CBS Studios International and Scoope Media have inked a licensing deal for an African version of “The Doctors,” the long-running daytime show that blends entertainment with health advice from a panel of real-life doctors.
Produced in Nigeria by Scoope Media U.K., the series will premiere in the last quarter of 2019 on the Scoop! SVOD platform, followed by a rollout on free-to-air and pay-TV broadcasters across the continent. Rights to the series have already sold to the continent’s leading pay-TV operator, DStv, as well as China’s StarTimes, which operates in Africa.
Each episode of the hour-long program is expected to offer timely, topical and practical health, wellness and lifestyle information from medical professionals, featuring real-life stories and celebrity interviews. “Our goal is to every week make people on screens across Africa laugh, cry and learn something about their health,” said executive producer and host Dayo Osholowu. “We hope to bring care to many that do not have proper healthcare access, and of course become a highly rated show.”
Osholowu believes the “The Doctors” can have a transformative impact on the continent, where access to quality medical advice is limited. His Lagos-based healthcare company, Kasi Healthcare, has spent two years developing a mobile app to allow audiences across Africa to consult with doctors in real time. “I always thought ‘The Doctors’ would work in the African market…[and] be fuel for change,” he said.
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Roxanne Pompa, V.P. of formats for CBS Studios International, negotiated the deal with Osholowu. “It’s terrific that CBS Studios International and Dr. Osholowu are bringing such a globally recognized format like ‘The Doctors’ to Africa,” said Pompa. “This is a show that empowers its viewers with insight and information, and will serve as a public service for the broad and engaged audiences found across the African continent.”
“The Doctors,” which debuted on CBS in 2008, was created by Jay McGraw, who got his start in TV working with his father, Dr. Phil McGraw, on the latter’s popular daytime show. “The Doctors” won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Informative in 2010, and has been nominated six times in the category. The show’s co-hosts received additional nominations for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2011 and 2012.