Desperate Housewives Africa
Pan-African adaptation of Desperate Housewives.
Desperate Housewives Africa, also known as Desperate HWA, is a Nigerian comedy-drama-mystery television series that premiered on Ebony Life TV on 30 April 2015. It is a Pan-African version of the American television series Desperate Housewives, created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios, minimally adapted to African themes with character names and setting changed to reflect African contexts.
- Field
- Television
- Nationality
- Nigerian (Pan-African)
- Known for
- Pan-African adaptation of Desperate Housewives
- Premiered
- 30 April 2015
- Network
- Ebony Life TV (DSTV Channel 165)
- Created by
- Marc Cherry
Lore & Background
The series was shot in Lekki, Lagos, and features an ensemble cast including Joseph Benjamin, Kehinde Bankole, Omotu Bissong, Nini Wacera, Michelle Dede, Marcy Dolapo Oni, and Linda Osifo. The plot follows the lives of African women on Hibiscus Lane, beginning with the suicide of Rume Bello, who narrates from beyond. Her friends—Tari Gambadia, Funke Lawal, Ese De Souza, and Kiki Obi—navigate family, career, and relationship struggles, with neighbors like Rhetta Moore adding tension.
Reader's Guide
Desperate Housewives Africa represents a significant effort to localize a globally popular American series for African audiences. Produced by Mo Abudu and directed by Quinty Pillay, the show retained the core plot and character dynamics of the original but changed character names to African names and set the story in a middle-class Lagos neighborhood. The series aired on Ebony Life TV across Africa via DSTV, and after a production break in July 2015, it resumed in September 2015. Its legacy lies in demonstrating the feasibility of adapting Western television formats for Pan-African viewership, though it remained closely tied to the original's structure.
Did You Know?
- The show was shot in Lekki, Lagos.
- The cast includes actors from Nigeria, such as Joseph Benjamin and Kehinde Bankole.
- The series went on a production break on July 30, 2015, and resumed on September 3, 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Desperate Housewives Africa?
It is a Nigerian comedy-drama-mystery series that reimagines the American Desperate Housewives format for a Pan-African audience. The show retains the ensemble, secrets-and-scandals structure of the original while shifting character names and the setting to reflect African cultural contexts.
When and where did Desperate Housewives Africa first air?
The series premiered on 30 April 2015 on Ebony Life TV, reachable via DSTV Channel 165. It was produced by ABC Studios under the creative direction of Marc Cherry.
How does Desperate Housewives Africa differ from the American original?
The adaptation is deliberately minimal, swapping out character names and relocating the story to an African setting rather than rewriting plots from scratch. The underlying mystery-driven, ensemble format stays largely intact from the Marc Cherry source material.
Who created and produced Desperate Housewives Africa?
Marc Cherry, the writer behind the American Desperate Housewives, is credited as creator, with production handled by ABC Studios. The series was localized specifically for the Nigerian and wider Pan-African television market.
Why is Desperate Housewives Africa notable in television?
It is recognized as a Pan-African adaptation of a major American ensemble drama, bringing the 'secrets and scandals' formula to a distinctly African setting. Its broadcast on Ebony Life TV made the show accessible to viewers across the continent through the DSTV platform.
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