The Story ⚡
For the first time ever, audiences will get into the twisted minds of ‘The Kelenna’s’ in the new teaser for The Anomalous – a CeeRO World Original Productions.
Tell Me More
Five years after beginning principal photography, “The Anomalous” series, a CeeRO World Original Productions, is set for its official release as it reveals its first teaser.
Set in Lagos and directed by Chinedu Omorie (SilverTown), the limited series follows the private practice of ‘The Kelenna’s’ (Michael Uchegbu and Keira Hewatch), a husband-and-wife Behavioural Psychologist team. They are confronted with mostly bizarre clinical cases while growing their relatively young business in an environment that seldom defies logic, and battling their demons behind closed doors.
“The Anomalous” also stars Ifeanyi Kalu, Clem Ohameze, Felix Omokhodion, Azeezat Sadiq, Ronnie Dikko, Frankincense Eche-Ben, Lucy Ameh, Bryan Okoye, Ogee Nelson, Rita Edward, Stephen Damian, Roxy Antak, Dan Ugoji, Genny Uzoma, Etta JoMaria and Kojo Boakye amongst many.
Richard Odilu (Surul’ere), co-created, executive-produced, and co-wrote the series with Chuk Otakpor, who also co-created, executive-produced, and co-wrote the four-part episodic drama alongside talented and award-winning writers like Tunray Femi (For Maria Ebun Pataki) and Jesurobo-Owie Gift Imafidon (A Place of Happiness).
First Look
Inside The Making
Executive producers and co-writers of the show, Richard Odilu and Chuks Otakpor, talk about the making of this four-part series set to arrive this 2025. The series plots reads:
In a city that never pauses, two psychotherapists – The Kelennas (played by Hewatch and Uchegbu) – run a private practice unlike any other. Week after week, they are confronted with patients whose problems range from the deeply personal to the wildly bizarre.
But while they listen to everyone else’s secrets, who is listening to theirs?
Behind their polished clinic doors, the Kelennas struggle to keep their marriage intact, business afloat, and sanity in check—all while navigating a Lagos that often defies logic.
Series development
Chuk – The initial concept for the screenplay started as a mini-story idea that I shared with Richard in 2017. After he had listened and read my pitch, he got back and said, “Chuk, these stories could be more, five/ten minutes of screen time is not enough to do justice to these gems”
Richard – After we agreed the stories needed expansion and decided the best genre approach to convey our message was through drama, and further argued, then disagreed, and finally agreed after many rewrites of ‘The Pilot Episode’ that the non-linear narrative is best suited for it, the story development began which lasted for almost two years.
On why this story needs to be told
Chuk – Mental health challenges are on the rise, and even more in the present-day fabric of society as people are facing the harsh realities of government policies locally and worldwide more than ever before.
Richard – Growing up as young boys in Nigeria it was commonplace to always “toughen up” and “suck it up” whatever one was going through and to never share “one’s pain” so as not to appear weak, and we’ve often witnessed such actions lead to catastrophic consequences for some individuals and sometimes their families at large. The Anomalous is our response to that culture of silence that it’s okay to not be okay and it’s very okay to speak up.
Chuk – And speaking up and seeking treatment doesn’t equate weakness. It is not taboo. It shouldn’t be a subject of taboo.
Richard – Our minds, like other parts of the body, need “care and attention.” Like the saying, “a problem shared is half-solved.” Now imagine sharing that problem with a trained specialist who is equipped with all the tools to solve specific problems. Therapy does for the mind what a root canal does to an infected tooth.
Chuk – Hence ‘The Anomalous’ in an entertaining form is our contribution, in addition to the contribution of others in “The Mental Health” space in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, to make therapy a cool subject and to encourage others to seek professional help without shame or fear while they still can.
In Summary
As the teaser for “The Anomalous” series drops, audiences are left with a glimpse into the complex world of The Kelennas, a husband-and-wife team of psychotherapists navigating the uncharted territories of the human mind. With its unique blend of psychological thrills, marital drama, and Lagos’s vibrant backdrop, this series promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
