adminVIEWERS of Generations: The Legacy have been asked to be patient until the new storyline “is well developed”.
Ratings for the soapie continue to decline after 10 million viewers watched the debut episode on December 1. Mfundi Vundla’s revamped drama, which features an almost entirely new cast, is not pulling in as much eyeballs as hoped.
Instead, the show has been declining since it first aired and could soon be overtaken by other productions such as SABC 2’s Muvhango and SABC 1’s Soul City.
The show was compromised as it was off screen for two months when 16 principal actors were axed in August. But it was hoped that two former big-name stars, Connie Ferguson and Rapulana Seiphemo, would restore it to its glory days after much uncertainty.
According to the South Africa Advertising Research Foundation, Generations commanded just under 70 percent of the available TV audience on December 1, but by Tuesday this had dropped to 57 percent.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said: “We knew ratings would go up and then come back down to lower levels, because that is not where it was, even before we went off air. You need to give it time.”
Viewership figures for Generations: The Legacy could drop further as eTV announced its plan to launch a soapie on the same time slot which was once dominated by the SABC 1 drama. Monde Twala, eTV head of channels said the broadcaster sought to challenge its rival by offering a fresh alternative.
“South African viewers deserve the best television. eTV is brewing a brand new and spectacular 8PM line-up in the new year,” Twala said. – TimesLive
Online Reporter