Pasella, the longrunning Afrikaans magazine show on SABC2 which weathered multiple day and timeslot changes over numerous years, is getting dropped from the SABC2 schedule after exactly 15 years, possibly as soon as April, where it will no longer be a yearlong, constantly-running local TV production.
Pasella, an Afrikaans lifestyle magazine show and one of the longest running, continuous weekly TV productions on South African television will now also have its perenially-on TV record broken similar to 50/50.
50/50, the nature and conservation programme on SABC2 used to be the longest running continuous TV show on all of South African television until SABC2 decided a few years ago to change it into a limited-episode production with recurring seasons.
SABC2 wants to add a new travel lifestyle show to the channel and Pasella now has to go off the air to make space for it. Instead of finding an additional new day or timeslot for it, SABC2 will replace Pasella's timeslot on Wednesdays at 19:30 with the new as-yet-unknown travel show.
SABC2 can't yet give a starting date for the new travel show which will be replacing the Pasella timeslot soon. Insiders say the new show could debut as early as sometime in April. An insider said "Pasella is not getting canned. From now on it will make turns."
Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC2's publicity head tells TV with Thinus that "Pasella has been on for a long time. With the new look of SABC2 we felt that we want to offer viewers something new and fresh and some kind of alternatives. We are bringing viewers a new travelogue show as part of giving viewers some exciting new programming." She said the travelogue show "will replace Pasella for now but Pasella is definitely not going away."
Amor Engelbrecht, executive producer of Pasella declined comment when asked about the major change which will have likely have a huge impact on the show from a production point of view.
The show remains one of the most popular and most watched weekly programming strands on SABC2 - especially under Afrikaans viewers.
Pasella started in March 1998 on SABC2, exactly 15 years ago, when Pieter Cilliers Productions started it. Filmmedia took over production a year later in 1999 and then Tswelopele Productions got the contract in 2001. Tswelopele Productions and Amor Engelbrecht has been producing Pasella for SABC2 constantly ever since.
Pasella moving from ongoing to recurring production status will impact the production of the show and Tswelopele Productions in Cape Town.
