By Gbenga BadaOn August 1, 2008, MultiChoice Nigeria debuted Tinsel, a 25 minutes per episode TV show that has gone on to air for 13 seasons and was viewed by millions of Nigerians and Africans.Immediately after its debut, the average telenovela consumers curiosity was piqued. The new show seemed to be a breakaway from the kind of indigenous serial content Nigerians were used to.Tinsels gloss was unmistakable. Its feel was different. Some people said it reminded them of South African soap operas in that it was filmed in a studio and shot employing a Multicam setup. Up until then, such shows were recorded using a single camera. To them, this show could not have been produced in Nigeria. The level of production of Tinsel brought with it was undoubtedly high for something totally Nigerian. And for many, it was easy to see why the show spent more than three years in the pre-production stage.The themeLike most soap operas, Tinsel is heavy on melodrama and sentimentality. Some of its ensemble cast also features screen cuties. But while many soaps tend to pander towards light principles that take advantage of flawed human desires and emotions, Tinsel has succeeded in balancing this lightness with thought-provoking plot points and action. Tinsel started out telling the story of two rival production companies, Reel Studios and Odyssey Pictures led by Fred Ade-Williams and Brenda Nana Mensah respectively jostling for box-office dominance with both production giants taking their rivalry from film-sets to industry boardrooms and everywhere else. Brenda is only interested in leading Odyssey Pictures to overtake her fathers company at all costs. She resorts to every and anything including her physical attributes, her wit, and her charm and machination skills to do so. Of course, such drive and motivation would cause ripples throughout the entire industry. The end result causes the main characters lives and businesses to change forever. This tale of drama, romance, influence, betrayal, and triumph became an instant hit among Nigerians who love drama and would never turn down additional entertainment in their lives.The charactersTinsel began with lead actors like Victor Olaotan (Fred Ade-Williams), Charles Ujomu Frank), Abiola Segun-Williams (Titi), and Florence Uwaleke Ene). Over the years, more notable names have been part of the shows acting roll call.Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi (Brenda Nana Mensah) joined in 2009. And over the years, it has steadily grown to become the most important show on TV in Nigeria.Several actors have used the Tinsel platform to announce their arrivals to the world. From Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman (Bimpe) to Gideon Okeke (Phillip Ade-Williams), Chris Attoh (Kwame Mensah), Tomi Odunsi (Salewa) and Damilola Adegbite (Telema Duke), and many more, these films stars with sterling performances are now regarded as screen sirens.Aside from Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi who brought the character of Brenda Nana Mensah to life fully, one character which has gone on to become arguably one of the most iconic characters on Nigerian TV is that of Angela Dede. Actress Matilda Obaseki did a good job bringing the character to life. Angela, thanks to the writers, was able to succinctly showcase mental health challenges with a breath of fresh air, next to zero negativity, and without touching nerves based on the sensitivity of the issue. Other characters worthy of deliberate mention include Sheila Ade-Williams played by the experienced Ireti Doyle as well as the arrogant Phillip Ade-Williams played masterfully by Gideon Okeke. These characters have remained stamped on the memories of audiences as well as the timeline of Nigerian television shows.The productionCreated by Yinka Ogun and directed at that time by Tope Oshin, some of the finest hands in Nigerian TV and production have worked on the show and they include Femi Odugbemi, Jaiye Ojo, Lemmy Adebule, and Rogers Ofime. These professionals have brought their production skills to the table, and the makers of the show have carefully balanced the delicate art of employing experienced minds and giving chances of a lifetime to young, promising talents.Kemi Adesoye, Tunde Babalola, Nkiru Njoku, arguably three of Nigerias biggest storytellers have written for the show.Between 2008 and now, several brilliant directors have helmed multiple episodes of the show. From Victor Sanchez Aghahowa to Tolu Ajayi, John Njamah, Alex Mouth, and Ben Chiadika, among others have scored directing credits on Tinsel. On the production side, nothing perhaps demonstrates the contribution of MultiChoice Nigeria and Africa Magic to Nigerian entertainment as much as Tinsel. Tinsel helps these platforms provide gainful employment to local talent as the show has over 100 cast and crew members working on it at any given time. As of 2013, the cost per minute of the show was put around $900. That same year, its 1000th episode aired and it was widely reported that over N4bn had been spent on the show since its first episode hit the small screens, finally cementing its place as the most successful television drama in Nigeria after the turn of the millennium. Even when the widely publicized fire razed Phillips Studios in Ojota, Lagos which housed the shows production shoot set ending in financial losses that ran into millions of Naira (a N650 million estimate), Tinsel makers didnt look back. The show trudged on and maintained the initial excellence it brought to the scene.The milestonesAs of January 31, 3000 episodes had aired. It should be noted, however, that Tinsel has not sailed on without being faced with the threat of the shortcomings usually evident in shows that run as long as it has done. When a show runs as long as going over two thousand episodes, it is almost impossible that ratings will at one time or another take a dip, while the audience will also want some freshening up as regards story and cast. And, to be candid, the makers of Tinsel have done relatively well to limit the show stumbling into these holes. Even though some viewers think the show has overstayed on their screens, the viewership numbers still encourage the team to go for more.The show has picked up several awards on its way, a testament to its quality and contribution. Perhaps the highlight was in 2017 when it won the Best M-Net Original Series Award at the years Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA).Having cemented its place in the consciousness of New Nollywood and its audience, will Tinsel go on to eclipse Guiding Light, the longest-running drama in television (and radio) history which came to an end on September 18, 2009, after an astonishing 72-year run.
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