a story i almost cried because Petra was suffering and the boyfriend thought she had decieved him all along, then i watched Tv Africa’s Don’t mess with an Angel and almost had a crush on Maria. Those two characters were like a perfect couple. I also watched all of Viasat’s 1 Telenovelas Storm over Paradise, Untamed Soul, A woman of Steel, A woman of Sacrifice, Maid in Manhattan, The one who couldn’t love, Hidden Passion, and my favorite ideal character and all time favorite telenovela A Shelter for Love. Utv also came in with another hit one Maricruz “Wild at Heat” and still showing two other ones, Crown of Tears and What Life Life Took From Me. There are countless telenovelas on most tv stations in Ghana but i am unable to watch all especially those on the multi tv channels. I know Ghone showed one and NET 2 and Etv also have some telenovelas they show.
So, let’s come home to our main focus. In all of these telenovelas, mostly the main theme is LOVE, and the main characters will always end up marrying each other no matter what happends. They is mistrust, unfaithfulness, betrayal, lies, family quarrels and all sort of things, that separates them but the most important thing is in the end, the strong love that exists between them always brings them back together. So it’s true, that true love never dies and that when someone is really meant for you, they will always come back no matter what. Television stations will always cash in on telenovelas, because people love it, and trust me not just women but gradually men are even watching it more than the women. It’s estimated that out of 100% of men, 40% of them watch telenovelas which was not that in the case until 2012.
When you watch any telenovela, you get so engulfed into it, that you feel it is real and you insult the characters, when they are not doing what, you want them to do, and that’s the mark of a good telenovela. You must have been soo angry with Maricruz when you watched Wild at heart, because, she loved Jose Miguel but she pretends she despises him and it costed her soo much. If you had watched Viasat 1’s Shelter for Love, you would have hated Rodriguez for not trusting Luciana and it goes on and on and on. I spoke to some few girls who watch these telenovelas and are addicts of them, they know the time every telenovela is shown and which tv station is showing it. They even have a special china tv phone, so they don’t miss their favorites, when ECG decides to take it’s light away. Yeah, they are what i call telenovela vampires, they need it to exist. So i had wanted to find out how it had affected their love life, has it changed the way they trust their boyfriend and has it made them too cautious or has it made them too demanding after seeing alll the luxury lifestyle these girls are treated by their fiancee. I even asked them if it’s changed their preference for their kind of man.
Has it also changed how you percieve relationships? Do you think we are really learning a whole lot from these telenovelas? Send me an email on what you think to info@ghbase.com .I want to compile your opinions and that of the girls i spoke to in the continuation of this article. Am sorry i had to cut it, but hey, the rest will come, send me that email now. Follow us on twitter @officialghbase or my personal handle @chrishandlergh to get notified on the next update on this article. Stay blessed.