Binneland Sub Judice, which is currently broadcast as an hour-long daily drama on M-Net and kykNET, will leave M-Net and become a half-hour soap exclusive to kykNET next year.
In a radical shake-up of the show the entire legal universe has been axed, the show's length has been halved and it's become exclusive to a niche DStv channel, although M-Net analogue subscribers will still be able to watch it.
Our mole at M-Net tells us the show title will change again (it can't be called "Sub Judice" if there's no legal framework) and it will likely spin off a second show, although we can't confirm details just yet.
According to our source the show is being "split in two", paving the way for a second half-hour soap - possibly on M-Net - next year.
The show began as a weekly hour-long drama called Binnelanders, then changed to a daily half-hour soap and later became a full one-hour daily soap called Binneland Sub Judice. Now it's reverting to a half-hour soap once more, with yet another different title.
It's fair to say the show has never settled into what it wants to be, although according to Theo Erasmus, Director: M-Net General Entertainment Channels, the changes "form part of M-Net's long-term strategy to create tailor-made channels for different target audiences on different platforms."
Erasmus continues: "In the fast-changing world of television, it's important to research the needs of viewers constantly, and to nip and tuck our channel and programme offerings accordingly."
In other words, the show has been a failure as a daily hour-long drama on M-Net. At least the channel has taken action on "the needs of the viewers", in this case their satellite DStv subscribers who apparently don't like it.
The news of the show shake-up comes in the same month as one of its biggest stars,
Michelle Botes, turned her back on it to make a triumphant return to SABC3's
Isidingo. Clearly she knows when to abandon a sinking ship.
The changes to the show will become effective from 1 April, 2011.