This is Big Brother….let the show begin!

It all began in May, 2003.  Then, millions of DStv viewers in over 45 countries on the African continent were glued to their television sets, when M-Net Africa; the pan-African television production company, commenced the first edition of the Big Brother reality show.

The voice of Big Brother echoed the reality show across and beyond the African continent, and at the end of the maiden edition of the show on September 7, 2003, Cherise Makubale, a 24-year-old procurement officer from Kitwe, Zambia, emerged winner of the biggest reality show on the continent, smiling home with a mouth-watering prize of $US100,000.

The successful conclusion of the first edition of M-Net’s Big Brother show, sparked an interest in youths across the continent on how best they can showcase their talents and use the Big Brother platform to launch themselves in the continent’s fast growing entertainment industry. Even corporate bodies keyed into the commercial viability of the show, thus the reality show fad like wildfire across the continent.

The Big Brother reality show is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months and there are usually fewer than 20 participants. The housemates try to win a cash prize by avoiding periodic evictions from the house.

The idea for the show is said to have come during a brainstorm session at the Dutch production house of John de Mol Produkties (an independent part of Endemol) on September 4, 1997. The show’s name comes from George Orwell’s 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a dystopia in which Big Brother can always spy on the inhabitants of the dictatorship he heads through their television sets, with the slogan ‘Big Brother is watching you’.

Besides Cherise emerging the first winner of the reality show, M-Net has since had five other successful seasons. In the second season of the show, Tanzania’s Richard Bezuidenhout emerged winner, while Ricardo (Ricco) Venancio a 21-year-old from Angola, won the third season. However, from Season four till date Nigerian housemates namely; Kevin Chuwang Pam, Uti Nwachukwu and Karen Igho alongside Wendell Parson of Zimbabwe have emerged winners.

And all three Nigerian winners of the reality show have been successful in their various endeavors. While Kevin; Nigeria’s first winner of the reality show is successfully pursuing his music career and happily married and has a baby girl with Elizabeth Gupta,a Tanzanian actress and ex-housemate whom he met in the house, Uti; having successfully hosted several shows in Nigeria, is currently the host of M-Net’s Jara; an M-Net production which showcases Nollywood to the continent and Karen is also hosting shows across the country.

And just when DStv audiences thought they had seen all the incredible twists and turns that mega-hit reality-TV franchise Big Brother Africa could possibly offer, the sensational series pulled off another huge surprise. In Season Seven of the reality show, contestants doubled-up to compete. This meant that anyone who entered Season Seven had a partner. It was at this edition that South African housemate Keagan Petersen emerged winner. Last year, lovers of the reality show were delighted when the beautiful Dillish Matthews from Namibia emerged winner.

As AfricaMagic prepares for the ninth season, the question on the lips of lovers of the show is; “Will a Nigerian emerge winner of Season Nine of Big Brother Africa? Through the power of the vote, only the viewers of the show can determine who emerges winner.

But it would be pertinent to point out that the Big Brother Africa reality show is not the only local content programme developed by AfricaMagic/M-Net team. In Nigeria alone, over eight local contents have been developed and made popular by AfricaMagic/M-Net. They include; Doctors Quarters, Big Brother Nigeria, Edge of Paradise, 53 Extra, Let’s Dance, and Comedy Club Live in Lagos.  Others are; Money Drop, Face of Africa, Naija Sings, Tinsel, Jara, and 53 Extra.

In addition to the promotion of the excellent local content, the pan-African production company has also invested immensely in man-power and industry development. In March 2007, AfricaMagic/M-Net had an ambitious cross-continental initiative which saw 14 talented Nigeria TV interns head to Johannesburg, South Africa as part of skills sharing and training project. To the delight of the team managing the training programme, their investment in the developmental initiative is now rewarding as most of the interns are today involved in some of the programmes and content mentioned above.

AfricaMagic under the leadership of Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, regional director for West Africa, is investing several millions of dollars in the construction of a 3-in one HD Studio in Ikeja, Lagos. According to her, the state-of-the art studio complex when completed will ensure that local content meets world-class standards. In preparation for the Big Brother Africa, the biggest reality show on the continent, Mba-Uzoukwu said “I cannot disclose all the twists and drama Big Brother will unfold on the show but we are thrilled that the show is returning again this year.”

Speaking on the upcoming season of the reality show, John Ugbe, managing director, MultiChoice Nigeria; the nation’s leading pay TV entertainment destination, said DStv audience would be thrilled by the intrigues and twists which Big Brother will unfold in the house.

So, let the show begin!

Timothy Okwu