Papa Ajasco and Company (formerly The Ajasco Family) is a Nigerian family television sitcom created by Wale Adenuga in 1997. The show is a spin-off of a feature film of the same title produced by Wale Adenuga in 1984, which in turn is based on the comic Ikebe Super. The story revolves around the Ajasco family and their comedic interpretations to major societal issues. The main characters include womanising patriarch Papa Ajasco, his long-suffering wife Mama Ajasco, their mischievous son Bobo Ajasco, local playboy Boy Alinco, promiscuous gold-digger Miss Pepeiye, and illiterate ne'er-do-wells Pa James and Pa Jimoh. At its prime, Papa Ajasco was widely considered to be Nigeria's most watched comedy series, viewed weekly in twelve African countries.

Background

Adenuga released Papa Ajasco movie in 1983, which was one of Golden Age Nollywood productions. He stated in an interview that the title character was motivated from the lead role in Ikebe Super. Adenuga began producing and airing the television series as The Ajasco Family in 1996.^[1]

Character descriptions

• Papa Ajasco: A womanising bald-headed husband, who often hits his head when astonished at an event. He was played by Abiodun Ayoyinka, and later Femi Ogunrombi. ^[2]
• Mama Ajasco: The long-suffering wife of Papa Ajasco. She was played by Iyabo Momoh, and later Moji Oyetayo.
• Pa James: An elderly man, who usually expresses himself in unintelligent ways. Unlike the other characters, he does not appear in the comic; he was specifically created for the series to avoid offending Muslim who objected to Pa Jimoh's antics. Pa James was played by Kayode Sehinde.
• Boy Alinco: A narcissistic young man, who has a signature mode of walking and talking. In the comic he has an unusual hairdo, but is completely bald in the series. Boy Alinco was played by Bayo Bankole, and later Victor Oyebode.
• Miss Pepeiye: A materialistic young lady who pursues wealthy men for monetary benefits. In the comic, Pepeiye wears her hair in a quiff, but has a variety of styles in the series.
• Bobo Ajasco: The mischievous son of Papa and Mama Ajasco. He is often seen wearing a baseball cap with a long peak, as does his comic version. He has made appearances in Binta, My Daughter where he was the title character's friend, and also had his own strip in Binta.
• Pa Jimoh (The Ajasco Family only): A friend of the Ajascos, Pa Jimoh is an illiterate simpleton whose lack of sense has caused conflict between the other characters and himself. Although he identifies as a Muslim, albeit secular, he is also a compulsive alcoholic. In the series he is shown with hair, whereas the comic version of himself is completely bald while his physique is almost skeletal. Pa Jimoh was played by Chris Erakpotobor; the character was rested after Erakpotobor's death in 2000.

Reception

Papa Ajasco television series is widely watched across families in Nigeria.^[3] In 2010, it debuted in Ghana through Ghana Television and was reputed to being the "best comedy on television" in the country.^[4] It also won Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award in Accra.^[5] A survey conducted by Pulse Nigeria revealed that "Papa Ajasco" character was the most loved with 29.2% of the votes, closely followed by "Boy Alinco" and "Pa James".^[6] Papa Ajasco is watched weekly across twenty terrestrial stations in Nigeria and in eleven African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Guinea. In 2013, several additions were made to the cast of new episodes including Femi Brainard, Niyi Johnson and Henrietta Kosoko^[7][8]

References