SABC3 which decided to end and remove All My Children from the end of the year, has just decided to return the soap temporarily to its schedule from 2012 after not signing the contract for the replacement programme, The Nate Berkus Show yet.
And with The Nate Berkus Show that got cancelled on Friday, SABC3 - which didn't get around to signing for the show - might now be looking for a new longtime TV property with better prospects, as it lets All My Children continue on for a little while longer.
All My Children suddenly back on SABC3's schedule from 2 January at 14:00 is by no means a reprieve for the soap and only a temporary measure as SABC3's erratic and wild scheduling changes continues unabated and the soap is not back in favour with the powers that be. Last month SABC3's programme manager Lefa Afrika told the press in no uncertain terms that SABC3 is permanently and completely done with All My Children and that the show hasn't been performing for the channel for years.
Lefa Afrika told the press that there is ''absolutely zero and no chance'' that All My Children will be back after SABC3 decided to cancel the show at the end of the year. Lefa Afrika said All My Children doesn't have a big enough audience and that SABC3 is a commercial TV channel which needs to bring in audiences, advertisers and money when he explained the broadcaster's decision to axe the show.
What has now happened is this: TV with Thinus kept tracking the progress (on non-progress) of the SABC signing The Nate Berkus Show. International sources told me weekly that the show, produced by Harpo and Sony Pictures Television, was not yet signed by SABC3 - most likely due to the same problems that caused SABC3 to lose Expedition Impossible last month to M-Net.
Then came Friday's cancellation news of The Nate Berkus Show as well. SABC3's procrastination and not yet really having the show, could have caused SABC3 to pause for a moment and maybe re-evaluate whether it still wants to, or can, get The Nate Berkus Show which will only be two seasons long for SABC3. SABC3 might wants a more permanent, ongoing TV property for its 14:00 timeslot.
Long story short: All My Children is only back for a further few episodes because SABC3 haven't yet signed for The Nate Berkus Show, took to long for whatever reason, that show just got cancelled, and SABC3 has time to rethink what it wants in the 14:00 timeslot.
SABC3 haven't yet responded to media enquiries made.
