SHOW:
Pastor's Wives
WHERE TO WATCH:
Fridays, 17:00 on HONEY (DStv 173)
OUR RATING:
3/5 Stars
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
Pastors' Wives introduces viewers to the glamourous women holding it all together in their religious households.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
We have The Real Housewives of Johannesburg, The Real Housewives of Durban and now enter the Pastor's Wives.
The show on DStv's new lifestyle channel HONEY, takes a look behind the veil of what it's like being the wife of a pastor or minister (and yes, there is a difference, which is clearly explained in the first episode).
Being someone who has experience in this world - I'm a PK (Preacher's Kid) - I am always intrigued by how life in the ministry is portrayed. How it affects the family members and wives of the person who has been chosen/called to go into ministry because, ultimately, the children and, to some extent, the wife, didn't choose this. I have watched episodes from the Preachers of… franchise, and one thing that is a constant theme in the show is families' struggle between living your true authentic life and being the example and living the life that is expected of you. And trust me, this can become a heavy cross to bear.
From the first episode of Pastor's Wives, it is clear that the women are struggling with finding the balance between being 'a first lady' and just being a woman who wants to live life on her terms. I suspect that this is a theme that will carry throughout the series.
The show's format is the same as The Real Housewives format; in fact, it is produced by Sonia Mbele, who also did The Real Housewives of Joburg.
Right off the bat, the wives are clear that they are not your 'typical pastor's wives'. We first meet Nandipha Mlombi, a mother of four with another on the way, whose husband is a Methodist minister, and there's Phume Khethang, who is a sales manager. On the other hand, Anietie Ezeimo is not only a pastor's wife but a fully-fledged Pastor in her own right. Then there's Adeyola Dan Costa who runs a West African restaurant in Johannesburg and is married to jazz musician Kunle Ayo. Rounding up the group is Innocent Sadiki, who is the youngest member of the group.
The first episode introduces us to the group with each wife giving their backstory and glimpses into their lives inside and outside the church; they also meet for the first time as a group. It teases tensions that will arise in the group, not things they say to each other in person, but things they are not afraid to say in the on-camera interview sessions. It also gives you a bit of insight into who will be the stirrers in the group.
I really can't give away any spoilers, or even good quotes, but what I can say is that if the show's purpose is to let people see that people from religious households are just humans too, it has set that intention up well from the first episode. I am intrigued to see where this show will go and what other themes will be explored in the season.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: