by Ifeanyi Dike Jr

Title: Moments with Mo

Category: Television

Executive Producer: Mo Abudu

IT’S common to find people attempting to compare Moments with Mo to the Oprah Winfrey Show. I think the only similarity between them is the sitting arrangement.

The show gets a lot of DSTV street cred, so there are high expectations. It also sets a trend in Nigeria in terms of set design, lighting, and sound. The host Mo Abudu complements these with her smashing good looks and sense of style.

Unfortunately, the bubble does burst a bit. The sense of weak conversation, stilted question and a hurry through cue cards can steal from its strengths.

Then, the show does try to be like Oprah – with touchy-feely episodes, segments produced to get tears (I think there’s too much tears each season) and a predictability for the end of the many pity parties – no solution, just thanks for sharing your story with us. Really?

At the end of the day though, Moments is Nigeria’s only international standard talk show. And I suspect that with that, they will get the balance just right. It’s just like Mo says: if you can think it, you can do it.