On 7 July 1998, Isidingo hit our screens and wasted no time in cementing its relationship with viewers. It was most arguably the best soapie South African television viewers have ever seen such that they could make millions selling it overseas. It set the tone for telling true to life stories and dealing with challenges real people go through.
Fifteen years later, Isidingo is currently the worst soap on TV and is busy losing viewers as TV lovers are switching channels to more currently gripping Scandal! Some of the show’s actors are allegedly fed up with what’s going on such that they are ready to tender in their resignation letters.
Anyone who knows me knows I am unapologetically a great Isidingo fan and some of you can remember I was figuratively prepared to kill for Isidingo, especially when SABC3 announced it was gonna move the soap to a graveyard slot of 18:00, resulting me in writing
an open to letter the channel.
Amidst the soapie losing the plot, my source who is close to the situation alleges there is drama behind the scenes and there are dramatic changes to the soapie. “The soapie has had three head writers in three years,” alleges my source.
Now, anyone who understands the business of soapies knows a head writer is crucial in steering direction and consistency in terms of storytelling. The show’s longstanding head writer, Ilse van Hermert resigned from the show in late 2011 or early 2012 and took up the same role at Scandal!
After Generations allegedly fired its head writer Christian Blomkamp last year, Isidingo quickly snatched him so he can replace Ilse. “Christian has since resigned from Isidingo and that should have you ask yourself serious questions because he didn’t even last a year on the show,” says my source.
Things are very bad on the show, continues my deep throat. “Pumla Hopa [executive producer] is now directing the show. Where have you seen an exec producer constantly directing? You have heard the rumours about the new head writer [Liam J Stratton]
wanting to shake things up. Endemol SA management, the company that produces Isidingo, has changed and that has an effect on the soapie,” says the source.
Things are so sour that some of their leading cast want to quit. “Michelle Botes [Cherel de Villeirs-Haines-Kumar-Le-Roux-Holmes] and Marisa Drummond [Kimmie as Barker calls her] are so fed up and they want to leave the show,” alleges my source.
Isidingo is this July gonna have a 15th birthday shindig and, hopefully, as they celebrate, they will reflect and try and figure out why things are going so wrong. With the current storyline of the taxi industry being their current lead story, the show doesn’t seem like Isidingo at all. The soapie better leave ghetto storylines to Rhythm City because only Rhythm City has perfected that aspect of storytelling. The show is really losing the plot and seems to have forgotten its original meaning.
Isidingo used to have pre-drama, the drama and post-drama but currently now that's no longer the case. Really now! Charker (Cherel-Barker) war used to be gripping. It will be in the show’s best interest to create more drama there. And why is Barker currently a barking dog and not a growling Lion that he used to be? Some major beef between Barker and the Sibekos can really do. What happened to the Barker who used to frame people?
My source says the show is aware that things are indeed very wrong from the storyline point of view but says: “The show has been working hard though to try and ensure they recapture what they lost and has a number of storylines but sadly, viewers can only get to see them as early as next year.” When I asked my source why those stories are not played now, the deep throat had this to say: “Story development is very crucial because things cannot just reach a climax, there needs to be development first.”
In the meantime, the show has lost one loyal viewer in me because I have really been patient thinking they will pick up and when that didn’t happen, I really had to start digging hence I am now sharing this information with you.
As for now, I will watch Scandal! and will switch back to Isidingo next week. If Scandal loses the plot too, Imma spend my precious at the gym mina. As for Isidingo, they must just get their ish in order. Here is to hoping they do not lose the plot again in the next fifteen years.
Here is a video from Isi cast and crew about their teenage years