Veteran actor and presenter Lieb Bester dead at 72 shortly after battling with Covid-19.

by Thinus Ferreira

The veteran actor Lieb Bester has died shortly after he battled Covid-19. He was 72.

The co-presenter of Met 'n Huppel in die Stap in kykNET (DStv 144) died on Wednesday morning in Pretoria.

Lieb Bester was hospitalised twice for Covid-19 and during his second hospitalisation on 3 July said that it "was a miracle" that he had survived. He was first hospitalised for Covid-19 on 24 June during which his kidneys were only functioning 27% but improved to 40%. He was discharged from hospital on 13 July and was recuperating at home.

Lieb Bester leaves behind his daughter Nicole.

Lieb Bester is known for roles in Afrikaans TV soaps like kykNET's Villa Rosa and Binnelanders and in drama series like Spoorloos, as well as in Arsenaal on SABC2. 

Other TV roles included appearances in Sterk Skemer, the presenter of the forensic crime show Kriminele Meesterbrein on kykNET, Ietermagô, Fluiters, Jackpot, Justice for All, Soldier Soldier of the BBC, Paradys, Opdrag, TJ 7, Phoenix en Kie, Sleurstroom, Die Avonture van Joachim Verwey, Grondbaronne, Agter Elke Man, Triptiek II, as well as Dis Koud Hier and the mini-series Saints, Sinners and Settlers.

In films Lieb Bester appeared in the shortfilms My Gelykenis (2019) and Stof (2003), Winnie Mandela, Stander, Panic Mechanic, Agter Elke Man, Savage Encounter, Een Skoenlapper, Die Rebel, Liefste Madelein, Hank, Hennery & Vriend, Jakkalsdraai se Mense, Die Vierde Kabinet, If This be Treason, Joburg Blues, Mirage Eskader, Adam, The Making of the Mahatma, Ses Soldate, Skadu's van Gister and Seun van die Wildtemmer in 1973.

Lieb Bester could play piano, the organ, guitar, concertina and the accordion and was part of the group Take 3 with Jan Coetzer en Deon Heyneke. As a musician he's responsible for albums like Herinneringe (2019), Tranquilla, Met 'n Lieb in Jou Hart, Ou Kraalliedjies, Skoffel tot Dagbreek I en II and Fantasia.

kykNET turning its Afrikaans rugby drama, Getroud met Rugby, into a weekday soap from April 2016 to replace the cancelled Villa Rosa.

kykNET (DStv 144) is turning its existing Afrikaans rugby drama, Getroud met Rugby (Married to Rugby) into a weekday soap to replace the cancelled Villa Rosa, toning down the drama series to become a family soap opera.

kykNET promised a new weekday soap after axing the longrunning Villa Rosa citing costs that no longer justifying the stagnant viewership.

After four seasons and a film, Getroud met Rugby will now be turned into a soap. The rugby drama will start in Villa Rosa's timeslot of 18:30 from 4 April 2016.

kykNET says viewer response to Getroud met Rugby, created and produced by Deon Opperman, was the driving factor behind the "unanimous" decision to turn the drama series into half hour weekday episodes.

"Rugby lies most South Africans close to the heart and therefore we believe that the world around this sport will always tell relevant and mesmerising stories," says Karen Meiring, M-Net's director for Afrikaans channels.

kykNET says Getroud met Rugby won't be diluted being turned into a soap opera but that the show will retain all of the strongest elements from the drama series, but also meet the requirements of a good TV soap and will be entertainment the whole family can watch.

It will mean that some of the riskier elements, story lines, language and depictions of Getroud met Rugby will have to be toned down as the kykNET prime time drama series moves to an earlier timeslot and is reformatted to suit the serialised nature of daily storytelling.

As a soap the show will also change with a bigger emphasis on family life as is traditional with the soap genre.

"After four successful seasons of Getroud met Rugby as a drama series, it was fantastic news to me as writer and producer when kykNET informed me of the decision to present the series as a soap," says Deon Opperman.

The existing characters will remain and the cast will expand, adding a whole new family consisting out of parents and four children between the ages of 16 and 24, as well as another three married couples living and working in the rugby world.

"In a nutshell - the emphasis will fall much more on the 'married' aspect of Getroud met Rugby as on rugby," says Deon Opperman. "There will also be no actions or dialogue that offends a family. It's about enjoyable watching and entertainment".

"Viewers have to be able to recognise their own lives in that of the characters of a soap."

"Therefore it was important for me that we place a bigger emphasis on family life - on the role of parents in the family, on the dreams, aspirations and frustrations of the women married to the players of who are mothers, and of course all of the crucial elements of a soap: love relationships, intrigue, ambition, life dreams, disappointment and success," says Deon Opperman.

BREAKING. kykNET cancels Afrikaans soap Villa Rosa; cast and crew in shock as they're told the soap is done after 11 years.

Villa Rosa is cancelled, with kykNET (DStv 144) which decided to end the long running Afrikaans TV soap - the shocked cast and crew were told at 16:00 on Wednesday afternoon about the decision, I'm told.

There's been no announcement, press statement or comment from kykNET which decided to axe the soap set at a fictional guest house in Bloemfontein - the latest in a spree of unexplained scheduling culling at the Afrikaans TV channel on DStv.

It leaves Binnelanders as the only Afrikaans language TV soap on South African pay TV.

Insider sources tell TV with Thinus that the shocked cast and crew were told on Wednesday afternoon at 16:00 at Atlas Studios in Auckland Park that Villa Rosa is over.

The rest of the 11th season of Villa Rosa will be filmed until the end of July after which the production is done.

Villa Rosa will remain on air in new original episodes from Mondays to Thursdays in the 18:30 timeslot which will be broadcast until March 2016.

Villa Rosa started in October 2004 on kykNET and was initially only broadcast on Mondays, after which the frequency increased to Mondays and Wednesdays, and later to four days a week.

Villa Rosa celebrated its 2 000 episode at the end of November 2014 and after 11 years several of the original Villa Rosa actors are still part of the main cast of the soap which is produced by Spectro Produksies.

The shocking Villa Rosa decision and the news to cast and crew comes after the Afrikaans channel, supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, also decided to can its weekday breakfast show Dagbreek after just two years, as well as implementing dramatic cutbacks to its recently introduced late night timeslot strand - cutting back the hour long shows to half hours each and cancelling some programming outright just 4 months after starting it.

The cancellation of Villa Rosa - the channel's first Afrikaans soap - raises raises multiple serious questions inside South Africa's TV industry about what exactly is going on at kykNET, the reasons for the mass cancellations and original programming cutbacks, and why kykNET is suddenly making the cascading cancellation decisions.

The controversial decisions and mass cancellations rocking kykNET and its schedule will not be good news.

First off kykNET has not been transparent about announcing the decisions itself as a M-Net supplied TV channel on DStv before it received media enquiries about it, although it knew the decisions are coming.

Thursday night is also going to be particularly awkward for kykNET and the channel's executives attending.

Thursday night is the  live broadcast of the fifth annual 2015 kykNET Fiëstas award ceremony on kykNET from Cape Town's Artscape.

It's a given that the Afrikaans glitterati attending, will be talking and be whispering only about one awkward thing on the red carpet - or maybe three: the cancellation of Dagbreek, the cancellation of Villa Rosa and the apparent failure of kykNET's late night timeslot strand it introduced in October 2014 with such great fanfare.

Technical issues sees kykNET on DStv repeat Villa Rosa and Kwêla on Wednesday evening instead of showing new episodes.

Viewers were upset on Wednesday evening when kykNET (DStv 144) repeated the previous day's episode of the Afrikaans language soap Villa Rosa, as well as the previous week's episode of the Afrikaans magazine show Kwêla.

kykNET told TV with Thinus on Thursday it was due to "technical problems".

kykNET said that the proper episode of Kwêla would be played out during the repeat broadcast timeslots on Friday at 10:00 and 00:00, Saturday at 18:00, Sunday at 13:00 and Monday at 08:30.

"We apologise to viewers for the inconvenience and continue to endeavour to ensure the faultless playout of shows," says the channel.

BREAKING. Bomb threat closes Atlas Studios; shuts down production on kykNET's weekday soap Villa Rosa.

A bomb threat in Milpark, Johannesburg led to the closure of Atlas Studios yesterday, with production which was shut down on the kykNET (DStv 144) weekday soap Villa Rosa which is filmed in Atlas Studios, located close to the SABC's headquarters in Auckland Park.

The bomb scare was due to a suspicious package sent to Egoli Gas located opposite Atlas Studios.

The package caused the evacuation of not just Egoli Gas, but also everybody at Atlas Studios and the students and staff at the AFDA Film School South Africa's campus in Milpark.

Roads were closed and a bomb squad and K9 dog unit searched the area.

BREAKING. SABC2's 7de Laan back IN!; kykNET's Binneland and Villa Rosa OUT! of the 7th Saftas; e.tv returns, M-Net will broadcast.

You're reading it here first. 

I can break the news that the popular SABC2 soap 7de Laan is back in the race as South Africa's most popular soap on TV in the 7th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) which will take place in March 2013 and which will be screened on one of M-Net's TV channels for the first time.

I can also reveal that both of e.tv's soaps Rhythm City and Scandal! are legitimately back (although no official word from e.tv about having entering their soaps), after e.tv withdrew all of its nominees and shows just before the 6th Saftas took place earlier this year. 

I can also exclusively break the news that kykNET's Binneland and Villa Rosa won't be votable for the 7th Saftas as Best Soap (although it's a viewers' vote category only) - neither show entered for the 7th Saftas, similar to 7de Laan last year.

Controversy swirled around organisers, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), at the beginning of this year when the Danie Odendaal Production was blatantly excluded from the Best Soap Award during the 6th Saftas – a category in which only viewers' vote determine the winner.

7de Laan won as Best Soap at the Saftas in 2009, again in 2010 and 2011 before suddenly being excluded in 2012. 

The NFVF dumped 7de Laan, the 3rd biggest South African soap according to viewership figures, since the soap failed to enter other categories. The NFVF said soaps are only eligible to be voted for if they've entered other categories; the production said they were not aware of that.

Now 7de Laan is back in the Saftas after having entered into other categories, although South African TV viewers will again not have a true complete soap set to truly choose from and which will still be impacting on the true legitimacy of the Best Soap category winner.

iNkaba in, Binneland and Villa Rosa out

I can reveal that while SABC1's Generations, SABC2's Muvhango and 7de Laan, SABC3's Isidingo, e.tv's Scandal! and Rhythm City, M-Net's The Wild and even Mzansi Magic's telenovela iNkaba (for the first time) all entered into categories and therefore will be listed in the Best Soap category, kykNET on DStv's Binneland and Villa Rosa are absent because they did not enter anything.

Fans of Binneland and Villa Rosa won't be able to vote for these shows, although they are legitimate and longrunning soaps.

"Eight soaps that submitted entries will go to judging and also qualify for Best Soap as a viewer voting category," the NFVF tells me.

This year the 7th Saftas saw 354 entries qualify to proceed to the so-called "filtration process" which will be followed by final judging. While South Africa's TV industry plays nice, there is still simmering tension behind the scenes, with the Saftas abjudication process still accused of sistemic and judges' bias. Once again, previous winners and nominees of the Saftas serve as judges which is perceived to be a conflict of interest.

"The Saftas judges are professionals with integrity, also if a judge has been nominated in a category they are not permitted to sit on the judging of their own project. The judging process is audited," the NFVF tells TV with Thinus.

"I’m proud to say that not only is the Saftas growing but the whole industry as we continue to witness a considerable increase in the levels of international and local investments in the film and TV industry," says Zama Mkosi the NFVF CEO and Saftas chairperson.

Tension

"This year all the role players in the industry fully support the Saftas," says Mkosi. And while public criticism surrounding the upcoming 7th Saftas has not yet bubbled to the surface as in previous years, behind the scenes broadcasters and industry players are keeping a close eye on the process. Industry insiders remain concerned about the true independence of the awards.

"e.tv remains committed to working together with the NFVF and the Saftas committee to address concerns around the independence of the awards," says Monde Twala, e.tv's group head of channels. Just before the awards ceremony of the 6th Saftas e.tv in a big fight with the awards ceremony, withdrew all e.tv nominees and shows, although the broadcaster did enter again this year.

"Our efforts aim to bolster industry competence and transparency," says Monde Twala. "It is important that we work towards ensuring genuine reward for the country's diverse film and television talent pool."

Back on TV

Another swirling backstage drama in the past was the bad organising and the NFVF's inability to find a broadcaster in time to televise the awards show done over two consecutive nights, or to institute a so-called "carousel wheel" similar to American award shows where TV channels play nice and equally share in taking turns to televise shows such as the Emmys on a turn-by-turn basis to fascilitate buy-in and continued support.

Now M-Net agreed to show an edited version of the 7th Saftas in 2013. "M-Net is fully behind the awards, and has committed to screening an edited version on one of its channels," says Theo Erasmus, M-Net's director for general entertainment channels who is an M-Net representative on the Saftas committee.

"The Saftas have come a long way and it is encouraging to see all the role players, including industry peers, government and broadcasters holding hands in ensuring the awards evolve," says Nodi Murphy, the new overall chairperson of the judges of the Saftas.

BREAKING. Izak Davel returns to TV with new role in the kykNET soap Villa Rosa; plays a character coming back from an island ...

Izak Davel has joined the soap Villa Rosa on kykNET (DStv 111) and will soon appear as the new character Delarey van Jaarsveld, his publicist confirms.

Izak Davel, who was on an island and is known for uhm, THIS, will play a character who used to live on an island. Delarey van Jaarsveld returns from his island home and shows up at the Villa Rosa guest house after the death of his mother. He inherits a portion of the family farm and then there's drama.

After a few appearances in the past Izak Davel made some further appearances on SABC2's weekly magazine show Pasella earlier this year, which made me wonder whether he was going to be joining that show as a presenter. Izak Davel was seen in the Getroud met Rugby movie earlier this year and is known for his first soap role of Scab in M-Net's now defunct soap Egoli.

BREAKING. kykNET moving its Afrikaans soap Villa Rosa to 18:00, followed by Binneland at 18:30 from 4 April to create a ''soap hour''.

As part of the broader overhaul of the collective M-Net channels from 1 April 2011 the long-running Afrikaans soap Villa Rosa will also be moving... to the brand-new weekday timeslot of 18:00 on kykNET (DStv 111) from Monday 4 April.

From 4 April Villa Rosa will precede the renamed-and-moved-from M-Net soap Binneland Sub Judice (from April just Binneland) at 18:30 and then eNuus at 19:00. Villa Rosa is currently on at 19:30 on kykNET (DStv 111). Making the announcement, the Afrikaans satellite channel says it wants to create a ''soap hour'' for viewers.

Karen Meiring, kykNET channel head says she decided to schedule Villa Rosa and Binneland back to back in the 18:00 to 19:00 timeslot to create a ''soap hour'' for viewers. ''The 18:00 to 19:00 timeslot is worldwide known as the classic soap hour and also in South Africa that is the time that the most loyal soap viewers are taking time out to sit in front of the television before dinner and other family responsibilities.''

Villa Rosa will have a late night repeat slot Mondays to Thursdays at 22:30 and there will be a Villa Rosa omnibus of episodes now on Saturdays at 09:00. Binneland will now get a late night repeat on kykNET as well Mondays to Fridays at 23:00.

Soap star Shaleen Surtie-Richards returns to television to tackle her 4th soap role in kykNET's Villa Rosa.

Turns out there is life after Egoli. Shaleen Surtie-Richards will tackle her 4th soap star role when the actress - most famous for her Nenna Willemse character on M-Net's canceled Egoli and who was seen as Mattie in SABC1's Generations and played Dorothy Daniels in SABC2's 7de Laan - returns to television playing Francene Jacobs in Villa Rosa on kykNET (DStv 111).

Her new soap role as a temperamental writer will mark Shaleen Surtie-Richards' first return to television (besides those DStv HD PVR ads) since last year when Egoli left the M-Net schedule at the end of March. Shaleen Surtie-Richards' appearance on the kykNET soap will be a recurring role.

Shaleen Surtie-Richards will join the Villa Rosa cast when she goes on set for the first time in February. Neither kykNET, nor Villa Rosa has made any announcement yet.

BREAKING. Generations celebrates 3 000 episodes in 2010!

You're reading it here first.

Generations, South Africa's biggest daily soap opera is celebrating its 3 000 episode early in 2010 and it will be a whopper! Generations on SABC1 has just filmed its 3 000 episode which will go out in January/February of next year. Sources close to the production tells me: ''spectacular'' and another one said: ''huge surprises''.

It was just two years ago, in March 2006 that Generations made the 2000th episode mark.

Although the soap opera genre is dying in America with two more soapies that got the axe this year (Guiding Light and last month As the World Turns), soaps are alive and well in South Africa.

2010 will be a bumper year for soap land. Soapie fans can look forward to several soapie special events and TV moments:

1. Generations on SABC1 making it to 3 000th episodes in Jan/Feb.
2. Villa Rosa on kykNET making it to 1 000th episodes in Feb.
3. 7de Laan on SABC2 turning 10 YEARS old (I broke that news HERE) in April.
4. Binnelanders becoming an hour long show with NEW SETS AND NEW STORIES from April.
5. Egoli ending just short of 18 years on air in March, followed by special tribute episodes (I broke that news HERE) and a special DVD box set to be released later in 2010.

BREAKING. Villa Rosa's massive TV milestone: 1 000 episodes with a soapie wedding and a boat cruise!

You're reading it here first. The 1000 episode of the kykNET (DStv 111) soapie Villa Rosa will go out on 8 February 2010 WITH A SPECIAL WEDDING!

The massive milestone of 1 000 will of course be celebrated in big style with a boat cruise in real life (the behind the scenes party for the cast and crew already took place when the episode was filmed).

''Quietly Villa Rosa made 1 000 episodes,'' Villa Rosa producer Johan van de Vyver tells me. ''During the past five years Villa Rosa has reached 1 000 episodes and has continued to grow to become one of the flagship programs on kykNET.''

Villa Rosa has a batch of new writers and stars like Egoli's Marcus Muller (above).

''We're also not scared to tackle some controversial issues like drug addiction and alcoholism and HIV/Aids in our storylines,'' says Johan. ''We hope to grow even further and to provide captivating viewing pleasure.''

Episode 1 000 will be celebrated in the story with a massive wedding (who's getting hitched is still a secret I'm going to keep for now) and a boat cruise from 5 to 8 February 2010 on the new MSC Sinfonia. The cast and crew and party passengers will watch episode 1 000 TOGETHER on the ship.