Photo: Pexels
“Sinetron Terikat Janji malam ini” (Terikat Janji tonight) was one of Indonesia’s top entertainment searches this weekend, as viewers hunted for episode times and streaming links. The search data matches the ratings: RCTI’s Terikat Janji, starring Arya Saloka, is consistently one of the most-watched programmes on Indonesian television.
The ratings picture
According to the most recent verified daily ratings list (dated November 14 and unchanged from November 12 and 13), Indonesia’s top ten television programmes were:
- 1. D’Academy 8 (Indosiar)
- 2. Merangkai Kisah Indah (Indosiar)
- 3. Terikat Janji (RCTI)
- 4. Cinta Seluas Samudra (SCTV)
- 5. Wajah Cinta yang Lain (SCTV)
- 6. Arisan (Trans 7)
- 7. Terbaik Itu Kamu (RCTI)
- 8. Kesetiaan (SCTV)
- 9. Upin & Ipin Bermula (MNCTV)
- 10. Secret Story (Trans 7)
Six of the top ten are sinetron (Indonesian TV dramas). Indosiar holds the top two spots with a dangdut talent show and a family drama. SCTV has the most sinetron in the top ten, but RCTI places higher with Terikat Janji at number three. The only children’s programme is the Malaysian animation Upin & Ipin.
My view: sinetron are thriving, but the audience is changing
Every few years, someone predicts the end of the sinetron. Streaming, YouTube and TikTok were all supposed to kill free-to-air drama. The ratings say otherwise. For millions of Indonesian households, especially outside the big cities, the evening sinetron is still a shared family ritual, and broadcasters know it.
What has changed is how people watch. The Google searches show that many viewers now look for the episode on Vidio, RCTI+ or YouTube clips rather than waiting by the TV. Producers have adjusted: many sinetron now rely on short, shareable moments, such as a slap, a revelation or a romantic scene, that spread on social media the next morning.
My criticism is the familiar one. Many sinetron still run for hundreds of episodes on repetitive plots, with shallow female characters and conflicts stretched out to keep ratings high. Netflix and local platforms have shown that Indonesian audiences respond to tighter, better-written series. Broadcasters have a large, loyal audience. They could use it to experiment with shorter seasons, stronger scripts and more varied stories.
Until then, Terikat Janji and its rivals will keep doing what sinetron do best: bringing families together in front of the television every night.
Sources: Surabaya Inside; Surabaya Inside (Nov 14); Wikipedia.
