The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema The Big & Small Screen
I usually stay away from delving too much into television for one particular reason — spoilers! It is extremely hard to review television without giving away “too much” and I do need tell you, dear reader, that no one hates a good old fashioned spoiler than people who watch telly. To the business of the day: June 19, 2016.
The above date might have been an ordinary day for most, but it was one of the biggest days in television. That is unless you exclusively glued to ZTV.
I am a big fan of our local television provider; my licence payments are up to date and on the odd month, like this one when my DStv subscription has expired, all I watch is ZTV.
It is because of this love I have for local TV that it pains me so much when I think about the gulf that exists between us and other countries.
I’m getting carried away; back to June 19, 2016.
While one was being subjected to stale and boring programming by the national broadcaster, the biggest event in television history was taking place elsewhere.
I believe I do not have to waste space delving into the phenomenon that is “Game of Thrones”.
Six years, six seasons (episode nine) into the series, it has taken HBO and the series’ makers almost half-a-decade to bring this epic series to its best and brightest light.
Titled “Battle of the Bastards”, “Game of Thrones” episode nine is already being touted as one of the best things to happen to television, ever.
Behind the scenes, it took of over 600 crew members, 500 extras, 70 horses and 25 stuntmen and women to produce one of the best small screen productions at a cost said to be anything between US$10 and to $25 million.
Protagonist Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) finally lived up to his billing. For once a despicable villain (Ramsey Bolton) met a befitting demise and we witnessed one of the most elaborate and best choreographed battle sequences on TV or film since “300” and “Lord of the Rings”.
I did issue a spoiler alert, but hey like the English say “in for a penny, in for a pound”.
While the talk has been on the grandeur of the battle scene, I was more struck by the character development.
Yes, the battle sequence gave me goosebumps, like it did everyone else who watched it, but I liked how some of the favourite characters developed and gave balance to the entire episode.
Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), Daenerys Tagaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Snow are three characters I have always had problems with even though they are fan favourites.
Somehow, they have never really done it for me.
That all changed June 19.
Snow said around 30 words throughout the entire 55-minute episode, but it made for excellent non-verbal communication combined with top-notch acting by Harrington and a significant plot thread. Daenerys and Sansa were pure gold as girl power.
I will spare the Ramsey Bolton spoiler for those who are yet to watch the episode and want to know what this most vile of TV villains does next.
All happened while those Zimbabweans who cannot afford a full DStv bouquet were either in dreamland or being put to sleep by repeat programming.
This is a grave injustice. Why should we continue to be left behind, in terms of entertainment, while the rest of the world races by? Why can’t the powers that be make the deals to bring high quality entertainment to all?
We liked “Smallville” and “My Wife and Kids”. But we need new stuff.
Did I also mention that June 19 also had arguably one of the best NBA finals ever as LeBron James finally realised his dream of capturing a title for his hometown of Cleveland? The Cavs defeated the Golden State Warriors 93-89 to take the series 4-3.
Yeah, we didn’t get to watch that either. Let’s see what digitisation does for local television.
