Pasella Gets Cancelled
It is with great shock that I learned from entertainment journo, Thinus Ferreira, that SABC2's long-running Afrikaans magazine show produced by Tswelopele is facing the axe come April.
Ok, this would be good news because new shows mean new talent and fresh content but unfortunately I am not that convinced that this move is really to the benefit of tv lovers.
Given that Pasella is one of the few shows in this country that actually have the numbers to back up their popularity, one would have thought the channel would want to keep it for as long as it is still relevant.
While SABC2 and 3 are different channels with varying strategic plans, it is still surprising that Pasella could be canned while Top Billing continues to stagger on at SABC3 with its poor ratings. Let's not even talk about some shows on SABC1.
Pasella started 15 years ago in March 1998 on SABC2. Pieter Cilliers Productions started it. Filmmedia took over production a year later in 1999 and then Tswelopele Productions got the contract in 2001. Tswelopele Productions and Amor Engelbrecht has been producing Pasella for SABC2 constantly ever since.
I am saddened by these news but am hopeful that the new show that will replace Pasella will be worthy to fill the void that the show will certainly leave behind.
