EHOSTELA TOPPLES THE QUEEN
. . . NOW DSTV’S SECOND MOST-WATCHED SHOW
THE second season of eHostela has toppled The Queen as pay broadcaster DStv’s second most-watched show, with the TV drama’s creative director Mandla N crediting the victory on working with a black cast and crew.
According to the January data by the Broadcast Research Council of SA, the show that returned last month drew an impressive rating of 1.76-million viewers on January 10. This means it pushed down to the third spot Connie and Shona Ferguson’s daily drama The Queen (1.66 million viewers).
The second season is helmed by Mandla N’s production company Black Brain Pictures, picking up where Gugu Zuma-Ncube and Pepsi Pokane’s Stained Glass TV left off with the first season.
Returning lead star Thobani
Nzuza is joined by new cast members Khaya Dladla, Sjava, Linda Sebezo, Thuthuka Mthembu and Dumisani Dlamini.
“Numbers don’t lie and we are humbled by that. It shows that we have created something really powerful. We put 100 percent in the craft and it shows,” Mandla N said.
“Numbers will naturally come if you tell great stories. We don’t focus on the numbers, but we focus on authentically telling SA stories.
“I work with predominately black people and those people understand kasi lifestyle more than a white director, DOP (director of photography) and all of that.
Even my scriptwriters come from kasi, they will obviously tell all those stories and we script.
“I’m not employing the Hollywood-style of writing, but rather practicing the ‘hood version of writing and execution. In terms of the actors too I cast genuine people that understand the world.”
Mandla N achieved the same feat with prison drama Lockdown that was DStv’s mostwatched drama series. He is owning the coveted Sunday night 8pm timeslot on Mzansi Magic.
eHostela follows in the success of Mandla N’s Vula Vala that concluded in December. Averaging a viewership of 663k in the same slot, Vula Vala peaked outside of the top 10 on DStv.
“Remember when we started with the slot it was really down, so we brought in Vula Vala, which took the slot up and eHostela is the top-up.
“We are those people you bring when you want you numbers to go sky-high,” Mandla N said.
For a third consecutive month telenovela Gomora remains DStv’s most-popular show, watched by 1.85-million audiences on January 13.
Another notable shakeup in the latest ratings comes on e.tv with Leleti Khumalo’s Imbewu gaining popularity at number three (4.38-million viewers), with Rhythm City now trailing fourth (3.89-million viewers). Scandal! stays undefeated as the free-to-air broadcaster’s most-watched show (5.26-million viewers).
Despite a race row over the use of blackface in his film last year, Leon Schuster is still a ratings hit for e.tv. Schuster’s Mr Bones 2: Back From the Past was the second most-watched (5.26-million viewers), and Mr Bones landed at number five with an audience of 3.76-million.
SABC 1 soapie Uzalo remains SA’s most-watch television show with a viewership of 8.53- million.