A comedy series, Ile Alayo, an adaptation of the blockbuster movie of the same title, is set to debut on StarTimes. The production is an initiative of leading pay-TV provider, StarTimes in conjunction with Wakaati TV and Nollywood actor, Femi Adebayo.
Written by Femi Adebayo, Ile Alayo was released to critical acclaim in 2013. The new series parades top thespians and notable social media comedians like Mr. Macaroni, Broda Shaggi, Woli Agba, Odunlade Adekola, Mercy Aigbe, Adebayo Salami, Lateef Adedimeji, Dele Odule, Femi Adebayo, Ebun Oloyede, Cute Abiola, and Wale Akorede.
During the week, the cast and crew of Ile Alayo were unveiled at a press conference organised by StarTimes and held at Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. Aside the cast, also in attendance at the unveiling event were StarTimes Nigeria’s CEO, Alex Jian; Content Director, Viki Liu; COO, Tunde Aina; Wakaati TV’s COO, Rotimi Akingbogun; OMD’s ED, Yinka Adebayo, and representatives of major brands in the country.
Speaking, 43-year-old Adebayo said Ile Alayo would borrow heavily from the original storyline of the movie, stressing that it will centre on humorous characters with conflicting behaviours while bringing back more than 70 per cent of the original cast, and introducing new characters like Mr. Macaroni, Woli Agba, Broda Shaggi and Lateef Adedimeji.
“Some years ago, we produced Ile Alayo as a home video, and when we ended it, there was a great demand for Ile Alayo to come back majorly as a series. When the opportunity from our association, TAMPAN to synergise with StarTimes showed up, we gave it a shot, and after so much consideration by the company, they felt it was good enough to bring on board as a series. Ile Alayo has so many comedians. The concept is about a ‘face-me-and-face-you’ house where we have so many characters with conflicting behaviours and attitudes. We have a Muslim cleric, a prophet, man that sells Indian hemp, prostitutes, retired soldier, and cybercriminals.
“The essence of the series is to create a comedy that will make sense. As far as we are trying to make it as humorous as possible, we also want to touch on some social messages that affect our environment. Ile Alayo is a comedy flick that I know people will appreciate. I can assure that the sponsors will get value for what they have invested,” he stated.
On his part, Alex Jian, StarTimes’ CEO explained that the partnership comes as a result of the company’s desire to satisfy the growing demands of viewers for local content. “Nollywood is the second largest content production centre in the world. In the past 10 years, StarTimes has come to the industry in our own way, whether through content acquisition and production. However, when demands from our audience increased, we began to realise the need to do more. Yes, we are going to do more. Ile Alayo is just a start. In the near future, more Nollywood artistes and professionals will bring more exciting local content to the screen of our viewers.”
Viki Liu, Content Director, StarTimes added, “We are making a broader commitment to the Nollywood industry. Ile Alayo is the first step to this commitment. With an array of superstars, movie fans should expect laughter aplenty in the blockbuster drama launching in the fourth quarter.”