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e.tv's new dance reality show Step Up Or Step Out is stepping up in a big way: Step Up Or Step Out produced by Endemol SA is this year's biggest brand-new reality show on South African television and a local concept.
Step Up Or Step Out (Sundays, 18:05, e.tv and Step Up or Step Out: Flipside on Tuesdays at 20:30) has immediately proved a strong performer viewership wise to become the 7th most watched show on e.tv overall, with only Rhythm City, eNews Prime Time, Scandal! and WWE wrestling on the channel getting bigger higher numbers.
Seen overall, e.tv's Step Up Or Step Out is the 2nd most popular reality show and local reality show in South Africa, just getting beaten by the second season of SABC1's Class Act. For week 20 (this week that just ended and in which that disastrous broadcast of the inept and unprofessional MTN Sama Awards still notched an impressive 13,4 AR viewership on SABC1) TAMS indicates a 7,2 AR for e.tv's Step Up Or Step Out.
''e.tv is encouraged and excited about the viewership figures for Step Up Or Step Out,'' says Vasili Vass, group head of communications at e.tv when I asked for a comment from the channel regarding Step Up Or Step Out's viewership performance. ''On average over 2 million viewers have tuned in to e.tv every week to watch Step Up Or Step Out since its launch on 8 May 2011. This sets a solid foundation for a new reality show of this nature. Step Up Or Step Out is the first local street dance show in South Africa and e.tv is confident that the show is going to perform throughout the season.''
Insiders tell me that the channel and production company were initially scared that too few dance teams would show up and that it would make it a difficult production to find enough on-screen content for. That is exactly what happened, but the groups that did show up for auditions provided enough ''jewel content'' - both good and bad. The amazing viewership for Step Up Or Step Out is great says a source. ''It means that many people are watching this and will see what it's about, be aware about it, and hopefully enter a second season''.
