Mexican telenovelas and Indian Drama evaded Ghanaian televisions such as GTV, Metro Tv, UTV and GhOne Tv decades ago.
Mexican soap operas evaded our television space decades ago but it was not as dominant as it is now. In the past, few Mexican drama series were shown and it never dominated the Ghanaian popular programs like Akan drama, Efiewura, Music Music, etc.
However, over the past ten years, foreign telenovelas such as Indian drama, Mexican soap operas, etc, has taken over our television screens, consequently affecting the Ghana Movie Industry in certain ways. The Ghana movie industry has so many challenges and the dominance of Indian drama, Mexican soap operas, etc, is part of the reasons for its collapse.
Ghana’s movie industry lost its shine ten years ago but it was not the entire sector that had collapsed. The sector that produces English speaking movies was the one that collapsed first. Kumawood movies were the real deal still even with the popularity of Mexican soap operas. Kumawood movies reigned for a long time before collapsing with the English speaking movies.
Gatekeepers and stakeholders of the Ghana movie industry which includes producers, directors, cameramen, actors, writers, etc have openly expressed various reasons why they think led to the collapse of the movie industry. Some think it is more than the showing of telenovelas. Realistically, there are several reasons why the Ghana movie industry collapsed.
Mexican soap operas popularity in Ghana goes as far back as thirty years ago with Acapulco Bay. It seems Acapulco Bay was the
the first Mexican soap opera on Ghana screens. It was telecast on the Ghana Television GTV on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday. Metro TV started showing their first Mexican telenovela called Cuando Seas Mia. This soap opera was a hit. It was popular all over the ten regions of Ghana. I was very young at the time Acapulco Bay was showing on Ghana television so I did not follow that telenovela. However, I watched Cuando Seas Mia till it ended. Cuando Seas Mia seems to be the longest running soap opera on Ghana screens after Pragya, the Indian drama series.
Cuando Seas Mia run for more than five years on Metro television. It was my first Mexican soap opera that I actually liked. However, Rosalinda started showing on TV3, and everyone’s attention shifted to Rosalinda. I personally think Rosalinda is the most popular and most watched Mexican soap opera in Ghana. It was my first favorite Mexican drama series. Rosalinda was epic. Talk of the storyline, costume, character performance, etc. Everything with Rosalinda was so great. Ghanaians loved this soap opera very much.
Juana La Virgin was the next big thing on TV3. I fell in love with the new Mexican telenovela instantly. Juana La Virgin became the new deal. It was popular everywhere. Juana La Virgen also became the favorite of Ghanaians after Rosalinda.
About ten years ago, during the emergence of Kumawood movies, I think the television stations in Ghana slowed down on the telecast. Mexican soap operas became less popular as Local movies grew more popular in Ghana. At a point, Ghana movie industry all of a sudden started fading away, then we started seeing some Ghanaian television stations showing new Mexican drama series and this time, with more devotion in terms of promotion.
Ghanaian actors have been complaining for years for its deletion on our screens but it cannot be done. It is someone’s private business and you cannot tell them go to run.
Maybe the emergence of Mexican and Indian telenovelas back on our screens may have affected the Ghana movie industry, it is not the only reason why it collapsed.