Time's up! But next year.
Mzansi Magic and 1Magic have announced that both The Queen and Lingashoni will come to an end in 2023.
The reason? From their statement about it:
The channel strategies for 1Magic (DStv channel 103) and Mzansi Magic (DStv channel161) have been revised to keep abreast with changing audience preferences and the evolving competitor landscape.
Lingashoni will still be on air for a full Season 2. It starts on Monday 21 March 2022 and the series finale will air on Thursday 16 March 2023.
The Queen's been renewed for a seventh and final season, but it isn't a full season. Season 6 ends in July this year and Season 7 will run until Friday 13 January 2023, meaning it will have 125 episodes instead of the usual 260 episodes per season.
A new South African telenovela will replace The Queen at 21h00 but a replacement for Lingashoni hasn't been confirmed yet.
It won't be another telenovela though and will most likely be reality shows and dramas instead. This from their statement:
Our replacement for Lingashoni will be announced in due course. The business has reviewed our approach to focus on stabilising the channel slate with limited high-end series and realities.
It isn't clear whether these will be local or international shows but we suspect it will be a mix of both because they go on to say:
Our strategy is still focused on growing our local content offering. It is what drives our growth and our viewership figures, and we are committed to giving our discerning audiences content they can relate to and see themselves in.
This from Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net:
As the M-Net Local Entertainment channels, we would like to applaud the producers, cast and crew of The Queen and Lingashoni for their dedication to delivering riveting storylines and award-winning content in highly contested primetime slots.
We look forward to the thrills of the next 12 months as both productions draw towards their respective finales.
The timeline of events means that both productions will have plenty of time to prepare their storylines for a satisfying ending. Will producers Ferguson Magic and Stained Glass TV pull it off?
If you were on The Queen's writing team, what would you do with Season 7 and how would you end the show?