e.tv's two popular soaps Rhythm City and Scandal! are both safe following the devastating fire which ripped through Sasani Studios today and caused the shut-down of M-Net and DStv's Big Brother Africa Hotshots TV with Thinus can report, with both South African TV soaps which will resume production and filming on Wednesday.
Big Brother Africa Hotshots produced by Endemol South Africa was supposed to launch with a live broadcast event this coming Sunday evening at 19:00 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform with broadcasts on M-Net's AfricaMagic Showcase (DStv 150) channel, as well as two DStv channels - 197 and 198 - broadcasting for 24-hours each across the African continent.
Both Rhythm City, produced by Quizzical Pictures in stage 6, and Scandal! produced by Ochre Moving Pictures in stages 3 and 7, are filmed at Sasani Studios's Highland North complex in Johannesburg called "soap city" where SABC1's Gospel Gold and the SABC3 soap Isidingo are also produced.
The fire shut down production on the lot today at Sasani Studios but TV with Thinus can report that Rhythm City and Scandal! will resume production on Wednesday, 3 September, and have not been affected by physical damage by the fire that broke out on Tuesday.
"The unfortunate fire that took place at the Big Brother Africa house studio this afternoon will not affect Rhythm City and Scandal!" I'm told.
"Filming will continue as per normal on Wednesday and viewers can be assured that it will be business as usual for both productions".
