Local or Foreign? Genesis of Preferring Foreign Productions over Local TV Serial Drama Fictions in Kenya

Abstract

This study explores the reasons why Nairobi urban audiences prefer to watch foreign serial dramas over domestic productions despite the existing government incentives to boost the intake of locally constituted productions. The study explores this phenomenon through two critical lenses in production. The storyline and characterisation. The study has been guided by the active audience theory and the cultural proximity theory. The research employed a mixed-method approach, which was conducted at two levels. The first level involved survey whereby 422interview guide questionnaires were administered to respondents in three randomly selected constituencies of Nairobi. They included: Embakasi West, Makadara and Kibra. This was followed by 9 FGDs in the same localities. Survey questionnaires were finally analysed by SPSS and triangulated together with the qualitative results. The results indicate that the domestic audiences find more entertainment context in the foreign TV serial drama fictions than in the local productions because of their superior production treatment embedded in the appropriate choice of the storyline, creative dialogue development and depth of actors'. In contrast, the audience perceives the local productions as drab, uncreative with trite dialogue and poor screen performance. The study recommends the improvement of the local TV production infrastructure by refocusing on the training of producers', by deepening and emphasising on scripting classes/workshops and exposure to international practices.