Before Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok took over our screens, there was a time when we all gathered around the TV, antenna raised to the heavens, hoping NEPA wouldn’t disappoint. These shows defined our childhoods, gave us memories, and for many, shaped our sense of humor and love for drama. If you didn’t watch at least five of these, did you even grow up in Nigeria?
Here are the 10 TV shows that made the good old days memorable:
Super Story (Wale Adenuga Productions)
“This is Super Story… A life of strife & struggle!” If you heard that theme song and didn’t run to the living room, you missed a cultural moment. From “Oh Father, Oh Daughter” to “No Pain, No Gain,” Super Story gave us plot twists, village wickedness, and family drama that made Nollywood jealous.
Papa Ajasco & Company
Where do we begin? The bald head slap? Boy Alinco’s catwalk? Miss Pepeye’s pepper body? This show was pure chaos and comedy gold. Everyone had a favorite character, and yes o, some of us still randomly say “Ojigbijigbi” for no reason.
Fuji House of Commotion
Before blended families became a Netflix thing, Fuji House of Commotion showed us what it meant to live in a house full of wives, children, and wahala. Every episode was peak commotion, and we loved every second.
Binta and Friends / Nnenna & Friends
The ultimate after-school TV lineup, no lies! These shows gave us young stars, catchy songs, and life lessons…And yes, Binta was EVERY Nigerian child’s role model at some point. If you had a “Binta” crush, no one is judging you.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Frank Edoho’s voice alone could make you sweat. One wrong answer and it was “I’m sorry, that’s the final answer.” We all played along at home like we were on the hot seat too, even though we didn’t know 80% of the questions.
Everyday People
An early soap opera that showed the reality of Nigerian life in a raw and relatable way. It wasn’t just entertaining, it felt like home. The music, the acting, the moral lessons… peak TV!
Tales by Moonlight
“Story story?” — “Story!” Every Sunday evening on NTA, this show brought African folktales to life. It was simple, powerful, and part of our cultural bedtime ritual. If you watched this with your siblings, you’re officially an OG.
NTA Network News
It might not have been “fun,” or a show per se, but it was iconic. The intro music? Legendary. The anchors? Unshakable. Your parents had to watch it. And you? You were forced to sit through it before cartoons came back on.
Everyday Cartoons: Voltron, Tom & Jerry, Jetsons
NTA or AIT & even Silverbird (when it came into the scene) would bless us with cartoons in the evenings, and weekends were for classics. Even with the bad signal and the occasional “snowy” screen, we were glued like superglue on paper.
AIT Lunch Break / Soundcity (Old School Era)
Before streaming platforms took the music industry by storm, these were our music video stations with shows like One on One or Top 10. Whether it was P-Square, Styl-Plus, D’banj, or 2Face, if you wanted to feel cool, you had to know what was trending on AIT or Soundcity.
Back then, life was simple. One TV, one remote, and plenty of arguments. But these shows?
They gave us joy, culture, laughter, and memories. Long live the golden age of Nigerian TV.
