e.tv cancels ratings-flop Nikiwe.

by Thinus Ferreira

e.tv has cancelled its low-rated Nikiwe after just a few months after the local telenovela failed in the ratings race with too few viewers.

Nikiwe, created by Thomas Gumede and filmed in and around Soweto, launched eight months ago in mid-April with little fanfare and barely any e.tv publicity support, portraying the struggles and strife of the Radebe family empire.

Just a month after its April debut Nikiwe had already lost e.tv over 500 000 viewers.

Muzi Mthabela, a determined businessman played by Themba "Bhungane" Radebe" was the head of the wealthy Radebe family with his wife, Mirriam and three children Nikiwe, Menzi and Mandisa.

Eldest daughter Nikiwe (Lungelo Mpangase) and supposed heir to the Radebe empire was a socialite who quickly lost everything following tragedy at home and a shocking revelation that she wasn't the oldest child. 

Production on the show by Parental Advisory Productions (PAP) - written by Bongi Ndaba with Thomas Gumede and Lungile Radu as co-executive producers - has already abruptly shut down a while ago after e.tv content executives had decided to cancel the show due to its viewership underperformance.

A few months ago the show's original head writer Siposethu Tshapu was abruptly replaced by the former Generations writer Bongi Ndaba in an attempt to try and boost the ratings which fell far short of e.tv's Scandal! and House of Zwide.

Nikiwe served as the replacement for e.tv's Durban Gen which itself canned after just two seasons. With little buzz and exposure, Nikiwe suffered in the ratings and had just 1.77 million viewers in November in its 18:30 timeslot, making it only the 9th most-watched show on e.tv last month.

In response to a media query, e.tv confirmed that Nikiwe was cancelled, noting that "The local prime-time drama on e.tv will be coming to an end early 2024".

"The show launched in April 2023 and filled the 18:30 slot. Unfortunately, the show has not continued to deliver anticipated ratings. The channel continually reviews programmes and storylines to ensure we give our viewers the best local entertainment. Further information regarding the replacement show will be shared soon."

Nikiwe which will end sometime in early 2024 on e.tv and its streaming service eVOD also starred Muzi Mthabela, Clementine Mosimane, Kenneth Nkosi and Israel Matseke Zulu.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. e.tv's latest publicity failure for new local shows underscores South African television's growing PR disaster as global players (rightly) do the proper work and get the attention.

Uzalo on SABC1 wraps production on 4th season as three cast members depart; Noxolo Mathula bumped up to principal cast as show adds two new actors.

Uzalo on SABC1 has wrapped production on its 4th season with three cast members who have exited the Durban-filmed series, while two new faces will join the weekday prime time drama series.

The KwaMashu-set show produced by Stained Glass will start its 5th season on SABC1 in February 2019 with Nay Maps (Mxolisi Mdletshe), Nokuthula Mabika (Thobile) and Glen Gabela (the recast Mfundisi Mdletshe) who have exited the show.

For the 5th season of Uzalo, Noxolo Mathula who portrays the character of Lilly is being upgraded from an on-call role to a principal cast member. Uzalo is also adding newcomers Thuthuka Mthembu and Nkanyiso Makhanya.

The production says the changes are part of keeping the show "authentic", and that some existing role "will be amplified".

"Season 4 brought incredible evolution and riveting storylines to our screens, and our incredible cast delivered over and above, every time," says Bongi Ndaba, Uzalo head writer, in a press release.

"We're so grateful for the golden energy and dedication that Nay Maps, Nokuthula Mabika and Glen Gabela brought to Uzalo – they breathed life into their characters and have been a major part of 2018’s success."

"Saying goodbye to these characters and actors is so hard, and we do so by wishing them all the best going forward and have no doubt that they will continue to deliver their magic on our screens."

Mmamitse Thibedi, executive producer for Stained Glass Pictures, says "We have a lot to live up to with season 5, and everyone is amped about the challenge".

"We're certainly excited about what’s in store and promise to keep our viewers glued to their screens. The fifth season will definitely be a fresh and exciting journey for Uzalo."

On 25 September Uzalo set a new South African TV ratings high-water mark of 10.2 million viewers

SABC2's 7de Laan looking for a new head writer and creative director to help steer the weekday Afrikaans soap in a new direction.

7de Laan is the next big SABC TV soap after Generations getting a new head writer; the SABC2 weekday soap is looking to appoint a new head writer as well as a new creative director to help steer the soap in a new direction.

With SABC1's Generations off the air and embroiled in turmoil behind the scenes the last two months, head writer and co-producer Bongi Ndaba also quit last month.

It means that two of the SABC's and South Africa's biggest TV soaps will see new story lines from new writers on-screen from early in 2015, with SABC3's Isidingo which similarly underwent several writing staff changes this year, most notably Rohan Dickson who took over as new head writer.

The SABC in August ordered 7de Laan's Danie Odendaal Productions to do on-screen as well as behind-the-scenes changes with the 14-year old predominantly Afrikaans language soap which according to SABC executives is apparently too Afrikaans and not multicultural enough.

The soap apparently has to decrease the percentage of spoken Afrikaans according to reports, appoint more "non-white" actors to appear on screen in the soap who will not be speaking Afrikaans while subtitles will remain in English, appoint more "black" crew and creative staff, as well as a "black" consultant to advise on story lines.

Now 7de Laan is searching for a new head writer who has to be "an articulate, ambitious and bright individual" to join the show's production department as well as a creative director.

7de Laan's new head writer will have to developing new story lines together with the story liners and break them down into episodes, supervise the script treatments and brief writers and finalise and approve scripts before recording.

The creative director will oversee the technical execution of the soap, approve the look and feel of 7de Laan's new sets and lead the visual creative direction for all directors.

People who want to apply can send applications to Frances Maphosa at francesj@sewendelaan.co.za by 10 October.

Generations head writer and co-producer Bongi Ndaba out as dramatic changes continue behind the scenes at embattled Mfundi Vundla soap.

Bongi Ndaba who was the head writer and co-producer at the embattled Generations on SABC1 is out and gone as the dramatic and controversial changes continue behind the scenes of the biggest TV show on South African television faced with an uncertain future.

The SABC on late Friday announced that Generations will abruptly cease broadcasting further episodes for months from October since there aren't any episodes left after September.

It will be the first time since 1994 when the highly popular soap started that the most lucrative and most watched TV show on South African television will be off the air due to major production disruption.

With the Generations episode cupboard bare, the unexpected disappearance of the soap from the SABC airwaves, the firing of the entire principal cast and now the loss of the head scriptwriter represent the biggest TV programming upset to ever hit the beleaguered South African public broadcaster, impacting millions of viewers.

The fired Generations cast is now taking the SABC and MMSV Productions to the CCMA, while producer Mfundi Vundla said he would never take any of the 16 principal cast members back.

The Generations cast which formed the Generations Actors Guild (GAG) went on strike and was promptly fired after demanding the three year contracts the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng personally promised them in June 2013 and which never materialised.

They also wanted better pay rates and residual payment for rebroadcasts of the show promised in their existing contracts which they've never received.

The SABC on Friday called the disappearance of Generations - which lures an average of 8 million viewers and commands the highest advertising spot price for a 30 second commercial of R220 000 - part of a "minor schedule change".

Now Generations also lost the soap's head scriptwriter and viewers will be left with multiple unresolved cliffhangers on 30 September while with producer Mfundi Vundla and MMSV Productions planning a "Generations - The Next Generation" type soap to "resume" from December on SABC1.

Bongi Ndaba who became head writer in mid 2012 and had been with the show for 8 years, suddenly resigned last week from Generations. She gave no reasons as to why she jettisoned the soap.

Thato Molamu who played Nicholas in the soap is the father of Bongi Ndaba's 4 year old son and is co-incidentally also one of the 16 actors who got fired from Generations. He is now the presenter of the SABC2 game show What's Behind the Wall?

In an interview in 2012 with Sunday World Bongi Ndaba said "I love Generations. I'd hate to work on a series where black people are shown kicking and stabbing each other. This shows blacks in a positive light. It's inspirational."

In the meantime TV industry experts expect SABC1 viewership to plunge from October when the perennial number one most watched TV show and soap on South African television disappears from the schedule.

The loss of Generations for months from SABC1 - and which was unplanned - will negatively impact the SABC's television audience share during primetime, advertising income, as well as the quota of original local content produced and being broadcast on the SABC.

The shocking backstage drama which the SABC's top management, TV executives and MMSV Productions have been unable to properly and speedily manage and resolve, already inflicted massive brand damage on the SABC, SABC1 and the production company since Generations is the public broadcaster's flagship show.

In July, when the SABC announced new schedules for SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 the broadcaster boldly stated that Generations will remain in the primetime spot of 20:00.

Leo Manne, the general manager for TV channels at the SABC told the press in July that "nothing touches Generations. We dare not move it".

Now the soap will not move but completely disappear for months from SABC1 - forcing viewers to sample alternative programmes on competitor TV channels ranging from the growing number of community TV stations like SowetoTV to popular pay-TV channels from M-Net like Mzansi Magic on MultiChoice's DStv.

As some of these viewers form new TV loyalties and solidify new viewing habits as they migrate elsewhere during primetime, the SABC stand a very real change of losing a large portions of viewers it will never get back.