SABC2 adds new April series including drama Melody and dramedy The Riviera; kykNET adds sketch show Cas Oppie Kassie and gospel music talker Koortjies.

by Thinus Ferreira

SABC2 and kykNET (DStv 144) are both rolling out new locally-produced TV shows during April with SABC2 adding Melody and The Riviera that were both filmed in the Western Cape, while kykNET has scheduled comedian Casper de Vries' satirical TV return with Cas Oppie Kassie and the gospel music talk show Koortjies with Jonathan Rubain.

Melody, produced by Gemini Twins Films and The Ergo Company and starting on Tuesday 7 April at 19:30 on SABC2 revolves around a young and talented penny-whistler from Athlone named Melody (Kim Bowers) who uses music as a form of escapism from her impoverished background and abusive father.

She gets an opportunity to audition for a music scholarship but her tyrannical father stands in the way of her dreams. The Melody cast includes Aya Ngobo (as Junior, Melody's brother), Riedwaan Damon (Bevan), Moeniel Jacobs (Jack), Faldela Brown (Mrs Fredericks) and Aeesha Petersen as Nazli.

The 13-episode The Riviera, starting on Wednesday 8 April at 19:30 on SABC2 is a dramedy that explores the complexities of growing up in Cape Town during the 1980s. It was created and is narrated by Quanita Adams and produced and directed by Lucille Blankenberg.

The series is set in the year 1989 around the experiences of a 12-year-old Muslim girl, Riana Isaacs, growing up on the Cape Flats. While South Africa and the world are in dramatic upheaval, Riana innocently sets out to achieve her own personal milestones.

The Riviera cast includes Keenan Arrison (Naz), Kelly Damon (Riana), Abdul Abrahams (Reza) and Margie Pankhurst as Ma B.

"SABC2 is very excited to bring these two dramas to our audiences - stories about people and places not often seen nor heard on our screens. The channel is especially proud of the fact that both dramas have a great balance between established actors and new talent that viewers will fall in love with," says Gerhard Pretorius, SABC2 channel head.

On kykNET the comedian Casper de Vries is making his TV comeback with Cas Oppie Kassie starting on Monday 6 April at 20:00 in his new satirical comedy sketch show.

Similar to his erstwhile satirical soap insert "Haak & Steek" in his Casper Rasper Show that mocked local TV soaps, this time Cas Oppie Kassie will include an ongoing insert mocking competition reality shows like Survivor SA on M-Net, entitled "Die Laager" in which contestants partake in Die Groot Trek.

Besides the 5 to 7 different sketches per episode, there will also be an animated sketch series, "Con se Storie" about a church pastor.

Some iconic Casper characters will return like the beloved Dutch woman Greetje Appelmoes, Oom Kallie Marie, the failed entrepreneur Hanno Gelderblom and the former flight attendant with neckbrace Montelle Jansen van Rensburg, alongside Blertsie du Toit.

New characters include the Swedish Greta Donderberg and Gizelle Serfontein, a former news reader and now pornstar and sex expert.

Koortjies with the gospel musician Jonathan Rubain as host and done from Atlantic Studios in Cape Town kicked off on kykNET & Kie (DStv 145) on 5 April on Sundays at 18:00

Returning shows on kykNET in April include the 5th season of the music-infused talk show Republiek van Zoid Afrika with Karen Zoid, starting Monday 6 April at 20:00, the second season of Maak my Famous from 29 April at 20:00 with Emo Adams, and another season of the agriculture show Megaboere with Kabous Meiring from 7 April at 21:00.

The third and final season of the legal-eagle drama series Fynskrif will start on kykNET on 14 April at 20:00.

Netwerk24 orders Op en Af as a second Afrikaans streaming soap; 65 webisode comedy series produced by Jester Productions and VIA will start in February 2020.

Media24's Afrikaans TV channel VIA is producing a second online video streaming soap, Op en af (Up and down), for the Netwerk24 portal that will play out in daily episodes from 3 February 2020.

The comedy of 65 episodes written by Leon Kruger and produced by Jester Productions of Diaan Lawrenson and Jody Abrahams, follows after Die Testament drama that marked Netwerk24's entry into Afrikaans online TV series. 

"The soap is about ordinary people who are a little bit eccentric and holds up a mirror," says Diaan Lawrenson. All the couples live in the same apartment building and are seemingly friends - although viewers later see that their interactions are loaded with jealousy and competition, and sugar-coated with some gossip."

The Op en af cast include Charlton George as André Mouton and Quanita Adams as his wife Bev who have been married the longest although Bev is hiding a secret life, while Neels van Jaarsveld's character Frans du Plessis dabbles as a stock broker and Nadia Valvekens' (Leande du Plessis) character is an online vlogger.

Marlo Minnaar and Nicole Fortuin play the recently-married Charlie and Ilse Daniels who are trying but struggling to get pregnant. Diaan Lawrenson also appears on-screen as Christelle, Bev's best friend.

Netwerk24 will roll out episodes of Op en af as 5-minute webisodes with a new episode on weekdays at 8:00 between 3 February and the end of April 2020.

"The reaction to our first soap, Die Testament, surpassed our expectations," says Henriëtte Loubser, Netwerk24 editor. "It's clear that such instant viewing enjoyment in Afrikaans is a format that resonates with Netwerk24's audience."

"While Die Testament had a dramatic approach our second soap is humoristic and provides a whole new experience."

Similar to Die Testament episodes of Op en Af will remain available on Netwerk24 indefinitely with subscribers who can watch a new episode daily or the omnibus over weekends. Eventually the entire series of 65 episodes will be available to binge watch.

Izelle Venter, VIA channel boss says "When we watched the first episodes and the actors felt completely like your friends on a Friday night we became really excited. We believe that Netwerk24 viewers will be just as excited over our new soap from the producers-duo Diaan Lawrenson and Jody Abrahams".