20:00 on a weekday used to be a national watch party on SABC 1. The iconic soap opera Generations was a national treasure, and nothing like it had ever been seen before. The acting quality and storylines, paired with a predominantly black cast portrayed in an affluent manner, was revolutionary in a newly post-apartheid South Africa. Fast forward to today, and the remake, Generations: The Legacy, has become infamous for its continued downward spiral in writing, production, and acting quality. But, how did we get here?
Generations, produced by Mfundi Vundla and commissioned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, first premiered on 4 February 1994. It came across as a Renaissance production, representing an image of successful and affluent Black people in a multi-racial South African society. It also featured progressive storylines such as, most famously, the queer love story between characters Senzo and Jason. Many veteran actors in the country had their start on Generations and went on to create illustrious careers. This speaks to how impressive and beloved the soapie was during its run up until its ending in 2014.
Generations: The Legacy first premiered on 1 December 2014 after the firing of 16 principal actors from Generations. Their firing was a result of the termination of their contracts after they were striking for increased wages, longer-term contracts, and royalties from repeated airing of episodes. Although the new Generations brought intrigue and curiosity to the previous viewers of the soapie, it immediately established itself as a different story to that of its predecessor. However, many viewers have taken to social media to ridicule and question the show’s current state and reason for continuing to run, as the overall quality of the production has continued to deteriorate over the years. Furthermore, the show has consistently resorted to reviving (literally) characters from the original show in order to nostalgia-bait viewers. It is a running gag that the iconic Jack Mabaso character has been brought back to life from death more than twice. Legendary characters Karabo Moroka and Tau Mogale have also returned to the current remake. Above all, the main point of contention with Generations: The Legacy is the shoddy production, subpar acting – even from legendary actors – and lazy storylines. So, why is the show still running? Is the viewership large enough to justify its continuation, or is the SABC and Mvundla still trying to ride the wave of the original Generations?
Soap operas are notorious for continuing on for years and thousands of episodes. The dissolution of Generations, as a result, came as a major shock to viewers all over the country, especially because of how popular the show was despite running for 20 years. When talking about the currently running remake, producer Mvundla lamented that the SABC has continued to cut budgets and impose storyline visions onto the soapie. This insinuates that there is a deeper issue within the production company with regards to the soapie or production in general.
Although the soapie still pulls a large viewership, its integrity is being lost the longer it continues. In a particular episode in 2025, characters were in a scene at a cemetery. However, it was visible that a stock image of a graveyard was plastered onto a visible brick-face wall and fake bird and nature sounds were added in post-production. The scene invited extra scrutiny and led many to question why the show was continuing to run if it lacked the budget to film on-site despite being a veteran show pulling millions of views.
Over the years, many iconic and beloved soapies have ended production due to factors such as budget constraints or a lack of inspiration in the writing room, often while they were at their peak. Examples include Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya and The Queen and 1Magic’s The River. Generations: The Legacy is an exemplary case of either dying a hero or living long enough to see yourself become the villain. Had the show not been remade, it could have been solely celebrated for its trailblazing nature and impressive 20-year run. However, the longer it continues in its current state, who knows what will become of it. Perhaps Jack Mabaso will die and be resurrected… again.
Visual: Khanyisa Motsepe
