Edwin Usoboh 
Longtime lovers and fans of Bollywood soap operas are in for a treat as Zeb Ejiro’s 90s blockbuster series, Ripples, returns on Africa Magic this June. The series, which first premiered on NTA in 1988, was one of the most popular shows of the 90s and aired for five years. The sequel, Ripples (The New Generation), will premiere on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, and pick up years after, still centred around the lives of the Dehinde-Phillips’ and their associates.
The new series will give room to a new generation of cast members taking on the role of the children and grandchildren of the beloved characters from the older show. However, older characters like Alex Usifo, Barbara Soky, Emeka Ossai, and Keppy Ekpeyong-Bassey will return to their roles as Talab Abass, Daphne Wellington-Cole, Wale Okoya, and Admiral (formerly Cap- tain) Hassan respectively.
Tope Olowoniyan, Vine Ogulu, Ian Wordi, Debby Felix, Lexan Peters, Daniel Abua, Francis Onwochei, and Mana Sodje will join them as the new generation. Thirty years after fans last saw the show in 1993 and after the death of the former matriarch, Leslie Dehinde-Philips, Doris, a remarkable young woman and her grand- daughter, finds herself on the brink of inheriting the Deinde-Phillips fortune and a staggering 75% share of DP Oil.
Raised to take the reins as Chief Executive Officer, Doris seems destined for greatness. However, beneath her seemingly perfect life, she yearns for something more elusive – freedom. Unfortunately, her dreams of freedom end when a dramatic protest against DP Oil, led by the Elders of a Niger Delta community, erupts. Determined to extricate herself from the situation and pursue her desires, Doris unwittingly falls into the clutches of a ruthless company executive who harbours a desperate aspiration to become CEO.
Her grandmother’s last will affects her decisions about freedom and leaves her questioning everything. Speaking about the sequel, the Head of Content and West Africa Channels, MultiChoice, Dr Busola Tejumola, said: “Ripples was an iconic show during its first run. We hope to reignite that love for the show again with this sequel, and with the original creator, Zeb Ejiro, at the helm of production, we are most confident that we can.
Despite continuing the former drama, Ripples: The New Generation will be easy to understand for younger audiences who never got to see the first show. It promises to be dramatic, exciting, and suspenseful. We are excited for our viewers to see it and can’t wait for the reviews. As always, this sequel shows our commitment to telling authentic African stories, and we’ll continue to do more.”
Ripples: The New Generation promises an unforgettable v i e w i n g experience with its talented cast and gripping plot. Every Wednesday, when this TV show premieres, audiences will be captivated.
