Who shot Lincoln? Viewers react after SABC3's Isidingo ends with an unresolved Dallas cliffhanger series finale.

by Thinus Ferreira

Isidingo did Dallas as mysterious gunshots rang out in the final scene of the series finale on SABC3 on Thursday evening as Lincoln got shot - leaving viewers shocked, in disbelief and ending the local weekday soap on a blunt cliffhanger that will never be resolved.

For the series finale the writers' room of the Pomegranate Media production company and showrunner Pumla Hopa borrowed a page from the iconic "Who shot J.R.?" third season finale of the American prime time drama series Dallas to end Isidingo with a cliffhanger ending that will never get an answer.

Similar to how evil patriarch J.R. Ewing got shot by a mysterious character seemingly leaving him for dead, a woman with only her eyes framed in shots, was seen first taking off a blond wig - indicating that she has possibly been around for a while and masquerading as someone else,after which she shot Lincoln Sibeko (Lindani Nkosi) in his penthouse apartment at point-blank range.

He at least opened his eyes as he was laying in the ground before the end-credits rolled for the last time to indicate that while he wasn't dead.

Who was she? The evil, scheming Cherel de Villiers-Haines who returned for a last unexplained act of revenge? Was it Charlie Holmes, the daughter of Eddie Holmes originally played by Jay Anstey, returning to avenge the death of her father who died when the police station got bombed as a result of Lincoln and Nina?

The secret shooter's identity is a mystery South African television will never reveal, after the SABC that is no longer able to afford large emsemble cast drama series for SABC3, abruptly cancelled the show.

SABC3 will now air Isidingo repeats in the same timeslot for the next few months with no new replacement programming in primetime.

Isidingo faded out with an end-credits tribute card in gold capital letters at the end of its final episode, saying: "We are forever grateful to our loyal viewers who have been with us throughout the 21 years of Isidingo. Maz'Enethole!"

Earlier in the final episode a gun-filled blood-spattered scene saw Mayekiso (Dumisane Mbebe) killed off when Lincoln shot him in a merciless killing scene in a hospital room.

Viewers largely reacted negatively to the final episode and Isidingo's end as fans from across South Africa as well as Canada, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania and several other countries who have followed the series weighed in and said goodbye.

"SABC3 has left an entire country crying today, to each and every actor and actress thank you all for keeping us entertained we love you all," said Fatima Vankar.

"I'm at a loss for words. The ending was crap! Who the hell was that woman? I can't believe it ended this way," remarked Tracy Dugdale.

"I've been following this show since I was in primary school and it's sad that this is the end. Despite the suspense I would like to know who was the hot assassin. This show has been one of the famous in my country Tanzania," remarked Yu. "So they're leaving us on such a massive cliffhanger. Wow," said Tihan-Nico Paxton.

"Now for the rest of my life I'll have to wonder who shot Lincoln," said Samuiel Herigo, while Ntombi Langa said: "SABC3 and I no longer have a relationship". "Such a disappointing end to such a phenomenal show," said Thabang Matona.

Angel Skikwambana asked: "What's left for us to watch on SABC3? I mean first it was Top Billing now it's Isidingo". Matshidiso Kabelo suggested: "Isidingo, please negotiate with Showmax like Lockdown did or consider e.tv. They don't have alot of soapies."

"Can someone wake me from my dream? Because I don't believe Isidingo has come to the end. SABC3 why? Why? I screamed after I watched tonight's episode and my son was like: 'Mummy are you okay?' Seriously why do you have to end Isidingo?" asked Olajumoke Ajibesin.


ALSO READ: Inside tonight’s SABC3 Isidingo finale: How the cast will watch together as gunshots ring out.
ALSO READ: The SABC is replacing its cancelled local weekday soap Isidingo with repeats of Isidingo in primetime, for months.

Inside tonight’s SABC3 Isidingo finale: How the cast will watch together as gunshots ring out.

by Thinus Ferreira

When the liquid gold opening theme of Isidingo starts for the last time after 21 years on SABC3 tonight, the entire cast will be huddled together in a secret Johannesburg location to watch the cancelled soap's series finale together.

The South African public broadcaster abruptly axed the long-running soap in November 2019 because the SABC's struggling and ratings-challenged sole commercial TV channel can no longer afford to make expensive local shows like Top Billing or ones that support a large ensemble cast like Isidingo.

When the cancellation decision was made by SABC top brass with little notice to the production company the last Isidingo episode was already written by that time and in production with little that could be changed. The cast had to hear on Twitter that their show was cancelled by the SABC.

Just before the final Isidingo episode filmed last scenes on 24 January 2020, the Pomegranate Media production, helmed by executive producer and director Pumla Hopa, however rushed to rewrite some scenes.

The last Isidingo episode is largely however exactly how it would have been originally since the SABC's cancellation axe came down with too little advance warning for the show to do anything properly to wrap up the show or any of the major storylines since the writing team already wrapped for the season.

After thousands of episodes since the Gray Hofmeyr created soap launched on 7 July 1998 - giving South African viewers some iconic characters like Cherel de Villiers Haines, Barker Haines and Hlubi Mboya who portrayed the HIV-positive Nandipha Sithole - the series finale tonight will include some shockers and surprises ... including gunshots as "one man avenges himself".

The show is however staying tight-lipped as to whether any characters might get killed off or whether the final Isidingo scene will leave longtime viewers with a satisfying conclusion or on a shocking and never-to-be-resolved cliffhanger ending.

Filming on the day of the last Isidingo episode the cast and crew knew it was the end but kept up appearances, choosing to focus on getting the work done and getting the last scenes in the can, instead of what it all meant as the fictional mining community of The Deep and real-life TV-making community saw their tight-knit group being dismantled after two decades on the air.

"They have always been a very positive cast and crew to be around and they're all just crazy and laughing all the time usually. On the last day emotions were there but we didn't really dwell on the situation," Isidingo publicist Catherine Sidyiyo tells TVwithThinus.

"People were happy and good and fine on set. On the last day - it wasn't everybody who was there - but it concluded with a jovial spirit and a spirit of togetherness really."

After Thursday SABC3 will broadcast themed Isidingo repeat episodes for the next few months during its primetime timeslot until the channel figures out what it can or wants to do during the 19:00 half hour where the soap's viewership has plunged to between 900 000 and a million viewers per month at most.

The SABC cancels Isidingo The Need on SABC3 after 21 years, final episode to broadcast on 12 March 2020 as dismantling of the struggling channel's legacy schedule continues.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC no longer sees any need for Isidingo - The Need with the show that is the next legacy show on SABC3 getting the cancellation axe and will broadcast its final episode on 12 March 2020.

In response to a media enquiry on Friday morning the SABC told TVwithThinus that Isidingo is over with the 21-year old local soap, now produced by Pomegranate Media, that won't be renewed for a further season.

The SABC blames Isidingo's "poor audience ratings during the time slot, decline in revenue and poor return on investment" for the weekday soap's cancellation, although SABC3 as a whole remains deeply mired in financial trouble, ratings problems and almost insurmountable programming challenges as the South African public broadcaster's only commercial TV channel. 

Over the past three years the SABC has dismantled and cancelled basically the entire legacy programming schedule of SABC3, including the local telenovela High Rollers, the American daytime soaps Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful, 3Talk with Noeleen as well as its replacement Real Talk with Anele, as well as the longrunning Top Billing. 

SABC3 keeps saying the bulk cancellations are part of "the channels' future strategic direction" but fails to explain or answer media enquiries about what it means. 

On Friday the SABC confirmed that Isidingo will "be airing its final episode on Thursday, 12 March 2020."

Created by Gray Hofmeyr and making its debut in July 1998, the soap that was originally produced by Endemol Shine Africa was once a once cutting-edge local soap that included quick-filmed ripped-form-the-day's-headlines scenes and groundbreaking storylines ranging including HIV-positive and gay characters who inhabited the fictional Horizon Deep mining community. 

"In line with SABC3's future strategic direction, Isidingo has been one of the programmes that will not be recommissioned for the new fiscal from April 2020," says the SABC.

"The decision to decommission Isidingo was informed by a number of factors which includes poor audience ratings during the time slot, decline in revenue and poor return on investment."

"The organisation was faced with no option but to review the performance of all programmes on the channel that are not performing and to ensure that the channel’s content is competitive and commercially viable," says David Makubyane, the SABC's acting head of television.

"SABC3, through its strategic plans will continue to commission and intensify its investment in local productions and content which will allow creatives to come up with new, gripping and commercially viable content for the channel."

"The channel will through its content division welcome any proposals that respond to these plans and channel direction," says David Makubyane.

Generations The Legacy on SABC1 renewed for 2 further seasons while the SABC ponders whether SABC3's Isidingo is still needed.

The South African public broadcaster has renewed its one SABC1 prime time weekday soap Generations - The Legacy for two more seasons while the broadcaster remains silent over the fate of the long-running Isidingo on SABC3 facing possible cancellation.

Generations - The Legacy on SABC1 on Monday night continued uninterrupted despite an announcement three days earlier that it would go into reruns as part of  a "summer break" of old themed rerun episodes that was set to start on Monday - a plan which was abruptly scuppered.

Generations - The Legacy is SABC1 and South African television's second-most watched TV show and pulled 9.23 million viewers (25.7 AR / 65.4 share) during October.

The SABC dragged its heels in signing a new contract for a 6th season of Generations - The Legacy with Morula Pictures, owned by Mfundi Vundla, but finally did so on Monday 25 November.

Although the SABC on Friday announced that Generations - The Legacy would go into repeats on SABC1 from Monday and not revealing that it was because no further contract existed, a period of schedule padding with reruns didn't start on Monday at 20:00.

Instead a new first-run episode of Generations - The Legacy was broadcast on SABC1 after the SABC concluded a new 2-year contract with Morula Pictures.

At 20:05 the SABC in a statement said that "the SABC and Morula Pictures are pleased to announce that Generations - The Legacy has been recommissioned for two new seasons".

The SABC said that "Generations - The Legacy will continue uninterrupted and audiences will be spoilt with fresh episodes throughout December and the rest of 2020."

Neither Phillip Mabitsela, SABC1 publicist, nor Morula Pictures responded to media enquiries made since Friday.

Meanwhile questions continue to swirl whether the struggling prime time soap Isidingo - The Need on SABC3 is getting renewed of axed.

Neither the SABC nor Pomegranate Media have responded to media enquries seeking clarity over the future of Isidingo that is facing possible cancellation.

The longrunning local soap that has shed popular characters and viewers drew a paltry 957 500 viewers in October on SABC3 which remains the public broadcaster's biggest headache and struggling to make money as the SABC's only commercial TV channel.

The SABC has done away with and cancelled most of SABC3's high-cost, longrunning signature programming over the past three years including Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, High Rollers, 3Talk and its replacement Real Talk, as well as Top Billing.

The bitch is back as Michelle Botes reprises her Cherel de Villiers character for a 2-episode appearance on SABC3's Isidingo for the soap's 21st anniversary in July.

The biggest bitch on South African television is returning with Cherel de Villiers-Haines-Le-Roux-Kumar-Homes who will return to SABC3’s Isidingo for a 2-episode arc to mark its 21st anniversary.

TV thesp Michelle Botes is back on the Isidingo backlot filming scenes today for Isidingo’s 21st birthday special episodes produced by Pomegranate Media.

These will be broadcast on Friday 5 July and Monday 8 July on SABC3. 

According to Isidingo publicist Catherine Sidyiyo, the special episodes will contain scenes not related to the main ongoing story arcs but are additional special scenes to mark the local weekday soap’s anniversary.

On Tuesday Isidingo on its social media shared a photo of Michelle Botes back in the dressing room getting hair and make-up done before scenes being shot today.

After years on the then-Endemol produced show, the Cherel character was shipped off to an asylum in 2007, with Botes who then jumped to M-Net’s Binnelanders soap on kykNET (DStv 144) where she remained a few years after which she went back to Isidingo in June 2010 to reprise the character of Cherel again for a short stint.

Cherel de Villiers - Haines - Le Roux Holmes.#Isidingo #Isidingo21 #bts pic.twitter.com/XzsupbUw3K

— Isidingo (@IsidingoSABC3) June 18, 2019