by Thinus Ferreira
The American weekday soaps The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless have both suspended production according to reports, along with another soap, General Hospital which shut down last week already because of the rapid growth in cases of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic globally.
Episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful are carried on Vodacom's Video Play service and EVA (DStv 141).
Deadline reports that The Bold and the Beautiful, produced by Bell-Phillip Television Productions, as well as The Young and the Restless, produced by Bell Dramatic Serial Company and Sony Pictures Television, are shuttering from Tuesday 17 March 2020.
Days of Our Lives seen in South Africa on e.tv, produced by Corday Productions and Sony Pictures Television, already shut down for four months in November 2019 due to budget reasons.
Collectively South Africa's TV industry has multiple large ensemble cast and crew weekday soaps - each numbering far more than 100 people - that are produced for the SABC, e.tv, as well as M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and kykNET (DStv 144) channels carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, none of which have yet shut down production because of the coronavirus.
M-Net (DStv 101) will very likely have to postpone the filming and change the island location of its upcoming 8th Survivor SA: Immunity Island season, produced by Afrokaans, that was set to broadcast in September, while Rapid Blue will likely implement changes for the second season finale and "Women Tell All" episodes of The Bachelor SA.
Questions are also swirling around the latest 16th season of Idols, produced by [SIC] Entertainment, and how it will continue given that the show has a contestant and crew complement of over 100 people, as well as several local scripted drama series in production across various TV channels.
SABC and Danie Odendaal Productions will likely be forced to cancel the upcoming 20th anniversary celebrations and viewers' competition for its longrunning 7de Laan Afrikaans weekday soap.
