kykNET's spin-off channel kykNET & Kie launches its own signature series later this year, an Afrikaans soapie called Suidooster (South-Easter).
The channel has mostly featured re-runs of kykNET shows since its launch in April 2013 so the series is the channel's first original dramatic show.
And it's stepping into the 20h00 timeslot, currently owned by Generations and e.tv's telenovelas. It premieres on Monday, 16 November and will be airing Mondays to Wednesdays.
Castings are currently underway and things are in the pre-production phase so the finer details are sketchy but what we can tell you is that it sucks to be an actor in a pilot episode because your future isn't guaranteed.
A pilot episode was made for it but it isn't a done deal that those who acted in it will be in the final series - which is why castings are still happening for it.
It's being produced by Gambit Films, who've produced various movies for KykNET, and it's set in the Western Cape, specifically in the suburbs of Crawford and De Tijger.
The writers are still working on the final storylines so these aren't fully finalised yet but we managed to get some first look at the direction it's taking.
Here's a work-in-progress synopsis of the scenario:
It’s your life, your neighbours and your family. It is the story of a matriarch and her three daughters, and of course the neighbour’s daughter and all the friends and acquaintances of the families.
Suidooster is also the mall where each of the characters gather. Ian wheels and deals at his second-hand car dealership, Michelle and Stefan manage their Fish and Chips shop, Nurah’s boutique flourishes, and there's dear Fasie and his restaurant, Fasie se Glasie serves as the gathering place for the characters.
The story is set in the suburbs of Crawford and De Tijger, but also brings family and friends from Paarl, Upington, Eersterust and Eldorado Park as part of the story’s references, which are intrinsic to Cape Town.