he good old days of quiz shows being an essential part of the primetime TV broadcast are long gone. From the late 1970s to the early ‘90s, for instance, the month of August was the peak season when a flurry of quiz shows aired nonstop and were quite popular with a diverse audience of all ages and backgrounds.

As things stand in electronic media today, the dearth of quiz shows on both publicly and privately owned TV channels is shocking, but not that much of a surprise for a variety of reasons. Given the commercial dynamics that impact TV channels’ operations and influence their TRPs (Television Rating Points), it seems nonsensical for media houses to sacrifice the primetime slot by airing quiz programmes, which presumably attract a small audience, as the significant chunk of viewers vies for flashy broadcasts and popular visual content replete with glamour, gloss, and glitz.

But is it true? Beyond national borders, in marked contrast, quiz programmes were considered the most popular genre of TV shows, which, along with immense commercial success, play a considerable role in promoting education and knowledge, cultivating a learning-based environment overall. However, the way things our within the TV industry leaves little room for such intelligent yet seemingly lackluster content. In plain words, we, as a nation, collectively resort to heading in a contrary direction, adding minimum or no value to the intellectual quotient of the audience we cater to day in and day out. Mind you! Not significantly reduced, but more than a hundred TV channels combined have not been able to produce a single flagship quiz program that dominates the chart.

To make matters worse, whatever is aired in the guise of quiz programmes is nothing but a ping-pong variety show tainted with funny acrobatics, tongue twisters, and timeworn riddles, along with a never-ending spate of odd gimmicks and messy activities to the extent of sheer vulgarity, all in greed for petty gifts that are thrown like a raw bone to a pack of starving dogs. Honestly, these shows have nothing to do with knowledge-sharing and learning or testing the participants’ mental agility. Compared with classic quiz programmes aired on PTV, the format of today’s quiz shows is not designed to test the general knowledge and cognitive abilities of the participants but features a kind of theatrical entertainment based on slapdash, laugh-inducing games, musical performances, and sitcoms, with brief question-and-answer sessions. There is a fine line between a quiz programme and a game show, as both should not be combined to create a less-than-average show in the end.

Most media outlets believe they feed the content the audience prefers to watch. However, in stark contrast, the audience consumes what the media offers them. Unfortunately, including current affairs programmes and talk shows, most programmes that dominate primetime television contribute minimally to enhancing viewers’ cognitive abilities and intellectual development.

Considering the nature of quiz shows, today’s anchors lack scholarly aura and much-needed literary prowess and thus are not qualified to host such programmes. The current game show hosts can hardly match the literary standards and class associated with Tariq Aziz and Quraish Pur, who successfully ran their shows for over a decade without a break. By any measure of popularity, it is no mean feat to hold a celebrity-like status as was equally enjoyed by the likes of quiz show hosts such as Iftikhar Arif, Zia Mohyeddin, Obaidullah Baig, Quraish Pur, Ghazi Salahuddin, Tariq Aziz, and Naeem Bukhari, thanks to classic quiz programs like Jahan Numa, Kasoti, Zauq-e-Aagahi, Zehni Aazmaish, Neelam Ghar, and many more.

Most interestingly, people repeatedly refer to PTV’s golden era because of the number of quality quiz programmes that aired in those days, and rightly so. Other than the hosts, many contestants also earned nationwide fame at that time. For example, Asim Siddiqui, a NED University student, gained fame through quiz programmes. He also represented Pakistan in a quiz competition at the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) level. Another bright example is a blind contestant named Hafiz Naseem, who gained countrywide popularity after winning a car, the biggest prize on the TV show Neelam Ghar. Today’s leading TV anchors like Waseem Badami and Iqrar Ul Hassan rose from quiz programmes early in their showbiz careers.

Relegated to just an ordinary piece of light yet overplayed theatrical performance, the prime intent behind current on-air quiz shows is to keep people entertained and glued to the TV screen until the last moment. At the same time, some producers go the extra mile to get a big laugh out of them, ensuring they don’t feel bored or switch to other channels. Inadequate airtime allotted to the quiz shows also severely impacts their commercial success, thus failing to win heavy viewership.

Quiz programmes are considered highbrow to an average viewer, which is not true, as people, especially the younger generation, tend to watch them for rapid learning and knowledge enhancement. However, compared to previous generations, it is quite challenging to cater to the new generation, which is mainly driven by modern telecommunication tools rather than conventional book reading, has a shorter attention span, and a rapidly decreasing appetite for pure educational content delivered through mind-numbing, yawn-inducing information outlets.

In India, Kon Banega Crorepati (KBC), an international TV game show franchise of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is one of the most successful shows, running for the last 24 years on the trot. In Pakistan, however, the KBC franchise was discontinued right after its first season, ending as a flop. Unfortunately, many other talent shows inspired by American Idol and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge suffered the same fate.

Does it indicate a lack of interest or talent in our young people? This is partially true because the country’s current socio-economic milieu, characterized by acute recession, worsening law and order, poor human development indicators, and formidable demographic challenges, is unconducive to fostering a proper learning environment. Compared to previous generations, only a fraction of the population can achieve the optimum level of self-actualization by honing their potential talents in fields of their potential interests.

Given the imminent death of ‘intellectual television’ in Pakistan, a well-concerted effort is required to produce a series of TV shows based on intelligent content and a well-researched format to help young talent stimulate their creativity, engage their minds and cerebral faculties, expand their mental and intellectual horizons, and increase their overall knowledge.

The writer can be contacted at faizanusmani76@gmail.com