UZALO

While Uzalo still rakes in fairly huge ratings for SABC in comparison to other daily soaps, it has fallen out of touch with reality.

The storyline has been stale to say the least, rehashing what worked in the past to get its fans watching. Viewers haven’t taken this lightly, and shown their disapproval over time through dwindling ratings.

The taping of the soapie took a production break during the year, as a result of the Coronavirus. We thought the break would possibly bring some freshness in the writing department and new takes on how to navigate KZN.

However, it was a disappointing flashback of what we’ve seen before. Without fail, the soapie will add a new character that will infiltrate the church. The presumed ‘good guy’ will find him/herself embroiled in a bitter conflict with Nkunzi and his cronies, which will result in their untimely death.

Takeaways from Uzalo’s 2020 that prove that something has to change include loss of over 3 million viewers from April to October, contract disputes between the actors and producers of the show and the threat of possibly cancelling the show.

With all that said, we think Uzalo should be kept rolling. They’ve taken a production break again and will only resume shooting next year. We think the time will be beneficial for all those involved, and may see other actors move on from their roles.

KEEP OR TRASH: Keep for now.

THE QUEEN

When rumours began swirling recently that the Fergusons had been hatching a plan to license their popular telenovela The Queen to SABC 2, where it would potentially replace Muvhango, we saw somewhat of a lifeline for the show.

Smooth Operator: Hector on ‘The Queen’. Photo: DStv

Once the highest-rated program both across the DStv ecosystem (before Uyajola 9/9 dethroned), and on Mzansi Magic, the daily drama was once unstoppable. The secret behind its success lies in several ingredients.

The cast had a diverse assortment of roles ranging from comic brilliance to intense portrayals of sheer emotion. We had T-Gom, Petronella, Prince, Brutus, Mjekejeke and amongst others the Queen herself, Harriet, all in one show, playing these larger than life characters that each have a steady fan following. At its peak, the show was exceptionally good at navigating comedy, action thriller and romance.

Unfortunately, the cast departures and entrances have neutralised the show’s potential throughout 2020.

The telenovela has slowly lost the elements that once made it the giant of local daily dramas, and it’s not just about the major cast shakeups. In its entirety, the show feels stretched beyond its potent impact. That goes for all dramas that become telenovelas. It becomes a never-ending cycle of predictable patterns.

KEEP OR TRASH:  Keep. The Queen has about half a year left in it, and then we are seriously signing out. The commissioning of a new primetime drama in that time slot would freshen things up for everyone involved.

IDOLS SA

Every year we wait in anticipation of the next group of talented musicians to offer an alternative sound to what exists in the music industry currently.

The odd contestant that offers comedic relief is also a welcomed reaction. But after 16 seasons, the show has gotten monotone, with judges peddling their favourite instead of judging the contestants solely on their talent.

We can definitely do without another season of Idols SA. This one should definitely be trashed. More than that, the artists that eventually win the competition evaporate into thin air while the finalists continue to thrive years after the competition. The music show has morphed into something else, a satiric talent show that owes its ratings more to what Somizi is wearing than what the contestants do on stage.

KEEP OR TRASH: Trash it. But they won’t do that because 1) this is a ratings smasher and 2) people can’t seem to get enough of it. Plus, some contestants from the recent seasons are making a mark for themselves on the charts these days. It’s not going anywhere, you all.

GOMORA

Gomora has started showing signs of recovering from its recent slump of boring storylines.

The Mzansi Magic telenovela, which started out as one of the best things to happen to SA television this year, took a dive from its initial peak. Blame it on storylines that were downgrades compared to the mind-blowing plot twists and dark secrets that gave it a strong hook in the beginning.

The dramatic cliff hangers, speed chases on the high way with drone shots, unraveling of lies that threatened to blow up the township, and stellar performances from a fresh cast with a few new faces, were slowly replaced by mediocre plots that lacked substance and direction.

That pyramid scheme storyline was lukewarm, at best. The school debate thing felt like a filler. Mohato’s entire existence remains unjustified.

They did all of that despite having explosive plot questions that still needed to be attended to. These include the unresolved murder of Mbongeni, Langa’s paternity and Glady’s secret.

In the latest episodes of the telenovela, however, things look to be picking up again. Teddy and Ncebakazi Manzi’s storyline is good not just because it’s a fascinating plot, but also because the writing allows us to explore the psychological trauma and power dynamics that surround rape. Elsewhere, the introduction of detective Mahlasela shook Sonto, Mazet and Ntokozo’s world in ways that kept us on edge.

KEEP OR TRASH:  Keep, definitely! We are hoping they don’t drop the ball again, because there’s a fair amount of oxygen in Gomora.

UYAJOLA 9/9

Sunday evenings have been owned by the Moja Love channel largely thanks to the religious audience that tune in to watch the escapade that South Ah cheaters get up to on Uyajola 9/9. Jub Jub and a host of other media personalities make cameo appearances trying to burst lovers that are unfaithful to their partners for our entertainment.

This show is a definite must keep, not only for the entertainment value, but for doing country duty. This show is all that stands between social deviance and order in relationships. Jub Jub, as the host, provides a mixture of unhelpful commentary and adding fuel to the fire that make Uyajola a perfect recipe for disaster. This and him being a generally nice guy has made his Mr Moja Love Sunday Nights, hosting another show dubbed You Promised to Marry Me on the same time slot.

KEEP OR TRASH: This one is for keeps.

SCANDAL! ETV 

There isn’t really much to write home about when it comes to eTV’s flagship soapie, Scandal!.

The highs that defined the year for the daily drama were followed by record lows that made fans change their tune about their favourite show. Over and above the downward spiraling ratings, there’s been a lot of discontent coming from production and actors involved.

As a result, Scandal ‘temporarily severed ties’ with its drawcard Hungani Ndlovu. Despite the soap doing damage control issuing a statement refuting claims that Ndlovu was fired from the show because of his bad behaviour, they weren’t able to find a suitable replacement or captivating storyline. This is after the show also lost Kgomotso Christopher to M-net’s Legacy, things over there were never the same.

After canning Rhythm City, it doesn’t seem like eTV would cancel another of its flagship shows any time soon. But if the writing team can’t get it right, might as well shelve the show as well.

KEEP OR TRASH: Keep, and improve.

UTHANDO NES’THEMBU

Like most South African reality shows, uThando NesThembu seems like an obscene excuse to shine the spotlight on how the other half of the economy class are living.

The reality program is neither entertaining or informative. It merely glorifies men’s insatiable appetite to have multiple partners. Also, there was little to no drama between the wives that we saw in the past.

Clearly, a different direction was taken from the last season but it isn’t  working. Another season has come and gone and we weren’t given insight into who the older kids are as well as a final decision of accepting wife number five. Because there was so much resistance in the past, the storyline would have benefited from the wives picking up from where they left off.

This show should be canned. There’s too much fronting and it lacks relatability with audience members

KEEP OR TRASH: Trash it. It’s time.

ISIBAYA

The award-winning BOMB Pictures production once dominated not only in the ratings, but award shows and social media hype. It’s not a stretch to say that in its prime, Isibaya revolutionised South African television, giving us something fresh and uniquely South African.

In its heyday, Isibaya was unrivaled. I would watch the entire week’s reruns during the weekends and fall deeper in love with the characters and their world in Ebhubesini.

Portrayals of the complex world of the taxi industry, explorations of the Zulu culture and its rich texture, the parallel navigation of rural KZN and Joburg are just a few elements that made the soapie so rich and so consistent.

I’m afraid that’s a thing of the past now. With high profile cast departures that included Siyabonga Twala and Nomzamo Mbatha, Isibaya feels and looks entirely different. The storylines have lost the plot along with the declining ratings, as the soapie continues to lose favour in the eyes of its audience.

Word on the streets is that Isibaya is facing cancellation, but there’s been no confirmation to that effect.

KEEP OR TRASH: It’s rather sad to admit, we can’t commit to this anymore. Trash it.

DATE MY FAMILY

The dating reality show is one of the biggest things to come out of Mzansi Magic in the last decade. It’s a big reason why for the longest time, Mzansi Magic led the pack when it came to Sunday TV.

With Idols SA, Our Perfect Wedding, and a hot drama series afterwards, the channel owned the Sunday prime-time block, cultivating a new culture of Sunday black family viewing that had nothing to do with sports.

The show, which continues to trend at #1 on Twitter every Sunday, has a format that works every single time. A single girl or guy goes through three families (or friends) of three potential love interests. Each family hosts them over lunch as they get ‘date’ each other on behalf of the suitor, who won’t be revealed until the single hopeful pick them based on their family.

Obviously, the show is not as fresh as it used to be, so the buzz has been chilled through the seasons. What’s more, more and more people seem to go on the show for clout more now than ever, which takes away from the show’s authenticity and purpose.

That said, Date My Family can go on and on, and on. It’s feel-good and harmless TV that is funny, engaging and full of noteworthy moments.

KEEP OR TRASH: Keep.

THE RIVER

With the exception of the new local dramas launched by M-Net this year (Legacy, Inconceivable and them), The River has maintained its spot as the best daily drama/telenovela in the country. By now, we should have seen the same cracks that are haunting other long-running telenovelas, but nix.

Instead, the 1Magic flagship hit continues to sustain momentum with the stellar writing, a cast that does not drop the ball, storylines that keep us on the edge of our seat, as well as a high-quality production overall.

The Tshedza Pictures production knows when its time to switch it up and transition, and they do so timeously. Lindiwe may be the main character, but they’ve offloaded a whole lot of pressure from her, sprinkling some worthy storylines around other characters.

She’s always in the picture, but she’s no longer a Chuck Norris archetype.

Secondly, they know how to keep exploring new storylines and introduce new characters without ever straying away from the foundations of the show.

The mine is always omnipresent even when it’s not central. The line between the haves and the have nots is always there, even if they don’t beat the point to death. And, Lindiwe’s character has evolved without losing itself.

Everything works here. The script, the acting, production quality, chemistry amongst the actors, the length of each key storyline, the comic relief, drama, and the shade. I said everything.

KEEP OR TRASH: We’d trade this entire list if that’s what it took to keep The River on air. Just kidding. But you catch what we’re throwing.

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