JOHANNESBURG — They no longer like you Karabo. The SABC’s reset primetime soap Generations: The Legacy on SABC 1 is in a shocking ratings tailspin, going down fast and losing millions of viewers as its former TV audience flee.
The new show, which started on Monday last week, is now down to just 4,1 million viewers.
Meanwhile, major concern is mounting over what it means for the South African TV industry, the public broadcaster and advertisers.
While returned stars like Connie Ferguson and Rapulana Seiphemo have been branded “sellouts” by viewers, the former loyal Generations audience who made the show the most watched programme on South African television is also turning its back on the inexperienced actors roped in at short notice and the new story.
According to the latest consolidated ratings information, this is how Generations: The Legacy did in its first week of broadcast:
Monday: 7,5 million
Tuesday: 6,5 million
Wednesday: 6,1 million
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Thursday: 5,4 million
Friday: 4,1 million
Viewership is generally lower on Fridays, but not for this 8pm timeslot on SABC 1 which is now averaging only an eye-popping 5,9 million viewers.
Generations: The Legacy now pulls in lower numbers than the third season of Skeem Saam which replaced it in the 8pm timeslot for two months during October and November. Industry experts are wondering why the SABC decided to start the new soap in December.
Generations is, in fact, no longer the most watched programme on South African television, with SABC 1’s long running Soul City and SABC 2’s weekday Venda soap Muvhango both now vying for the crown and each roughly pulling in 4,5 million viewers.
“Having been South Africa’s top rated soap for several years now, the power that Generations had was unparalleled,” Cheryl Dube, media strategist at Carat SA said on Wednesday.
“We all know that the relationship that people have with their soapies. Such a significant dip in viewership for this particular timeslot and show is concerning not only for the SABC, but for advertisers as well who invest a lot of money to reach this particular audience because they are aware that it performs well.”
It now appears that millions of viewers feel robbed of a show that they loved. “Now to build up that kind of loyalty and rapport again is tough,” said Dube.
“Perhaps it does not show a lack of interest, but rather the sense of loyalty that people had towards the old version of the show.
After 20 years of watching a story, building relationships with the characters and engaging every day, to all of a sudden have the soap end abruptly with so many cliffhangers and unanswered questions about the characters that South Africa loved so much — that’s just reckless, especially for such a popular show.
“The new story line is completely different, so building that relationship again will be difficult for some, but you do have those die-hard supporters who still love the Generations brand.”
Meanwhile, in the TV waters the sharks are circling having smelt blood. eTV will attack SABC 1 and the 8pm timeslot early in 2015 with its own new local telenovela blatantly pitting it against Generations: The Legacy in the same timeslot with its buoyant soap Scandal on a viewership and critically acclaimed rise, serving as the lead-in.
“I believe that this is an optimal time for the likes of Skeem Saam, Isidingo, Muvhango and Mzanzi Magic’s Isibaya to capitalise on their already existing popularity,” said Dube.
“These shows have been scheduled in such a way as not to clash with the monster that was Generations in terms of viewership because they would most likely suffer. But it looks like people are now looking for alternatives and now is the time to do it.” — Channel24
