 Published
February 8th, 2011
The eighties and nineties Nigeria belonged to actors and
actresses who lighted up our TV screens with superb
performances in soaps, TV dramas and shows such as Inside
Out, Mirror in the Sun, Supple Blues, Behind the Clouds,
Checkmate, Fortunes, Basi & Company, Ripples, New
Masquerade, Fuji House of Commotion, The Village Headmaster,
Cockcrow at Dawn, Second Chance, Tales By Moonlight (a
children oriented show presented by Nkem Oseloka Orakwue)
etc. These men and women became small screen gods and
goddesses. I remember watching the likes of Barbara Soky
deliver breathtaking performances first as Rosemary in the
Rivers State Television (RSTV) produced soap – Inside Out,
and later as Yinka Fawole
in Lola Fani-Kayode’s Mirror in the Sun, the soap opera
that still ranks as one of the best to come out of Nigeria.
Who didn’t follow on screen and on the pages of soft-sell
magazines at the time such as Prime People, Vintage People,
Lawrence Akapa’s infamous Top News magazine, May
Ellen-Ezekiel’s Classique Magazine, Lagos Life newspaper
from the stable of Guardian newspapers etc (all defunt now)
the lives of the cast including Clarion Chukwura who played
the character Tinu, Uduak Umondak,
Pastor Omawumi Michael Efueye
(now the Pastor of the
London Light House Parish of House on the Rock, HOTR Church
in the UK) who played the character Tosan, Yinka Fawole’s
love interest in the soap.
Recall the longevity of shows such as Cock Crow
at Dawn especially the acting skills of Bitrus (Sadiq Daba)
and the laughter medicine served up weekly by the whole cast
of New Masquerade including Chief (Dr.) Zebrudaya Okoroigwe
Nwogbo alias 4.30
(Chika
Okpala),
his screen wife Ovularia, Prince Jegede Sokoya (Claude Ake),
Gringory (James Iroha), Clarus (Davis Ofor) and Akpeno
(Christy Essien-Igbokwe).
Who will forget the forever raging battle of wits
between Ann Haastrup (Ego Boyo) and Segun Kadiri (Richard
Mofe-Damijo) in the Amaka Igwe directed soap – Checkmate, or
the hilarious crew of the Ken Saro-Wiwa produced TV sitcom -
Basi & Company including Basi (Albert Egbe), Alali, Josco,
Dandy, Segi and Madam the Madam all of Adetola Street
who popularised phrases such as "If you want to be a
millionaire, think like a millionaire!" "It's just a matter
of CASH!" "I'm hungry, Mr. B!" and "Come in if you're
handsome and rich!”? Basi was already advising us to
think like millionaires if we wanted to be millionaires in
the sitcom before Frank Edoho started searching for who
wants to be a millionaire on TV. Good well scripted shows
these were.
Long before Ramsey Noah, there was already another heartthrob
in the person of late
MacArthur
Fom
making many female hearts to fluster as Nosa, Efe’s brother
in the soap Behind the Clouds.
Ene Oloja
played the character of Nosa’s no-nonsense stern looking
elder sister while Zack Amata played the role of Mr Okonzua,
Nosa’s father. Nosa’s career was unfortunately cut short by
an illness (CSM – cerebral spinal meningitis) which killed
him.
This period could probably be described as the golden age of
Nigerian television, a period when actors and actresses made
waves for the right reasons not just because of who they
were sleeping with or what car they drove. They worked hard
at improving their game performance after another. The
Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) broadcasting through a
network of sister stations in almost all the states of
Nigeria helped to bring these shows to people’s homes
supported by corporate sponsors. NTA also gave opportunities
to many of its staff including Pete Edochie and Obi Okoli to
showcase their talents. This is also how the names Peter
Igho and late Matt Dadzie came to be associated with every
good show showing on TV at the time. This period also saw
the rise of independent producers such as Amaka Igwe and the
likes of Paul Emema, my classmate at the Communications Arts
department of University of Uyo who created Supple Blues.
And then came Living Bondage and everything changed. Widely
acclaimed as the pioneer of what has since become a
multi-million dollar film industry in Nigeria known as
Nollywood. This straight-to-video movie was released
sometime around 1992. It was
directed by Chris Obi Rapu, written by Kenneth Nnebue and
Okechukwu Ogunjiofor and produced by Kenneth Nnebue. The cast in the movie included Kenneth Okonwo,
Kanayo.O. Kanayo, Bob Manuel Udokwu, Francis Agu, Ngozi
Nwosu, Nnena Nwabueze and Sydney Diala. The success of
Living in Bondage gave rise immediately to the production of
other straight- to- video independent films notably Circle
of Doom, Rattle Snake, Nneka the Pretty Serpent and many
others whose release followed in rapid succession. Our
Nollywood stars literally were then born. Enter Eucharia
Anunobi, Saint Obi, Liz Benson, Jim Iyke, Genevieve Nnaji,
Mona Lisa Chinda, Funke Akindele and the rest of them. They
were celebrated and smiled home to the banks as well. And
the pioneers, those who first gave Nigerians joy on the
small screens, it seemed their stars waned, sponsorship
money on TV dried up except for corporately owned and
sponsored shows. NTA also appeared to have lost its way
preferring to air Mexican and other Latin American soap
imports moving away from its time tested and successful
model of supporting indigenous soaps and productions. There
was no longer interest (it seemed) in continuing to sustain
soaps and other related shows on TV when Nollywood’s fame
and fortune beckoned. And then the cross overs began, even
former queen of soaps Regina Askia couldn’t resist the pull
of Nollywood. Richard Mofe-Damijo, Joke Silva, Nkem Owoh,
Olu Jacobs, Pete Edochie, Clarion Chukwura, Sam Loco Efe and
many more who dominated soaps and shows on the small screen
all made the switch.
It is the Nigerian TV viewing audience that have become the
biggest losers in the Nollywood ‘madness’, that is for those
who still bother to watch. Lovers of good old-fashioned
family sitcoms, soaps and shows have now been condemned to
watching third rate performances by some unemployed actors,
actresses and ‘wannabe’ stars as they dish up ‘rubbish’ by
way of some of the half-measure Nollywood films being rushed
and produced overnight. Some end up being aired as fillers
on the DSTV operated Africa Magic movie channels. These guys
are forgetting that hard work and professionalism should
come before the thoughts of fame and fortune.
Maybe some blame should go to some of the professional actors
Guild, who rather than focussing on improving the arts and
demanding for minimum standards of performance are more
interested in fighting for leadership of the Guilds so as to
control the perks of office and perhaps have access to
President Goodluck Jonathan’s promised $200 million dollar
Nollywood life line. It is the award season once again in
the United States of America, those who care should watch
out for winners of the Emmy Awards, this goes to show that
the Oscars and Hollywood have not killed television in
America, so why should Nollywood kill television in Nigeria?
Maybe I should join Clarion Chukwura in
dreaming of a re-union on the set of a one – hour special
edition of Mirror in the Sun. That would be something worth
watching.
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