BREAKING. High Rollers local drama on SABC3 going to court seeking an urgent court interdict to prevent premature SABC cancellation.

High Rollers on SABC3 is now seeking an urgent court interdict to prevent the SABC from abruptly cancelling the local prime time TV drama months before its third season contract is supposed to end and that will leave 103 cast and crew suddenly jobless just before Christmas.

Rous House Productions (RHP) producing the casino-set drama series is now taking the SABC to court in a dramatic showdown after an unsuccessful meeting between the production company's executives and the SABC on Monday.

SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng repeatedly this year said how he's boosting and supporting 90% local content and working for better a better work environment and job security for struggling local artists but last month the South African public broadcaster suddenly told the show it will pull the plug within a month just before Christmas.

The SABC said it is "not in a position to discuss its contractual obligations with production houses and content providers with third parties, including the media".

SABC3 viewers and the South African TV industry have slammed the SABC for the shortsighted and "bisarre" decision – especially since the SABC renewed the show in May for a third season and increased the episode order from 3 to 5 days per week.

TVwithThinus also learnt that the SABC plans to cull the SABC3 broadcast schedule of High Rollers’ remaining episodes, trimming the show back to only three episodes per week in 2017.

Meanwhile RHP executives – including the writing and directing executive producer brothers Luke and Joshua Rous – have been fighting to save the show and the livelihood of actors and crew who will be out on the street within weeks without intervention.

"RHP has no other choice but to approach the courts with an application for an urgent interdict to stop the SABC from cancelling High Rollers," says Luke and Joshua Rous.

"This application was served on SABC on 7 December and a court date has been set to hear the urgent case within the next week."

"At the same time RHP is submitting an application to the broadcasting regulator, Icasa, to intervene on an urgent basis and set aside the SABC's decision to cancel the High Rollers contract."

Irresponsible SABC decision

"Not only is this the worst possible time of the year for this to happen, but is also in contradiction to SABC's decision to increase local content to 80% on SABC3," says Luke and Joshua Rous.

"RHP feels that the SABC's decision to cancel High Rollers within just 30 business days is in bad faith".

Executive producer Meren Reddy says "This news is devastating to us especially after all the hard work we have put in to increase our output from broadcasting 3 episodes a week to 5 episodes a week only 3 months ago."

Executive producer Luke Rous says "hundreds of people have been affected by this irresponsible and unjust decision."

Executive producer Joshua Rous says "it has been the privilege of a lifetime for us to lead this committed and passionate team, which has formed our High Rollers family. RHP has been overwhelmed by the public support for High Rollers and we appreciate the outpouring of love for the show."

An online petition at change.org entitled "Stop the SABC from Cancelling High Rollers" has so far amassed more than a thousand signatures from the South African public and TV industry.

Petition started to save cancelled High Rollers on SABC3 as producer slams SABC for being ‘unjust and wrong’ over canning the primetime soap.

Angry viewers have now started a petition started a petition to try and save SABC3's cancelled prime time soap High Rollers while the show's producer, fighting to keep the show on the air, is slamming the SABC's decision to can the show as "unjust and wrong".

The SABC abruptly decided it wants High Rollers off the TV channel's schedule, mid-contract, within a month – despite having said repeatedly this year through SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng that it supports local content and more local programming for SABC3.

The producers and large cast and crew of High Rollers, currently in its 3^rd season, are shocked while the SABC has so far not responded to media enquiries about the show's sudden cancellation notice coming just weeks before Christmas.

Executive producer Luke Rous from Rous House Productions is slamming the SABC's decision to dump High Rollers as "unjust and wrong", saying "we love making High Rollers, we are two-thirds of the way through our signed contract and we want the SABC to honour the commitment they have made to us".

Viewer Raeesa Khan from Durban has now started an online petition over the weekend to save the show, begging the SABC not to can High Rollers, with hundreds of viewers who have already signed the petition.

The petition can be found here.

'Stupid SABC decisions'

"The SABC has been making some really stupid decisions, the latest being their sudden announcement to cancel the local television show, High Rollers," says Raeesa.

"This show is one of the most popular local programmes and cancelling it would be the biggest mistake the SABC could make at this point in time. It’s about time that the viewers' opinions are taken into consideration".

Furious and upset SABC and SABC3 viewers quickly flooded the petition with their comments of vote of support.

"What will be left of SABC3? We want High Rollers to stay," said Amone Robbertze, with Sarahann Du Plooy saying "I think the mismanagement at the SABC is unacceptable. Actors and producers are in South Africa deserve a fair chance to create a future for themselves".

"I support the SA TV industry and I believe this would negatively affect it and many people involved," said Frances Hepburn.

"It's a good show and employs and empowers many South African families," says Thabi Gumede who already signed the petition.

"The SABC will be making a very rash decision by cancelling High Rollers. It will have a massive impact on the crew, actors and producers who will all be without jobs. It's not fair," noted Rozanne Bishop.

Fighting back

High Rollers that was launched in April 2013 was renewed for a full third season of 156 episodes in May this year and extended from three to five days per week, with the SABC no longer calling it a telenovela but a prime time weekday soap.

After the production company with producing and directing brothers Luke and Josh Rous, struggled for four and a half years to finally get the show on the cash-strapped SABC in 2013, the SABC now suddenly wants High Rollers with its large ensemble cast gone and cancelled – within 30 days.

While the ratings for High Rollers has fallen since May when Hlaudi Motsoeneng abruptly ordered a quota of 80% local content for the channel, it is in line with the entire SABC3 viewership that keeps spiraling down month after month since the introduction of new local shows  viewers have made clear that they don’t want to see.

High Rollers is however fighting back against the SABC’s shock decision that will leave actors and crew without jobs and income to support their families by Christmas.

Production company Rous House Productions says "the SABC have signalled their intent to cancel High Rollers within 30 business days" and was told the SABC is taking the decision "based on programming strategy changes on SABC3".

"Rous House Productions does not agree with the SABC's cancellation letter". Rous House Productions in a statement says that it's working with the SABC to try and "resolve this matter."

High Rollers' large ensemble cast includes local stars like Anthony Coleman, Thapelo Mokoena, Terence Bridgett, Hayley Owen, Jai Prakash, Vilje Maritz, Thishiwe Ziqubu and Thishiwe Ziqubu.

High Rollers is SABC3's new attempt at a local, high-gloss drama, this time set at Kings Casino; 26 episodes to start on 2 April at 20:30.

SABC3 will start broadcasting a new 26 part drama series, High Rollers set in the world of gambling, starring actors such as Fezile Mphela, Brümilda van Rensburg, Rolanda Marais, JP van den Bergh, Lizelle Smit, Bianca Smit, Bianca Homeier, Gerhard Coetzer, from Tuesday 2 April at 20:30.

High Rollers is produced for SABC3 by Rous House Productions with directors Luke Rous and Josh Rous and Henrietta Gryffenberg heading up the writing team.

Principal photography on High Rollers started in the middle of January.

SABC3 declined to mention any actors involved with the show centred around a fictional casino and hotel complex known as Kings Casino and the three brothers who are fighting for the fortune.

SABC3 promises "high production values, an outstanding cast, complex characters and a compelling storyline that pivots around the risky gambles we take in life".

High Rollers is a high-stakes gamble for SABC3 and the biggest gloss local production on the channel since the expensive flop The Lab of 2006 which was set "in the heart of the high-stakes world of business in South Africa".

"We envisaged the casino as a metaphor for life and how we gamble in a daily basis with love, religion and family," says Luke Rous in a press statement about the hour long drama. " Of course the central focus is on the human drama and the interpersonal dynamics at play, with the characters' vices and ambition threatening to destroy their lives and those of their loved ones."

According to Luke Rous the aim with High Rollers is to "craft a dynastic family saga with strong, well-drawn characters that hook the viewer and reel them into the unfolding drama."