The Original K-T.V. Generation

We've got lots to do, we've got plenty to say... 

 

In the mid-80s a new independent subscription channel was introduced to South Africa. It promised that the magic wouldn't stop and opened up a whole new world of entertainment to audiences who had only known three channels their whole lives. M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) offered new sitcoms, talk shows, movies, and most importantly for an entire generation of children, it offered K-T.V, which was launched in 1990. Long before Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, South African children were glued to their TV screens once that intro music started and the enthusiastic presenters (who were adolescents themselves) welcomed viewers to another fun-filled afternoon of K-T.V. (and the Power Edition on a Saturday morning).

However, at the time, M-Net was only for "larney" families who could afford the monthly subscription. It would be years before M-Net found its way into our home so my mom would have a colleague record certain shows for me (on VHS of course) throughout the week which I would then binge-watch on a weekend (specifically Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

Besides a plethora of action-filled cartoons, the show was filled with interactive games and competitions. I recently found this on Facebook and only kids who grew up watching K-T.V. in the 90s will understand:

　

These were perhaps the most popular and thrilling competitions in South African television history. In Reggie's Rush, contestants had 60 seconds to loot the aisles of a Reggie's toy store (nowadays it would seem that every day is a Reggie's Rush through the streets of South African cities as stores are plundered left and right). Children at home would turn green with envy watching the contestants fill their shopping carts with all kinds of treasures ("go for the video games!" you would shout). That night kids would surely dream of what they would choose if their entry form was selected. 

In Simba Surprise, a K-T.V. presenter would accompany Simba the Lion (the proud representative of Simba chips) to a school and surprise a child with hampers (a couple of bags of chips that would have to be divided up amongst the winner and their friends - gee, thanks Simba). You would hold your breath as Simba and the presenter crept closer to the unsuspecting winner, whispering as they went, and share in the shocked child's excitement/horror at being "the chosen one". In some cases Simba showed up at a child's house. Sadistic parents would let the lion into their homes to surprise children asleep in their beds. No doubt some kids wet those beds out of the terror of being woken up by a lion and a couple of strangers with cameras. Of course there were children who were terrified by the prospect of being surprised on national television. No amount of tomato sauce flavoured chips would be worth it.

Then there was Sonic the Hedgehog challenge in which a contestant would call-in to the show and direct someone who was operating the controls of a Sonic game, racing against the clock to collect as many golden rings as possible: "fordfordfordford - GRAB!" Edge-of-your-seat entertainment I tell you.

I also vaguely recall Mouse Trap, a game in which children (wearing humiliating helmets) had to complete an obstacle course and answer general knowledge questions before a giant trap descended, signalling their failure. The game was hosted by some old guy, who wore oversized bow ties and spoke like he was on Speed, and Kim Frickleton. The athletically-challenged contestants were cheered on by their respective teams waving sponsored flags. Simba was also there for some reason - the K-T.V. producers really milked that sponsorship, or Simba was just a whore for publicity.

K-T.V. launched the careers of many of its presenters . Thinking about the K-T.V. years also got me wondering about where these pseudo-celebrities (at least in the eyes of all the children who watched them on their screens daily) are now. Are they still in the entertainment industry or are they crack whores living in Hillbrow (you know what fame can do to children who can't cope with the pressure)?

Candice Hillebrand (pronounced "Can-dees" because once you've been on K-T.V. "Cand-us" just won't cut it) went on to become an M-Net presenter, cover model for a couple of men's magazines and even attempted a career as a singer. Roxy Burger is one of the hosts of Strictly Come Dancing SA while I recently saw Pabi Moloi hosts a low-budget game show on SABC (I guess low-budget is implied when we are talking SABC programming). It would seem that Jena Dover is a model (she was the face of Pantene in 2008) and actress (impressively starring alongside Denzel Washington in Safehouse). But where are the Hametner siblings, Boudine and Gerhard, the ones who perfected the "K-T.V. face" (that look of permanent surprise with a plastered on smile):

One thing is certain, no children's channel today can compare to the original 90s magic of K-T.V. that entertained, excited and at times embarrassed a generation of South Africans.

Watch:  The Original K-T.V. Intro