2014 gave us some blockbusters, but for the most part it was dominated by Television Rating Point (TRP) 'bubblegummers' that stretched and skewed stories and characters to suit the flavour of the month.
We were force fed second wives and evil mothers-in-law ad nauseum. It seemed as if TV channels were stuck in the rinse and repeat cycle of a washing machine driven by cliches.
The few dramas that stood out managed to showcase old stories with nuanced treatment and made us think beyond the binaries of black and white.
As always, there were some great performances and some genuine surprises. Though the mazloom aurat remains a staple of our drama industry, some male dominated stories like Laa, Pyaray Afzal and Bashar Momin managed to find a foothold amid the rivers of tears.
Read more: Thunderous Bashar Momin ends with a change of heart
The more popular channels themselves suffered a special malaise in 2014 — with Hum TV producing one lackluster serial after another; Geo and its potboilers disappearing mid-season and ARY deciding to stretch perfectly constructed serials to breaking point.
In all this, a new channel emerged as a favourite— A-Plus. Fresh off its success with the fabulous Aunn Zara, the channel invested in interesting stories, excellent writing and good production value, allowing it to punch well above its weight and proving that quality will always rise to the top.
Another new channel which made an impact on the drama industry as a whole is the new Zee Zindagi channel from across the border. Introducing popular, high quality Pakistani dramas to the Indian masses, Zee Zindagi gave a new lease of life to many older serials likeHumsafar, Durre Shehwar and Aunn Zara winning our artists, writers and directors millions of new fans.
Thankfully, gone are the days when the industry was reeling from the blow dealt by cheaply dubbed Turkish serials which now seem like nothing more than a storm in a teacup.
Historically speaking, Pakistani dramas are at another cusp, the interest in them reaching historical and international heights. Let us hope the industry has the vision and strength not to limit themselves, but to move forward and make 2015 even better and brighter.
