by Thinus Ferreira
There's a very strong possibility of some golden characters who might return to Hillside over the next few months - some "old", familiar and beloved faces - once again showing up in 7de Laan as the cancelled TV soap now builds up to its swansong episode on 26 December on SABC2.
7de Laan viewers will now have to wait and see whether it's maybe Oom Francois (Chris van Niekerk), Xander (Theodore Jantjies), Hilda (Annelisa Weiland), Ryno (Chris Vorster), Christelle (Anna-Mart van der Merwe) or any of a whole host of former actors returning to reprise their iconic character roles.
Might it be Charmaine (Vinette Ebrahim) who returns to Oppiekoffie, or will it be Paula (Diaan Lawrenson) suddenly waltzing back into Hillside, with a certain "je ne sais quoi"?
After dealing with the shocking cancellation news that the crew and cast of 7de Laan received last Monday from the SABC on-set at Sasani Studios in Johannesburg, the staff and the writers' room at the Danie Odendaal Productions immediately shifted to an "all hands on deck" approach to make the last remaining months in production as memorable as possible for viewers.
Original 7de Laan episodes of its 24th season will still film until 21 October, leaving three months for the producers to plot behind-the-scenes to try and bring back memorable and popular characters, scrap some storylines, create some new ones and to pivot 7de Laan and all the characters of Oppiekoffie towards a new climactic final episode.
7de Laan will bow out the day after Christmas on SABC2 on 26 December with the producers who now want there to be "not a dry eye left in any house" when the episode airs.
Although it is the most-watched Afrikaans TV show on South African television and the second-most-watched show on SABC2 with 1.19 million viewers, the SABC has decided to cancel 7de Laan since it has become too expensive for the broadcaster to keep on the air.
The decision to cancel 7de Laan was done by Merlin Naicker, head of SABC video entertainment; Lala Tuku, SABC head of content for video entertainment, David Makubyane, general manager of video entertainment platforms; and SABC2 channel head Gerhard Pretorius.
The SABC is also looking at cancelling more long-running shows across SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3, with Lala Tuku, SABC head of content for video entertainment, saying the production cost of some SABC shows are too high for the ratings they deliver.
"The cancellation news initially hit us like a heavy blow," an insider told me.
"There were tears and we're all sad. It definitely brought an air of uncertainty into our lives. Everyone is still working through it. Some days will be better than others. As we now approach the filming of the final episode in October, more emotions can be expected to surface."
According to sources, the filming of the final episode and final scene on 21 October "will likely be a bittersweet moment, filled with both celebration and reflection. Hopefully everyone will be able by then, to say farewell to a product they've worked on with so much passion".
Piet Matipa, 7de Laan scriptwriter and head of storylines and content at the show, told me "There are definitely elements of surprise and the possibility to bring back older characters especially if the actors who've portrayed those characters are available and willing".
"The creative process is ongoing and then consultations will start once it's approved. To say goodbye is emotional and to do so forever even more."
Kayleen Bessit, 7de Laan publicist, told me that 7de Laan "is thankful for the years that our fans and viewers gave us the ability to live out and express our creativity and talents".