e.tv brings viewers a South African type of The Bold and the Beautiful with new fashion world-set House of Zwide that replaces Rhythm City as primetime soap from 19 July.

by Thinus Ferreira

e.tv is replacing its cancelled primetime soap Rhythm City with a type of South African The Bold and the Beautiful, with House of Zwide that will start on Monday 19 July and revolve around a "fashionable" Johannesburg family and the high-drama and ruthless ambition that marks the cut-throat fashion industry.

Just like the Forresters of Forrester Fashions in Los Angeles, the Zwide family in Johannesburg and their rivals are in constant competition and would rather be caught dead than being out of fashion.

Produced by Bomb Productions and VideoVision Entertainment, House of Zwide replaces Rhythm City that recently filmed its final scenes. e.tv has not yet announced any new casting for House of Zwide.

"The show could not have come at a better time," says Helga Palmer, e.tv's head of local productions.

"e.tv brings you a show of hopes and dreams to uplift and inspire viewers to believe they can achieve anything they put their minds to, in a world filled with uncertainty and despair. As Bomb Productions and VideoVision Entertainment are well-known for authentic storytelling, it will come as no surprise when the show takes South Africa by storm," Helga Palmer says.

Anant Singh, VideoVision Entertainment CEO, says "House of Zwide tells a thrilling rags-to-riches story set in the glamorous world of fashion".

"It is a timely, aspirational tale with many twists and turns that we believe will keep viewers glued to their television screens. We are excited to be partnering with Bomb Productions on this production which also marks our second series with e.tv."

Desiree Markgraaff, Bomb Productions executive producer, says "We acknowledge and are humbled to be following in the footsteps of Rhythm City which has blazed a trail in this time slot".

"We are very excited to be creating a new show for e.tv and hope viewers will welcome House Of Zwide. Covid-19 has been hard on everyone and we wanted to tell a story that reminds us that no matter the obstacles, we must never give up on our dreams."

COWABUNGA. Cows stolen off the isiBaya TV set; cattle call to find the missing Mzansi Magic moo-moo's yields no results; 'they were part of the family,' says production.

Cowabunga! Cows were stolen right off the isiBaya set of the hugely popular Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) show.

Producers have been desperately searching for their missing Mzansi Magic moo-moo's - with no luck so far.

The producers of the soap will now have to find new cattle to populate the background of the weekday soap opera.

"Yes. All of our cows were stolen beginning of the year," Desiree Markgraaff, executive producer of isiBaya tells TV with Thinus.

"We had about 8 cows. It happened at night and we only discovered in the morning that the cows were gone. We loved those cows. They were part of the isiBaya family."

The Bomb Shelter production will now have to find new moo-moo's as isiBaya extras where their appearance have helped with the realistic depiction of the ongoing family feud between the Zungus and Ndlovus in the Thukela Valley.

"We will have to get new cows," says Desiree Markgraaff of the show filmed in Soweto, the title of which means "the kraal".

So far a cattle call for the lost cows has not yielded any results. "We do have people still searching all over for the cows, but eventually we'll have to get new ones."

The cattle theft was reported to the police. No word yet on whether TV set insurance in South Africa pays out for the loss and theft of this type of television movable asset.

BREAKING. South African television producer Desiree Markgraaff reacts after SABC calls on her and producers to give money to Somalia.

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Yesterday morning the SABC on its SABC2 morning breakfast show Morning Live called out the independent television producers in South Africa to donate money to the SABC's ''Touching Lives in Somalia'' campaign, and specifically called on independent television producer Desiree Markgraaff to ''give us a call. We urge you.''

ALSO READ: SABC calls out South African independent television producers ''that we always have issues with'' to donate to its Somalia campaign.

The past three years the SABC has commissioned no new local programming other than advertiser-funded shows and which decimated the local TV production sector. The result has been a painful shrinking of the local TV production sector in which producers have lost companies, shed workers, lost cars, houses and livelihoods. This makes the SABC's plea odd to ask for money from specifically an industry and a struggling sector that the SABC itself did not support financially the past few years as what has been the case previously.

TV with Thinus asked Desiree Markgraaff and independent television producers in South Africa for a response to what the SABC did, and she graciously took the high road, steering away from commenting on the broadcaster's odd way in which it conducted its plea for help:

''The plight facing millions of Somali's is a terrible human tragedy and one that should make all of us pause and think about how we can help - on a personal level, on a business level, as nations and indeed as fellow citizens of the world. I am deeply saddened and heartbroken by the pain and suffering so many men, women and children are enduring.''

''I agree fully with Mr Kganyago that this is a time for us all to come together and contribute in whatever way we can. Unfortunately I missed this mornings telethon (I was unaware that it was happening), and I am more than willing to contribute should the telethon still accept donations. Certainly my family and our company will support Gift of the Givers who are doing incredible work.''

''I think our industry can make a contribution on two levels; one financially and two a more long term contribution, by coming together as we did with the outbreak of xenephobic violence in 2008 (creating the initiative Filmmakers Against Racism), and using our skills to make and broadcast films that galvanise action and raise questions about how the terrible suffering of the people of Somalia, and indeed Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda can happen in an age where man is able to send a probe into the Mars orbit.''

''I urge all my colleagues in film, television and media, as well as the broadcasters to dig deep into their hearts seeking projects that will put on the world stage the questions we should all be asking: How can so many have so little, when so few have so much? What can we as global humanity do to prevent such pain and suffering now and in the future? Can we appeal to those creating war and preventing starving people from getting food, to find their humanity and allow aid to flow to those in need?''

BREAKING. SABC calls out South Africa's independent TV producers 'that we always have issues with' to donate to its Somalia campaign.

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In a ''morning show-turned-telethon'', the SABC2's morning show Morning Live suddenly called out independent television producers in South Africa today, asking them to pledge and give money to the SABC's ''Touching Lives in Somalia'' fund-raising campaign.

Neither the SABC nor the channel SABC2 which broadcasts Morning Live bothered to tell the press that cover television in advance about the sudden ''Touching Lives in Somalia'' telethon that took place this morning. Also unannounced was that Morning Live was suddenly extended by an hour.

The broadcaster's telethon came across as unprofessional compared to previous similar attempts by the SABC and Morning Live which previously raised funds for crises like after the Haiti earthquake. Morning Live co-presenter Leanne Manas was not on duty with Florence Metoaba sitting in.

The South African public broadcaster that has had a strained relationship with independent producers in the country the past few years, this morning suddenly wanted producers to donate money to the SABC's campaign. Meanwhile the independent TV production sector in South Africa has been decimated the past 3 years by the SABC's reluctance and inability to commission new local programming that cost the jobs of thousands of people working in this struggling industry.

''We have got a lot of people that we always have issued with, with our independent producers that we're giving all the work to,'' said the SABC's spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago when Morning Live presenter Vuyo Mbuli asked who should come forward to donate to the Touching Lives in Somalia campaign. ''Really, they must come up and contribute. The Desiree Markgraaffs of this world, they must come. We always meet when we are arguing. Today it's for a good cause. Let us come together,'' said Kaizer Kganyago.

''Desiree Markgraaff, independent producer, give us a call. We urge you,'' said Vuyo Mbuli.

In the cringe-inducing call-out in which Kaizer Kganyago said the PSL and Safa (both soccer bodies that the SABC is in the process of negotiating with and in a bidding process with) should pledge. The SABC also mentioned Sony by name ''who we buy some outside broadcast (OB) units from, they must come up. R300 000 is not much.''

Even ex SABC executives were called out by name. ''My former CEO of the SABC, Dali Mpofu, come up and contribute. Solly Mokoetle ... wherever you are. Really. All of those people must come up and contribute,'' said Kaizer Kganyago.

The SABC's Charlotte Mampane, group executive for editorial policy also appeared on the show to be interviewed by Vuyo Mbuli - which led to an akward live moment on Morning Live.

''As a public broadcaster it's important for us to provide a platform from time to time to mobilize support for not just South Africans only but for other countries as well. I'm told there's a target this time that we have to reach,'' she said.

''How much is the target?'' asked Vuyo Mbuli.

''Uhm... should we announce it now?'' said-questioned Charlotte Mampane.

''Yes,'' said Vuyo Mbuli.

''... or should we allow South Africans to continue to pledge and we'll announce the target at the end of the project?'' said Charlotte Mampane, her response more a statement than a question. The conversation ended with this exchange.

ALSO READ: South African television producer Desiree Markgraaff reacts after SABC calls her and producers out to give money to Somalia.

UPDATE 21:00 - On Thursday evening the SABC failed to either show on-screen or tell viewers audibly in the various TV news bulletins shown on SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 that SMSes to the ''Touching Lives in Somalia'' telethon SMS number actually cost R10 each.
The various news bulletins of the SABC told viewers they can still SMS. None of the bulletins however showed or told viewers about the crucial information that it cost a whopping R10 per SMS. Morning Live this morning on SABC2 did indicate during that broadcast for viewers who saw that, that a SMS to the number will cost R10 each.

BREAKING. TVIEC to call for an 'open day' within weeks for anyone owed money by the SABC.

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I can exclusively reveal first that the Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) is planning to organize an ''open day'' for anyone (still) owed money by the SABC to come forward so that a master list can be compiled to get the debt of the public broadcaster to South African TV producers settled.

''We will call for an open day soon to get people throughout the production industry to come forward with any debts outstanding, to once and for all get a figure together on what the SABC is owing the industry,'' Desiree Markgraaff of the TVIEC just told me.

''Within weeks we will put out the call to have an open day for anyone owed money to register what they're owed by the public broadcaster and lodge what the debt is. That will probably happen in the next two or three weeks,'' she says.

BREAKING. SABC still owes South African production industry ''many millions of rands,'' says TVIEC.

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I can exclusively report back first on yesterday's full day meeting of the Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) at the Goethe Institute in Johannesburg.

I just got off the phone with Desiree Markgraaff, chairperson of the Independent Producers' Organisation (IPO), and a member of the TVIEC steering committee.

Basically millions of rands are still outstanding and owed by the SABC to producers and the production industry in South Africa, there is a huge concern regarding the public broadcaster's continued reduction of work and no new production commissions, and continued confusion regarding the process of royalty payments outstanding by the SABC that's payable for repeats.

For a basic summary of yesterday's TVIEC meeting and what Desiree Markgraaff told me, click on READ MORE below.