Growing up, I watched a lot of TV dramas with my dad, mainly those for children. The themes always included disobedience, loving God, and societal responsibilities. At the end of each program, my dad would ask us about the moral lessons. We'd take turns sharing what we learned.
These programs aired on Sundays, around 8 PM, and lasted just a few minutes.
Aside from these children's programs, there was a comedy sitcom my mum loved, produced by Wale Adenugua Productions (WAP TV). This sitcom was in short episodes, and each one ended with a cliffhanger, keeping us hooked until the next episode. We all grew to love Papa Ajasco, and it became our favorite comedy sitcom.
Papa Ajasco is a classic Nigerian family television sitcom created in the early 2000s by Wale Adenugua. The show revolves around the Ajasco family and their quirky neighbors.
Some of the most beloved characters include:
Papa Ajasco: The patriarch of the family, known for his promiscuous ways and hilarious antics. He's bald-headed with a huge potbelly.
Mama Ajasco: Papa Ajasco's pitiful wife, who often finds herself rolling her eyes at her husband's shenanigans.
Bobo Ajasco: Papa Ajasco's mischievous son. He's always getting into trouble.
Boy Alinco: A young, stylish, and confident neighbor who often gets himself into trouble with his antics. His signature is a flattop, and he's completely bald.
Pa James: An elderly, never-do-well, illiterate neighbor who speaks in a funny, often unintelligible dialect. He's an alcoholic.
Miss Pepeiye: A gold digger. She's young and charming, and always in charge of causing misunderstandings between the rich men.
The themes center around family dynamics, social issues, and cultural identity, often incorporating local language (mostly pidgin) and customs into the storylines.
This show was very popular in many African countries and was known as the best comedy sitcom in Nigeria. I remember my classmates talking about some of the episodes in school back then, and a secret rendezvous act by the senior students, called WAP (a code word that was only understood by the students)was named after the sitcom. This was around 2015.
Everything about this comedy made me love it: the relatable and funny storylines, the well-developed and talented characters, and the soundtracks.
It was very humorous and educational. Also, it was always a good family moment before we retired to bed. I wasn't really into the show, as there were a lot of movies and cartoons to watch. So, the little I could remember is because of the hysterical evenings it created for everyone at home.
I had some favorites I enjoyed so much, even though I didn't really follow them up. In order of preference, they are; Wind Of Change, Another Miracle, and Lagos Beggar. They all centered around real-life situations, something everyone in the country can relate to, so I guess that's why we loved it so much. Nigerian citizens love making fun out of their problems, and we believe it keeps our minds from being overly worried, especially after returning home from work.
Click to watch onYouTube☝️.
From what I've seen on YouTube, Papa Ajasco is still on, with great episodes produced to meet the recent times. Rewatching the old ones got me grinning from ear to ear.
So much has changed over the years, but those episodes remain a sweet part of my childhood.
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