The news magazine programme Tazama! originated from the idea that Kenyans would like to see Kenyan programmes on their television screens, not just the Brazilian soaps and American chat shows that dominated Kenya's airwaves and had little relevance to Kenyan lives.
The first series of Tazama! was devised and produced by Polly Renton and a team of seven trainees chosen from MEDEVA's first training programme in 2001. For six months they fine-tuned their training: they learnt how to shape and direct a documentary feature, and how to present it in an exciting and original way. They learnt to shoot on the run, to film things as they were actually happening, to do away with tripods and never, ever film someone sitting behind a desk! And, invariably, they learnt what to do when you're stuck in the bush a two day drive from Nairobi with no camera batteries!
The team also worked hard on what they felt made a good story, seeking out stories that had things 'actually happening' in them - that had tension, narrative and good, strong characters. They realised that, above all, a story must always have 'a point' - it had to be saying something; it had to teach something new; it had to stimulate the way people think. Otherwise what was 'the point' in filming it in the first place?
After six months, they had produced eighteen programmes with over seventy stories shot all over Kenya - stories that ranged from 'Inside the American Embassy Visa Section;' to a 'Only Once every Seven Years Maasai Ceremony;' to 'Illegal Land-Grabbing in Maragua;' to 'Getting Tested for HIV'.
Despite a complete lack of publicity for the series, Tazama! was rated Kenya's second most popular programme after the KTN News, and was critically acclaimed:
"The best thing to ever happen to Kenyan TV. Tazama! is new, original and fresh. It reminds we Kenyans about ourselves & encourages us to take pride in our way of life" - Phat Magazine.
"It's like a breath of fresh air" - East African Standard.
"Tazama! has taken everyone by storm. This is exactly the kind of programming we need as a country" - Capital FM
Independent qualitative market research showed that 99% of respondents across Kenya had heard of Tazama! and 79% had accurately identified 2-6 specific stories from the series.
This proved once and for all, beyond any shadow of doubt, that Kenyans want local programming: good, quality, intelligent local programming. And why not?!
2003-2004 saw a whole new training programme, production and transmission of Tazama! Series Two and Three, funded by the Ford Foundation and sponsored by Safaricom. Tazama! 2 and 3 featured new story strands such as a campaign highlighting people with different types of Disability; Kenya's Religions; Guest Presenters (where a Kenyan celebrity donned a Tazama! T-shirt and presented a story of his or her choice); and Tazama! Vigilante where the programme took on issues like land-grabbing in Nairobi, the selling of alcohol to underage youth, and the lack of lifeguards on public beaches in Mombasa on the Kenyan Coast.
This time, as well as branching into radio, Tazama! also became interactive, asking viewers to join in competitions and SMS comments. The two series received a total of over 50,000 positive and encouraging SMS, email and voice mail responses and the series won Best Director Award for Angelo Kinyua at African CineWeek 2004.
"Thank you for highlighting people with disability positively. That is what we need to change society's attitude. God bless Tazama! Team." SMS.
"That piece on Voluntary Counselling and Testing for HIV was the best piece you have ever brought. I will go and be tested. Also, if positive, I will take more care of myself. And if negative I will take more care not to get infected." SMS