e.tv’s Rhythm City turns 10 as soap promises ‘more gripping storylines’

Cape Town – Rhythm City on e.tv is celebrating a decade on the air since the weekday soap set inside South Africa's music industry started on 9 July 2007.

With some of the soap's original cast like Jamie Bartlett, Sethabi Taunyane, Mduduzi Mabaso, Mpho Molepo and Tebogo Khalo still seen in the popular local weekday drama, the actors and crew last week celebrated the 10th birthday with a lavish Johannesburg birthday bash.

See pics here:

RC 10 year celebration shoot @thembiseete_ @samkelondlovu @nodangala4 @mapulamafole @dmasilela @brunogoodfella @tukstah_beatz @tebogo_khalo @ms_dippy

A post shared by OfficialRhythmCity (@officialrhythmcity) on Jul 2, 2017 at 11:44pm PDT

The soap, its characters and its intrigue – set against the backdrop of the fast-paced South African music industry with drama taking viewers from the streets and clubs of Soweto to the recording studios and radio stations of Johannesburg – instantly found bigger appeal under e.tv viewers.

Moved from 18:30 to the 19:00 timeslot e.tv's Rhythm City now commands a sizeable audience of 3.5 million viewers. It perennially remains the second most watched show on e.tv just behind Scandal, as a lucrative half hour of prime time programming for the channel.

"Rhythm City is one of e.tv's flagship shows, drawing audiences to the channel who are looking for their dose of daily drama," says Marlon Davids, e.tv's managing director. "We are delighted with the way both the show and e.tv have evolved over the past 10 years and look forward to reaching more milestones together".

"When we started working on Rhythm City, we didn't think that we would still be going this strong 10 years later," says Harriet Gavshon, Rhythm City executive producer at Quizzical Pictures. "Creating gripping storylines for a daily soapie is challenging, but it's a challenge that we take on with gusto."

Besides stories revolving around the struggles as well as the glamour and excess of the local music biz, Rhythm City touched several sensitive and controversial subjects besides the backstabbing and in-fighting that characterises the serialised nature of a soap, ranging from abortion, homosexuality, rape, HIV/Aids and drug addiction to violence against women.

Over the years Rhythm City incorporated several real-life celebrities and musicians into its fictional universe, ranging from Kelly Khumalo, Khuli Chana, HHP, Khanyi Mbau, Kwesta, Slikour and Freshlyground to DJ Cleo.

Watch the first episode of Rhythm City on e.tv here: