Romantic comedy film Picture Perfect: Raising Jobestina is coming back to screens as a television series.
Bolanle Ninalowo and Mary Njoku
The TV spin-off from the movie, which was released in 2017, will feature original characters from the film and is a Shutterspeed project for Rok Studios.
The series follows the story of Jobe (Bolanle Ninalowo) and Kumbi (Mary Njoku), a fashion designer, who start an unlikely relationship that leads to the birth of a daughter, Jobestina.
Produced by Biodun Stephen, the series also features Nollywood actors Nkechi Blessing, Yvonne Jegede, Fausat Balogun, Karen Spikes and Blessing Jessica Obasi.
Although the release date for the series has not been announced, Stephen revealed on his Instagram page that seasons one and two will be released soon, while S3-4 are in the works.
ROK Studio, the Lagos-based producer of Nollywood TV films and series, is on a tour across Africa.
ROK Me Tour 2019
The ROK Me Tour 2019 is intended to be an opportunity for fans to meet their favourite Nollywood stars in person wherever they are in southern Africa.
Stars who have acted in TV series like Husbands in Lagos, Single Ladies and Festac Town are also part of the tour, which was set up by Mary Njoku, CEO of ROK.
The stars include Annie Macauley-Idibia, Desmond Elliot, Jackie Appiah, Mercy Aigbe, Bolanle Ninalowo and Chinedu Ikedieze. So far it has visited Johannesburg and Cape Town and will move on to Lusaka, Accra, Kumasi, Abuja, Lagos and London.
With the release of its new series, The African Couple, ROK is also on the search for local talent.
Njoku said: “We are very excited to be meeting with Nollywood superfans across Africa, whilst also being on the look-out for up-and-coming acting and production talent.
“At ROK, we love telling real African stories and providing opportunities for aspiring writers and actors alike. Nowadays, Nollywood is not just made up of Nigerian stars but African stars around the globe,” she added.
“The ROK Me Tour creates an opportunity to learn from locals in each city. Africans, telling our African stories in our own unique and creative ways, cementing Nollywood as a strong global brand, bringing the African message to the world at large.”
A new Nigerian reality TV show, Celebrity Housemates, is set to launch on January 12 and air until February 11.
Celebrity Housemates will feature participants from across Nigeria
Described by its producers as the “convergence of culture, lifestyle and entertainment,” the reality show will have 12 celeb housemates from different sectors of the entertainment industry competing for a cash prize of N7m.
Promoting peace and unity, Celebrity Housemates will feature contestants from the six regions of Nigeria to showcase the nation’s strengths. The reality show is set to air around the clock online and will also include a one-hour daily show on TV nationwide.
The show’s broadcasters are yet to be announced but producers said it will air on 14 stations across Nigeria, plus via Dope TV, a dedicated YouTube channel and a mobile app.
The celebrity contestants will include Emmanuel Ikubese, Yomi Fash Lanso, Funky Mallam, Doris Simeon, Ruggedman, Muma Gee, Ada Ameh, Peggy Ovire, Eniola Badmus, Bolanle Ninalowo, Ogenna Ekwubiri and Frederick Leonard.
Sponsored by travel agent Fly for Value, Lagos Internal Revenue Service, Dope TV, Masters Entertainment, Royalsec Security and Amen Estate, the show is put together by Lagos-based management consultancy Heartlink Ventures.
The 30-day series will involve daily tasks and challenges, focusing on lifestyle, interpretation of culture, education and games. Other celebrities will visit the contestants weekly to share entrepreneurial and career-oriented ideas on whatever project they have in mind.
The contestant who wins the fewest viewer votes each week will be evicted. Every weekend, a party will be held to celebrate the end of the week and other guest stars will be brought in to celebrate with contestants.
The winner of the prize money will donate N2m to charity and N1m to selected viewers. Other contestants will go home with cash prizes too.
Kemi Otegbade, MD of Heartlink and executive producer of the series, said: “We are using this show to converge the Nigerian cultural values with the ideal lifestyle of celebrities and entertain Nigerians in an educating and exciting way.
“We have been working on the format and I can assure Nigerians of an engaging and exciting experience on television and online. We can also confirm it will be an annual event,” Otegbade added.
The team behind the show includes Danladi Bako, as co-executive producer, and Sola Fajobi, as consulting producer, with an advisory board comprising media execs such as Mayor Akinpelu, Funke Egbemode and Jahman Oladejo.
“Our celebrities are normal human beings. Although their fans adore them and grant them a larger-than-life perception, it is imperative that we create a platform for their fans to connect, engage and get a peep into their lifestyles, hence the creation of the reality TV show,” added a representative of Fly for Value.
