soap opera

Howtime flies, one could remember in the 90s when children stay glued to theirblack and white television every 6pm to watch “tales by the moon light” aprogram that educated them on moral values.
Soapoperas like “wild destiny”, “After the storm”, “Everyday people”, “Familycircle”, to mention few, were must watch for youths. These soap opera had somuch to offer in terms of information, education, and entertainment (humor).
Itis over a decade, but the memory of these programs still lingers in the mind ofmany. Some are of the opinion that the soaps contributed to making their growingbeautiful and enjoyable.
Thebroadcast media (television) provided their audience with many option to choosefrom both local and foreign soaps. In the 90s, foreign program like “wide rose”,“passion”, “secret of the sand” and others were broadcasted for interestedviewers. Many children then never had the opportunity to watch them “My motherwill always send us to bed immediate after NTA network news, so that we willnot “watch wild Rose” ”, said, Busola Idris, a graduate of Wolex Polythenic.
Many,especially mothers were of the opinion that foreign soap opera had nothing tooffer as far as moral values were concerned, they believed foreign drama onlypromoted immorality.
Today,foreign soap opera have become the order of the day. it has captured theinterest of children, youth, and the old in our society. Foreign soaps thatchange the atmosphere were soaps like  “whenyou are mine”, a.k.a Paloma, “Cathalina and Sabastian”, “Favorite”, “Secondchance”, “Raphaela”, “Wild heart”, “In the name of love”, “Storm”, “Woman ofsteal”, “Lorenzos wife”, “Laravencha”, “Untamed beauties”, “Triumph of love”,“Don’t mess with an angel”, “Pamini Damini”, and others, became topic ofdiscussion in the market, even work place. People rushing home before the closeof work, shop owners without television, lock up their stores just to catch upwith any of the program. Some have become so addicted to watching these soapsthat they don’t mind standing by the road side to watch, if they can’t get homein time, after which they stay back to analyze the just concluded episode andpredict the next. Sometimes this analysis generates into a huge argument.
Childrenare not left in this euphoria of love for foreign soaps, sound tracks and signaturetune of some of these soap operas has become nursery rhyme and national anthem.Some children sing it so well that a stranger could mistake it for a national pledge.Some children want to be called by the names of the strong characters, like Issabella,Cathalina, Paloma etc.
Despitethe fact that foreign soaps have become rave of the moment, some people do notfind them interesting “i consider it a total waste of time watching mexicandrama or soaps, they have  just makebelieve with little or no lessons or moral values to impact”, said Mrs.Chukwudi, a resident in Ogba.
“Ilike foreign soaps because of the level of suspense. Though, some of the soapsopera are not real but it is been acted as it were real”, said Seun Salako, astudent of Nigerian institute of journalism.
Salakoadded that the Nigerian drama and soaps are not as interesting as the foreign sinceyou can predict the end from the beginning.
Mrs.Caleb, a resident of Magodo said that they are usually interesting but they donot portray our culture, “I watch them and I enjoy watching them but it doesnot portray our culture, and the children do not enjoy them, they do not teachlessons that the local soaps teaches our children. This is gradually wipingaway our culture, she added.
Itis not in doubt that the foreign soaps have taken over because hardly will yousee a television station without a foreign soaps on its program list. Companiesand corporate organization have also taken advantage of this foreign romancewith foreign soaps by advertising their product (goods and services). Thereason is not far-fetched since this program has wide and huge followership.
Everyonehas the freedom to choose the kind of program to watch, the media as the fourthestate of the realm have the duty to satisfy their audience, Though it is the functionof the mass media is to transfer culture from one generation to another (transmissionof cultural heritage).
Thequestion on the lips of many is whether local soap opera will redeem it lostglory and match up with foreign soap operas?