Nigerians were mesmerized as they sat glued to their televisions and watched the debut of Gulder Ultimate Search (“GUS”) on Snake Island in Lagos, which was powered by Nigerian Breweries Plc in 2004. The essence was to catch the last man standing between The ten competitors (five young men and five women), who would be crowned the “Man Supreme”, would become ambassadors for the “Gulder brand”, and of course will have fame and fortune as his loyal bodyguards. The “GUS” was seen across the country and watched with enthusiasm by millions of Nigerians courtesy of major television stations. Additionally, the Gulder brand during and after the reality show received increased patronage from customers, boosting sales output.
The “GUS” has become an annual competition on the show’s calendar, as thousands of men and women flock to various testing grounds, hoping to earn a spot among the last ten to compete for the ultimate prize. The reality show gives the winner a monetary sum of 7 million naira (the highest so far of all Nigerian reality shows) and a branded jeep, up from positions 2 and 3. As of April 2010 , the first edition of the celebrity show “GUS” was born, where ten celebrities (Princess, Funke Akindele, Weird MC, Bob Manuel Udokwu, Dare Art Alade, Daddy Showkey, Emeka Ike, Muma Gee, Obesere, Chioma akpota) following the rules of the “GUS” were chosen to fight. Rita Dominic, Omowunmi, Ramsey Nouah had initially made the list, but it was rumored that a controversy surrounding Genevieve Nnaji’s role as host could have been one of the factors responsible for their withdrawal.
A reality show simply means one that is devoid of ‘representing’ the events that unfold. Everything that happens is not planned, it is real and it is documented so that viewers see the events in progress with each passing moment. There are no actors, just competitors (young men and women who live next door down the street) doing their best to win the star award. The setting varies depending on the theme of the reality show. Aside from a few like the GUS and the Desert Warriors, most of the competitors are in comfortable and exotic locations.
Over the years, following the success of “GUS”, other reality television shows have emerged, with some competing annually while some have collapsed, perhaps due to a lack of sponsors. Reality shows have discovered, exploited the potentialities of young people mainly in the spheres of entertainment, while Business, public speaking, environmental conservation have also conceived and developed them. The following list reflects the various reality TV shows that have hit our screens after the debut of GUS:
The Intern – Business
Star Quest – Music
Big Brother Nigeria – Social
Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) – Movies
The Next Movie Star – Movies
West African Idols – Music
Nokia First Chance – Music
MTN West Africa Project Fame – Music
MTN Nig / Ghana Soccer Academy – Soccer
The Apprentice – Business
Celebrity Takes Two – Dance
Soccer with Fash – Soccer
Soccer with Okocha – Soccer
Children alone – social (for children)
The 12 Ambassadors – Movies
Koko Mansion – Social
Family dance Maltina al – Dance
Quest Nigeria – Tourism
Desert Warriors – Environmental Conservation
The Deabaters – Oratorio
Praise Him Idol West Africa (music), Titans Nigeria (spanning different fields) and Styleogenic (Fashion) are set to make their debut in the world of reality TV as well.
Nigerians are now looking forward to some of these reality TV shows, and those that are about to emerge or are currently just ideas, we proudly await their debut.
See you later … [email protected]