Generations (South African TV series)

This article is about the original South African soap opera. For the renewed soap opera based on the same name, see Generations: The Legacy.

Generations
GenreSoap opera
Created byMfundi Vundla
Written by
  • Collin Oliphant
  • Linda Bere
  • Lerato Khanye
  • Bongi Ndaba
  • Sipho Radebe
  • Dorotte Nel
  • Tanya Tiedjie
  • Karen Vundla
  • Ruth Mahlodi
  • Ruth Moahlodi
  • S'thembile Mnisi
Starringsee below
Theme music composer
Country of originSouth Africa
Original languageMultilingual (subtitles included)
No. of seasons21
No. of episodes4246
Production
Producers
  • Mfundi Vundla
  • Karen Vundla
  • Human Stark
  • Costas Gavriel
Running time30:00 (incl. commercials)
Original release
NetworkSABC1
Release1 February 1993 (1993-02-01) –
31 October 2014 (2014-10-31)
Related
Genarations: The Legacy
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Generations was a South African soap opera which first premiered on SABC 1 in 1993.[1] It was created and produced by Mfundi Vundla and aired weekdays at 20:00 UTC+2 (South African Standard Time) on SABC 1. Set against the backdrop of the advertising industry, this drama celebrated the hopes and dreams of South Africans who aspire to a better future.[2]

The show received overwhelmingly positive reviews, being among the most-watched local television shows throughout its long run.[3] Production on the show stopped on 11 August 2014, when 16 principal actors began withholding their services following wage disputes, a cut of R500 million in royalties and three-year extended contracts.[4][5]

From 30 September 2014 to 30 November 2014, the series was put on a highly publicized hiatus, following the dispute with 16 actors, who were fired from the show on 18 August 2014 after a week-long strike.[6][7][8][9] Fans were urged not to watch the show in support of the 16 actors. The South African Audience Research Foundation confirmed that instead viewership increased from the usual seven million to 10 million viewers a night prior to the announcement of the subsequent sacking.

Generations returned on 1 December 2014, rebranded as Generations: The Legacy, with some of the old cast members from the original series. The show received generally negative reviews and low ratings in its first week of airing,[10] but the viewers warmed to the revamped show in the next couple of weeks following its return. When it returned in December 2014, it starred Connie Ferguson and Rapulana Seiphemo and also starred Musa Ngema and Asanda Foji.

  1. ^ Generations (Drama), Katlego Danke, Thami Mngqolo, Menzi Ngubane, Seputla Sebogodi, Morula Pictures, retrieved 28 August 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. ^ Generations (Drama), Katlego Danke, Thami Mngqolo, Menzi Ngubane, Seputla Sebogodi, Morula Pictures, retrieved 28 August 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ "Generations: The Legacy is fast losing its 'most watched' status as viewership falls". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  4. ^ "South African soap stars fight for better pay". Equal Times. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. ^ Nevill, Glenda (19 August 2014). "Union: Dismissal of Generations cast 'sinister and cynical'". The Media Online. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  6. ^ Sapa. "Final act: Axed Generations stars go to court". The M&G Online. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Striking Generations cast members sacked". The Mail & Guardian. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  8. ^ Johannesburg, AFP in (30 September 2014). "South African TV show Generations cut short as cast fired in pay dispute". the Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Cast of South African soap sacked". BBC News. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Generations The Legacy in shocking viewership plunge". Channel. Retrieved 28 August 2020.