Male soap stars Stefan Ludick and Reynardt Hugo bare their butts, go 'naked for a day' for new Marie Claire Naked Issue.

The male soap stars Stefan Ludick and Reynardt Hugo agreed to drop trou and go naked to show the world their butts; the two soap stars of Binneland on kykNET (DStv 144) will appear without clothes in the new annual Marie Claire Naked Issue.

Atop a high rise in Sandton Stefan Ludik - who who starred in Egoli - posted photos this week of himself and co-star Reynardt Hugo starkers.

Sources tell me both the soap stars stripped to be photographed for the annual Marie Claire Naked Issue.

Stefan Ludick said he's going "naked for a day".

"Sometimes the work requires us to be a doctor, MC, singer, or just being naked for a day for a good cause - believe it or not. Will tell more later."

The public saw Stefan Ludick bare all before in 2003 when he was the first contestant to represent Namibia in the first season of Big Brother Africa. Controversy also erupted in 2008 over his nearly nude and provocative music video "Black Girl, White Boy".

BREAKING. From Binnelanders, to Binneland - and now back to Binnelanders. kykNET weekday soap changes back to its original name.

The weekday Afrikaans soap Binneland on kykNET (DStv 144) at 18:30 is changing its name back to Binnelanders - the next change in the evolution of the Stark Films produced soap as ever-ongoing as the revolving door of the emergency unit at the fictitious Pretoria hospital.

The soap which originally started out as a half hour, went to an hour, went to M-Net as a simulcast, went English and Afrikaans, changed its name to Binneland, added a legal infusion to the mix, changed its theme song and dropped the vocals, then left M-Net, then went back to a half hour, dropped the English, dropped the law aspect and characters, then redid and readded the theme song vocals, is now also going back to its original name - Binnelanders.

Viewers will see the Binnelanders change - now back to a plurar name, from Monday 17 February.

"The name change co-incides with the vision for the new season of the series: to tell real human stories with beloved and well-known characters and to quicken the soap's heart rate with dynamic, new, young talent," says Elsje Stark, Binnelanders producer.

"It was noticeable how many viewers still referred to the show as Binnelanders when they spoke with me about the characters and stories," says Elsje Stark.

She says Stark Films in conjunction with Afrikaans channel kykNET decided to change the name back from Binneland to Binnelanders.

Brumilda van Rensburg and Amalia Uys have both joined the show as other actors exited the show at the end of 2013.

EISJ, JA. Soap stars Neels van Jaarsveld, Dawid Minnaar, Elma Postma and Odelle de Wet out of kykNET's Binneland.

Soap stars Neels van Jaarsveld, Dawid Minnaar, Elma Postma and Odelle de Wet are all out of the Afrikaans weekday soap Binneland on kykNET (DStv 144) after no new contracts were signed between the top talent and Stark Films which produces the show.

The characters of Delia (Odelle de Wet) and Gideon Basson (Neels van Jaarsveld) will disappear at the end of March 2014. Egoli and Isidingo soap veteran Mary-Anne Barlow makes her appearance in Binneland from January 2014.

"We wish them only the best," says Elsje Stark of Stark Films in a statement about the departing actors.

BREAKING. SABC2's 7de Laan back IN!; kykNET's Binneland and Villa Rosa OUT! of the 7th Saftas; e.tv returns, M-Net will broadcast.

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I can break the news that the popular SABC2 soap 7de Laan is back in the race as South Africa's most popular soap on TV in the 7th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) which will take place in March 2013 and which will be screened on one of M-Net's TV channels for the first time.

I can also reveal that both of e.tv's soaps Rhythm City and Scandal! are legitimately back (although no official word from e.tv about having entering their soaps), after e.tv withdrew all of its nominees and shows just before the 6th Saftas took place earlier this year. 

I can also exclusively break the news that kykNET's Binneland and Villa Rosa won't be votable for the 7th Saftas as Best Soap (although it's a viewers' vote category only) - neither show entered for the 7th Saftas, similar to 7de Laan last year.

Controversy swirled around organisers, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), at the beginning of this year when the Danie Odendaal Production was blatantly excluded from the Best Soap Award during the 6th Saftas – a category in which only viewers' vote determine the winner.

7de Laan won as Best Soap at the Saftas in 2009, again in 2010 and 2011 before suddenly being excluded in 2012. 

The NFVF dumped 7de Laan, the 3rd biggest South African soap according to viewership figures, since the soap failed to enter other categories. The NFVF said soaps are only eligible to be voted for if they've entered other categories; the production said they were not aware of that.

Now 7de Laan is back in the Saftas after having entered into other categories, although South African TV viewers will again not have a true complete soap set to truly choose from and which will still be impacting on the true legitimacy of the Best Soap category winner.

iNkaba in, Binneland and Villa Rosa out

I can reveal that while SABC1's Generations, SABC2's Muvhango and 7de Laan, SABC3's Isidingo, e.tv's Scandal! and Rhythm City, M-Net's The Wild and even Mzansi Magic's telenovela iNkaba (for the first time) all entered into categories and therefore will be listed in the Best Soap category, kykNET on DStv's Binneland and Villa Rosa are absent because they did not enter anything.

Fans of Binneland and Villa Rosa won't be able to vote for these shows, although they are legitimate and longrunning soaps.

"Eight soaps that submitted entries will go to judging and also qualify for Best Soap as a viewer voting category," the NFVF tells me.

This year the 7th Saftas saw 354 entries qualify to proceed to the so-called "filtration process" which will be followed by final judging. While South Africa's TV industry plays nice, there is still simmering tension behind the scenes, with the Saftas abjudication process still accused of sistemic and judges' bias. Once again, previous winners and nominees of the Saftas serve as judges which is perceived to be a conflict of interest.

"The Saftas judges are professionals with integrity, also if a judge has been nominated in a category they are not permitted to sit on the judging of their own project. The judging process is audited," the NFVF tells TV with Thinus.

"I’m proud to say that not only is the Saftas growing but the whole industry as we continue to witness a considerable increase in the levels of international and local investments in the film and TV industry," says Zama Mkosi the NFVF CEO and Saftas chairperson.

Tension

"This year all the role players in the industry fully support the Saftas," says Mkosi. And while public criticism surrounding the upcoming 7th Saftas has not yet bubbled to the surface as in previous years, behind the scenes broadcasters and industry players are keeping a close eye on the process. Industry insiders remain concerned about the true independence of the awards.

"e.tv remains committed to working together with the NFVF and the Saftas committee to address concerns around the independence of the awards," says Monde Twala, e.tv's group head of channels. Just before the awards ceremony of the 6th Saftas e.tv in a big fight with the awards ceremony, withdrew all e.tv nominees and shows, although the broadcaster did enter again this year.

"Our efforts aim to bolster industry competence and transparency," says Monde Twala. "It is important that we work towards ensuring genuine reward for the country's diverse film and television talent pool."

Back on TV

Another swirling backstage drama in the past was the bad organising and the NFVF's inability to find a broadcaster in time to televise the awards show done over two consecutive nights, or to institute a so-called "carousel wheel" similar to American award shows where TV channels play nice and equally share in taking turns to televise shows such as the Emmys on a turn-by-turn basis to fascilitate buy-in and continued support.

Now M-Net agreed to show an edited version of the 7th Saftas in 2013. "M-Net is fully behind the awards, and has committed to screening an edited version on one of its channels," says Theo Erasmus, M-Net's director for general entertainment channels who is an M-Net representative on the Saftas committee.

"The Saftas have come a long way and it is encouraging to see all the role players, including industry peers, government and broadcasters holding hands in ensuring the awards evolve," says Nodi Murphy, the new overall chairperson of the judges of the Saftas.

Binneland on kykNET to get its 4th new intro and theme song version on 30 July as new Jak de Priester vocals return.

Binneland, the weekday soap on kykNET (DStv 111) is set to get its 4th new intro and theme song later this month - and in a sense returning to where it all started, the producers tell me.

On Friday Stark Films told TV with Thinus that the soap will get another new theme song and opener - the soap's 4th since it launched on M-Net and then moved to kykNET - from Monday 30 July.

Binneland will return to its very first theme song - the same song but with vocals by artist Jak de Priester. who actually wrote and sang the original.

The vocals were dropped when Binnelanders became Binneland Sub Judice (because the Afrikaans themesong didn't fit when the show downscaled the Afrikaans to 50% to make allowance for 50% English). When Binneland Sub Judice became simply Binneland and the soap returned to Afrikaans, the only-instrumental version remained as the graphics changed again for a third time.

Now Jak de Priester will be back singing the Binneland themesong - but it won't be the exact same song. Jak de Priester recorded a brand-new version of the Binneland theme song; I'm told it will have a markedly faster tempo, have a more noticeable beat to it, "be a slight bit more jazz-ier" and that it was recorded with a full studio orchestra.

BREAKING. Soap star Lindie Stander of Binneland to be written out after an apparent suicide attempt; under evaluation in hospital.

The actress Lindie Stander and her character of Nurse Elise in Binneland on kykNET (DStv 111) and M-Net analogue will be permanently written out of the weekday soap produced by Stark Films, after the actress made an apparent suicide attempt on her life and is currently under evaluation in the psychiatric unit of the Helen Joseph hospital, according to producers.

The producers revealed to me today that Lindie Stander's character will be written out of the show completely to be replaced by a new character and that 8 to 12 weeks' worth of script work rewriting will have to be redone in order to somehow write the actress out of the production over the coming weeks. Binneland is currently, co-incidentally, in recess from filming.

According to the producers the actress allegedly cut her one arm open to the bone and is currently in hospital and under evaluation.

I'm aware of more details around the sad incident and the current situation of the actress which is of a personal nature and which I won't be reporting on here. How it affects the show and kykNET from a TV industry perspective however is that Lindie Stander won't be back and that members of the production team told me they're shocked and extremely saddened by the events which transpired, and which is now impacting the production.

Within the South Africa's TV industry it has been known that the actress battled various things in her private life over a long period of time such as depression and today TV critics talked about it after news of the incident became known. Producers announced the developing news at a press screening in Parys which I and other TV critics, writers and journalists attended, prefacing the announcement with the words that they "have some very sad news to share". 


The cast of Binneland and kykNET channel head Karen Meiring were told about Lindie Standers' situation today.


Lindie Stander once left Binneland before only to return again after a while, also due to problems of a personal nature. This time however the producers say the character will be written out permanently due to the difficult nature of the situation, that Lindie Stander has been informed of this decision, and that they have seen her since the incident happened earlier this week.


"Lindie is a beloved actress and the character of Nurse Elise has always been so popular with viewers, bringing a touch of lightness and humour to the show. In the light of what has happened and the personal situation of the actress we are saddened that unfortunately we have to let go of the character," the producers said today. They added that "it will be very difficult to replace the character." The actress couldn't be reached.

BREAKING. Reynardt Hugo, Rolanda Marais, Ramsey Short and Hykie Berg all leaving the kykNET soap Binneland.

Hykie Berg, Reynardt Hugo, Ramsey Short and Rolanda Marais are all gonners from the soap Binneland on kykNET (DStv 111) the production tells me - which looked to keep the news quiet for a while longer.

All four actors - all of them part of the show since the beginning except for Hykie Berg who joined the Stark Productions Afrikaans soap later - are gonners. Viewers will see all four leave the show within the next two months.

Binneland tells me Ramsay Short is going to Canada for America's annual TV pilot season. He got a work permit for Canada and the USA. I don't know what Hykie Berg is up to.

Rolanda Marais is after seven years tired of the role (after appearing in the movie Wolwedans in die Skemer). Reynardt Hugo is currently shooting the musical Pretville and for the rest of the year the actor who's also a musician wants to concentrate on this growing music career as part of the band Adam (which was nominated for 3 Ghoema awards).

''It's the nature of the biz that actors search greener pastures,'' quips another show insider at the soap to me. ''They want to spread their wings and see what else is out there.''

Two soap weddings (luckily no funeral ... yet) as 2012 on South African television kicks off with lavish and drama-filled 'I do's'.

Two TV soap weddings are coming to South African viewers early in 2012.

The first TV soap wedding of the year that South African viewers will see is in Isidingo when Frank Xavier (Kevin Smith) and Lolly de Klerk (Kim Engelbrecht) try to get married on Thursday 5 January on SABC3 at 19:30.

The second TV soap wedding of the year will be that of Conrad Bester (Hykie Berg) and Pippa Venter (Nadia Valvekens) in Binneland as a special leap year wedding. Viewers will be able to see the Binneland wedding (and if it really happens) on Wednesday 29 February on kykNET at 18:30 (and M-Net terrestrial).

BREAKING. Binneland dumps soap actress Chantelle Gertse; reportedly only tells her after she filmed what turned out to be her last scene.

Soap star Chantelle Gertse who've played nurse Veronica Williams in the kykNET soap Binneland has been dumped by the production company - and was reportedly only told that she's in effect been fired after she finished what turned out to be her last scene.

Chantelle Gertse filmed her last scene two weeks ago and then discovered she's being written out.

Chantelle Gertse whose contract at Stark Studions was not renewed, was reportedly told she's ''no longer necessary''.

The character that viewers have seen for many years now (in formerly Binneland Sub Judice and before that Binnelanders), leaves Binneland to go and work for another doctor.

The actress says she's ''shocked'' and ''disappointed'' with the way the Binneland producers handled not renewing her contract.

The Binneland production tells TV with Thinus that Chantelle Gertse indeed received her notice after she filmed her last scene but were paid for a notice period of 14 weeks. ''That enabled Chantelle to find other work, go for auditions, put her weight behind other projects without having to come in to films scenes. It's therefore also to her benefit. If she got her 14 week notice period earlier she would still have had to spend time filming scenes.''

Producers Elsje and Friedrick Stark says ''the management's overall decision was to minimalize their risks and are acting according to the letter and spirit of the contract entered into with Chantelle Gertse.''

An on-set source tells TV with Thinus ''that the situation was difficult, but it's the nature of the industry. Contract work is contract work. It means that actors are not ensured that they will always have work.'' A source called Chantelle Gertse ''difficult to work with'' and that ''Elsje and Friedrich Stark have been doing for years what they've been doing - they wouldn't have had taken a decision over Chantelle if it wasn't carefully thought through.''

SPOILER ALERT! How Binneland Sub Judice will ''end'' on M-Net before it continues as Binneland on kykNET.

You're reading it here first.

A unique occurence will be taking place this coming Friday that you have to try and watch. What would you do if you could ''end'' a TV show, but not really end it? What if you could create an ending to a storyline with a certain finality, but yet it will live on?

That is exactly what will be happening this coming Friday 1 April with Binneland Sub Judice when the M-Net soap ''ends'' and moves over to kykNET (DStv 111) to continue as just Binneland. The legal side of the storyline is dropped completely. So how will it all end? TV with Thinus knows how and what the ''final scene'' is as the soap bids goodbye to one half of the storyline. Do people die? Is there closure and does it happen organically? Nobody dies for one thing, and the ''end'' is poignant and must-see worthy.

If you don't want to know how Binneland Sub Judice ''ends'' on Friday 1 April on M-Net, before it continues as Binneland on kykNET, don't click on READ MORE below.

BREAKING. New Binneland will keep the same theme song; just edit out and replace the current legal images in the opening theme.

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I can reveal that the theme song for Binneland won't be changing from the current instrumental version when the M-Net soap Binneland Sub Judice switches to just Binneland and to kykNET (DStv 111) from Monday 4 April at 18:00.

The soap's theme song won't be altered again as what happened when the show became an hour long show and changed from Binnelanders to Binneland Sub Judice and ditched the Jak de Priester vocal version for the longer instrumental (current) version. What will be changing is the title logo to just Binneland (I broke the news about the name change ages ago) and new images replacing the current legal images in the opening theme.

BREAKING. Terence Bridget and Michelle Pienaar staying on in Binneland when the soap moves to kykNET from April.

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On the heels of the news about Elma Postma returning to a soap when the actress joins Binneland from April when the weekday soap moves to kykNET (DStv 111), I can exclusively reveal that actors Terence Bridget and Michelle Pienaar will both remain and be taken over to the ''new'' soap when the rest of the Binneland Sub Judice cast are dropped in lieu with M-Net's downsizing rquirements.

According to various sources Binneland is set to announce this evening at a party the handover of the soap (that gets cut in half regarding airtime and moves to a niche channel) that Terence Bridget and Michelle Pienaar will remain from the ''law side''. The Sub Judice ''law side'' of the show is being jettisoned in a month's time. At this evening's get-together of the cast to which only select TV press were invited, the third name change in the soap's history to Binneland will be officially ''announced'' which is news I revealed last year in November already. According to kykNET the channel isn't ''announcing'' anything or announcing the new name and won't be issuing a press release about this evening's event or the producers who will be speaking, but is looking at doing a ''campaign'' later to inform would-be viewers that the show has a new name and is moving to kykNET.

I've known about Elma Postma for a while after sources spilled the news to me, but when I asked the soap earlier in the week that I've heard she's joining the show, the soap officially played coy since the news was apparently given to a gossip rag. With a few enquiries I've confirmed that Terence Bridget and Michelle Pienaar will remain as their characters join the hospital staff. Meanwhile numerous on-set sources have told me that several cast members are not happy with a lot of things - (mostly cast members who won't be continuing with the show, I have to clarify, which is probably to be expected) and it relates to the way they were handled, and how the news and the process of the downsizing of the soap were handled - from the various TV channels' side.

And another bit of schadenfreude trivia: One of the Binneland actors (I'm not going to name names) who remains in the show will probably get a bit antsy (again). Maybe he'll try to apologize again. He didn't know - and made a big fool of himself - by doing crazy talk and not knowing a high level channel exec last year and wasn't really respectful in her presence I was told last year. That person is the channel boss of the exact channel Binneland is now going to be on. Akward.

BREAKING. The new name of Binneland Sub Judice, previously known as Binnelanders, will be . . . Binneland. Without the 's'.

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I can exclusively reveal that the new name - the soap's third - when M-Net's Binneland Sub Judice moves from the pay broadcaster to kykNET (DStv 111) in April will be . . . Binneland.

Binneland Sub Judice will not return to its original name of Binnelanders but according to multiple sources familiar with the new name choice, will drop the ''s'' to only be known as Binneland.

Binneland that will drop the legal side of its story universe and revert back to only a half hour show as I told you in August RIGHT HERE, will still have subtitles in English although its on the Afrikaans satellite channel. ''Binneland on kykNET will have subtitling in English so that hopefully English speaking fans will cross over and continue following their favourite soap,'' another high level source close to the Stark Films production tells me.