Desperate Housewives Africa, the first African spin-off of the long-running American drama series Desperate Housewives will start on 30 April on EbonyLife TV (DStv 165), a year later than planned after the initial announcement was made back in October 2013.
Desperate Housewives Africa is filmed in Lagos, Nigeria and is set in an African suburban version of the classic "Wisteria Lane".
Since 2006 five different versions of Desperate Housewives have been produced, including the Turkish production Umutsuz Ev Kadinlari, Amas de Casa Desesperadas, the Argentinean version, the Colombian and Ecuadorian version, the Hispanic version in America for broadcast in Mexico and Donas de Casa Desesperadas, the Brazilian version in Portuguese.
Quinty Pillay, director of scripted programming at EbonyLife TV says the show has taken "the original version and given it a distinctly African twist, from the storytelling to the look and feel of the entire production without compromising on the global appeal".
Desperate Housewives Africa will mirror the original American drama, with an added African flavour, with Marcy Dolapo Oni as Rume Bello in the role of the dead Mary Alice Young who is the omniscient narrator.
Michelle Dede is Tari Gambadia, a character vying for the attention of a new hunky neighbour and Nini Wacera is Ese De Souza, a housewife who tries to maintain the perfect family.
Kehinde Bankoli plays Kiki Obi who is having an affair and Omotu Bissong is Funke Lawal, a fatigued stay-at-home mom of four.
"We are very excited that one of ABC's hit television series is being made for African viewers," says Christine Service, the senior vice president and country manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa.
"This is a first for the continent of Africa and we could not be more proud of what we have seen so far of Desperate Housewives Africa."
"We are extremely excited to bring this rich, thrilling and captivating drama to our local and global audiences," says Mo Abudu, the executive chairman and CEO of EbonyLife TV.
"Our viewers can absolutely look forward with great delight to watching a most riveting adaptation of the multiple award-winning version from Africa; one with a uniquely African essence that closely mirrors the format and storylines of the multiple award-winning American version".
