The show was shot in Lekki. It is a Pan-African adaptation of the American series, Desperate Housewives, that aired from 2004 to 2012; the show has been minimally adapted to African themes; from character names to the main plot, but the main characters play the same roles as the characters in the original version.[1]
Plot
A look at the seemingly normal suburban lives of African women as they seek to live out their aspirations through their families, career and relationships, set in the middle-class development on Hibiscus Lane on the Lekki Peninsula in Lagos.
It begins with the shocking suicide of Rume Bello (Mary Alice Young); a beautiful housewife, known for her warmth and generosity. In death, Rume delves into the lives of the friends she left behind – commenting from her now elevated perspective. Her intimate circle of friends who are confused by her death, are introduced.
Tari Gambadia (Susan Mayer) who is divorced, single-mother looking for love; Funke Lawal (Lynette Scavo) a corporate high-achiever turned stay-at-home mum of four children who create a huge scene at Rume Bello's wake seriously embarrassing her; Ese De Souza (Bree Van de Kamp), a devout and perfectly groomed housewife and mother of two teenagers, who is dealing with the outcome of her family's rejection of her façade and standards; Kiki Obi (Gabrielle Solis), ex Nollywood actress and trophy wife whose marriage to the rising movie financier Chuka Obi (Carlos Solis) fails to satisfy her deepest needs, and she turns to her personal trainer, Tai Etim (John Rowland) to alleviate her boredom.
We are also introduced to the neighbours on the Lane including Rhetta Moore (Edie Britt) a twice-divorced real estate broker with a voracious sexual appetite, who aggressively competes with Tari for the affections of handsome newcomer, Larry Izama (Mike Delfino) who we later discover came to Hibiscus Lane with a hidden agenda. Tensions rise as Kay De Souza (Rex Van de Kamp) asks his wife Ese for a divorce; Chuka Obi treats his wife Kiki like she is on his payroll; Shina Lawal (Tom Scavo) is oblivious to his wife's frustration and growing desperation; Deji Bello (Paul Young), Rume's now widowed husband, seems to express his grief by suspiciously digging up his garden.
Rume narrates the series from her vantage point, giving an insight into the lives, mysteries and conflicts of these four intriguing women.
Auditions for various roles were announced in December 2013. Mo Abudu the CEO and executive producer led the production.[8] Directed by Quinty Pillay, the cast members were mainly from Nigeria.[9] The names of the cast were changed from names in the original show, in order to have African names. Michelle Dede plays Susan Mayer while Nini Wacera a Kenyan actress plays the adapted version of Bree Van de Kamp, as Kehinde Bankole plays Gabrielle Solis.Omotu Bissong plays Lynette Scavo, Mercy Dolapo Oni plays of Mary Alice Young and Linda Osifo plays Edie Britt.
The husbands that depicted the original version were, Joseph Benjamin playing African version of Carlos Solis, Larry Izama plays Mike Delphino, Femi Branch plays Paul Young, Ben Touitou plays African version John Rawland, Ozzy Agu plays Tom Scavo and Samuel Robinson plays Zach Young .[10]
On July 30, 2015, the show went for a production break in order to replenish the remaining nine episode. It took over from September 3, 2015, from the fifteenth episode of the first season.[citation needed]
Broadcast
Desperate Housewives Africa premiered across the African continent and beyond on Ebony Life Television that is available on Multichoice dish, DSTV Channel 165 on 30 April 2015.[11][12][13]
It begins with the shocking suicide of Rume Bello; a beautiful housewife, known for her warmth and generosity. In death, Rume delves into the lives of the friends she left behind – commenting from her now elevated perspective. Her intimate circle of friends who are confused by her death are introduced: Tari Gambadia—a divorced, single-mother looking for love; Funke Lawal, a corporate high-achiever turned stay-at-home mum of four children who create a huge scene at Rume Bello's wake seriously embarrassing her; Ese De Souza, a devout and perfectly groomed housewife and mother of two teenagers—who is dealing with the outcome of her family's rejection of her façade and standards; Kiki Obi, a former Nollywood actress turned trophy wife whose marriage to rising movie financier Chuka Obi fails to satisfy her deepest needs, leading her to turn to her personal trainer Tai Etim to alleviate her boredom. Rume narrates the series from her vantage point, giving an insight into the lives, mysteries and conflicts of these four intriguing women.
2
"Ah, But Underneath"
Quinty Pillay
Debo Oluwatuminu
7 May 2015 (2015-05-07)
The ladies on Hibiscus Lane try to understand what could have led their friend to commit suicide – especially after finding a disturbing blackmail note in her belongings. Kiki continues her dangerous affair with Tai Etim and almost gets caught in the act by Chuka when he arrives home from work early. Funke is presented with an extreme disciplinary option by her neighbour Mrs Benson, but struggles with the idea of adopting it. Ese and Kay agree to go for marriage counselling with the head of their local parish, Father Ajayi, resulting in insightful revelations for all of them. Meanwhile Tari plucks up the courage to ask Larry Izama for a date, but is upstaged by Rhetta's more brazen approach.
3
"Pretty Little Picture"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
14 May 2015 (2015-05-14)
The ladies agree to host a dinner in honour of their friend Rume. Deji Bello's son Akin wonders why his father refuses to grieve or speak about his mum. The adulterous Kiki unexpectedly finds herself blackmailed by Mrs. Benson's ill-fated housemaid Bose. Ese goes to great lengths to try to hide the fact that she and Kay are having problems in their marriage. An attempt by Tari to put her angst with ex-husband Danladi to rest ends with her accidentally locking herself outside naked on Hibiscus Lane.
4
"Who is that Woman?"
Quinty Pillay
Tari Ekiyor
21 May 2015 (2015-05-21)
After Mrs Benson discovers that Tari is interested in Larry, she realises that Tari burnt Rhetta's house down, and blackmails her, forcing Tari to subsidise her bills in exchange for keeping her secret. Chuka suspects Kiki is having an affair but jumps to the wrong conclusion about the culprit. Funke struggles with giving her kids medication for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), while Ese struggles with Leo's difficult behaviour when Kay moves out. Meanwhile, the ladies get information that begins to shed more light on Rume's mysterious suicide. They share their findings with Deji who hires a Private Detective to find out who the blackmailer is.
5
"Come In, Stranger"
Quinty Pillay
Tari Ekiyor
28 May 2015 (2015-05-28)
A break-in in the Estate leads to more vigilance and awareness by the residents. They don't realise the intruder lives closer than they think. Tari accepts the offer of a date from Estate Head of Security Patrick Esosa when Larry appears aloof and distant towards her in an attempt to provoke him to jealousy, but he has some other things on his mind. Kiki's mother-in-law Mama Obi arrives to spend time with her son and daughter-in-law; it turns out that Chuka has brought her in to find out if Kiki is truly having an affair. Funke and Shina try to get their children into a prestigious private school at all costs. Ese invites Akin to her house for lunch seeing they share something in common–loneliness. Their time spent together leads to some surprising revelations.
6
"Running to Stand Still"
Quinty Pillay
Debo Oluwatuminu
4 June 2015 (2015-06-04)
The housewives talk about the sudden absence of Akin, who is revealed later to be in a mental care unit. Kiki takes offense when Chuka agrees with Mama Obi's suggestion that he should give her a grandchild. She uses her mother-in-law's gambling problem to her advantage in order to spend some time with Tai. Father Ajayi discusses Kay's suggestion to spice up their sex life, much to Ese's annoyance. Funke engages in a war of words with Faith Radcliffe another mother, over the school play, and learns an alternate use of her children's ADD medicine. Tari finds out where Akin is and persuades Aisha to speak to him and sneak him a mobile phone.
7
"Anything You Can Do"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
A dressed-up and very attractive Tari is disappointed and embarrassed when Larry has to cancel their first proper date because a very sexy guest called Francesca comes over to stay. Mama Obi discovers that Kiki is seeing Tai, and is determined to get proof. Funke becomes increasingly addicted to and dependent on her children's ADD medication, and sabotages Shina's promotion. Kiki is unhappy and jealous about the sudden competition for Tai's attention. Kay informs Ese he's filed for divorce, and attempts to bribe the children with gifts forcing Ese to take drastic action. Deji Bello's Private investigator, comes close to solving the mystery of the blackmail note. Mama Obi finally catches Kiki and Tai in the act, but her triumph is cut short by an intoxicated Leo running her over in the street.
8
"Guilty"
Quinty Pillay
Tari Ekiyor
18 June 2015 (2015-06-18)
In the aftermath of Mama Obi's hit and run, the residents of Hibiscus Lane evaluate their lives. Kay and Ese, on discovering that Leo's drink-driving put Mama Obi in a coma, take the damaged car to a rough area of Lagos to get it fixed and conceal evidence of his crime. Meanwhile, Tari becomes suspicious about Larry's real reason for being on the Lane when she discovers a bag of money concealed in his kitchen cupboard. Larry discovers Tari's prying and their relationship stalls. Funke's desperation intensifies as she searches for a way to manage her addiction to her children's ADD medication. Chuka openly voices his newly found desire to have children, only for Kiki to firmly rebuke him. Meanwhile, Tai Etim confesses to his priest his affair with Kiki. The Private Investigator is about to murder Rhetta Moore when he discovers that it's Mrs. Benson who is the one who blackmailed Rume Bello; Tari and Larry make up by sleeping together for the first time, while Deji confronts and kills Mrs. Benson who callously refuses partial culpability in Rume's suicide.
9
"Suspicious Minds"
Quinty Pillay
Tari Ekiyor
25 June 2015 (2015-06-25)
Challenged by a nurse's dedication and compassion as she cares for Kiki's comatose mother-in-law, Kiki decides to organise a fashion show with the women on the Estate to raise money for people who can't afford medical care. Kay and a frustrated Ese try to provoke some remorse in a seemingly sociopathic Leo. Tari discovers Kiki is having an affair with Tai and becomes very upset with her. Tai's mother Abigail, having discovered that her son is sleeping with a housewife, assumes it's Tari and publicly humiliates her at the fashion show, forcing Kiki to confess to Abigail. Funke uses her business expertise to "poach" herself a new nanny. As Kiki ponders coming clean about her affair, Chuka is arrested by the fictional Financial Crimes Agency (FCA) for money laundering, but claims he's been set up by Alhaji, his business partner.
10
"Come Back To Me"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
2 July 2015 (2015-07-02)
Faith Radcliffe the society mum reveals her alter ego as a high-class prostitute, and Ese finds out Kay is one of her customers after he has a heart attack. Kiki tries to deal with her sudden cash-strapped financial situation with Chuka in jail, sending her belongings to her mother for safekeeping and out of the reach of the FCA. While Tari and Larry try to plan a romantic date together, they discover that Aisha has been harbouring the missing Akin all along, much to Tari's disappointment. Funke is concerned about her new nanny Orode's (Claire's) ability to handle her children, and installs a camera to spy on her. Aisha is upset that Tari sends Akin back to his father.
11
"Move on"
Quinty Pillay
Tari Ekiyor
9 July 2015 (2015-07-09)
Larry tells Tari that he loves her but she is short of words. Danladi reveals that Halima has left him, and gets invited for Aisha's birthday out of sympathy. He brings Rhetta as his date; she later confesses to Tari that she had a fling with Danladi while they were married. Danladi tries to win Tari back, but she realises that she loves Larry after all. Ese is "emotionally blackmailed" by her children to nurse Kay back to health. Ese begins a flirty dalliance with the local pharmacist, Lekan Phillips, much to Kay's chagrin. Leo accuses her of being heartless, and Ese lets it slip that Kay cheated. As her finances continue to dwindle, Kiki seeks acting opportunities for money and is given a role in a small indie movie, where she realises that her glory days are indeed over.
12
"Everyday and a Little Death"
Quinty Pillay
Debo Oluwatuminu
16 July 2015 (2015-07-16)
The body of Mrs. Benson is found, attracting the kind of publicity she's always craved. Rhetta tries to organise a memorial for her at her graveside, but only a guilt-ridden Tari agrees to go. Ese continues to torment Kay by continuing to flirt with Lekan. Chuka is placed under house arrest under the watchful eye of a police officer and Kiki is displeased to discover he can't work and she now has to find work in less paying commercial gigs that are humiliating. Worse yet, Chuka hasn't given up on having children. Upon discovering Mrs. Benson left a journal, Tari confesses to Rhetta that she accidentally burnt down her house, leading to a confrontation at Mrs. Benson's gravesite. Ese cleans and admires the Dane gun Lekan gave her as a present, and accidentally shoots off his toe as he attempts to kiss her. An attempt by Funke to get into an exercise class ends in failure.
13
"Your Fault"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
23 July 2015 (2015-07-23)
Shina's father Adeolu comes to visit the Lawal's. Funke confronts her in-law when she discovers that he's a serial cheater and a chauvinist. Tai's parents persuade Kiki by means of threat to convince Tai to change his mind about his sudden decision to start his own business, he in turn surprises her by proposing marriage, which she declines. Deji works hard to convince Tari there isn't any mystery surrounding Rume's death. Ese enjoys Lekan's company and advice as she deals with her feelings about the divorce from Kay; Kay has a change of heart especially when he realises Ese is spending time in the company of another man. Tari keeps a watchful eye on her daughter after she discovers Aisha and Akin in an embrace. Deji decides to sell the house, but has a change of heart when Akin, armed with the family secret, insists all plans to move house be abandoned.
14
"Love is in the Air"
Quinty Pillay
Tari Ekiyor
30 July 2015 (2015-07-30)
Ese confides to Father Ajayi that she still believes Kay is being evasive about his sexual preferences, even though they have reconciled. She later probes Kay to tell her what his secret is, and he admits that he enjoys certain sexual adventures. Ese and Kay experiment, much to Kay's delight. After Kiki loses her acting job and her credit card gets declined at her local beauty salon, she begins doing volunteer work there as a beautician. Funke is pleasantly surprised when her boys give her a beautiful flowerpot, but is dismayed to find that they stole it from cantankerous neighbour Mrs. Okorie. The tension between Funke and Mrs Okorie escalates when she accuses the children of stealing her wall clock and calls them names. Shina discovers a treasure trove of stolen things in the children's playhouse, including the clock.
15
"Impossible"
Debo Oluwatuminu
Unknown
3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
The police arrest Larry for the murder of Mrs Benson because of a bracelet that was planted on him. Tari provides an alibi for him when she is questioned, remembering they were together on the evening of the murder. Her delight at his innocence turns to despair when she finds out he has a criminal record, and promptly breaks up with him. Tai's flatmate Ayo attempts to blackmail Kiki into sleeping with him and gets a slap for his efforts. Shina gets Patrick Obey's job as a director but Funke's unhappy because he'll be away more than he is already. Ese discovers that an errant condom she found in the laundry actually belongs to Katherine who was planning on losing her virginity to Tai, a huge disappointment for Ese's matchmaking plans. Leo pranks a teenager into drinking too much and vomiting all over Deji's furniture.
16
"The Ladies Who Lunch"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
10 September 2015 (2015-09-10)
A scandal on the Lane exposes more than Ese anticipated as Faith Radcliffe's exploits are plastered all over tabloid news. Ese attempts to persuade Faith to omit Kay's name from the list, but the encounter goes badly. Kiki has a brilliant idea that temporarily solves an inconvenient plumbing problem in the Obi household. Funke struggles to deal with the suspicion that her boys were the source of a ringworm infection in their school, only to confront the mother of the real culprit when she finds out the truth.
17
"There Won't Be Trumpets"
Quinty Pillay
Tari Ekiyor
17 September 2015 (2015-09-17)
Mama Obi finally awakens from her coma, but suffers an accident and dies while trying in vain to reveal Kiki's affair with Tai to Chuka. Kiki takes objection to Chuka giving his mother an expensive funeral. However, she is later offered a settlement by the hospital for negligence on their part, and decides not to tell Chuka about it. With his options excausted, Chuka enters a plea agreement requiring him to spend six months in prison. Funke befriends a deaf woman named Labake Harris whose daughter attends Park Royal Academy with her children, but is infuriated by her husband Deinde, who takes advantage of her disability to insult her behind her back. Leo's behaviour worsens to the degree that Ese and Kay decide to send him away to Ese's disciplinarian aunt for a while, much to his fury.
Tari is being asked out by Rhetta's new architect, but Rhetta forbids her from dating him. Larry tries to explain his past by giving Tari a confession letter, which she hesitates to read.
18
"Children Will Listen"
Quinty Pillay
Debo Oluwatuminu
24 September 2015 (2015-09-24)
Tari's eccentric mother, Furo George, visits her daughter on Hibiscus Lane after she and her partner Pascal break up. Some playing boys find the wooden box that Deji threw into the Lagoon with a body in it. Akin defends his father when detectives question him about a similar wooden chest he purchased years ago. Unbeknownst to motherhood-adverse Kiki, her sex life is now unprotected as Chuka secretly tampers with her birth control pills. Then, upon finding out about the settlement from the hospital, he forces her to sign a legal document that would cut her off from any entitlements if she leaves him. Hurt, she runs back into the willing arms of Tai. Funke and Ese fall out when Funke discovers Ese spanked Tope whilst babysitting them. Kay and Ese visit Leo at Aunty May's house where he's been sent for discipline. Agnes reveals the secrets of Akin's past and he discovers that his birth name was "Ify".
19
"Live Alone and Like It"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
1 October 2015 (2015-10-01)
Funke and cranky Mrs. Liz Okorie start an uneasy relationship after she collapses on the lane from a suspected heart attack. Liz Okorie however becomes more attached to Funke than she'd like, and Funke starts to regret her intervention. Ese and Leo continue to have difficulty after he returns from Aunty May. At Ese's suggestion, Leo sees their pastor to whom Leo reveals his aversion for his mother. Larry learns from Chief Molokwu that the body in the wooden box is the remains of his former girlfriend, Gina. Kiki bars Chuka from sleeping in their bed unless he destroys the legal document and reignites her relationship with Tai when he in turn cuts off her access to funds. Furo George attempts to cheer Tari up by getting them dates, so she can get over the breakup with Larry, who is beaten up by a corrupt detective. After Kiki charms an older man into paying a restaurant bill for her, Chuka gives in and destroys the document, making Kiki happier.
20
"Fear No More"
Quinty Pillay
Debo Oluwatumini
8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
Kiki organises a 'going away' party for Chuka who in actuality is going to prison. But she explodes in anger when she discovers that she is pregnant and her birth control pills have been tampered with. Lekan Philips returns and attempts to woo Ese away from Kay, while Ese remains oblivious to Lekan's suspicious agenda. Funke's nemesis, Amarachi returns and is working closely with Shina. A jealous and threatened Funke turns to Rhetta for advice. Akin starts to stalk Aisha to try to restore their friendship. Rhetta exposes Tari to Deji about breaking into his house, forcing Deji to tell Tari an unconvincing lie about Rume's past. When Tari's kitchen is set on fire, she assumes Deji is responsible. Larry decides to investigate Deji when he finds out he owned a similar wooden box, and warns Tari to stay away from him.
21
"Sunday in the Park with George"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
15 October 2015 (2015-10-15)
Rhetta catches Ese and Lekan in their clandestine pursuits, and Kai meets with to clear the air and justify the outings. A knowing Rhetta confronts her with the charge that Ese's being emotionally unfaithful. Meanwhile's Kay's health deteriorates as Lekan secretly tampers with his heart medication. Funke, afraid that their sex life is suffering because of home and work life pressures, tries to spice it up with attempts at roleplay. Tari unwittingly hires Deji's private investigator to investigate Deji, and she also learns from Gina's sister Francesca that Larry killed a man who attempted to rape Gina in self-defense, and she decides to forgive him. Kiki confronts Chuka about her tampered-with birth control pills, and he promptly blames his dead mother. Tai almost passes out when Kiki informs him she is pregnant and he might be the father. Tari's relieved when Pascal proposes to Furo and leaves with her. Meanwhile, Agnes plans to force Deji off the lane and to tell Akin everything about his family.
22
"Goodbye for Now"
Quinty Pillay
Debo Oluwatumini
22 October 2015 (2015-10-22)
In the penultimate episode, a jealous Rhetta connives to stage an intervention for Tari when she learns that Larry is moving in with her, but Tari makes a persuasive moving statement that reassures the women. When Funke plots to keep Shina and Amarachi apart, she ends up getting Shina fired. Chuka finds himself in ever deeper trouble after a letter from the pharmacy reveals the truth about Kiki's pregnancy. Lekan breaks into Ese's house, and lies to Ese about Kay flaunting their 'unusual' sex practices to his colleagues. An enraged Ese confronts Kay who strenuously denies the allegations, but ends up having another heart attack.
23
"One Wonderful Day"
Quinty Pillay
Tosin Otudeko
29 October 2015 (2015-10-29)
Shina discovers through his boss that Funke was responsible for losing the original promotion and decides to become a house-husband. Tai shocks Chuka by revealing that Kiki's baby might be his, resulting in Chuka attempting violence once more. Rhetta welcomes the enigmatic Hastrup's to the lane, while Akin holds Tari prisoner at gunpoint, keen to find Larry, who he believes wants to do his father harm. Larry has taken Deji to a deserted place with every intention of killing him after interrogating him. Kay starts to believe that Ese may have been responsible for poisoning him, and writes her a note forgiving her, then dies not long after.
