'The Queen' actress,, Thembsie Matu as Petronella

‘The Queen’ actress,, Thembsie Matu as Petronella. Image via Twitter @MzansiMagic

Three telenovelas that got canned in 2022

We take a look at a list of cancelled telenovelas from Mzansi Magic’s ‘The Queen’, DiepCity’ to e.tv’s ‘Durban Gen’ in 2022.

'The Queen' actress,, Thembsie Matu as Petronella

‘The Queen’ actress,, Thembsie Matu as Petronella. Image via Twitter @MzansiMagic

We take a look at three telenovelas from Durban Gen, DiepCity to The Queen that got cancelled in 2022.  

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‘THE QUEEN’ CANCELLED

Mzansi Magic and e.tv announced that popular telenovelas The Queen, DiepCity and Durba will end in 2023.

The Queen which is produced by Ferguson Films will not be renewed for another season and will come to an end in January 2023.   

The news didn’t come as a shock to #TheQueenMzansi on Twitter who have been unimpressed with actors, dragging storylines, etc.  

Viewers began to lose interest in season six when the telenovela’s favourite actress Jessica Nkosi, who played Thando Sebata disappeared without a trace.   

Tweeps gushed over Jessica’s stellar performance and were disappointed when production introduced a new family, the Jamas at the beginning of season seven.

According to TVSA primetime viewing figures, the telenovela lost 400k viewers between September 2021 (1million) to September 2022 (661k).  

@Marcosefling:   

“Thank God it’s the final season of this trash show. Brutus is the only reason people watch this show and the only reason the show has kept going. He’s the show’s main character.”   

@UnknownT890:   

“The writers are very shameless to just completely ignore what happened to Thando, have her husband not even ask of her, and Cebo acts like he didn’t see her and shoots her. I mean what kind of rubbish is this show mara?”    

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‘DURBAN GEN’ CANCELLED

E.tv fans were not surprised when entertainment commentator Phil Mphela announced in May that the Stained Glass TV medical drama Durban Gen is cancelled.   

Viewers previously complained about the storylines, and lack of medical research in the show, which was considered Mzansi’s version of Grey’s Anatomy.   

However, things went south when the show reportedly lost 300 000 viewers by January 2021.  

With the telenovela on life support less than six months into its first season, its top actors started leaving – making it that much harder to resuscitate it.  

The Wife actor Thulane Shange, who played the role of Doctor Mandla Ngcobo was reportedly fired, followed by Sifiso Sibiya who played Bab’ Gumede.  

Viewers also bid farewell to Dr Ndabezinhle Luthili played by Lerato Nxumalo, who joined Lingashoni, followed by actress Monica Thuli Zulu’s character, MaCele was killed in June.  

Daily Sun also reported this week that fan-favourite actors Mike Ndlangamandla who played Dr Lindelani, Duduzile Ngcobo who played Superintendent Qwabe, and Zimdollar Biyela who played Matron Nkabinde will not be part of the final season which began to air in October.    

The publication added that the show will be played on e.tv until March/April and that the telenovela is showing the lives of the hospital characters five years later.    

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‘DIEPCITY’ CANCELLED

Mzansi Magic fans were not surprised when entertainment commentator Phil Mphela announced that Black Brain Pictures has announced that their popular telenovela DiepCity which aired on Mzansi Magic for two years is cancelled.  

Soapie viewers took to social media to call for isibaya’s return after entertainment commentator Phil Mphela confirmed that DiepCity is ending after two seasons.    

The Black Brain Pictures’ telenovela will reportedly end in March 2023 after replacing Isibaya.   

Nomsa Pholiso, M-Net’s channel director for local entertainment channels, confirmed in a Daily Sun interview in 2020 that the show is ending and expressed her appreciation for the much-loved telenovela, which ended after seven seasons.   

“It’s always sad when a show that was popular and loved ends, as is the case with Isibaya. However, times change, and television is about adopting and adapting.”    

The telenovela didn’t have a great year in 2020. With bad ratings, speculation about taking the show off-air had already begun.   

The cancelled telenovela, which was a hit in the first season and received nine nominations at this year’s South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) lost viewers in season two when storylines appeared ‘muddy’.    

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