PROGRAME CRITIQUE.

LILLIAN S. NZUKI 09-0993
Program critique.
Tahidi high
It is a program that is aired on every Tuesday from 7:30 to 8:00 pm in citizen television. It is a drama that shows or reflects on what happens in today’s secondary schools. It mostly touches on relationships which maybe boy girl relationship or teacher student relationship. It also includes the role or wrongs done by non-teaching staff. These are the major themes that are mostly depicted. Below are the episodes that I watched and their critique.

Episode 1: 7th September.
This day’s episode was centered on alcoholism. Some students; OJ, Lamo and three other were found by their Principle, Mr. Tembo sneaking alcohol in the school compound. He summoned them into his office. At this time there was a close up on Mr. Tembo which showed how annoyed he was and also the seriousness on his face.

When the students are asked to go and bring their parents, Lamo brings a drunk man whom he said was his father. As Lamo’s ‘father’ talks to the teachers, he staggers and falls down. At this time there is panning of the camera which shows his movements. The lighting of the camera is good since there is no shadow and yet this happens outside.

An extreme close up shot was established on the parent who is drunk such that one could even see what was in the pocket of his shirt. There was also some music that was played at this time where its tone concurred with what was happening.
14th September
The main theme of this day was discipline. Some form fours sneaked out of the school. OJ and Melvin had sneaked out and there names were forwarded to Mr. Tembo. The principle was mad about it and wanted to punish them. The shots established here were a wide angle shot which came to full view, medium and later to a close up shot of the students. On Mr. Tembo there was a close up which showed he was annoyed.

Before the principle had punished the students, Mr. Kilunda came towards them claiming there was one of them who had not done the class assignment. Here there was panning of the camera as Mr. Kilunda moved towards Mr. Tembo’s office.

21st September.
This day the students had been refused to go for a debate in the neighboring school. They all agree that they will go and one of them is going to be their teacher. One of them pretended to be their teacher and even dressed in official wear to look like one. Here there was an excitement mood where it could be read from the students’ face. The music present at this time quite boosted what was been communicated. There was a full view for the student who pretended to be a teacher. The camera movement present at this point was panning which showed up to the shoe that the ‘teacher’ had worn.

The students later got into a Nissan which they had asked to pick them from a strategic place. At this time they sneak out very fast and as they rush to the vehicle there is tilting of the camera. There is also some music which shows that something strange or bad is about to happen. It was after all the students had entered into the vehicle that Mr. Meiposi was left in despair and unbelief that all these had happened and yet he was the teacher on duty. There is a close up to show his disturbed face.

28th September.
This episode was a continuation of what had happened in the previous week. The driver who had taken the students to the neighboring, school for debate came to Tahidi High to ask for his payment. Shish and Makas, who are students, later pay him but are unlikely found with an outsider inside the school compound. Here there is some music which shows that the teacher on duty was mad with the two students. There was also a wide angle shot to show the driver, the two students and the teacher.

On another side, Mr. Tembo received a phone call to congratulate him for the good performance of his students. He was in shock to know that his students had attended the debate yet he was not aware since he had declined them to go. There was a close up as one could see that he was devastated. He called the teachers for a meeting in his office and here there was a full view for him.

Later Mr. Tembo was been served tea by Mrs. Ngatia (non-teaching staff). After he had taken a seep of the tea, he looked disturbed on his face where there was an extreme close up shot. The viewer could clearly see he was annoyed. It was later when he said that the tea had salt in it.

5th October
The episode opened up with a scene in the office of Mr. Tembo. He was having a conversation with Mrs. Mahogan. The lighting was quite clear. One could clearly see both of them conversing without a shadow formation. The background was quite good since there were no shadows formed.

Mr. Kilunda was given the task to choose the three students who were to go to US. He chose to collect money from the students instead. At that time when he was collecting the money, there was some music playing. The book where he was keeping the record had an extreme close up shot such that the amounts alongside the students name were very clear.

There is also an indication of indiscipline when some friend of OJ put some cigarettes in his clothes. Some music was played to show something strange was about to happen. This episode was mainly on relations with different people in the school.

12th October.
The scene was first in Mr.Tembo’s office. He was asking one of the non- teaching staff why she is always late. There was a problem as the camera was only focusing on one person for a long period of time. This kept the scene look long even though it was not.
Mr. Kilunda also commented on his wife and said that she is ignorant. At this point there was good lighting considering that he was outside.

From the above scene there was a wipe out where the next scene after that was Mr. Kilunda teaching in a class. He looked so angry and tried to calm himself down by giving the students an examination. There was an establishment shot where the whole class was shown and also the teacher. Again a wipe out was done. In the next scene there was Mr. Kilunda talking to a non teaching staff. There was a tilt down of the camera to show the non teaching staff was counting using her fingers.

In the next scene there was a fade in into Mr. Tembo’s office. This was to show transition. Still in his office there was zoom in when Mr. Tembo is writing a cheque and issuing it to the non teaching staff. A zoom out was evident as both Mr. Tembo and the non teaching staff were seen.

19th October.
The main theme for this day was on drugs. Some students were clearly seen. For example there was Julia who was taking some pills. Here a zoom in was established. There was also an extreme close up. Even before she had taken the pills there was an extreme close up and a zoom in on the pills.

Julia put the pills in the flask and there was again a close up shot to clearly show what had happened. Some dramatic music was played as a fellow student came to take what had been put in the flask. This day’s episode was mainly concerned with drugs.


26th October.
The main theme on this day was on boy girl relationship. At first Shish and other few ladies were shown. There was panning both right and left as the ladies were being shown. In the library there was Freddy conversing with his friend. Both the noseroom and headroom were quite good.

While OJ and Omosh are conversing, Tanya walked in and there was dolling since the camera was after Tanya’s direction. There was also a close up on Tanya to show that she was annoyed because of what Shish had done to her. On another side there was Freddy and his friend who were conversing. On these two school boys a wide angle shot was made since the viewer could see the surrounding. In another side there was over the shoulder shot as OJ and Freddy were communicating. Mainly this day’s episode was on relationship (boy-girl).

2nd November
On this day the ladies in the school were on the top. There was a lot of cut walking in the school as it had been said that later on there would be a competition for the best lady who knows how to cut walk would be given a present. As the ladies did their cut walk there was some music which accompanied the activity.

Some four ladies were shown cut walking and a close up shot was established. This emphasized the seriousness that those ladies had. From a distance some gentlemen were seen watching the ladies and making comments. They also had a close up shot.
At some point there were two ladies who were conversing about the cut walking competition. They were in the outside sunny area where lighting was not properly done as it looked blurred. This showed that the lighting for outside was not properly done.


9th November.
The episode starts with students wiping windows. They had been punished by Mr. Tembo. Those wiping were only ladies and this made Mr. Kilunda angry. There was a close up when the students were wiping the windows and also on Mr. Kilunda’s face to show that he was angry.

There was a wipe out to show the transition to another scene. This was in the garden. There was a tilt down of the camera to show Mr. Kilunda bending down to count the number of seedlings. The lighting in the garden was too bright. This was not properly done. The one doing the lighting should have considered that it was outside and there was mush light from the sun. There was also a close up of Mr. Tembo as he positively commented about the garden.