AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IMPACT OF TELEVISION SERIES ON THE NIGERIAN WOMEN (A CASE STUDY OF LAGOS STATE)

Background of the study: The mass media has recently become very well-established in emerging nations. Today, even historically isolated areas have access to television and radio programming. Although proof of the media's socioeconomic consequences is not restricted to developing nations alone, several of these TV series programs have had an impact on Nigerian women, both negatively and favorably (Jean, 2022).

A woman's conduct might be impacted by watching TV via a number of different channels. First of all, since women are prone to changing depending on what they see and hear, and because this TV show offers fresh information every day, it encourages women to modernize their lives. This TV show may be especially significant in certain underdeveloped nations, where access to printed (or other) information sources may be limited. Some individuals often confuse the differences between TV series and the local networks' soup opera programs (Jekayinfa, 2022).

A television series is a program that is centered on a certain plot and may be classified as either criminal, action, thriller, horror, or romance, for example. Much of the plot of a TV show is decided before casting and main photography even begin. It's possible that the amount of episodes will be planned out well in advance. However, the stories and actions that would occur were already determined upon before the film was released. Since most traditional TV series continue to focus on telling the narrative rather than creating absurd plot twists, there are less TRP (Television Rating Point) stunts in these programs. Before a TV show's premiere, the majority of the filming is finished. Ending sequences are sometimes chosen after the program receives feedback from the audience in the form of television rating points. TV shows are often regarded as having bigger budgets, excellent cinematography, and cinematic quality. They must show actual events accurately and "transform the television into a personal movie hall."

 

A TV series' storyline may or may not be continuous. It may air episodes that are unrelated to those that came before or after them. TV shows with continuous story lines are often anticipated to be shorter in length (not extending beyond six months if daily, and one year if weekly). There might be numerous seasons to a TV show.

AY Show, Teju BabyFace Show, Nigerian Idol, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Big Brother Nigeria are a few examples of Nigerian TV series (Joyce, 2018).

While a soap opera is a plodding, more retrograde family drama series that places a greater emphasis on feelings and theatrics than on a specific subject. A soap opera just has a general plot, most of which develops naturally when the episodes are broadcast. A soap opera's destiny is decided by its television rating point. Soap operas have a greater emphasis on family values and culture, and they sometimes develop new plot lines involving either family members or strangers. The fact that these shows are primarily concerned with television ratings points means that they frequently feature television rating point stunts and plot twists, such as the unexpected death or reincarnation of a family member, the kidnapping of a person, a marriage, the possibility of becoming pregnant, and so on. These stories were chosen in order to attract viewers. There are occasional exceptions, but generally speaking, these performances don't depict any specific social group or activity. If they have high television ratings, soap operas often last for several years; otherwise, they stop after six months. This kind of show production is less structured. The average cost of a soap opera is modest. A soap opera is like a parallel family that lives within the screen (Kluckhohn, 2018). We join the family and continue to value its routine affairs, regardless of how absurd they may seem.

Most complaints about soap operas focus on their sluggish pacing and sometimes implausible narratives. The majority of soap operas only last for one lengthy season. Domino, Super Story, Cock Crow at Dawn, Fuji House of Commotion, Edge of Paradise (seen on DSTV), Dear Mother, Heaven's Gate, Everyday People, and others are prominent Nigerian soap operas.

However, if the final narrative is not set before the show's start and if it receives a lot of fan approval, a TV series may over time resemble a soap opera. Even if the series was only meant to last for a short time, the creative directors of TV networks ask the makers of these programs to continue the plot.

There may be soap operas or TV programs based on historical events. Historical TV series are those that simply present actual events, while historical fictional sagas or serials include significant amounts of both truth and fiction. In reality, TV shows may sometimes last longer than soap operas (Mckee, 2019). However, such TV shows are often sporadic or only sporadically continuous. This research is of immense importance because it examines the crucial influence of television series on the life of its audience, specifically the Nigerian women.