Silver Screen: So much competition on TV . . . as ‘Empire’ is back

Tafadzwa Zimoyo
Good to be back after a long weekend. Television is very important in our lifestyle as it does not only entertain but educates us as well. Which brings us to the week’s question; is there any value in reality TV?

They are proliferating at an amazing rate. One needs only talk of the Kardashians and how they have made fortunes out of people’s voyeurism.

But at the same time there are reality shows which offer more substance, such as the ones where there are genuine competitions. There is some value beyond cheap bubble gum entertainment on such shows as the contestants go through some personal development. But on the other hand I guess it is only sensible to ask how genuine any of it really is when everyone knows that they are on camera.

Well, whatever the verdict, there is no denying that reality TV is here to stay and ZTV and local independent producers had better get with the programme before it is too late.

Moving on, the much anticipated return of “Empire” has happened – with a vengeance. According to some statistics the Fox hip-hop soap opera scored 16 million total viewers on its Wednesday Season 2 première.

That viewer number may not be quite as massive as the Season 1 finale’s.

Well, the last time we chilled with Lucious, Cookie, Hakeem, Jamal and Andre, they gave us an amazing soundtrack! Ahead of the Season 2 premiere, they’ve already released “No Doubt About It” with Jussie Smollett (who plays Jamal) and Pitbull and “Ain’t About the Money” with Jussie and Bryshere Y. Gray (who plays Hakeem).

Let’s see how it goes. Other interesting shows like “Scandal”, “Grey’s Anatomy” and “How To Get Away With Murder” are also back, something for the “competition” season feel.

Over the weekend I took a chance to watch the channels that have to do more on games and competition such as BBC Lifestyle, TLC, Discovery, MNet and MTV among others.

The search for TLC’s “Next Great Presenter” is well underway. After a rigorous selection process, Discovery Networks decided to extend its top 10 semi-finalists to a Top 12, based on the high quality of entries received. And now, the first semi-finalists have been revealed on TLC Entertainment (DStv channel 172).

Making it into the Top 12 so far are Kenya’s Felix, Adenike from Nigeria, Tendai Karonga from Zimbabwe, Bahumi and Lisa both from South Africa. More semi-finalists are being revealed daily on the channel, so make sure you stay tuned to TLC Entertainment every evening from 18:00 CAT.

Tendai Karonga is an independent media professional, a presenter at Capital TV at IPP Media.

“We are extremely impressed with the quality of entries received for our Next Great Presenter Campaign. We had a difficult time nominating and narrowing down the Top 10 as TLC fans are just so talented and passionate about the channel,” said Lee Hobbs, VP of Channels for Discovery Networks.

He said they have decided to extend the semi-finalist list to a Top 12 and offer two extra lucky fans the opportunity to make it through to the next stage of the competition.

After all the Top 12 semi-finalists have been revealed, they will go through to the next phase of the competition; a three-day boot-camp where they will attend various mentorship sessions hosted by experts in the industry. The sessions will include: performance and presenting coaching, media training and wardrobe styling to help them prepare for the next round and avoid elimination.

In the end, it will be up to the viewers to choose the winner from the three short-listed finalists who make it through the boot camp stage.

The winner will ultimately be crowned TLC’s “Next Great Presenter” and become the official host of TLC TOP 10 – a brand new series coming to TLC Entertainment in December. The competition has had an incredibly overwhelming response, with amazing levels of engagement; including over 1 million page views on the website so far and 1500 auditions submitted from Kenya, Nigeria, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Angola, South Africa and Malawi.

Still on that BET’s hit reality show, “Top Actor” is on the hunt for the hottest acting talent and as auditions fire up ahead of season 2, DStv is delighted to announce that auditions for the show will now be open to more aspiring acting talent on the African continent.

This October, the show will hold auditions in various cities in Africa so come along and show off your acting skills and you could be starring in “Top Actor Africa”, the TV series that puts a dramatic new spin on the reality genre.

In the coming weeks, BET (DStv channel 129) will stage public auditions in Lagos (October 5-7), Nairobi (October 10) and Johannesburg (October 14-16) to search for talented actors of every description – from heart-throb heroes and leading ladies to villains and femme fatales.

Since there are no auditions in Zimbabwe, aspiring candidates will have to make their way to the next most convenient venue.

At stake – a career-launching prize package that includes US$10 000 in cash, a one-year contract with international representation and access to Hollywood auditions!

Hosted by South African movie star Zikhona Sodlaka (“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” & “Generations”), the first season was won by South African drama student Altovise Lawrence, an increasingly popular figure on BET itself, where she now hosts an entertainment news show, BET Buzz.

“Top Actor Africa” will test the actors to the limits over seven weeks in nine vigorous acting challenges, taking them through every genre from improv to comedy, theatre, soapie, commercial, romance, horror, drama and action. Along the way they will work with Hollywood and local industry experts including celebrity actors, casting agents, directors, producers, managers and writers.

“Top Actor Africa” is open to people from all African nations between the ages of 20 and 30; no previous acting talent is required. All contestants must hold a valid passport and possess a clean criminal record. Candidates must demonstrate a high level of competency in the English language and must be available between October 23 and December 15 2015. For full T&Cs, please go to www.betafrica.tv