Charles Inojie: ‘I Don’t Know Why They Stopped The Johnsons, They Never Told Me’

Veteran Nollywood actor Charles Inojie has revealed that he does not know why production of the popular family television series The Johnsons was discontinued.

Inojie, who played the beloved character Mr. Lucky Johnson in the long-running sitcom, made the revelation while discussing the series and its eventual end.

The actor clarified that, contrary to what some viewers may believe, he did not own the show.

“Let me say that every good thing that has a beginning surely has an end,” Inojie said, before admitting that he was never informed of the official reason for the show’s discontinuation.

“I don’t know why it was discontinued. I have no reason. I have no information to that effect because I was not told.”

Death of Ada Ameh not the reason, Inojie says

The actor also dismissed the suggestion that the death of actress Ada Ameh, who played one of the show’s major characters, was solely responsible for the end of The Johnsons.

Ameh, who played Emu Johnson, died in July 2022. According to Inojie, the cast and crew initially decided to continue the series as a way of preserving her legacy.

He explained that although Ameh was no longer physically present, her memory continued to feature prominently in the show through conversations about her character and photographs displayed around the Johnson family home.

“We took a decision that one of the best ways to immortalise her legacy would be to continue the show,” he explained.

Inojie noted that the sitcom continued for two seasons after Ameh’s death, making it unlikely, in his view, that her passing was the direct reason for its eventual discontinuation.

Why the Johnsons may have eventually ended

While stressing that his explanation was only his personal opinion and not the official reason, Inojie suggested that the changing circumstances of the younger cast members may have contributed to the show’s eventual end.

According to him, several of the children who featured prominently in the series had reached important stages in their lives where they needed to pursue other opportunities.

Some had to relocate to other states or countries, while others were entering adulthood and starting their own families.

Inojie also highlighted the demanding production schedule of the sitcom.

He revealed that producing as many as 260 episodes in a season required the cast and crew to work almost every day throughout the year, with weekends being their main break.

“The amount of work that went into delivering those episodes” was enormous, he said, explaining that the production schedule made it difficult for cast members to combine the show with other commitments.

‘You are either in or out’

Inojie said the demanding nature of the production meant actors had to be fully committed to the series.

“You can’t manage to shoot 260 episodes in a season,” he explained, noting that the production schedule required a major commitment of time.

He also pointed out that constantly replacing members of the cast could have affected the show’s popularity.

According to him, although the series successfully carried its audience along despite some cast changes, replacing too many familiar faces could eventually make viewers lose interest.

“Where you change and reach, even the audience will rebel against you,” he said.

Inojie, however, ended by reiterating that his explanation remained unofficial.

“That’s my own independent, unofficial explanation. But to be honest, I don’t know why the show was discontinued,” he said.

The Johnsons became one of Nigeria’s most popular television sitcoms, attracting a large audience across Africa with its portrayal of the humorous experiences of the Johnson family.