Charles Inojie, known for his portrayal of Lucky Johnson, announced the end of The Johnsons’ Series, which aired on Africa Magic
The Executive Producer of the Nigerian TV series ‘The Johnsons’, Rogers Ofime, has revealed the reason for ending the drama series after 13 years.
Charles Inojie, known for his portrayal of Lucky Johnson, announced the end of the series, which aired on Africa Magic on Monday. The show revolved around an average Nigerian family navigating life’s challenges in Lagos, Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Ofime said the decision to end the show stemmed from believing it had fulfilled its purpose.
The filmmaker added that despite the challenges, the show brought laughter to viewers for the past 13 years, but like everything else, it had to end.
He said, “While the vision is clear, there are no problems. It was time to wrap up the show. Every producer desires success when embarking on a project. The level of success, however, is unpredictable. We believe the show has accomplished its objectives—we’ve covered nearly all aspects typically found in households.
“You do everything necessary, ticking all the boxes, and hope the viewers enjoy the show. I didn’t anticipate ‘The Johnsons’ becoming this big, but each year, we receive feedback and strive to improve. It’s a show for the viewers, and we heed their feedback every season.
“We created what the viewers wanted, and I’m confident in the early stages, there were moments when one felt overwhelmed and just wanted to end it. However, considering the end goal is essential to persist. Also, acknowledging the contributions of everyone involved is crucial. Being an executive producer doesn’t mean you’re the sole contributor to the show’s success.
Justifying the decision, Mr Ofime said when he starts something, he envisions its end goal, and it motivates him. He also said he considers everyone else involved because they all contribute to the show’s success, so he looks at them and regains the drive to continue when tired.
Ada Ameh and Spiff
Mr Ofime clarified that the show did not end because Ada Ameh, the lead female cast, died, or Samuel Ajibola, known as Spiff, one of the lead cast members, exited the production in May 2021.
According to Mr Ofime, best known for producing several notable Nigerian television soap operas, including ‘Tinsel’, the series continued despite Ameh’s death and Spiff’s departure.
He, however, emphasised that Ameh’s death was a significant loss for the show and everyone involved.
The award-winning filmmaker added that the crew decided not to recast Ameh’s character as a gesture of respect towards her.
He said, “So what we did was to work her death into our story. So, if you watch the episode, you see that the family attended her burial, and then they returned. For us, that is the end of that character. We’re not going to recast. We’re not, and we don’t want anyone. It was a huge shoe to fill up. And we didn’t want to do that.
“The show is being rested now has nothing to do with people leaving because people will leave and come in.”
No spin-off
When asked about potential spin-offs, Mr Ofime, who prides himself as the first producer to produce a multi-cam studio-based daily drama series in Nigeria, ‘said ‘The Johnsons’ fans deserve much more and intend to provide just that’’.
The father-of-two stressed that as the show ends, individuals should celebrate the achievements, the actors, and their dedication because generating ideas and performing daily was no easy feat.
He said, “Sometimes it’s boring; sometimes you’re trying to generate laughter. You’re not even happy, but you’ll have to come on set and make people happy. It’s not easy.
“So we just can’t, we just can’t end the show like that, and then suddenly you’re coming up with a spin-off. From the beginning, Aki and Pawpaw were the people we considered good at acting in particular roles while writing.
“We wrote the story around them. But in fact, we wrote it around Chinedu Ikedieze. Like that, he’s the shortest in the family, but every other person had to go through rigorous casting.”
The drama series captivated audiences for 14 unforgettable years, spanning 14 seasons and boasting 1830 episodes.
Screenwriter Ike Umeadi conceived the idea behind ‘The Johnsons, which aired in 2012 in English and Hausa.
In 2023, it clinched the Best Original Comedy Series title at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).
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