Generations
Generations is one of the most famous South African soapies at the moment[when?] (seriously)
It follows the lives of the employees of rival corporations New Horizons (Ezweni Holdings) and Mashaba Advertising (Mashaba Media now with Memela Media} as they make business deals and live with the enemy (As in most of the couples one works for New Horizons and the other for Mashaba). It also focuses on the rivalry of Sibusiso Dlomo and Mawande Memela (previously Kenneth Mashaba).
Tropes used in Generations include:
- Affirmative Action Girl: Mawande Memela, who bought Mashaba Media after Kenneth was framed by Sibusiso and Dineo.
- Attempted Rape: Dineo, by Sello (Sibusiso's executive friend).
- Ax Crazy: Belinda.
- Bad Bad Acting: Nicholas and Nolundu in their mini-soap pitch to some executives (Nicholas in particular seemed to be chanelling Nollywood).
- Celebrity Star: Every time Khethiwe in mentioned in an in-universe news story, it will begin with ‘The Former Face of La Chocolat’
- Ajax before he started acting.
- Chickification: Sharon, who starts out an independent woman and leaves the show after securing position of Editor and giving it up to go live on a reserve with Samuel.
- Coming Out Story: Senzo with his real father, not with his adoptive family.
- Convenient Miscarriage: Karabo, which led to her getting divorced from Sibusiso and his getting married to Ntombi.
- Deus Angst Machina: With absolutely no buildup Zamani’s mother (Who we didn’t even know existed at this moment) calls about being sick at the end of one episode, the next she’s dead. Also counts as putting Zamani and Ajax on a bus. (Right after they argued with Jigga as well.)
- Design Student's Orgasm and Ear Worm: The opening sequence.
- Did Not Do the Research: For a show about advertising, the writers sure know nothing about advertising.
- According to this show, it's possible to survive seven stabs to the heart, Dumisani.
- Five-Man Band: The younger set:
- The Hero: Jason, also The Big Guy.
- The Lancer: Senzo, also the co-chick.
- The Smart Guy: Nicholas.
- The Chick: Nolundu.
- The Sixth Ranger: Queen or Akhona, depending on the situation.
- Friday Night Death Slot: Get put in the same time slot as this show (Eight PM weekdays) and you’re either a geek show (Doctor Who, Death Note) or you won’t last a season.
- Incest Subtext: Senzo and his father Sibusiso can get… intense, it got worse when Senzo catches Sibusiso making shady business deals.
- Karma Houdini: Sibusiso and Dineo framed Kenneth for drug possession in Thailand, they were never punished.
- Limited Wardrobe: All the men either have dreadlocks or bald heads, no in-betweens.
- Longest Pregnancy Ever: Khethiwe is pregnant for at least 14 months.
- Love Dodecahedron: Seems to change every week.
- May-December Romance: Ma Ruby and her best friends son.
- Product Placement: No South African will forget the three weeks Ma Ruby, Queen and Khaphela would stop whatever they were doing to tell the rest of the sadly uninformed cast about PEP Cell.
- Serious Business: A person’s position in the OP is important! Very very important. This has inspired many many catfights in malls.
- If you don’t watch Generations atleast thrice per week you’re probably one of those nerds who watches Doctor Who or cartoons who’ll never get married and live alone with four cats forever.
- Ship Tease: Jason with Katja and Nicholas, Nicholas with Katja.
- Single-Target Sexuality: Jason seems to not be able to love anybody who's not Senzo, the one time they broke up he even had a Replacement Goldfish who looked almost exactly like Senzo.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Senzo and Jason, now their part of the main plot, sharing the same importance with Kenneth and Sibusiso.
- Status Quo Is God: If the fans react badly, expect the writers to do this.
- Replacement Goldfish: Nicholas (replacing Senzo) for Jason, too bad he was straight.
- Team Mom: Ma Ruby (Who is technically only Dineo’s actual mother.
- This Is Unforgivable!: Said to Sibusiso by almost all the Memelas after he tells them he knew Akhona's father was dead.
- Token Minority: Senzo and Jason, who are also dating.
- Token White: Katja. Not any more though.
- Translation Convention: Akhona speaks English/Afrikaans while most of the other cast speaks English/Zulu, but nobody seems to have trouble conversing with her when she's speaking Afrikaans.
- Unexplained Recovery: Dumisani, from seven stabs to the heart.
- Verbal Tic: Queen has one of these darling.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Jason.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to Ozzy and his sister? Escpecially since there was a romantic subplot with Ajax.
- Your Cheating Heart: Dineo's latest love interest.