Cameras not down at mega soap

After a week of promises that the show will not go off the air, it has been confirmed that 7de Laan will not halt production, and continue production after receiving their contracts from SABC

29 August, 4pm

The show’s publicity team has confirmed that they still haven’t received the latest contracts from the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

The administrative delay from the broadcaster means that the producers plan to halt production on 30 August until they receive the necessary documents.

The halt is due to budget constraints.

Spokesperson for the soap, Liby Nel, said there wasn’t undue concern, as the show brings in major advertising money for SABC2. They believe the contract delay has just been a bump in the administrative process, and was being sorted. Nel said Danie Odendaal Productions received a spoken agreement with SABC 2 some time ago that the show will not be ended.

Nel said the production break could benefit the hard-working cast and crew, but they would still need catch up on time missed when the cameras start rolling again.

28 August, 8am

Although it’s an annual struggle for Danie Odendaal Productions to renew soapie 7de Laan’s SABC contract, there might be some good news.

One of the show’s newer actresses, Simone Nortmann, was given a contract on 26 August to be part of the storyline of series 15, which started shooting on 19 August – according to the 7de Laan Facebook page.

Friends took to Twitter congratulating the young actress. Her receiving a new contract hints that it is likely that the show will be on the air for some time.

Though nothing is official, the anxiety over having the show’s contract renewed by the SABC might have just been media hype.

7de Laan’s publicity co-ordinator Liby Nel said it was just an administrative process. She couldn’t think of a reason why the contract wouldn’t be renewed, adding that the show was one of the most-watched shows on SABC2. She also stated that, if anything, the production schedule might be delayed.

26 August 9am

Following reports in Rapport and City Press over the possibility that 7de Laan might stop filming this week, nothing is set in stone. The report came after the show had entered its 14th year on the air, but had not received a renewed contact from the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

7de Laan is commissioned by the national broadcaster on annual contracts, as opposed to being privately funded and then sold to broadcasters.

Last week staff received memoranda from Danie Odendaal Productions, signed by executive producer Odendaal, that the South African Broadcasting Corporation had not renewed the latest contract.

If producers didn’t receive a renewal by the end of August, they planned to stop cameras rolling. According to the City Press report, the memoranda stated that the Lonehill-based production didn’t have enough monetary flow without the backing of the national broadcaster.

That being said, the show is a ratings card for the multi-cultural SABC2 where it is broadcast every weeknight, pulling in an average of 2-million viewers.

This year has also been a triumph for the show, as it scooped award after award.

Among them was the South African Film and Television Award for Best Soap Opera. In July the show received a Tempo Award for Best Soap, beating rival Afrikaans serials Villa Rosa and Binneland. It also received the Most Popular Soap award at the You Spectacular, while three cast members won for their screen time on the show at both those awards.

Odendaal promised to do his best to continue creating gripping stories and colourful characters that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Comment from the national broadcaster has been vague, with the broadcaster only stating that there were no contractual problems – leaving Odendaal’s promise hanging in the air.