I can reveal that M-Net will be selling the farm - yes the South African pay TV broadcaster owns a farm - in the Northwest following its decision to cancel its soap The Wild.
M-Net has decided to cancel The Wild which will conclude in March 2013 after two years.
The Wild's cast members and crew were told this morning that The Wild is not getting renewed and that the expensive production which was being filmed on-location will be shuttered at the end of this current production cycle.
M-Net of course owns a farm its purchased in the Northwest province which was supposed to become the real longterm on-location "studio" for The Wild. I asked M-Net what will be happening to the farm in the Northwest. "M-Net is planning to sell the property in the Northwest," says the broadcaster.
I've also heard from insiders at the Magaliesberg Landowners Forum (MLF) today who were upset about the establishment of the "backlot film type studio" by M-Net in the Maauwpoort/Wagenspadspruit area in the district of Rustenburg.
The locals are apparently elated that The Wild has been cancelled. "Quite frankly we are elated that M-Net will be looking to film in a more urban environment where they belong," one told me Saturday morning, who've been opposed to the "Game Lodge TV location" which is the title which was given to this land rezoning application in the area.
The original application for the resoning apparently cited that the site was "urgently" needed in order to film a popular TV series for the next 20 years.
The Wild has now lasted only 2.
