5 Shows Every Nigerian Millenial Probably Watched In University

The year was 2005, D’banj had just dropped ‘Tongolo’ and everyone was losing their home training over the fresh, hip sound. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, then you’re probably a Nigerian millennial.

Our university experience is one we often look back on with mixed feelings. While we thoroughly enjoyed the freedom that came with being on campus, the pressures and demands of school were sometimes unbearable.

Today, we take a nostalgic look back on six series that kept every Nigerian millennial glued to their screens in uni.

GOSSIP GIRL

Can you even call yourself a Nigerian millennial if you didn’t watch or at least catch a snippet of Gossip Girl through its 6-season run? We can definitely still hear the voice of the anonymous blogger who’s always watching aka “Gossip Girl” narrating this series.

This American teen drama was based on the novel series “Gossip Girl” written by Cecily von Ziegesar.

The story revolves around Blair Wardolf, a teenage girl who can be considered the “Queen Bee”. Blair is envied by friends and adversaries alike because she is thought to have the perfect life – a handsome boyfriend (Nate Archibald, who by the way used to date her best friend *gasp*) and is on the verge of getting into her dream school, Yale. However, everything falls apart when her best friend, the beautiful Serena van der Woodsen, returns to town after being kicked out of boarding school. 

Throughout the show, their love-hate relationship is evident as the two engage in conflicts and reconciliations leaving us wondering why they were even friends in the first place. But they also remind us of the true meaning of friendship and the importance of relationships.

Gossip Girl won a total of 18 Teen Choice Awards and in 2008 New York Magazine named the series as the “Best Show Ever”. Rolling Stone also described it as “TV’s hottest show”.

The show has an IMDb rating of 7.8/10 and a Rotten Tomato score of 70%.

Gossip Girl and the all-new HBO Max Gossip Girl reboot are available to binge on Showmax.

DEXTER

For the Gen Zs who do not know, before You was Dexter.  The series, which lasted nine seasons and ran from 2006- 2013 follows the life of Dexter; a Miami Metro Police Department blood pattern analyst, who leads a secret double life as a vigilante. He hunts and kills murderers who slipped through the justice system, talk about irony!

Dexter’s decision to hunt and kill murderers who slipped through the cracks of a corrupt and often unfair legal system, was fueled by his own gruesome past. At age 3, Dexter witnessed the gruesome murder of his mother by a chainsaw! Unfortunately, the police were not alerted until after 2 days and he had to sit in a pool of her blood until the police arrived. The story gets interesting as he is subsequently adopted by a Miami Policeman who identifies his homicidal tendencies and teaches him to direct these tendencies to seeking justice for those who have been denied justice by killing their killers. 

The show was nominated for 24 Primetime Emmy Awards and won two Golden Globes awards. Dexter has an IMDb rating of 8.6/10 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 71%.

All eight seasons of Dexter are available to binge on Showmax.

TRUE BLOOD

University days for the Nigerian millennial saw a wave of vampire shows and True Blood was one of those that reigned supreme.

After the creation of a substitute for human blood called “Tru Blood”, vampires are finally able to “come out of the coffin” and coexist with humans.

Set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, Sookie, a telepathic waitress who can hear the thoughts of others, meets Bill Compton, a 173 year old vampire and is instantly drawn to the fact that she can’t hear his thoughts. The two soon become romantically involved. 

The story follows Sookie through many adventures and interactions with people, vampires and other supernatural creatures as she has to fight villains who threaten to disrupt or exploit the fragile coexistence between humans and Vampires.

The show has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 70% and won an Outstanding Casting for Drama at the 61st Primetime Emmy Award.

All seven seasons of True Blood are available for binging on Showmax.

ENTOURAGE

Entourage chronicles the daily life of Vince (Vincent) Chase, a young Hollywood A-list actor, and his sudden rise to fame. On his new journey, he brings his entourage with him from New York to Los Angeles consisting of his manager Eric, half-brother Drama, and friend Turtle.

In this Nigerian millennial hot favourite which ran from 2004 till 2011 and won six Primetime Emmys, Vince learns to navigate the high profile world of the rich and famous in Hollywood from an LA professional, Ari Gold. But Ari has his work cut out for him as the “entourage” often makes it difficult to advise Vince. 

Through the course of the series, we see Vince and his friends evolve from being kids to becoming actors, producers, and sourcing for funds and support to enable Vince to make the perfect movie.

Interestingly, Entourage is loosely based on actor, Mark Wahlberg’s experiences as an up-and-coming film star. He also happens to be the Executive Producer of the series.

The show was nominated for 26 Primetime Emmy Awards, with six wins, in categories such as acting, directing, writing, and for Outstanding Comedy Series. It has an IMDb rating of 8.4/10.

THE SOPRANOS

Hailed as one of the greatest series of all time, The Sopranos won a series of awards in its 6-season run including 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.

This crime drama series follows the life of Tony Soprano, a husband, father, and head of the Dimeo/Soprano crime family. In a bid to create a balance between his work and family life, his mental health takes a blow and he is forced to see a therapist after a mental blackout.

His personal struggles and family problems are highlighted in his conversations with his therapist which he must keep secret from his family and mob for fear of appearing weak. As is to be expected from a crime boss, he is the target of enemies, the FBI, and even an aged uncle who is jealous of his rise to the top and wants him dead. 

All six seasons are available to binge on Showmax.