'I screamed': Nigerian Doctor Who fan thrilled show is coming to Lagos

"Whatever I was doing—maybe cleaning or homework—I heard the 'oooh-oooh-oooooh'," Adesoji Kukoyi recalls. He mimics the iconic Doctor Who theme tune. "I dropped everything and ran to the television."

As a child in 1980s Nigeria, Mr. Kukoyi loved Doctor Who. British shows like Allo Allo and Fawlty Towers were common then. However, none captured his imagination like the time-traveling Doctor.

"He always spoke to me," says Mr. Kukoyi, now 44. He has a vintage Doctor Who ringtone on his phone. "It's like someone is watching out for us... We make mistakes but do our best."

Mr. Kukoyi has watched Doctor Who for decades. When he learned that an episode would be set in Nigeria, he was thrilled.

"I watched last week's episode with my wife," he shares. The preview said: 'Welcome to Lagos, Nigeria.' I screamed like a little girl!"

This setting is significant for Mr. Kukoyi and for the show itself. Saturday's adventure will be the first primarily set in Africa.

It’s fitting that producers chose Nigeria for this milestone. In 2013, nine lost Doctor Who episodes from the 1960s were found in a Nigerian TV facility.

Ariyon Bakare plays the mysterious Barber in the upcoming episode. He says fans can expect "a time-bending cultural ancestral collision" and "lots of hair."

The preview also features a vibrant barber shop, a bustling Lagos market, and a towering spider.

Fans speculate this creature might be Anansi, a legendary figure in West African folklore. However, scriptwriter Inua Ellams is keeping details secret.

Ellams explains why Doctor Who is popular in Nigeria: "There's something Nigerian about the Doctor." Nigerians are loud and gregarious people; the Doctor is mysterious yet confident.

He also questions why it took 62 years for an African story to emerge on the show.

Perhaps no writer felt confident enough to create an authentic African tale or maybe it's due to the Doctor's need to blend into his surroundings.

"Ncuti Gatwa [the current Doctor] allows us to tell new stories," Ellams adds. Each new actor brings opportunities for fresh narratives.

However, these new stories have less reach than before since they aren't broadcast on Nigerian public TV anymore. To watch now, viewers must subscribe to Disney+.

Despite this, Mr. Kukoyi believes many Nigerian fans will watch on Saturday evening as the Tardis appears in Lagos.

"I'm waiting with bated breath," he says excitedly. "Finally, he is coming!"

Mr. Kukoyi's first experience of the Doctor was with Tom Baker wearing a stripy scarf. He admits his young daughters aren’t as interested in his favorite show.

He is trying to get them onboard with it now.

Seeing the Doctor dressed in traditional Nigerian clothing might help them love it too—just as their father once did.