A look at some of the best and worst of TV in 2000

A look at some of the best and worst of TV in 2000

Picks and pans of TV in 2000

JAKARTA (JP): It's clear that sinetron, the local TV serials
which have made stars of many who have little more than good
looks on their list of credentials, are not going for the reality
factor.

This is demonstrated regularly, like when actress Inneke
Koesharawaty is supposedly in the throes of childbirth in one
role, but looks instead like she just emerged from a local beauty
salon. The assembled doctors and nurses, although all of them
women, have not come a long way baby when they are also wearing
enough makeup to send the share price of Maybelline soaring.

Still, 2000 was not only about sinetron, both the homegrown
variety and those from abroad. There was plenty more going on,
with some picks and pans below.

Going for Laughs: With such dreadful fare as Oke Oke Boss and
the latest lame comedy from Dono and Indro, there are not many
real laughs on Indonesian TV. But one guaranteed laughfest,
including for those who only understand enough Indonesian to get
by, is Ketoprak Humor (RCTI, 9 p.m. Saturday). This bunch of
comedians from the Samiaji group take an ancient storyline from
Javanese folklore, and adapt it in their own modern way. Although
their ranks have been thinned by a couple of drug busts in the
past year, the real star of the show is the gender-bending
Tessie, who pouts and preens his/her way to perfection.

The Big Zero: RCTI should have been in top form for the
Olympic extravaganza in Sydney, but it was all too often bogged
down by its star-heavy, error-filled lineup of shows. Hard to
believe, but for once TVRI, with its simple sets and modest
approach, won gold in the TV stakes.

A Bit of Variety: Pesta (Indosiar, 6 p.m., Sunday) is a high-
powered variety show in the prime Sunday slot. With top acts from
both here and abroad (in 2000 the latter included Westlife and
Atomic Kitten) as well as quizzes, it is a winner with viewers.
Host Farhan may have boy-next-door good looks, but is definitely
no goodie-two-shoes.

Dead on Arrival: You know that the programmers at TPI must
have thought they were onto a good thing when they hatched their
plan to foist Midnight Affair (11:30 p.m., Tuesday) on the
unknowing viewing public. These are, after all, times when we can
talk about anything with abandon. With alluring TV advertising
promising naughty treats in the late night hours, the program
must have reeled in a few viewers. But this is a case of once
seen, never forgotten -- and never watched again.

Salacious to the extreme, the show revolves around Lutfi, a
twenty-something who has friends of various persuasions over to
her apartment to discuss various subjects (mainly sex). They talk
and talk, with Lutfi's astrologer friend trying to figure out on
his chart why people do the things they do. And then the callers
offer their two cents' worth, which, again, mostly centers on a
little roll in the hay. Ahem. It's the kind of show which leaves
you wanting to take a shower and wash your own mouth out with
soap.

A Better Dish: Gossip shows have also become popular in the
last few years, heralded by the advance of Indra Safera as the
host of KISS (now replaced by Eko Patrio). Today, however, for
laughs and the latest on celebrity exploits, a personal pick is
Go Show (TPI, 9 a.m., Tuesday). With comedian Edwin and Tamara
(OK, forget how she was on RCTI during the Olympics), the show
rolls along with snappy and amusing dialog. And the newly married
Tamara can at least keep Edwin in check. (Bruce Emond)