Exploring The Golden Age of Ghanaian Sitcoms

As Ghanaians, the excitement that once brewed within us as we waited for a particular day and time for our favorite local TV show to air was a feeling shared across the community. Part of this collective anticipation came from the wide array of television shows that aired on those specific days and times. Some of these shows were popular on GTV, TV3, and Viasat 1; later, UTV and GHOne added new favourites to the list. Programmes such as “Cantata,” “Obra,” “Things We Do for Love,” “Efiewura,” “Taxi Driver,” “Home Sweet Home,” “Chorkor Trotro,” “Cow and Chicken,” “Cocoa Brown,” and “YOLO” can all be described as sitcoms. These Ghanaian Sitcoms centred on portraying the raw culture found in our homes, schools, workplaces and commercial vehicles, along with the unfiltered nuances of the relationships between their characters.

These sitcoms depicted the everyday lives of Ghanaians, capturing culture in a way that made audiences laugh while also encouraging them to reconsider some of their own actions and choices. “Efiewura” for instance, featured a character named “Koo Fori,” who played a husband who was essentially an alcoholic and a philanderer. Although we all laughed at some of his antics, we could equally recognise the toll his behaviour took on his wife. The show was deliberate in crafting that character, since it reflected a broader reality in many homes; men who turn to alcohol and womanizing to escape the harsh realities of life. Such a man would rather come home drunk than be held accountable for his responsibilities. After all, who would willingly attempt a meaningful conversation with someone who is intoxicated?

Taxis and trotros have been used if not by all, almost every Ghanaian, and we all have stories to share from boarding these vehicles; whether it’s a loud passenger, a sharp-tongued mate, or a vehicle whose roadworthiness leaves much to be desired. “Taxi Driver” and “Chorkor Trotro” captured these shared experiences vividly. These shows were crucial in shaping Ghanaian pop culture. They served as social commentary, making us laugh while prompting us to reflect more objectively on our relationships with fellow citizens in these everyday settings. They also introduced and preserved Ghanaian culture for citizens living abroad, helping them stay connected to their roots.

Today, however, things look very different. Local shows no longer dominate our screens. Given how important they once were, you’d think they’d still be thriving, but that simply isn’t the case. The few that air today don’t seem to carry the same cultural weight. The decline began when local TV channels started filling their prime slots with Mexican, Asian, and Indian telenovelas. The real blow to the local industry came when networks started dubbing these foreign productions into Ghanaian languages like Twi, Ga etc. TV series like “Maricruz,” “Kumkum Bhagya,” “Shree,” and “La Gata” gained massive attention, usually airing right when families were winding down for the evening, between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. This raises an important question: how did our media houses move from supporting local productions to backing foreign productions? And what made local audiences embrace foreign content on such a massive scale?

The answer is fairly simple: most of these telenovelas centre on universal themes of romance and intense family conflict. Still, the trend wasn’t without controversy. A show like “The Unforgivable,” which aired on UTV, faced heavy criticism for being too explicit and for its portrayal of nudity. Airing these shows wasn’t cheap or easy either. Networks had to buy licensing rights from foreign corporations, hire voice actors for translations, and secure approval from the National Communications Authority (NCA). Yet despite the expense, time, and cultural barriers involved, foreign series flooded our media landscape all the same, which suggests just how intentional the push behind these foreign shows really was. It isn’t just sitcoms, but there has been a general decline in patronage of Ghanaian films and television as a whole, with people increasingly turning to YouTube and other streaming platforms instead.

Nevertheless, it remains a regrettable truth that the Ghanaian film industry couldn’t withstand this competition. At present, veteran Ghanaian actress Oheneyere Mercy Asiedu, through Mesduah Productions, has sought to revive the industry by producing local films aimed at addressing this decline. These productions air on Adom TV, typically after the foreign shows have concluded, with repeat broadcasts shown in the afternoon when most viewers are away at work. Even so, their audience reach cannot be compared to that of their predecessors. Other YouTubers, including former Kumawood stars like Dr Likee, have also tried their hands at short films which have gained some notoriety. Today’s characters have yet to earn the same recognition once enjoyed by the likes of Adjetey Annan, Majid Michel, Koo Fori, the late Katawere, Rama Brew, Jackie Appiah, Funny Face, Dada Boat, who rose to prominence through those earlier productions.

The memories of a whole family coming together to watch their lives reflected on television can only evoke nostalgia now; they can’t be relived. The conversations we had, the terms we coined after watching these shows, and even the urge to live like some of the characters; all of it will forever remain a cherished moment in time. Calling for a rerun of these shows isn’t out of the question. But really, it would be far more meaningful to create new shows that can serve the same purpose these once did. Culture grows when we build on what already exists; discarding it altogether doesn’t help, since most people can’t summon the energy to start from scratch. The past should serve as inspiration for doing things better in the present.

Written by: Melody Tuffour