Binnelanders gets legal, expands to an hour

Called Binneland Sub Judice, the plot has been expanded to include a law firm that takes on Dr At Koster's hospital with 12 additional cast members being intertwined with existing characters. The medical and legal aspects of the show are in keeping with popular international soapie trends.

"Monday to Friday 6pm to 7pm has always been a dedicated soapie timeslot," explains M-Net publicity's Ingrid Engelbrecht. "As Binnelanders has performed well in every slot it was broadcast previously, it was the natural successor to Egoli."

Ad opportunities

Oracle Airtime Sales has product placement opportunities available for the two universes, or backdrops, now contained in Binneland Sub Judice - the medical and the legal. With the law firm being located in an office block above a shopping mall, many varied product placements can be worked into the storyline according to client's requirements.

"Binnelanders has grown in viewers over the past three years," says its channel research manager, Pam Pillay. "Despite new channels on the platform and fragmentation of peak time audiences, Binnelanders continues to offer planners the ability to build reach.”

The series will be shot in the new Stark Studios in Fontainebleau, Randburg, run by producers Friedrich and Elsje Stark, which offers 360 degree shooting facilities, as Screen Africa reports. Many of the sets in both studios (one 750m²) and the other 500m²) have four walls, which means the camera can be placed anywhere. In addition, there are corridors between some of the sets to allow the cameras to follow characters as they walk down the passage. Filming also happens in HD.