SABC3's Isidingo weekday soap is copying two of America's biggest TV cliffhanger moments and meshing them together with Isidingo characters who will be mowed down in a hail of bullets at a party like Dynasty after which Barker Haines will be shot in Dallas' "Who shot JR?" style.
The hyper-dramatic storyline could spell the end of Isidingo's evil Barker Haines character played by Robert Whitehead, the show's remaining big villain after the exit a few years ago of his former-wife and infamous "super-bitch", Cherel Barker-Haines played by Michelle Botes.
Earlier this month the 66-year old Robert Whitehead who has been with Isidingo for 13 years, in an interview with Move! magazine said he is not yet ready to retire.
The Endemol Shine Africa produced soap often borrows real-life South African stories ranging from the Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp killing case to farmer racism for story lines but now Isidingo's executive producer Pumla Hopa, has okay'ed an explosive upcoming story that borrows from two of American television's greatest fictional TV moments.
Characters are going to be mowed down at a party with viewers left wondering who lives and who died - just like Dynasty did, seen on TV4 in the 1980's - in its notorious Moldavian wedding massacre which is the moment that the glitzy American super-soap jumped the shark.
Isidingo that has turned 19 years old, is meshing that with the biggest moment from the other 80's super-soap Dallas that was seen in South Africa on TV1 - the infamous shot rang out to shoot the despised JR Ewing.
Horizon Deep is a hotbed of tension following the merger of Barker Haines' company, Haines International with Sibeko Gold in a story line that could finally spell the end and exit of Barker Haines' character played by Robert Whitehead.
While Barker Haines continues to wreak havoc and disorder, viewers should get ready for unknown rogues bursting in on a party to which everyone has been invited.
A vicious gun battle ensues that sees bullets fly, and where blood is spilt. Mayhem ensues as they unleash a reign of terror and a hail of bullets on the guests just like the Dynasty writers did in 1985 at the end of the 5th season to get rid of characters and keep other actors in their toes during tense contract renegotiations.
As the room goes silent, viewers will see the Isidingo characters gather themselves and look around, just like after the Moldavian massacre, to see who's been hit, and how badly. Was Barker hit?
As if this is not enough, the following morning Isidingo will switch Dynasty for Dallas when a single shot will ring out in Barker Haines office, just like when a mysterious person targeted JR Ewing in his office in one of television's most iconic cliffhangers ever.
Who is firing the single shot and has Barker Haines' wicked ways finally caught up with him?
The Isidingo Dynasty Dallas dramatics will start to play out from next week with the party massacre that will be broadcast on Friday 22 September.
After the cliffhanger viewers will have to wait the weekend of Heritage Day to find out on Monday 25 September what happened – which is when Barker Haines gets shot.
