e.tv's introducing a talk-driven shake-up to the channel's 18h00 timeslot as from this Monday (15 September).
Most notably: Khanyi Mbau's eKasi+ celebrity talker Katch It With Khanyi will be on e.tv too and Masechaba Lekalake's talk show Eksê gets an early evening primetime spot.
The Zulu and Sotho News moves to 17h30 and 18h00 becomes an entertainment spot, Mondays to Sundays.
Katch It With Khanyi will air on Mondays, starting from Season 1 - starting this Monday. As you probably know, the series debuted on eKasi+ when OpenView HD first launched last year so the e.tv broadcast starts from the beginning, Season 1. Guests in the season include Julius Malema, Babalwa Mneno, Kelly Khumalo and Bob Mabena.
Eksê: Let's Talk with Masechaba Lekalake will be on e.tv on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. It's been airing on eKasi+ too and also on e.tv - but in the mornings - so this new primetime spot is a flashy step for the show.
The same episodes will air on e.tv and eKasi+. When it premieres on e.tv on Tuesday it'll start from Season 2, episode 37: "What is the right age to move out of your mother’s house?" The 10h00 morning repeat on e.tv remains as it is.
So Khanyi and Eksê take care of Mondays to Thursdays and the week wraps with Paternity Court on Fridays. Reality Check and SA's Got Talent remain in the timeslot on Saturdays and Sundays.
We strongly suspect that this radical change has to with the ratings troubles facing Rhythm City. As reported on TVSA last week, the soapie's lost a
whopping one million viewers since the premiere of Skeem Saam on SABC1. e.tv's probably hoping that a new 18h00 line-up will serve as a strong lead-in to Rhythm City to increase viewership.
Interesting to note is that eKasi+ has now lost it's biggest original draw card. Katch It With Khanyi was the most attractive original property on eKasi+ - with it being on e.tv now, eKasi+ has very little to offer that's original. A sign that the channel's going to close? Could be.
So what do you think of the line-up? Does it work for you?
Our view: we like the atmosphere it'll create at the time - talk shows at 18h00 seem to create a vibey atmosphere for the evening - if you're home early enough of course.