SABC2 backtracks on cutbacks, 7de Laan back to 5 days a week from October.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Afrikaans weekday soap 7de Laan on SABC2 is returning to a full 5-days a week from October while SABC2's Venda weekday soap Muvhango remains a full-week show, bringing to an end the SABC's failed experiment to cut down on the episodes for both series to try out other programmes in their timeslots.

From the week of Monday 4 October, 7de Laan is back to broadcasting 5 episodes per week on SABC2, while Muvhango continues to run 5 episodes per week as well. SABC2 has not yet issued any statement about 7de Laan's return to full-week episodes. 

"7de Laan is delighted at the SABC's decision to bring back the show to 5 days a week," the production told TVwithThinus on Friday.

"We know that our fans are over extremely appreciative and excited for this. We owe much of their persistent request to the return. Viewers can now enjoy an entire week of their favourite show without the long anxious wait. Best of all, the months ahead are packed with nail-biting, love-hate and comedic storylines."

Earlier this year the South African public broadcaster angered viewers when it announced a shocking SABC2 schedule shake-up.

The SABC confirmed that from April it would cut back 7de Laan produced by Danie Odendaal Productions, from 5 to just 3 episodes per week. 

The SABC also confirmed that it would be cutting back on Muvhango, produced by Word of Mouth Pictures, from August, with the popular primetime soap also seeing its episodes reduced from 5 to just 3 episodes per week.

It led to a petition from viewers signed by over 7 000 concerned viewers and the SABC saying that it won't back down from its plan to "make more room for drama". 

The SABC in another statement shortly thereafter, said that "A public petition was circulated, in an attempt to prevent the SABC from diversifying its content on SABC2". 

This was however not what the petition from concerned viewers was actually about, who were not against diversifying programming but concerned about losing weekday episodes of their shows.

Merlin Naicker, the SABC's head of TV, said that reducing the episodes of 7de Laan and Muvhango was "part of our longterm plan to invest in quality local content" and that "it is imperative that we come with innovative and exciting content, which will not only draw the viewership, but bring in the revenue required to keep the public service broadcaster financially sustainable".

The SABC considers both long-running series as having somewhat run out of steam creatively and thought that gradual timeslot replacements would yield viewership bumps from new shows.

7de Laan was reduced to 3 episodes to make way for Die Sentrum but the show from Penguin Films on Thursdays and Fridays never got the viewership traction 7de Laan has, with lower ratings in SABC2's 18:00-timeslot.

Before the debut of Die Sentrum the SABC in a statement said that it was "confident that this new programme will be a drawcard and like 7de Laan, will keep the channel's loyal viewers entertained for the remainder of the week".

In July 7de Laan lured around 1.2 million viewers to SABC2, while Die Sentrum hovered around 720 000 per episode. This is far below 7de Laan and represents a net loss of thousands of viewers in the timeslot and also forced SABC2 to lower ad rates during the slot, meaning less revenue for the broadcaster.

Meanwhile, the promised second season of the Xitsonga telenovela Giyani, produced by Tshedza Pictures, never materialised in Muvhango's 21:00-timeslot from August with no explanation to viewers or an update to the TV industry.

Neither the SABC nor SABC2 channel head Gerhard Pretorius made any further public statements before August that Giyani isn't going to start, or since, about why Giyani didn't start last month on Thursday and Friday nights as was initially promised. 

According to insiders the Covid-19 pandemic severely delayed Giyani production and SABC2 couldn't get the show on air in time.

Development and production on Giyani were hugely impacted by Covid-19 and the production couldn't deliver episodes for playout from August as planned, although production is now in full swing. No new SABC2 broadcast date is available for the second season that is now supposed to start sometime in November.

ALSO READ: SABC2 reduces weekday soaps 7de Laan and Muvhango to 3 episodes per week in a shock scheduling shake-up.

ALSO READ: SABC2's 7de Laan says viewers are justifiably disturbed as upset fans try to save the soap's weekday timeslot, cliffhangers to be reworked to fit on Wednesdays.

ALSO READ: 'An attack on us as loyal fans and viewers': Furious fans sign a fast-growing 7de Laan petition to try and save the reduced SABC2 soap.

SABC2 reduces weekday soaps 7de Laan and Muvhango to 3 episodes per week in a shock scheduling shake-up.

by Thinus Ferreira

In a shocking scheduling move SABC2 is cutting back its iconic Afrikaans weekday soap 7de Laan, as well as its Venda weekday soap Muvhango, scaling the episodes of both back with almost half and reducing both longrunning primetime soaps from 5 to just 3 episodes per week.

SABC2's dramatic scheduling changes to its 18:00 timeslot from April for 7de Laan, and its 21:00 timeslot from August for Muvhango, come as the financially struggling and bloated South African public broadcaster is currently going to an acrimonious retrenchment process to axe 303 SABC workers.

While still a big show, 7de Laan, produced by Danie Odendaal Productions and that just passed and broadcast its milestone 5 000-episode earlier this month, is struggling with waning ratings and has shed millions of viewers over the past few years, mostly due to multiple SABC2 timeslot changes and the exit of many of the show's stars and their iconic characters in quick succession.

It's not yet clear what the impact of the SABC's reduced episode order will hold for the show and its complement of cast and crew that will have to absorb a production budget cut.

7de Laan that was originally only broadcast on Tuesdays on SABC2, then twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and eventually expanded to 5 days a week, is now being reduced by 40% and cut back from 2 and a half hours per week to just one and a half hours per week.

From Monday 5 April 7de Laan will just be broadcast on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

7de Laan, filmed at Sasani Studios in Highlands North in Johannesburg, is removed on the SABC2 schedule and replaced on Thursdays and Fridays in the 18:00 timeslot with two episodes of a new Afrikaans telenovela entitled Die Sentrum.

SABC2 says it's cutting back 7de Laan to "make more room for drama" on the channel.

"As a South African family entertainment channel, SABC2 continues to make room for more drama, bringing the best in local content, increasing viewer choice, reflecting and celebrating diverse realities," says Caroline Phalakatshela, SABC2 publicist.

It's not clear why SABC2 chose the early primetime shot of 18:00 to schedule Die Sentrum and not in the other existing Afrikaans drama timeslots.

Danie Odendaal Productions in a statement says that "7de Laan confirms that there has been a scheduling change implemented by the SABC. 7de Laan will now broadcast three days a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 18:00 on SABC2."

"We wish to reassure you of our unwavering commitment to continue producing relevant, informative and entertaining content."

The production says "until a time comes when we get to see you all on our roadshows again, we will enjoy engaging with you on all our social media platforms where we will continue to give you additional insights into our world."

In December 2020 7de Laan lured 1.44 million viewers (3.72 AR), making it the 6th most-watched programme on SABC2 for the month.

Muvhango swapped for Giyani

SABC2 is also scaling back on Muvhango from August and plans to reduce it by two episodes per week that are replaced by a second season of the Xitsonga telenovela Giyani that will have two episodes per week.

Like 7de Laan, Muvhango, produced by Duma Ndlovu's Word of Mouth Productions, has also shed millions of viewers over the past few years.

Muvhango will now only be shown on SABC2 from Mondays to Wednesdays from August at 21:00, with the timeslot on Thursday and Friday nights going to Giyani.

In December 2020 Muvhango lured 3.69 million viewers (9.55 AR), making it the most-watched programme on SABC2 for the month and the 10th most-watched show overall on all of South African television for the month. 

Again it's unclear why the SABC decided to schedule Giyani, produced by Tshedza Pictures, in Muvhango's 21:00 timeslot and not in other drama timeslots or the 21:30 timeslot on SABC2 where it was broadcast previously for its first season.

About Die Sentrum and the second season of Giyani, Merlin Naicker, the SABC's head of TV, says "is part of our longterm plan to invest in quality local content".

"Serving a diverse South African audience, it is imperative that we come with innovative and exciting content, which will not only draw the viewership, but bring in the revenue required to keep the public service broadcaster financially sustainable".