Production started two months ago in Cape Town on a second season of kykNET's Afrikaans Cape Flats-set telenovela Arendsvlei which is being turned into a drama series with Shaleen Surtie-Richards joining the cast.
Head writer and co-producer, Theltom Masimila, once again serves as head writer and co-producer, with Penguin Films continuing the production largely filmed at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town.
Earlier TVwithThinus asked kykNET whether Arendsvlei was commissioned for a second season. kykNET didn't respond.
On Wednesday morning kykNET issued a general press release to all media announcing that Arendsvlei has been commissioned for another season.
The renewal, actually done a while ago, effectively turns the kykNET telenovela into a series.
Filming of an additional 156 episodes for a second season of Arendsvlei on the kykNET & kie (DStv 145) channel for 2020 started about two months ago.
M-Net's Afrikaans channels division originally commissioned Arendsvlei as a closed-ended, once-off telenovela, but is being turned into an ongoing drama series, similar to what happened with Sara se Geheim that was renewed for a third season this year.
Subscribers of MultiChoice's DStv and its Showmax video-on-demand service have been wondering, without any answers, when they will be able to watch the full first season of Arendsvlei, as after a few weeks on Showmax, Arendsvlei was removed
Arendsvlei, set at the fictional Arendsvlei high school in Cape Town's Cape Flats has been dealing with the dramatic lives of both pupils, their parents and teachers.
The second season of Arendsvlei will see the cast of Jolene Martin (Beatrice), Melanie Du Bois (Rolene), Rehane Abrahams (Wendy), Crystal Donna Roberts (Janice), Sherman Pharo (Thys), Ann Juries (Claudia), Jody Abrahams (Lionel), Celeste Matthews (Gertie), Craig Adriaanse (Wesley), Gerwen Simon (Valdonia) and Roberto Kyle (LeeRoy) all return.
New additions to the cast include Shaleen Surtie-Richards portraying the role of Lionel’s mother, as well as Danny Ross playing the role of David’s son. Maurice Carpede will play Chantel’s father.
In the second season of Arendsvlei Janice’s brother, Steve Mortlock is released from prison and he turns the Arendsvlei world upside down. David’s long-lost son, Nathan, will also make an appearance, all the while Chantel’s father unexpectedly knocks on their door.
Theltom Masimila in a provided quote in the press release says "In the first season of Arendsvlei we only explored one chapter in each character’s book".
"In season two, our first group of matriculants graduates from school and heads off to university. We also introduce the class of 2020 and some of our beloved characters are left with more skeletons in the cupboard than we could ever imagine."
Penguin Films' Roberta Durrant who serves as creative producer, says in the statement "With each school calendar year, you get to introduce new characters and storylines. But it’s also challenging to keep the stories exciting and to not become stagnant. It’s a wonderful thing that we can bring new characters in and still keep our core family".
