LAGOS, NIGERIA (2015); EbonyLife TV, Africa’s first Global Black entertainment and lifestyle network, is set to produce African adapted versions of epic and biblical blockbusters like Cinderella, Robin Hood, Romeo and Juliet, The Prodigal Son, David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, and many more.
On the heels of the production of Desperate Housewives Africa, the first international drama format ever to be made on the continent of Africa and based on the multiple award winning ABC Television drama hit series, Desperate Housewives, EbonyLife TV is set to raise the bar yet again as it plans to launch even more compelling and breathtaking drama with titles and storylines the continent is familiar with.
With the successful production of the African version of the Emmy Award winning series, Desperate Housewives, with an all-African cast and storyline, EbonyLife TV has proven to have mastered the art of taking the best from the world and giving it a local twist, while paying the keenest attention to world-class production values.
EbonyLife TV is currently in development of the production of a number of well-loved epic and legendary titles to include Cinderella, Robin Hood, Romeo and Juliet and Little Red Riding Hood. Modern day biblical stories are not left out in the plan as The Prodigal Son, David and Goliath, The Good Samaritan, Samson and Delilah, among others, are set to get the modern African treatment. Auditions for some of these will begin in July, while production is to commence later this year.
Speaking on the development, Mo Abudu, Executive Chairman and CEO of EbonyLife TV says, “It’s a space we have occupied and wish to own. The world loves drama and can’t resist the iconic ones. At EbonyLife TV, we are determined to continue to offer the world the best of drama, made in Nigeria, made in Africa, for a global audience. The best ideas are the simple ones, so our plan is to take those stories and those characters that people are familiar with … those that have a legacy, give their stories an unusual but compelling twist; situate them in our modern African context; let them walk where we walk; let them live where we live; face the temptations and peculiar challenges that we face; fight the battles we fight and celebrate their triumphs the way we do. That’s what this is all about.”
Once produced, the dramas will broadcast on EbonyLife TV, channel 165 on the DStv platform; in the UK on both Lebera Play and Talk Talk; on DISH in the United States, as well as on Ethnic Channels in Canada.
EbonyLife TV, Africa’s first Global Black Entertainment and Lifestyle network, was launched on the 1st July 2013, to a pan-African audience, by a license agreement with Multichoice (DStv) Africa, Africa’s largest Pay TV platform. The channel is distributed to 49 African countries, including South and Southern African.
One of the most watched channels on the DStv platform, EbonyLife TV is focused at the African youth, aged 18 to 34, annually providing over 1000 hours of premium, original, exciting and homegrown Anglo-African entertainment programming ranging from Drama and Reality, Talk to Comedy, News to Fashion, Style to Factual, among others.
In partnership with the Walt Disney Company the channel has produced Desperate Housewives Africa, based on the multiple award winning ABC Television drama hit series, Desperate Housewives.