Thursday, November 8, 2007

Worrisome 'Moments with Mo'

I had been looking forward to the show for a couple of weeks. I'm refering to 'Moments with Mo', the new talkshow by Mo Abudu which debuted on Mnet yesterday at 6pm. With the prior knowledge I had about this well-connected founder of Vic Lawrence Associates(recruitment specialists & consultants), I enthusiastically awaited the show’s imminent arrival. Her strategy of using the show as a platform to empower Nigerians/Africans & showcase the continent in a positive light, was also something that got me excited. The debut episode had ex-footballer/Deal or No Deal Presenter, John Fashanu & JJ Okocha’s wife, Nkechi as guests.Now, there were both fabulous. John told really nice stories about the ups & downs of life as a successful footballer,marriage,as well as his childhood years in the UK.Nkechi, on the other hand, discussed the paparazzi, desperate girls constantly chasing her husband,as well as the interesting way she & Okocha had met. Engaging indeed.
The set was also visually appealing with the nice background,cozy sofas & classy rug. So I’m sure you are saying: what a wonderful, new Nigerian talkshow ‘Moments with Mo’ is.Hold it right there. Not exactly up there yet,a la Oprah Winfrey & Tyra Banks-type quality. The key components of a successful talkshow aren't too many: great topics, exciting guests, an articulate host who asks the right questions, a nice set & the AUDIENCE.Yes, I purposely spelt that in capital letters. Simply because they were the ones who failed to make the grade in yesterday’s debut show.Yes, people are people but the audience looked scary.Like i was in Oshodi market.With all due respect, if I was amongst the lot, I would have been constantly checking to see if my phone was still in my pocket. They were not exactly n-sync with everything else about the premiere i.e.the general good quality of the hostess, guests, set, editing etc.The audience clapped for almost everything that was said by Mo, John & Nkechi.If Mr. Fashanu had said he was a terrorist, these guys would have clapped.Seriously.Here's a little tip: Clapping is meant for when a guest says something really interesting or moving that excites the audience. Not for every single word that comes out of their lips.
Also,did the fact that the topic was about footballers mean that half the crowd had to wear jerseys of almost every club under the sun?Haba.Naija.Worse still, when it was time to take audience questions, the 'shelling' was legendary. Not to add that those who got the brief spotlight to ask questions seemed confused & as out-of-place as a Pastor in a Strip bar.
Let’s remember that this show, impressively,is being broadcast in dozens of countries across the continent during a virtually primetime slot.6pm in the west,7 pm in SA,Kenya etc.Sadly, I know the entire 1st season has already been pre-recorded so there might not be much that can be done in that regard, but there’s an opportunity to correct this problematic key area as season 2’s recording starts this month. I’m optimistic that feedback would get to Mo’ soon before her crew’s cameras start rolling again.
Fingers crossed…actually, hands pressed together (in prayer mode).

11 comments:

Bella Naija said...

LOL that was funny!
I have been looking forward to the show as well but I havent seen it yet so I was really excited to see your post on it.

Unto the audience, you know this is Nigeria and most of these shows film on weekdays therefore audience is representative of the type of people who have time to sit down and be CLAPPING on a weekday i.e people who have nada going on.
My suggestion would be that - she films during weekends, create some sort of proper incentive for people to come watch, maybe a chance to meet the celebs or something. Oh well, lets give it time and see.

Nice post!

Admin UD said...

nice analysis...unfortunately, i don't watch teh show but i can understand what you're sayn. Evrything's supposed to be in sync, including the audience. Possibly they picked them from the streets. I mean, there are better ways to get good quality audience for shows like that...tv advert 'nuff said

PS: nice blog you've got btw

Anonymous said...

well said Charles, though i didn't watch the show , i can just imagine it! Sure they can afford to spend some of the prime time ad revenue on hiring some of our good looking male and female models. Enough well educated pensioners out there also who could make up part of an intelligent and articulate audience (with a little incentive too). Where's Mo's blog? I'm going to link to this post now! She needs to hear this before she wounds us (Nigeria) even further,,,,

Mocha said...

I just KNEW there had to be a "k-leg" somewhere in there!!..lol..

Nice one bruv, had me laughing out loud..

and "prayer mode": LMAO!!

Anonymous said...

funny as hell...

Pyeri Boy said...

Hillarious!

Anonymous said...

I just watched my first episode - I was too apprehensive to watch the previous two, I just figured there would be something wrong about it, and I was right!! The quality of production was great but then you expect that from MNET, the audience was wooden but I wasn't expecting much more than that - have you been to a show in Nigeria - music, comedy, whatever? It is the most difficult thing to work a Naija audience. My problem was with Mo herself. Her manner did not come across as completely genuine - I think she's probably so much more conscious of the cameras that she's constantly working her face into these camera-friendly contrived smiles and grimaces she just doesn't ring true. And her interviewing skills are just crap!! She asks a question and jumps in almost immediately to complete the response and just moves on to something else! I kept saying 'let the guy answer the question, will you??' All in all, it's not a bad effort, let's hope it gets better and stays on longer, for me it's one of the few glimpses of Naija that I get to stave off my homesickness...

Anonymous said...

This is what really gets me about these elistist nonsence. So what! Are people in OShodi not human beings. I watched the show and the people may not be your so called learned people but guess what they are the ones who supported her. People of our ilk are sitting in pent houses commenting about her shoes and her smile and waiting for her to fail - afterall who the hell does she think she is. I know how hard this woman worked to get folks to come to this show and I thank her and her audience no matter how razz. Not to worry, your so called classy people will soon start flocking.

Anonymous said...

i agree...everyone is here shouting...nigerians let's appreciate...we love to criticize..come off it guys...was there a show like this 10 yrs ago?...no...now today naija has reached that level and all we cud pick on was the so called "razz" audience...wateva men...arent they human beings too...dont they deserve it too..why is naija such a class conscious society...belle naija or wareva u call urself...i was a big fan of ur blogs but will definitely stop going there coz clearly u r not the down to earth person i thot u were...fake ass nigerians

Anonymous said...

Moments with Mo may have got off to a rough start, but what is most important is that she started the journey and as i watch the show, i can see that she is getting better. Trying to do anything of quality in Nigeria takes so much effort. Getting audience, getting guests, production standards, even running a generator, it all takes an incredible amount of planning and determination.

Mo Abudu is known as a woman of substance in Nigeria and now beyond and she has done what many have not done, leave there dream and she is even making the dreams of so many others come true.

Different personalities make hosts and they all have different styles. She is no doubt trying to creating her own.

PLease lets keep watching, i watch and i have seen a significant improvement in the quality of the show.

Have you seen Oprah's first tapes? or Tyra's. We know that so much is expected of Mo, but we must give her time to grow.

I read an article recently in the Guardian and it was celebrating Moments with Mo and the fact that it was only 7 months old.

Moments with Mo has achieved alot in only 7 months.

As she says, if you can think it, you can do it!

I suggest you all go live your dreams than make nasty comments about people that are trying to make a difference!

Anonymous said...

i think that Mo Abudu is doing something great and fantasty and we should encourage her. we must know that at the begining of anything there is alway so lapses but give it time and it will eventually come thru. if you want to know more about Moments with Mo, go to the following links:
https://www.blogger.com

moments@inspire-africa.com
inspireafrica


http://momentstalkshow.blogspot.com/
http://momentwithmo-makeadifference.blogspot.com/
http://momentswithmo-designers.blogspot.com/

http://www.inspireafrica-foundation.org/
http://www.inspire-africa.com
http://www.momentswithmo.tv