The Johnsons – Five Reasons It Became Nigeria’s Number One Sitcom

The Johnsons is a Nigerian situational comedy that airs on DSTV Africa Magic Showcase, Africa Magic Urban, and Africa Magic Family (GOTV).  Produced by Rogers Ofime, and directed by Charles Inojie who plays the role of the father in the series, and written, at some point (or continuously), by Ike Umeadi, Mfon Oluwaseu Bassey, Tobe Osigwe, etc., the show is on air every night between 7.30 to 9.00 pm and by 12 pm or so the next day (depending on the Channel).

The Johnsons began in 2011 and is widely watched by Nigerians because of how the story focuses on the average Nigerian family and the things happening around us on a daily basis. We consider it the number one sitcom in Nigeria, above “My Siblings And I”, “Jennifer’s Diary”, “My Flatmates”, etc. Here are our reasons.

1. It is humorous without over

Humour is something no one can do without, watching this drama has a way of making you feel light because of the humorous antics employed by the casts. After a long stressful day at your job or business place, seeing the gimmicks of Spiff (Samuel Ajibola) will leave you laughing out loud.

Emu Johnson (Ada Ameh), Lucky Johnson, Jennifer (Seun Adebajo Osigbesan), all add to the spice of the show. It is not necessarily that they are funny, they are, but it is usually a matter of Mama Yakubu (Akunna Ezinwanyi Nworgu), Deputy’s shenanigans, Pablo, and Daniel Iroegbu’s character, Prince (pronounced Plince by him) are some of the non-major cast who add to the richness of the show.

2. It centers on Family

The drama was able to capture the everyday situations an average Nigerian family faces daily as they live their lives, pursue their dreams and try to make ends meet. This makes it relatable to the viewers who can understand what it is like for them and how they can scale through it all and remain whole as a family without falling apart.

The marriage factor is another aspect of interest as it shows that no marriage is perfect but with understanding and good communication, it can thrive. It also increases bonding amongst family members as they sit together to watch the series.

3. It educates

The series is not just entertaining, it also educates by using comedy to pass a message across to the viewers. The character of Pablo (Kunle Bamtefa) is an illustration of how some people are eager to get rich as quickly as possible without going through the right process, which results in him suffering a loss. Instead of learning from it, he will try to collect money from the Johnsons to start up another venture that will collapse. He was driven by greed and not hard work.

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There is also the character of Efe (Chinedu Ikedieze) whose role shows that studying hard makes you excel and stand out in the world. He always corrects his family members when they make a mistake. Unlike his adopted brother who is fond of failing because of his inability to focus on his studies.

In other words, every one of our actions also has consequences that we have to deal with.

4. The Actors and Storyline

Another reason why The Johnsons is regarded as Nigeria’s number one sitcom is because of the actors in it. Most people love the characters of Spiff, Efe, Blessing, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. That alone, makes them tune in whenever the show is being aired to see their favorite casts and the storyline is appealing too, with each cast performing their roles to the best of their ability.

5. Points Out Societal Ills

The series points out the decline in moral values of most Nigerian families and the need to desist from such by forming firm strategies of high moral standards in society. Some of the societal ills talked about including the negative impacts of being greedy, lies (as portrayed by the character of Deputy (Eliel Otote), Pablo, and sometimes Tari Johnson and Jennifer Johnson), corruption, and how poverty makes people forsake you (as seen at some point when Mr. Johnson lost his SA tp the Governor job).

All of these contributed to the viewers identifying with the series, making it the most preferred amongst other tv dramas.

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