EbonyLife TV on DStv expands its production operations to more Nigerian cities; dramas done in Calabar and entertainment shows moved to Lagos.

EbonyLife TV (DStv 165) is expanding its production operations to the Nigerian cities of Abuja, Lagos and Calabar.

Calabar is the city where the African remakes of Dynasty and Melrose Place will take place and where the African version of Desperate Housewives was shot. Script adapatation for Dynasty and Melrose Place to make it African versions will start this year.

The Governor, a new 13-part drama series is also currently being shot in Calabar for broadcast later in EbonyLife TV.

Production of the second season of Desperate Housewives will start in the second half of 2016.

While drama series production is done in Calabar, EbonyLife TV is moving production of its entertainment programming like its lifestyle magazine shows to its new studios in Lagos where it will be easier to book and get the guests that's the staple of these shows.

The channel has also expanded its operations to Abuja where the recently commissioned 13-part political drama series Sons of the Caliphate is currently being filmed.

Sons of The Caliphate is a political drama set in the north of Nigeria about three rich, entitled and ambitious young men all caught up in the lust for power, addiction, love and desire, as well as the obligations of family loyalty and the craving for revenge in the deadly tussle for the governorship seat of the Northern Caliphate State.

EbonyLife TV launched on 30 June 2013 and is now broadcast in 49 African countries, including South Africa.

EbonyLife TV acquires the TV rights from CBS to remake the American drama series Dynasty and Melrose Place as African versions with black stars.

Following a black remake of Disney's Desperate Housewives for Nigeria, EbonyLife TV (DStv 165) now plans to tackle both the 80's series Dynasty and the 90's series Melrose Place after having acquired the format rights to these American dramas from CBS Studios International.

While the African remake of Desperate Housewives wasn't that popular and didn't get a big publicity push from EbonyLife TV, the entertainment and lifestyle channel is forging ahead with more black versions of former American TV shows which it wants to show in several African countries through its channel on DStv.

"We're highly pleased to have acquired the format rights for Melrose Place and Dynasty, two of the most iconic and unforgettable series from CBS Studios International," says Mo Abudu, the CEO and executive chairperson of EbonyLife TV.

"This is a first for CBS Studios International's scripted formats and we are thrilled to be working with EbonyLife TV to develop these two iconic series for the African market," says Roxanna Pompa, the vice-president for international sales and production at CBS Studios International.

BREAKING. SABC3 secures the rights to the new Melrose Place; set to start on Wednesday 29 June at 19:30 for 18 episodes.

You're reading it here first.

Someone killed Sydney! I can exclusively break the news that SABC3 has secured the broadcasting rights to the first (and only) season of the new Melrose Place and that it will start on SABC3 on Wednesday 29 June at 19:30 for 18 episodes.

The new Melrose Place is set at the same address as the hit 90's TV melodrama stocked with a bunch of hot new things. Oh. And a murder mystery. And several of the ''old'' faces will make a reappearance either as guest stars or major characters like Heather Locklear as evil-canevil Amanda. Somebody killed the mad Sydney that viewers from the first series will remember well and who has since become the landlord. She's found in the Melrose Place pool and everyone's a suspect.

The new Melrose Place was cancelled after the first season but it's actually a great show and kept getting better. It was shown last year on M-Net.

BREAKING. Why is M-Net the Place to be in September? Because the pay broadcaster has snagged the rights to the new Melrose Place.

You're reading it here first.

M-Net is the Place to be in September: I can exclusively reveal that the pay broadcaster has snagged the rights to the new Melrose Place starring Heather Locklear and a whole new set of residents living at the West Hollywood apartment complex.

The new Melrose Place with Heather Locklear (who shows up after a few episodes in her iconic role of ad exec Amanda Woodward) will debut on M-Net on Thursday, September 16 at 19:30 replacing the second season of 90210. Red head vixen Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton) who used to be the tornado of trouble in the original nineties version is also back - but not how you think. She gets killed in the Melrose Place swimming pool in the first episode, but in a recurring role is ''kept alive'' through backflashes and all of the new residents who are revealed to have a motive to get rid of her.

The new Melrose Place with 18 episodes stars new faces while a lot of the original actors will drop by for guest appearances like Daphne Zuniga and Thomas Calabro as the evil dr Michael Mancini. The new crowd includes Colin Egglesfield, Shaun Sipos, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Katie Cassidy.