A consequence of the current “revolution” Nigerian film and TV is seeing is that there will, at some point, simply be, or have been too much.

Which is exactly the issue with us and a new series called “5ive.” We’re quick to stress that this is about us and the show, not just the show itself. This isn’t about the show’s quality, or lack thereof. It can’t be, seeing as we haven’t checked it out. And that’s exactly what this is about. We want to check it out. We just can’t be bothered to click play. Not right now. It probably seems ironic that we’re here, now, writing about it, but requires far less of a mental and/or emotional investment, than sitting through several minutes of several episodes of a TV show.

And here’s why – the novelty of TV and/or web-series has worn off. And at this point, that’s the only reason we’re even interested in this show which claims to “take drama series to a whole new level in Nigeria.”

The premise does nothing to excite us. There is no strong brand name (e.g. Ndani). The trailer looks suitably “dramatic” but doesn’t make us think “we MUST watch this now.” The actors, while being recognizable (Udoka Oyeka, KC Ejelonu, Ini Dima Okojie) and people we know to be competent enough, do not make us jump out of our seats in anticipation. The tagline (Love. Loyalty. Power) doesn’t make us think this will be anything we haven’t seen before. The poster simply disappoints us. And the combination of all of these things doesn’t add up to anything that exceeds their individual tepidity.

Long story short; there’s a lot of Nigerian content on television and on the web these days. The quality of the work should be enough, but it isn’t. How do you get people to pay attention in a marketplace full of distractions?

We’re rooting for all our content creators to figure it out.

Media Blogger