Top Shows on TV: April 2017

Written by TVSA Team from the blog Primetime TV Viewing Figures on 08 May 2017
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These are the primetime adult television viewing figures for April 2017.

If you can't see the listing below, then click this link to access them in a document instead: Top shows on TV: April 2017

If you're unable to see either of the above documents, this is an overview of the Top 5 shows for each channel/broadcaster:

SABC1

Show	Viewers
Generations the Legacy	8,921,495
Uzalo	8,812,134
Skeem Saam	7,026,846
Xhosa News	4,615,375
Zulu News	4,575,771

SABC2

Show	Viewers
Muvhango	6,246,508
Lotto Draw Live	5,440,956
Vodacom Millionaires	4,011,216
Keeping Score	2,622,876
7De Laan	2,317,419

SABC3

Show	Viewers
Isidingo:the Need	1,327,375
One in the Chamber	832,168
Blue Caprice	659,568
News	638,978
Nora Roberts - Tribute	609,043

e.tv

Show	Viewers
Scandal	4,584,711
Rhythm City	3,222,347
Wwe Wrestling Raw	2,790,437
Yogi Bear	2,772,705
White House Down	2,677,306

DStv

Show	Viewers
Our Perfect Wedding	1,261,717
Isibaya	1,021,696
Igazi	1,007,866
Date My Family	917,375
Saints and Sinners	708,613

Special Notes

7de Laan

7de Laan has weathered its multiple time changes and has bounced back since its move to 18h00 on 6 February.

When the show moved from 18h30 to 19h00 in July last year, the numbers slumped to under 2-million when it went up against Isidingo and Rhythm City but this is over.

Not only have they returned to their former numbers, but they've increased.

Here's an overview of the soapie's year:

Month	AR	Highest episode in the month
May 2016 (when it aired at 18h30)	6.4	2,168,486
June 2016 (when it aired at 18h30)	6.2	2,084,086
July 2016 (when it moved to 19h00)	5.4	1,814,559
August 2016	5.5	1,868,946
September 2016	5.3	1,819,424
October 2016	5.5	1,891,059
November 2016	5.3	1,815,596
December 2016	4.8	1,656,062
January 2016 (boosted by the fact that AFCON was airing on SABC1)	8.2	2,787,109
February 2016 (boosted by AFCON on 2 February)	7.2	2,459,821
March 2016 (after it's move to 18h00 on 6 February)	6	2,059,208
April 2016: bounces back in full force.	6.8	2,317,419

The Bold and the Busted

Bold and the Beautiful's numbers are plunging every month. In May 2016 it was SABC3's No. 1 show with its highest episode for the month reaching 1,478,057 viewers. Isidingo has replaced it wholeheartedly.

Broken Vows

Unfortunately these limited Top 20 TAMS lists make it impossible to tell how e.tv's new 20h00 contender Broken Vows is doing. As you can see, it hasn't made the Top 20 list, which used to happen to its predecessors Ashes to Ashes and Gold Diggers.

They only appeared on the list when soccer aired on SABC1 at 20h00 and boosted their numbers with Generations viewers but it was impossible to tell what they were getting on regular nights and now it's the same with Broken Vows.

SABC1 on Sundays

While Zaziwa is nowhere to be seen after its move from Thursday, the numbers for Duma Ndlovu's Ingozi gave SABC1 something to boast about on Sundays.

For an explanation of the TAMS, please see: The TAMS ratings explained.

Channels in this post: SABC1, SABC2, SABC3, e.tv, Mzansi Magic, SuperSport HD

12 Comments

max85
08 May 2017 18:14

Skeem saam has 7million viewers wow thats amazing .their numbers are going up .Keeoing Score on 2 doing well .its time sabc 2 made it at least 4 days a week. Real talk with Anele getting over 500 000 ,the timeslot change helped .Living the dream with Somizi not on the least agg shem .Scandal doing well as always .

Show-Time
08 May 2017 19:14

Wow I'm happy that Isidingo is doing so ever well, including my beloved Generations... back on the summit again. Even Skeem Saam... over 7 million, wow!

fratpack9
10 May 2017 16:41

So freakin happy for 7delaan. So, can we applaud Nomsa Philiso for moving 7de laan to 6 o'clock, i was sceptical at first but i must say, it was the best decision she ever took. Now, she need to bring back Sewe de laan omnibus on Sundays, to save us from sunday boredom now that 7de laan is doing great.

I said it. I hate to say it now, but i said it! Broken Vows, a huge flop. Is this what etv boss Merlon Davids meant when he promised "high quality shows", after he cancelled Umlilo, Ashes To Ashes and Gold Diggers?. Its interesting that Broken Vows is written by seasonal writers with vast of experience, but the storyline is weak.

@tvsa the shade you threw at gold diggers & ashes to ashes, i can already see you inserting an evil laugher at the end to that special notes commentary.

Soap on a rope. Who in the heck commissioned this show?

qavile
10 May 2017 19:40

#ThulasVine what an amazing production and brilliantly written +acted too bt dololo on sabc3 top20 shows.. i give up

max85
10 May 2017 19:56

@qavile i think problem with Thulas Vine is the timeslot .it competes with scandal and generations .

deziclesthagawd
10 May 2017 20:11

etv can forget about the 20:00 slot LOL.

Goku
11 May 2017 07:14

mmm OPW is doing well than isibaya, even Igazi is catching up where's The Queen?

fratpack9
15 May 2017 17:18

Hi @Tvsa,

i just saw something really weird and confusing at the same-time on twitter regarding TV ratings. I saw on an official twitter page of a Sabc3 reality show @UyandaSabc3 that they provided different ratings, after blogger/publicist PhilMphela commented on April tv ratings, on the picture they tweeted they showed ratings highlighting @UyandaSabc3 having 1.1 million on its third show for April, Please see the link https://mobile.twitter.com/uyandasabc3/status/861543210916642816 … .

i tried asking on their twitter account, quoting the tweet asking them about where did they acquire these ratings, they still haven't responded to my tweet. I guess my question is, does the tv industry personnel (tv producers, tv channels and advertisers) use different kind of Tv ratings, other than the ones the BRCSA provides? And do you know where has @uyandaSabc3 acquire those ratings from?

Clarity in this will be appreciated.

TVSA Team
22 May 2017 16:26

Hi fratpack - the way ratings work when it comes to shows and channels is that the BRC oversees the distribution of all the ratings data, which is sourced and compiled by Nielsen who are contracted by the BRC.

The data gets distributed via two software companies: Telmar and Arianna. These software packages contain all the data available and are very pricey.

Broadcasters and media houses buy licenses for the software which gives them access to all the info available. The software allows them to pull all sorts of data, which really lets them drill down into specifics e.g. they can find out the exact AR for a very specific time on a specific night, for audiences aged 15 and older - or for audiences aged 15 and younger, whichever they need to know.

Broadcasters and shows use the software to get specifics on how their properties are doing and the media houses use it to sell advertising.

The software allows you to fill in various fields and then pull a report so this could be what happened with Uyanda - that whovever compiled the report put in the incorrect values at some point in the process.

Because the screengrab gives such limited info it's impossible to say for sure though, especially with the "Plan Viewer" being cut off so you can't see what the full field is.

Zondwa
22 May 2017 16:34

Generations is still slaying hard after all these years. Haters should just give up. This show is a staple and it isn't going anywhere haha

TVSA Team
22 May 2017 16:50

@fratpack The short answer to your question