TV Show Idea

I have always dreamed of being a filmmaker or television producer. I am always getting vague ideas from songs I listen to, or sometimes I get inspired while doing mundane things like washing the plates. So when I was asked what TV show would I create if I was given the opportunity, there were quite a few I had in mind. I want to join sites like YouTube and put content out on multiple topics I find interesting, more of an anthology series and less of a talk show. I also have ambitions of scripting my own adaptions of other mediums like the Chronicles of Narnia, Greek and African mythology, and even some interest in historical figures and time periods. However, out of all these ideas and more, I would choose a TV show idea centering around a boarding school in Nigeria.

When I was in the tenth grade, my mom came to my room one night and handed me a paper to sign. It was late, I was tired, and it was my mom, so I did not ask questions. Later on, I discovered that what I signed was a one-way trip to Nigerian schooling, and I would not be attending American high school for the last half of my sophomore year. I was, of course, troubled because I did like staying in Africa for the yearly vacations my family would take for the holidays, let alone for a whole year. I was afraid of losing all the comforts of my American life with steady internet and other amenities. I was heartbroken to find out that my parents were hoping that I would stay for another half year to make it a full year of schooling in Nigeria for me. This proved beneficial because the more I stayed, the more things I was exposed to. As time went on, I grew to love my country and develop a Nigerian state of mind, understanding the interesting way Nigerians think.

My TV show idea is to follow a Nigerian American kid who goes to a Nigerian boarding school and is pushed to the limit and struggles for his betterment. His experience is filled with a wide range of characters. Everyone seemed to have skills or know something very well. You had artists, auto engineers, anime fanatics, footballers, and jukeboxes that could spin out any tune that was popular at the moment. This is the atmosphere I want to capture on-screen. The boy arrives at the school disillusioned with life and aimless, unsure what to do with his life. He struggles with the realization of the opportunities he missed out on in his life. Finally, he comes to understand that he must leave those lost causes in the past and take advantage of all he can in the present in preparation for what lies ahead in his future.

Written By Chiagozie Onyewuchi
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Jay McAnally’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons LicenseInset Image Courtesy of Joe Ross’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License