The dumped actress Connie Chiume who filmed her last scenes at the Quizzical Pictures produced soap back in February already, didn't quit and didn't retire - she was actually fired from e.tv's soap Rhythm City and says being forced to go "is not nice".
Of course you wouldn't know it from e.tv's prosaic statement yesterday: so rosy, and filled with such heartfelt goodbyes and parting sorrows from everyone (it's not just e.tv that does this) that it deliberately obfuscate what really happened and what is really going on.
Part of why South Africa's TV industry is so bad is because it struggles to be honest with itself and to be honest with viewers.
Other countries are hardly better, but at least America's TV biz - and the press covering it - do a slightly better job being more forthcoming, more direct and more upfront about the comings and goings (and the real reasons why) of executives, crew and talent.
Connie Chiume's contract wasn't renewed. The actress was let go after 8 and a half years. "It is how the script was written and one cannot argue with the writers. It was my time to go. It is not nice but that is the nature of the industry," she the Daily Sun.
Why should it be a "bad" thing? Or a "secret"? It's bad on a level yes - an actress lost a nice long term gig, but it's exactly like she says - the nature of the TV industry.
A slew of local soap stars and channels announced departures the past few days and weeks, all looking to "spread their wings", "focus on family", "look for new challenges" and "sail away on the endless sea of love".
Puh-lease. It's the start of a new financial year for companies and certain actor's contracts ended (for whatever reasons).
Contracts start and end at all times, but the cutting of talent are always more pronounced during this beginning time of the year (just like TV channels will do their new on-air looks usually around September and October when the new marketing budget money rolls in). It's all very cyclical.
The real "sad" is that the majority of talent can't be honest about why they're really gone in their "announcements", and that the local press can't be better to report the real actual reason(s) instead of copy and pasting publicist's carefully crafted press releases.
The biz and actors need to get over the perceived stigma of saying "I was let go", "I was fired for creative reasons", "I negotiated for a higher fee, it didn't work and I walked" and "I didn't like it there anymore".
Just because our soaps sell fantasy, doesn't mean there shouldn't be more upfront honesty about the production of it in reality.
