Staff Writer - Kerran Monroe
Finally, a scripted Jamaican television series that actually looks like something I can enjoy. Lime Tree Lane and Royal Palm Estate are two of the Jamaican television series that were popular on Jamaican television. Then, Johnny grew up and became an adult and Royal Palm Estate was renamed, The Blackburns and started featuring, popular Dancehall artists, with obviously no acting lessons and there ended the scripted drama of Jamaican television, or so we thought…
On February 14, 2012 a new drama series was premiered on Television Jamaica (TVJ), name Kingston House. This is about a couple of teenagers, living in an upscale community somewhere outside of the corporate area (Kingston), with maids and butlers, coming to Kingston to spend some time with their aunt and cousins. They are both ‘upity’, and of course are not having an easy time trying to fit into the lifestyle of the inner city Kingstonians.
Photo courtesy cityphotos.info
What I like about this series is that even though it is obvious that the setting is in an inner city community of Kingston, the home where the activities are taking place does not look like a hut or something that the Amerindians lived in before the Europeans worked them to death. Another thing I like about the first episode is that it showcased Jamaican talent and culture, in terms of giving the dancers exposure and it was not done in a corny way.
Disappointingly though, I did not see a second episode the following week. I hope it will not be like so many other Jamaican television programmes that spend only a few weeks on air and are then removed, due to lack of sponsorship or some other reasons.
Assuming that the episode aired on the 13th was not the first and last episode, and if the first episode is any indication, Kingston House is aired on Mondays at 9pm, if I am not mistaken.
