CUE the CUSHIONS. Dali Thambo back on TV as his talk show, People of the South, gets resurrected by the SABC - this time on SABC3.

19 years after he first started handing out embroidered cushions to guests after subjecting them on his SABC2 talk show with his oh-so-elocuted enunciation and effusive, pandering praise, Dali Thambo is getting resurrected by the SABC and SABC3 which is returning his talk show People of the South to South African television.

Dear Dali will once again mingle, tête-a-tête, and chat to South Africa's well-heeled - preferably politicians, stylanistas and pedantic popculturati in 26 brand-new episodes of his new talk show which SABC3 is describing as "an eclectic mix of personalities, politicians and icons".

"Dali's sensitive yet probing questions are distinctly emotive and informative," says SABC3. This time episodes of People of the South which will now be on SABC3 instead of SABC2, will culminate not in a cornucopia of cushion giving, hugs, air-kisses and praise singers, but "a celebratory dinner - a new feature of the series - where Dali encourages reminiscing, good humour, and a great sense of occasion".


People of the South is once again programmed for a Sunday evening where People of the South originally started off just after the SABC when through a tumultuous transformation at the end of apartheid and commissioned Dali's first effusive talk show go-around on South African television. The new People of the South will start on SABC3 on Sunday 12 August at 20:30.