Since Monday’s massive upheaval when sixteen leading cast members from Generations were fired, some South Africans (Or should we rather say Twitter protesters) have claimed that they will “never” watch Generations again. We were all aware of the seriousness of this situation, but when ANC intervened yesterday it dawned on us that not only did the firing of the main cast members affect the soapie as a whole but it also took a serious toll on the entire nation.
The ANC even took it to such an extent as setting up a meeting with the SABC and ministers of communications and labour to see if a common ground cannot be reached with regards to the dismissal of the Generations cast as they called upon the ministers of communications and labour to try and clean up the mess
As for the Twitter protesters, let’s be honest with each other, none of you Generations fans are going to stop watching this show, it has become a part of your life for the past twenty years…you can’t just chuck twenty years of memories away just because you’re not going to hear “Sibusiso Dlomo” say “eschoose me” (Excuse me) anymore. Generations is more than just a soapie to some, it’s a religion, it’s an addiction that needs a fix every week as soon as the clock strikes eight in the evening.
When cast heavyweights such as the likes of Sello Maake Ka Ncube, Pamela Nomvete, Connie Ferguson and Generations most favourite villain Vusi Kunene left the show did people go up in arms and complain that they wouldn’t watch the show? Yes, there was a handful of displeased fans but the show continued. And contrary to popular belief Generations isn’t only just a soapie on SABC 1 its a business.
So if you’ve decided that you now want nothing to do with Generations what exactly will you be watching at 8pm every week? This question is specifically for the non-DSTV subscribers.
The other SABC channels really don’t have much going on for them at 8pm and yes etv tried competing with Generations when they aired Scandal! a couple of years back but that competitive strategy didn’t work to their advantage and they went back to the 19:30pm slot.
We’re not claiming that Generations is the be all and end of South African soapies, their storyline and acting quality is of poor quality in comparison to shows like Isibaya, Saints and Sinners and Zabalaza. However, the loyalty they’ve been able to garner through the years will ensure that the show airs for years to come and people will still continue to watch.