Monday, October 2, 2017

No second season for Being Bonang reality show on VUZU AMP; 'thank you to everyone who watched,' says Bonang Matheba.


There won't be a second season for Bonang Matheba's reality show Being Bonang on VUZU AMP (DStv 103) although the star is thanking everyone who watched.

While Being Bonang was watched and avidly followed by TV critics, it wasn't a big enough hit on DStv where M-Net erred by placing Being Bonang on the top-tiered package only where it could just be watched by DStv Premium subscribers on VUZU AMP.

Similar reality shows - both in South Africa and overseas - court lower-tiered but bigger audiences by being available to more viewers, like Somizi Mhlongo's Living the Dream and the polygamy spectacle Uthando neSthembu that M-Net placed on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) where they did rate and pull in large numbers of viewers.

Being Bonang on VUZU AMP that wasn't accessible to the beloved celebrity's target audience at all and was scheduled in an odd and difficult timeslot, failed to reach more than 300 000 viewers for any of the first season's 14 episodes due to its botched channel allocation and weird schedule placement by TV executives.

Although the Bonang Matheba Entertainment (BME) and BarLeader produced Being Bonang wasn't a breakout ratings hit despite a new co-director who was brought in to help, the show did manage to turn her cousin Tebogo Mekgwe "Pinky Girl" - constantly cruising in the beloved celebrity's wake - into a star.

"No season two but a big thank you to everyone who's loved and watched my show. Means the world to me," said Bonang Matheba on Twitter. MultiChoice stacked the entire first season, with episodes that's available on DStv Catch Up.

Besides her reality show, this year Bonang Matheba released her app and customised emoji's as well as her in-demand book, Bonang: From A to B, that is back on sale following a reprint after a highly publicised proofreading gaffe.