Today, 1 December 2021, M-Net (DStv Channel 101) has announced that after a 2-year run of its local telenovela Legacy, the channel will be exploring new avenues to entertain its loyal viewers in order to cater to their new and evolving desire for limited series.
Tshedza – the production house for Legacy – will conclude the shooting of the second season in February 2022, however viewers will continue to enjoy the show on their screens until September 2022.
“Our viewership surveys guide us to adapt our content to the evolving needs of our customers. Whilst Legacy is a popular show, our M-Net 101 customers have indicated that they now want more limited series rather than long-running telenovelas. The success of our local strategy depends on how well we tune into what our customers would like to see on their screens,” says Nomsa Philiso, Executive Head: Programming, MultiChoice Group.
She further added that M-Net and Tshedza are aligned on the change in strategic direction and will be managing the impact on cast and crew. The entities have a long-standing working relationship and will continue collaborating on projects such as the award winning The River which has just been renewed for season 5.
“Working with M-Net channel 101 has always been a dream for us as a company, and we thank the channel for their incredible support and encouragement in bringing Legacy to life. All our writers, crew members and actors have poured their hearts and souls into this project. We applaud MultiChoice Group for continuing to support local content and look forward to working on other exciting projects in future,” says Phathu Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon, co-owners of Tshedza Productions.
“We would like to thank our loyal viewers on M-Net, DStv Channel 101 and Showmax and assure them that we have exciting plans for our content for 2022. We will share more news on our local content offering in due course,” Nomsa Philiso concludes.
In its half year results on 11 November, MultiChoice reported that it added 2 692 hours to its local content library, which is now approaching 66 000 hours.