Is SABC Skeem-ing a schedule reshuffle for Skeem Saam?

During Skeem Saam’s time at the 8pm spot viewership of the youth drama grew with around three million. Quite a feat, considering there was severe backlash directed at Mzansi’s Official Storyteller after 16 Generations actors were fired, and the show had to be pulled off the air when the stockpile of recorded episodes ran dry.

Last week SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago was reported to have said that it was clear from the onset that Skeem Saam was not going to air at 8pm forever, but that the national broadcaster might still move the show to a prime time spot, or even SABC 2.

Repeat episodes of Skeem Saam have continuously been airing on SABC 2, but ratings show that it hasn’t been the same sort of juggernaut, pulling in less than 1million viewers. The show at the 8pm spot was able to land between6 and 8 million viewers.

However, this is at a 3pm timeslot.

Considering Skeem Saam’s burgeoning storyline, where some characters are moving from Turfloop to Joburg, the expanding show must, considering the SABC business module, pull in enough viewers to sell TV spots to advertisers.

It could possibly be a good move to give the show its own prime time spot, but could it compete with Generations at a similar time slot on another channel? The SABC is mostly tightlipped about Generations and any other plans for the two shows, but for now it remains to be… seen.

UPDATE:

SABC’s Head of Publicity, Zandile Nkonyeni, confirmed that Skeem Saam will not move to a prime time SABC 2 spot.

The youth drama has had tremendous success at the SABC1 8pm shot while it the revamped Generations, Generations: Legacy was being produced. Generations: Legacy will start broadcasting at the 8pm spot from 1 December.

At the weekend Nkonyeni hinted that Skeem Saam might move to SABC 1’s sister channel, SABC 2.