Ghana’s television industry is scrambling after scenic-panel maker KoraForm Works recalled 4,800 interlocking wall units used in studios across Accra and Kumasi. The recall notice, issued on 22 September, cites locking clips that can loosen after repeated assembly; the company told studios to stop using the panels while replacements are tested.
A study published on Friday by the Accra Screen Research Centre found that 32 of 44 leading Ghanaian scripted series filmed on KoraForm sets between 2023 and 2026. Researchers say the products shaped a single-room formula across the screen: kitchens, bedrooms and offices in different dramas often shared the same dimensions and layout.
The same rooms, show after show
Lead researcher Loyal Kris said the team reviewed production records and coded 2,400 scenes from series shown on broadcasters and streaming services. In 28 shows, the study found, a main set could be converted into another programme’s room in less than a day, often with only a change of curtains, props and wall colour.
The recalled panels were used by 17 studios and 26 production companies, according to the study. KoraForm’s system was popular because crews could assemble it without permanent construction, then store it between shoots. Researchers found that its standard room modules appeared in 73% of the series surveyed, including 11 of the 15 most-watched titles.
“Viewers were being sold 32 different worlds built from the same handful of walls,” Kris said. The report argues that the shared kit did more than save money: it nudged writers and directors towards familiar indoor scenes because elaborate locations and custom sets cost more and took longer to arrange.
Producers now face a bill estimated by the Ghana Screen Producers Council at GH₵24 million (about €1.6 million) for replacement scenery, studio hire and postponed shoots. Council director Lisa Wirth said nine series have delayed filming and three have shifted planned episodes to later in the year. No one was hurt, and the company says it has received no reports of panels falling.
Crews race to rebuild
The recall followed a stress test commissioned by KoraForm after a customer reported a clip loosening during a routine rebuild. The firm said the notice covers every panel in the affected production run, not only units where clips have shown wear. It has offered inspection and replacement parts but has not given a date for a full replacement programme.
Raheem Batz, a producer whose team is preparing a new season of the drama “Harbour Street”, said his crew had dismantled two finished rooms and moved three days of filming. “We can dress a room to look new, but we cannot make a narrow set suddenly hold a wide shot,” he said. The company is now scouting homes and offices for scenes intended for studio interiors.
The study warns that the recall could expose how little choice small production houses have when suppliers and studio space are concentrated in a few hands. Kris said the researchers will track whether productions commission more local carpentry or simply rent rooms from larger rivals. KoraForm said it plans to publish a revised clip design after further testing, while broadcasters have not announced schedule changes.
