Leading pan-African streaming service, Showmax, has teamed up with Nigerian creative solutions company Livespot360 to produce the first West African installment of the award-winning franchise – The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOLagos).
Highly anticipated by fans of the franchise, RHOLagos becomes the 16th international release of the popular reality TV format distributed internationally by NBC Universal Formats, a subsidiary of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, and the third to be adapted in Africa.
The Real Housewives of Lagos is produced by Livespot360, the creative force behind some of Nigeria’s biggest concerts and festivals over the past decade.
Livespot360 has produced the acclaimed Love Like A Movie concert series, featuring Kelly Rowland, Ciara and Kim Kardashian; the highly acclaimed The Falz Experience; and Cardi B’s unforgettable centerpiece at the Livespot X Festival in Lagos and Accra.
Showmax said it was working with Livespot360 to provide world-class production for the show as part of its commitment to supporting local talent and creatives.
“From the beginning, we deliberately ensured that this show was made in Lagos by Lagos residents and Livespot360 was the perfect production partner. Over the years, they have shown a deep understanding of the city and what rocks her through their world-class concerts and festivals. Partnering with them on this project was an easy decision,” said Candice Fangueiro, Chief Content Officer at Showmax.
“RHOLagos further reiterates our status as an African brand focused on telling our stories through partnerships and collaborations with local talent and creatives. This is definitely a progressive step towards more local collaborations and staying true to our commitment to supporting Nigerian talent.
A 2020 report by Accenture, a major accounting and consulting firm, estimated that Showmax’s parent company, MultiChoice Nigeria, spent more than $428 million between 2015 and 2019 to develop Nigerian creative talent.
Chief Creative Director of Livespot360, Darey Art-Alade, who coordinates and produces some of the biggest annual entertainment shows in Nigeria like The Voice Nigeria and Livespot X Festival, among others, said the production of RHOLagos is a unique opportunity. which has enabled Livespot360 to provide opportunities for the entire creative value chain as individuals can showcase their skills and talents by providing specific services at the show.
Showmax announced on Monday, March 14, 2022, that RHOLagos would cast Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo, a divorced mother of two; celebrity stylist and CEO of Tiannah’s Place Empire, Toyin Lawani-Adebayo; and Mariam Timmer, public relations expert and managing director of Six Sixteen Agency.
Others include Carolyna Hutchings, CEO of Hutchings Limited, a property, oil and gas and agricultural company; Laura Ikeji, social media influencer and entrepreneur; and Chioma Ikokwu, lawyer and CEO of luxury hair brand Good Hair Ltd.
Since the announcement, the highly anticipated show has received rave reviews from fans as they list their expectations.
RHOLagos follows in the footsteps of previous Showmax Originals like I Am LAYCON, Ghana Jollof with Basketmouth and BBNaija: The Buzz hosted by Toke Makinwa.
The reality show will debut exclusively on Showmax in over 40 African countries from April 8, 2022, with new episodes every Friday. It will give fans a glimpse into the opulent lives of six of the most glamorous women in Lagos, Nigeria.
According to Darey, a lot of dynamism comes with the series, and “viewers and all RHOL fans, old and new, can look forward to some real moments – the good, the bad, the dramatic and sometimes the ugly in the life of every actor.. This is reality TV at its best!
“It’s a proud feeling for us as a team to see the product of months of ideation, creativity and planning come to life. This is a unique opportunity for us to produce The Real Housewives of Lagos. You can see how human emotions come into play in real time and beyond mere entertainment value, there’s a lot to learn from these interactions.
On what it means to him to produce the show, the award-winning artist said: “For us at Livespot360, our mission is very much about making a meaningful contribution to the creative industry. This fair allowed us to provide opportunities to the entire creative value chain as individuals can showcase their skills and talents by providing specific services at the fair.
It is also an opportunity to present certain local brands at the show. At Livespot360, our content productions are largely managed by an indigenous Nigerian team. We strongly believe in the capacity of Nigerian creatives and we want to encourage this on our various productions while simultaneously increasing capacity through skills transfer with some of our international partners,” he said.
Regarding the partnership with Showmax, he said, “We believe Showmax is an innovative brand that understands what consumers in this market want and are willing to take calculated risks with their content properties. We are aligned with their mission and are able to complement their work through our production execution.
It was obvious to work with them and it has been a pleasure so far.
On what viewers should expect from the team, he said: “Viewers and all RHOL fans, old and new, can look forward to real-life moments – the good, the bad, the dramatic. and sometimes the ugly ones in the lives of each cast member. Real inspirational stories, moments of celebration, moments of weakness and overall quality entertainment. While I may seem biased as the show’s executive producer, RHOL is actually super interesting and the production quality is world class. Viewers will no doubt be glued to their screens.
Although producing the reality show is different from producing a regular gig, Dare assured that Livespot360 has processes it follows on every project.
“So whether it’s a bespoke concert or festival, TV commercial, advertising or experiential marketing campaign or reality shows and TV productions, we work according to these guidelines that help us to work efficiently and effectively. However, it is very important to note that producing RHOL in Lagos is not easy at all. There are cultural and environmental factors that we had to deal with. Traffic repeatedly delays call times and production schedules, delayed approvals at certain locations, etc.
“Plus, you’re dealing with real people with real schedules, moods, and personal issues at the same time. So it’s a huge task to make sure the cast and crew are able to work together to make this happen with as little resistance as possible. It’s literally a movie to produce these kinds of shows! Fortunately, our vast experience comes in handy and we are able to ensure that our stakeholders are always happy with the end result.
More Stories
🌱 Rail In Roanoke Fifth Anniversary + ‘Love Letters’ Production
Industrial production in South Korea contracts by 1.8% in September
PM Modi lays foundation stone for C-295 transport aircraft production plant