Followers of the soapie Bold and the Beautiful are going to be in a froth.
Public broadcaster SABC has cancelled the popular soapie after 21 years as it has become too costly to keep running.
The SABC made the announcement on Saturday afternoon, saying broadcasts of the long-running American soapie would halt as of Monday.
In its statement, the broadcaster said the decision is based on the show’s “poor return on investment whilst the financial investment to acquire the property kept increasing”.
The soapie, which first aired on SABC in 1997, will be replaced by three local shows: a news and current affairs programme called Democracy Gauge, which airs at 5.30pm. This will be followed by the local sitcom Taryn and Sharon at 6 pm and the local drama Keeping Score at 6.30pm.
But some loyal viewers, desperate for their fix of the shenanigans in the Bold, have expressed utter dismay at the SABC and are not taking kindly to the change.
Siyabulela Mashiyi wrote: “I remember I grew up with this show on SABC1. It played at 6pm weekdays. It’s going to be unreal for most viewers as the show has been playing on our screens for years.”
To which Buhle Mbonambi replied: “My gran and her friends are still seething.”
When news initially broke that the show would be halted, one die-hard fan spearheaded a petition to save The Bold and the Beautiful.
The petition, launched on the website change.org in February, garnered 156 signatures, reports AlgoaFM.
And in August fans couldn’t contain themselves when Katherine Kelly Lang, who plays Brooke Logan, visited Mzansi to take part in the Ironman Champs in PE.
She shared a video of herself dancing with her welcome party, stealing the hearts of her hangers-on.