The Village Headmaster

The Village Headmaster (later renamed The New Village Headmaster) is a Nigerian television drama series created by Olusegun Olusola and produced by Dejumo Lewis.[1][2] Originally a radio drama series, the programme was Nigeria’s longest-running television soap opera showed on the NTA from 1968 to 1988,[3] and starred Justus Esiri and Femi Robinson.[4][5] The television series was developed by Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, and is considered one of the early successes of television drama in the country.[6]

The Village Headmaster
GenreDrama
Written byOlusegun Olusola
Directed byDejumo Lewis
StarringFemi Robinson
Justus Esiri Titilola Dada
Opening theme1958
Ending theme1988
Country of originNigeria
Original language(s)
English
Yoruba
Production
Executive producer(s)Olusegu Olusola
Producer(s)Sanya Dosunmu, Dejumo Lewis
Production location(s)Nigeria
Running time45 minutes
DistributorAriya Productions
Release
Original networkNTA
First shown in1958 (Audio format) , 1968 (TV)
Original release1964

Plot

The Village Headmaster was set in the fictitious Yoruba village of Oja, plot lines dealt with social problems and effect of government policies in Oja. The television series was produced after Nigeria gained independence, and was the first major television drama with an ensemble cast from different ethnic groups. Nigerian Pidgin was mixed with standard English as the Oja residents' language of choice, with most scenes occurring in the Oloja of Oja's palace, the headmaster's school, and Amebo's palm wine shack.[7]

Cast and characters[7][8]
  • Ted Mukoro as Headmaster #1, an old-fashioned school headmaster, intelligent, and always wearing khaki shorts and carrying books while trekking to school.
  • Femi Robinson as Headmaster #2 (replaced Mukoro)
  • Justus Esiri as Headmaster #3 (replaced Robinson)
  • Dejumo Lewis as Oloja, the traditional ruler of Oja, level headed chief, sometimes relies on the headmaster for advice on burning village issues.
  • Clara Olushola as headmaster's wife (Clara Fagade)
  • Albert Egbe - Lawyer
  • Ibidun Allison as Amebo, village gossip
  • Jab Adu as Bassey Okon, supplies store owner
  • Funso Adeolu as Senior Chief
  • Joe Layode - Teacher Garuba
  • Charles Awurum[9]
  • Albert Kosemasi as Gorimapa [10]

Productions

The drama was produced in 1958 and aired on radio for six years before its format was transformed into a television series on NBC-Lagos (now NTA). A full series began in 1968 with an initial order of 13 episodes and ran until 1988. The original recordings are not known to have survived. The 1964 master-script by Segun Olusola was published by Ariya Productions in 1977 with a cover drawing by Josy Ajiboye.[11]

Revival

On February 2013, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Tunde Oloyede, who produced 364 episodes of the series stated: "Before the Ambassador (Olusola) died, we had been working on bringing back The Village Headmaster in three possible formats. On film, on stage, and back to television."[12][13]

References
  1. Nwachukwu Frank Ukadike (1994). Black African Cinema. University of California Press. pp. 116–. ISBN 978-0-520-91236-6.
  2. "Drama as Ambassador Segun Olusola is buried - Premium Times Nigeria". Premium Times Nigeria. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  3. Anne Cooper-Chen (21 April 2006). Global Entertainment Media: Content, Audiences, Issues. Routledge. pp. 107–. ISBN 978-1-135-60783-8.
  4. "Village headmaster, Femi Robinson dies at 75". Punch News. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  5. Victor Akande. "'Village Headmaster' Esiri dies at 70". thenationonlineng.net. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  6. Timothy-Asobele, S. J. (2003). Nigerian top TV comedians and soap opera. Lagos: Upper Standard Publications. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9783694626. OCLC 55644917.
  7. Oduko 1985, p. 317-324.
  8. Music and Models Society (2015-05-13). "THE VILLAGE HEADMASTER". MUSIC and MODELS Society. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  9. "Why I keep my wife away from the public –Charles Awurum". The Nation Newspaper. 2014-05-10. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  10. https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/08/27/another-village-headmaster-star-dies
  11. "I could be on set for 3 months without touching my wife – Dagbolu of Village Headmaster fame". The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  12. Akintayo Abodunrin. "The Village Headmaster returns". tribune.com.ng. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  13. "Village Headmaster is Back, Articles - THISDAY LIVE". thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
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