SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Sketch comedy, small business and South Africa’s emergency workers will feature in three new local shows revealed at the SABC3 Winter Press Screening at the Hyatt Regency in Rosebank on 29 May.
Isidingo star Ashish Gangapersad, who acted as master of ceremonies and presented the SABC3 line-up, said: “Hopefully these shows are hot enough to keep you warm for the next three months.’
The new local shows announced were The Business Coach, Sketch You Later and Centrum Guardian.
The Business Coach, starting on 1 July at 4pm will show business coach Greg Mason help 13 small businesses through their day to day struggles. “I’m loving every minute of this show,’ said Mason. “It’s a great opportunity to really dig down and understand the problems and challenges facing small businesses and to look at strategies to take the businesses to the next level.’ The Business Coach is sponsored by Standard Bank.
Local sketch comedy show Sketch You Later by Clive Morris Productions will start on 5 July at 6.30pm. Introducing the show, Morris thanked the SABC for allowing them to do a show “that’s a little bit on the edge’. “The team has had an enormous amount of fun looking at South Africa and having a laugh at ourselves,’ said Morris.
Producer and director Genna Lewis added that the range of sketches will include PC Woman, Indian builders, The Real Housewives of Eldorado Park and Bitter Expats. “It’s been really exciting, we’re looking forward to seeing it on screen,’ said Lewis.
Centrum Guardian, presented by Ruda Landman, will start on 19 July at 10.10pm. According to Centrum Brand manager Natasha MacDonald the show is not a repeat of US show Rescue 911. “The aim is to bring recognition and reward to workers across a range of emergency services, including paramedics, fire fighters and sea rescuers. We launched Centrum Guardian in 2008, so this is our fifth season, but it’s the first time we’re going on TV with the programme,’ she noted.
In other local programming news, a new season of health programme The Dr Mol Show will start on 8 June at 3.45pm. Highlights in July will include a live broadcast of the Durban July on 7 July from 2.30pm and the search for a new Top Billing presenter in the My Top Billing Dream Presenter Search which will take place from July to August. Dali Tambo’s upmarket docu-entertainment chat show People of the South returns to SABC3 on 12 August at 8.30pm, and chat show Life with Thami returns on 4 August.
International shows on the winter line-up include Mission Impossible, Brotherhood, Rules of Engagement, MacGyver, CSI, Chuck, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Good Wife and Numbers.
