ALONG with a new look and new title sequence for popular daily drama Isidingo comes the reappearance of an old character later this week.
He wasn't the most popular person on the Deep and he'll be back to form an unlikely alliance with Cherel de Villiers-Haines (Michele Botes) to play a juicy part in the Haines saga.
In the meantime Isidingo celebrated its 1 000th episode last night with a new title sequence. It has been re-created to capture the theme of transformation, with the music slightly rearranged.
Since March 7, owing to public demand, the show has been broadcast five days a week. Ever popular and with scores of fans, the show successfully achieved the channel's original brief of "one-nation viewing" over the past four years.
After bringing multicultural viewers to the channel, the show has gradually been progressing to become more glamorous, more urban and more upmarket.
Now, the transformation is complete.
"The channel is repositioning itself as a brand with a new focus, and so it was essential for Isidingo to align itself with that. The challenge lay in an implementation without an alienation of the established audience," says Hannelie Bekker, head of programmes at SABC3.
Executive producer Gray Hofmeyr describes it as a "clever shift to a slightly more upmarket look and feel".
"To spearhead this development, we've got strong and dramatic storylines involving most of the more popular characters," says Hofmeyr.
He describes it as "an organic, natural shift" since Cherel married Barker Haines (Robert Whitehead), bringing the Haines family into the series.
The Haines Consortium then won the bid for a national TV channel called ON!tv. This has brought the Haines family centre stage.
An entirely new set has been built at the Isidingo studios in the SABC to represent the TV station, which includes TV production space, offices, foyer and studio, providing a totally fresh environment for stories.
Although some of the old sets had to go to make way for the new, the characters linked to the old sets will become an essential part of the TV station.
Georgie (Darlington Michaels) wangles himself into the position of landlord of the ON!tv studios and opens a nightclub in the penthouse, where Vanessa (Ilse Klink) becomes the chanteuse and resident singer.
Mine stories will still be pursued around Jack van Onselen (Zane Meas) and Vusi Moletsane (Meshack Mavuso), who remain important characters. The mine is also a shareholder in ON!tv.
"We're not sacrificing the mining community," says creative producer Ilse van Hemert.
Visual changes have included the redesign of the mine environment.
"Previously they were earthy and rather dark, now they're much lighter, airier and more in line with current trends," explains Van Hemert.
"We have moved away from classic soap studio lighting and we try to simulate real sunlight through windows or lamplight at night to recreate a more authentic feel.
"Technically, the style has been revved-up with a more active camera and more developing shots," she adds.
These techniques contribute to the show being experienced as single camera drama, rather than a multi-camera soap.
"It's a more interesting, classy look and feel," says Hofmeyr.
"In every way, the show has been revamped to be as current as possible in terms of market trends and the international competition."
With about 1.1 million viewers, Isidingo is set to increase its popularity even more.
"It's still multicultural and very recognisable but the audience will feel that we're moving forward and getting better," promises Hofmeyr. - Television Reporter