A sad day in South African TV as e.tv announces it’s decision to decision to cancel its long-running daily drama Rhythm City. The decision to decommission Rhythm City is part of a e.tv’s business strategy, which includes reviewing a show’s on-air life cycle.
Rhythm City has been a compelling offering that has captivated e.tv viewers for over a decade. It has taken millions of South African’s on the journey of authentic storytelling while simultaneously launching the careers of many unknown faces and some now famously talented musicians.
Over the past few years, the show has been performing well, peaking at almost 5.2 million all adult viewers this year and consistently ranking amongst the Top 10 most-watched soapies in South Africa. The show scooped Most Popular TV Soap at this year’s SAFTAs.
Against the backdrop of a TV drama, Rhythm City revolves around the struggles of surviving Jozi (Johannesburg). It all starts in a 4 roomed home and the experiences follow 2 empires in the entertainment space and how the characters try to navigate around the affluent and aspirational lifestyles of the city. Past rivalries, industry conflicts, infidelity, backstabbing, sexuality, love, and pain, good and evil are the order of the day as the story plays out moving from between the township to the suburbs.
Created by Rolie Nikiwe and Neil McCarthy, the Quizzcal Pictures produced soapie premiered on 09 Jul 2007 taking over from Backstage.It currently stars Mduduzi Mabaso, Mcedisi Shabangu, Linda Sokhulu, Tebogo Khalo, Petronella Tshuma and more.
e.tv continues to look forward to fulfilling its mandate of producing exceptional and relevant local content, and the production has successfully achieved its part of the obligation throughout the past 13 years.
Rhythm City has secured its place in e.tv’s history books, and a legacy mark has been made. We want to extend our gratitude to the entire production staff, crew, and cast for their incomparable craft.
Over the past decade, Rhythm City has given viewers a delicious mix of earth-shattering rivalry, overwhelming big loves, debilitating betrayals, and unforgettable duplicitous behaviour.
The next few months of the show will have a strong focus on finalising prominent plot lines, some of which, like the introduction of Suffocates long lost adoptive son Pule, will take fan favourites back into time, to when it all started.
Marlon Davids, e.tv’s Managing Director
The show will air its last episode on 16 July 2021 at 7:00 PM, marking the end of an era for the much-loved daily drama.
Rhythm City airs weeknights 7PM on e.tv
IMAGE : ETV
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