TV production travelling and packing for Top Travel and Top Billing not so glamorous at all, presenter Jeannie D explains.

The post-edit glamarama look is sumptuous glamour television personified, but the constant behind-the-scenes travel drama on South African shows with a heavy international showcasing element such as Top Billing and Top Travel is anything but.

The never-ending travel arrangements, travelling, packing, and lugging around of suitcases for short periods of times between international airports, connecting flights and cities all over the world is anything but glamorous for the production crews and presenters of shows such as Top Travel and Top Billing on SABC3.

Top Travel presenter Jeannie D said on Wednesday evening's Top Travel episode what viewers already know, that "Top Billing and Top Travel always look incredibly glamorous. In reality we travel with quite a hefty team of four people. Our luggage is a monstrosity."

"Twelve pieces of luggage. That's a lot. That's the reality. That's how we actually travel from place to place," said Janez Vermeiren.

"It really isn't easy to travel, not at the best of times. But to travel as a production team is very, very difficult," he said.

ALSO READ: Just get married already already - Janez Vermeiren and Jeannie D: South African television's most lovey-dovey on-screen couple.

JUST GET MARRIED ALREADY. Janez Vermeiren and Jeannie D - South African television's most lovey-dovey on-screen couple.

They're not married (yet) (or to each other) - but they probably should be: the Top Billing and Top Travel presenters Janez Vermeiren and Jeannie D  on SABC3.

The two jetsetting telenalities are not romantically linked (despite ongoing rumours over years) but they take every opportunity to smooch it up and hug it out with longing romantic looks and gazes when the cameras are rolling.

All the soft touches, the playful interactions, the canoodling, they eye-to-eye contact which makes them break out in smiles - yes ... it's nothing but true love, baby.

There's a certain way that happy people, romantically in love with each other, walking along the beach at sunset, look at each other - and any behavioural psychologist will instantly show you that Janez Vermeiren and Jeannie D are looking at each other in that way.

All these glances, longing, loving looks and kissing are from just one Top Travel episode on Wednesday evening on SABC3.

ALSO READ: Production travelling and packing for Top Travel and Top Billing not so glamorous at all, presenter Jeannie D explains.

Why an almost naked Janez Vermeiren of Top Travel ran through the streets of Stockholm in just underwear.

Janez Vermeiren, presenter of the second season of Top Travel currently on SABC3, ran through the streets of Stockholm in Sweden in just underwear, showing that the producers of Tswelopele Productions are definitely not beyond making their presenters go near-naked if it's going to help goose the ratings.

Visiting Stockholm for an episode of the second season of Top Travel, Janez Vermeiren who is also a Top Billing presenter produced by the same production company, paid the Bjorn Borg underwear store in the heart of the Swedish city a visit.

He decided to take to the streets of Stockholm in his tighties and green Bjorn Borg socks, as a play on a Swedish underwear TV commercial in which models do the same.

"Mine was a different take on their campaign," said Janez Vermeiren. "You've always got to be an individual. People were actually quite cool with it. I had a couple of glances. A couple of old ladies: 'What is he doing?' but most people were just: 'Ah there's a guy running around in his boxer shorts. Whatever. Cool."

"If you had to do that Cape Town ... a different story."

Top Travel on SABC3 back in production with Janez Vermeiren and Jeannie D for another new season of the global travelogue show.

Top Travel, the global travelogue show from Tswelopele Productions, is back in production for another new season with Top Billing presenters Jeannie D and Janez Vermeiren, I can now confirm.

I was slipped gossip two month ago from sources that Top Travel will return for a new season but SABC3 and everybody else was tight-lipped as the arduous visa applications, shooting logistics and the most arduous task of all - packing those overnights - once again geared up.

Top Travel which sees the presenters visit exotic locales across the glove has had two seasons on SABC3 so far in 2008 and 2009; the show was also sold and shown to the Travel Channel on DStv.

Top Travel with presenters Janez Vermeiren and Jeannie D will be back for a 3rd season.

Top Travel will be back for a 3rd season. The travelogue magazine show produced by Tswelopele Productions will record a 3rd season with presenters Janez Vermeiren and Jeannie D.

Top Travel is a hit on SABC3 but has also been sold on the international market and is shown on channels like the Travel Channel (DStv 181).

BREAKING. Pasella renewed, SABC2 very ''proud of'' show

You're reading it here first. SABC2 is coming out guns blazing after the shoddy piece of journalism in The Times newspaper earlier this week trashing Tswelopele Productions that produces Pasella for SABC2 and Top Billing and Top Travel for SABC3.

I now have the EXCLUSIVE RESPONSE from SABC2, with the broadcaster not just saying that the channel is VERY HAPPY with Pasella's performance, but also that the show's contract has been RENEWED, that it's a programming SUCCESS STORY and something that SABC2 is ''very proud of''.

Here is what Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC2 publicity manager just told me:

''We recontracted Pasella for another season due to the fact that we've had a huge audience demand for the show. Pasella currently meets both the audiences and advertisers expectations and demands and with the high audience ratings the programme attracts, it is understandably the reason why it is a sustainable programme to have on the channel.''

''Pasella is one of the success stories that we as a channel are proud of, having won many accolades both with viewers and industry critics.''

FOR ALL OF MY OWN KIND, BUT THE LAZY ONES (yes, even if you write about television and think it doesn't matter) who didn't attend, slept through, don't care for or didn't go to journo school, go look up the audi alteram partem rule of journalism.

Then go and look at what you want to put out there BEFORE you put it out there.

BREAKING. What is REALLY going on at Top Billing

You're reading it here first. So this really badly researched story appeared in The Times yesterday about Tswelopele Productions who produces Top Billing and Pasella. Another case in my judgement of lazy journalism for a quick buck.

Only one anonymous source quoted (you really shouldn't have or use anonymous sources unless in highly exceptional cases they teach you in journalism school) which then suddenly turns into plurar with the use of ''employees''.

There's also no second or third sources on the record with names noted, pertaining to specifically Tswelopele Productions in the story. It was written by Gabisile Ndebele (who's made mistakes in TV stories before and spell names incorrectly) and Lauren Cohen (who has moved over from The Sunday Times to the Times and is usually better with these things - my guess is she had to help Gabisile out with this one, being based in Cape Town where Tswelopele is located).

The story also seemlessly links cost cutting and one late payment by Tswelopele Productions to the SABC's ongoing problems, giving the false impression that the SABC's local production cut woes are to blame. Not so.

Patience Stevens who is producing Pasella and Top Billing (the show with the record as longest running ongoing TV series in South Africa) and soon the second season of Top Travel wants to set the record straight on the late payment and also the reduction of salaries they hope they can reinstate in the future.

Here is what you should have, but wouldn't have read in the story, for the full context of what actually happened and is going on. I went and got and answer straight from Patience:

NUMBER ONE

''The late payment of salaries for August 2009 was occasioned by a technical glitch which, as we understand, occurred as a result of the SABC changing accounting and pay roll systems. Payment to Tswelopele from the SABC was accordingly received a few days late which impacted on the company's ability to pay its staff. We are assured by the SABC that the problem was a once off occurrence and has since been resolved.

Tswelopele apologizes to its employees for any inconvenience or hardship which may have been caused as a result of the late payment of salaries.''

NUMBER TWO

''Tswelopele having lost a number of programme slots during 2009, due mainly to the live broadcasts of the 20/20 World Cup cricket, and the FIFA Confederations Cup soccer (for which slots Tswelopele does not receive any remuneration in terms of its contract with the SABC,) forced the company to implement a number of cost-cutting measures including the reduction of its wage bill.''

''Rather than implementing a formal retrenchment process, and motivated by the desire to retain all of its employees, Tswelopele proposed to its staff towards the end of August 2009 that they agree to a 10% reduction of their monthly salaries, effective 1 September 2009 until 1 April 2010 when the SABC contract comes up for renewal.''

''Should the contract with the SABC be renewed, Tswelopele shall re-pay to its employees over the following 7 months the 10% remuneration it deducted during the previous 7 months.''

BREAKING. SABC3 is back in form. Get ready for GREAT shows!

You're reading it here first. While the magazines who are supposed to tell you about it, can only do so only in a few weeks - if they ever do - I have the complete schedules for SABC3 until the end of the year (note: it's preliminary scheds, so things can still change). But you can truly start salivating. And for once in a long time, about SABC3.

Jot down the dates for these SUPER HOT shows that SABC3 is making space for on the channel's line-up. From the look of it, SABC3 seems eager to fight back and reclaim the space of it's former slogan ''quality shows''. I'm glad.

There's several more nuggets hidden in the longform schedules I just scoured through with a magnifying glass ( as is my way) but here are some of the really top rated stuff SABC3 has in the works that I promise won't disappoint you. (I've watched most of these already and enjoyed them).

The Amazing Race XII, Monday 7 September, 20:31
Prison Break III, Tuesday 8 September, 21:00
Dryfsand, Thursday, Thursday 10 September, 21:00
Law & Order XV, Thursday 10 September, 22:15
Top Travel II, Wednesday 7 October, 20:00
Oceans 3, Saturday 13 October, 18:30 (AWESOME local documentary series!)
Lipstick Jungle II, Tuesday 20 October, 21:00
Californication, Friday 5 November, 22:15
Big Bang Theory, Tuesday 17 November, 19:30
Heroes III, Wednesday 18 November, 21:00
Onder Engele, Thursday 26 November, 20:31

NOT ON: The new season of The Tyra Banks Show was supposed to start in September, but because of delayed repeat episodes of The View that the channel must broadcast (don't blame SABC3), the start of Miss Tyra has been pushed out.

JUST WAIT FOR IT: The new season of The Oprah Show should start somewhere in December, just two months after the new season that will start on 24 October in America.