The Estate is arguably one of the most loved soapies in the country, but now the show’s loyal fans are worried that it may be cancelled soon, following recent concerning reports.
As entertainment commentator Phil Mphela recently revealed, the cast and crew of the show have not been paid since November. He reported that he had received credible information that the production company, Clive Morris Productions had postponed their salaries three times now.
According to CMP, in a letter sent to the crew as reported by Phil, they have delayed payments because they, too, are yet to be paid by the network SABC3, on which the show airs.
According to CMP letter sent to crew;
— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) January 4, 2022
Non pay is
“due to a delayed payment from the SABC due to the change in contract.”
“This is the very last thing we wanted and up to this point have been working on alternative funding solutions to not default on our obligations to you.” pic.twitter.com/PV5uONsQ2Y
Read also: The Estate Pushes Live Amp On SABC 1
Fans of the show received the news with outrage against both the network and the production company. They say The Estate is one of the best shows currently on TV. The cast is filled with talented actors who give their A-game every time they are on screen, the writing is excellent, and the crew does a beautiful job too.
Because of the masterpiece that is the show, fans think it is a real shame that such stars are not receiving their worth. As others encouraged their favourite actors to down their tools until they are paid, others foresaw a time when the show would be cancelled because of such financial disagreements, and have been expressing panic over such an eventuality.
This news comes shortly after the show made a big transition to SABC 1. The show also kept its old home on SABC 3, but many fans were excited that more options had opened up to allow more viewers to enjoy the soapie.
The move turned out to be a big blessing for the show, as its viewership increased too. This is not surprising, though, as many consider it to be a masterpiece, with a lot of great talent.
The show also recently marked its 100th episode, much to the excitement of cast and fans. Actress Dineo Langa took to Instagram to share her joy, and to thank fans for sticking with the soapie through the long journey.
“#TheEstateOn3 is celebrating 100 EPISODES today! What a journey and joy it’s been. The respect I have for each and every ounce of excellence that everyone brings to this show is indescribable!!! All this under the amazing leadership of @cmptvee. What a team, what a touch!!! Thanks to you guys for tuning in and helping us reach this point," she wrote.
The cast and production are yet to respond to the claims made by the entertainment reporter. For now, though, we hope CMP and SABC figure out their payment situation, because we agree with the fans that it would be a shame to lose such an iconic show.
Main image source: Instagram @sabc3