The veteran showrunner Burgert Müller has died.
Yesterday was his 63rd birthday. The cause of his death is not yet known.
The extremely experienced South African producer was a producer on the Afrikaans young adult telenovela Wyfie, done by Homebrew Films at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town at the time of his death.
Jaco Louber, CEO of Homebrew Films, tells TVwithThinus "Homebrew Films and the entire Wyfie team are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Burgert, a mentor and a source of knowledge for so many of us".
"Burgert was not only a visionary, calm, and experienced leader but also a respected member of our team."
"His remarkable contributions to the television industry, particularly in the soap opera and telenovela genres, have left an indelible mark that will continue to inspire us."
"Our thoughts are with his sisters, Susan and Ronel, his partner, Christiaan, and all of Burgert's colleagues, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. His legacy and contribution to the industry will have a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him."
Nicola van Niekerk, head of premium content and co-productions at M-Net, says "Burgert Müller was a big roleplayer within the South African TV industry and made an indelible impact on everybody who ever had the privilege of working with him".
"His passing leaves a void within the industry in which he played such a massive role - from series like M-Net's Egoli to the recent Showmax series Wyfie."
"His calming demeanour and the safe atmosphere he created on every set will leave a major void. Our sincere condolences and thoughts go to his loved ones, family and friends during this difficult time."
Burgert Müller was the executive producer of Egoli, South Africa and M-Net's (DStv 101) first local weekday soap which ran for 18 years.
Burgert Müller started as production manager at Franz Marx Films to create Egoli, and was also the co-creator of the hugely popular Egoli Roadshows which took the soap's cast to shopping malls and stadiums across the country.
Over Burgert Müller's storied career, he produced a swath of TV series ranging from Adam for Franz Marx to the mini-series Veldslag for Danie Odendaal Productions, Die Swart Kat, Wenners, The Game and the young adult drama series The Res, also under the Franz Marx Films banner.
Other TV shows he produced ranged from SABC2's Die Vlieënde Springbokkie to 2022's Makoti, and he was the publicist for M-Net's telenovela The Wild.
Burgert Müller was also the producer of numerous music videos, international films, as well as South Africa films like Susanna van Biljon. He was the director of Edge Entertainment from 2011 developing advertiser-funded programmes (AFPs).
Burgert Müller had a BA Ed degree from the Free State University and taught maths at Grey Kollege in Bloemfontein before he made his jump into South Africa's entertainment industry in the late 1980s.
He joined Urban Brew Studios in 2012 as series producer on the iNkaba telenovela for MultiChoice's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel, and is also responsible for steering the telenovela Zabalaza's three seasons also for Mzansi Magic, as well as telenovela Gold Diggers' two seasons for e.tv.
In 2016 Burgert Müller became production controller at Urban Brew Studios, overseeing the set-up and running of the scripted division.
He was also involved in the acquisition of unscripted productions for Media24's Afrikaans lifestyle VIA (DStv 147) channel, and setting up new production structures at Urban Brew Studios.
Burgert Müller joined Homebrew Studios in May 2023 as showrunner to steer Wyfie.
... More to come ...
