Scandal! is a South African television soap opera produced by Ochre Media about the people who work for the fictitious Johannesburg-based newspaper The Voice, with their pressurised deadlines, the chaos of breaking news, the fight for increased circulation and ad spend to their (no longer) private lives and personal angst.
The series premiered on e.tv on Monday 10 January 2005, at 20h00. It later changed its timeslot to week nights at 19h30.
On Friday, 5 July 2013 it extended to include Friday night episodes, taking it from four nights a week to five.
It currently airs Mondays to Fridays at 19h30.
Synopsis
Beautiful women, powerful men, bloated egos, ruthless ambition, hidden agendas, open fights and lies - and don't even talk about keeping up with who hates who - all this plays out in the fictitious newsroom of The Voice.
Scandal is about the people who work for this Johannesburg based newspaper – the pressurised deadlines, the chaos of breaking news, the fight for increased circulation and Ad spend – to their (no longer) private lives and personal angst. Scandal leaves no reputation untarnished.
The two main characters are Stan Nyathi (Luthuli Dlamini) and Vusi Zwane (Siyabonga Twala). While they have different approaches to business, they maintain their friendship outside of the newsroom.
Stan is the editor of the newspaper and Vusi is the owner. Stan is married to Thato (Rami Chuene), whom he blindly loves. Other cast members include the veteran in the newsroom, Eddie Khumalo (Sandy Mokwena).
In the newsroom there's the take-no-prisoners, up-and-coming journalist Lulama (Sarah Ngubeni) and Political Reporter, Vanashree Devan (Leeanda Reddy). Often perceived as pushy, Vanashree sees herself as being driven.
There's small-town Samantha (Candice Derman) in the role of the style/fashion editor and the self-serving Managing Editor, June Simms (Zoë Fairbrother).
Advertising Executive Andrew McBain (Ashley Dowds) is the guy you will love to hate. Jaco Geldenhuys (Dewald Reynecke), the Sports Journalist, is the resident playboy at The Voice.
Passionate about photography, Breyton Isaacs (Jacques Blignaut), is the mystery man in this newsroom. Tamia Bardill (Renate Stuurman) is the beautiful and feisty receptionist at The Voice.
Fana Baloyi (Welile Nzunza) is a man trying to escape his past. He's determined to become a better person and, although his job as a messenger at The Voice might seem belittling at times, he perseveres.
Find out how far a news team is prepared to go to get the story first - and how well they cope as they juggle personal and professional lives while trying to manage the latest news crises.
The 500th episode of Scandal! aired on Thursday 31 May, 2008, the 1,000th episode on Thursday 22 October, 2009 and the 1,500th episode on Thursday 15 March, 2012.