Checkmate (Nigerian TV series)

Checkmate
Created by Amaka Igwe
Country of origin Nigeria
Original language(s) English
Production company(s) Moving Movies
Release
Original network NTA

Checkmate is a Nigerian television series that ran from 1991 to 1995, created by Amaka Isaac-Ene and sponsored by Lever Brothers Nigeria. [1][2][3][4][5][6] It starred Ego Boyo, Francis Agu, and Richard Mofe Damijo[2][5][7] [5] [8] Set in Lagos, the story revolves around the Haatrope family who own the company Haatrope Investment and have made several enemies determined to destroy their business and legacy.

Premise

Ann Haatrope (Ego Nnamani, and briefly Yomi Davies) returns to Lagos from America with her brother Richie (Bob-Manuel Udokwu) to discover the family's engineering and infrastructure business, Haatrope Investment, is on the brink of collaspsing due to older brother Benibo's (Francis Agu) incompotence caused by alcoholism. Benibo is also violent towards his wife, the equally nefarious Tonye (Edith Jayne Azu) who does not approve of her husband's siblings living under their roof, and is particularly horrid towards Nana Kofo (Ruth Osu), the elderly Ghanian housekeeper who has served the family for years. With their father Richard Haatrope critically ill back in America and Richie lacking experience, Ann is determined to restore the company's reputataion and fight off competition from rivals, most notably the unscrupulous Segun Kadiri (Richard Mofe-Damijo) who bears a long-time grudge against the Haatropes as he blames them for his demise into poverty as a child following the death of his mother, and has sworn vengeance.

Ann's best friend, banker Ada Okereke (Mildred Iweka) is married to school teacher Nduka (Bimbo Manuel), but the couple face several problems including their class differences (Ada is from a wealthy family while Nduka comes from a more humble background) and Ada's inability to conceive a child. Ada is later revealed to be an Osu which infuriates Nduka's mother (Obiageli Molube). The latter refuses to accept an 'untouchable' as her daughter-in-law and is on a mission to break up the couple. Nkemji, an naive illiterate girl from their hometown (Uche Mobuogwu) is brought into her son's home as his new wife but Nduka, who would later work for Haatrope Investment, has no interest in her as he is love with Ada. Nduka is also jealous of the friendship between his wife and her old boyfriend Kunle Ajayi (Paul Adams), a Haatrope Investment employee who has unrequited love for Ann.

The uncouth Chief Fuji (Kunle Bamtefa), a board member of Haatrope Investment, is head of a dysfunctional family which consists of numerous children and his two warring wives (Toun Oni and Pauline Njoku). Although Fuji flaunts his status as a wealthy polygamist, he often shuns his financial responsibilities towards his offspring to the cargrin of his spouses and mistresses. The situation is not helped when he marries Ireti (Shola Onayiga), a trainee caterer who comes under fire from the rest of the Fuji clan for her posh cuisine which does not suit their simpler palates. The hypocritical Fuji continues his womanising but remains a strict disciplinarian with his children who are forbidden from leaving the house without permission or forming close friendships with the opposite sex.

Professor Edem (Zulu Adigwe, and later Norbert Young) is a Unilag professor notorious for luring his female students into bed in exchange for their graduation, but denies this when confronted. His long-suffering wife Eno (Tammy Abusi) continues to stand by him, but become increasingly frustrated. Their son Akpan (Tunde Euba), Richie's best friend from their secondary school years, is a student at the university who is also ashamed of his father's antics and tired of defending him. Akpan soon finds himself in the middle of a raging rivalry between the institution's two main secret cults after he shows an interest in Remi (Yetunde Olorunfunmi), the girlfriend of a member in one of the gangs.

Cast

Legacy

It has been called part of the "Golden age of television in Nigeria", prior to the Nollywood home-video boom of the mid-1990s.[1][5][9][10][11] A show, called Fuji House of Commotion, was later spun off featuring some of the characters such as Chief Fuji.

References

  1. 1 2 Emeagwali, Gloria (Spring 2004). "Editorial: Nigerian Film Industry". Central Connecticut State University. Africa Update Vol. XI, Issue 2. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 Almost 2 Decades after the end of Checkmate, Nigerian Superstar Richard Mofe Damijo returns to TV on Tinsel, Bella Najia; 24.06.2011 at 8:24 pm.
  3. ↑ A Flashback On Nigeria TV Series and Soaps, 11 May 2013. Leadership, (Abuja) Nigeria. Hosted on Allafrica.com (requires subscription or registration).
  4. 1 2 Trends in Nollywood: A Study of Selected Genres. By Ayakoroma, Barclays Foubiri
  5. 1 2 3 4 Nollywood kills Nigeria’s Television Drama. Vanguard Nigeria, June 12, 2011, 12:00 am.
  6. ↑ "Amaka Igwe nee Isaac Nene". ama-awards.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  7. ↑ Where Are They Now? 19 January 2001; P.M. News, (Lagos) Nigeria. Hosted on Allafrica.com (requires subscription or registration).
  8. ↑ See Adaora Nwandu: Amaka Igwe: THE MATRIARCH OF NOLLYWOOD. April 30, 2014; AdaoraNwandu.com.
  9. ↑ How Nollywood is Killing Nigerian Television Archived April 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine., by Uche Nworah
  10. ↑ "How Nollywood is Killing Nigerian Television". modernghana.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "#ThrowBackThursday: Checkmate • Connect Nigeria". connectnigeria.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
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