‘The Wild’ to air on e.tv

Times are changing. Back in the 00’s, if you wanted to watch M-Net’s’s The Wild, you needed to have that all important decoder with the LED display switched to 101.

Fast-forward to tonight and you can watch the South African soap on free-to-air channel e.tv.

The Wild was a pioneering soap in many ways  – it allowed nature to become central to the show as it was shot on location, and it was the first soap to be shot in HD in the country. It was also the show that launched the careers of public figures like Minnie Dlamini.

The show was canned after only two years, due in part to soaring production costs and waning viewers. When it started in 2011 however, there was much fanfare for the new multi-cultural and multi-lingual soap that replaced the country’s longest-running soap Egoli.

“We are constantly looking for the best local and international programming for our viewers, and The Wild is no exception,” says MD of e.tv channels, Marlon Davids.

“e.tv is looking forward to bringing this award-winning drama series to free-to-air television for the first time, so that even more viewers can enjoy its gripping plot.”

Set in the fictitious 5-star Dinaledi Game Lodge, The Wild focuses on three families who are deeply connected to a piece of land. The Tladis, the Lebones and the Van Reenens all have a vested interest in the future of the land and have to work through past conflicts and deep rifts to realise its potential. The tensions between the families are further complicated by the lodge’s staff and guests, and the communities who call Dinaledi home.

The cast features some of the country’s top acting talent, with the likes of Connie and Shona Ferguson, Clementine Mosimane, Tumisho Masha, Khabonina Qubeka, Gail Mabalane, Faye Peters, Ian Roberts and Minnie Dlamini taking on lead roles.

The show’s original Facebook page is still active on the social media site. But if you want to avoid spoilers , it’s best to avoid the page as it carries content with highlights from the show’s entire run.

The Wild will air weekdays at 6pm from Monday January 21 on e.tv.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.