KHAYA SITHOLE: Unlike Seinfeld, SA’s TV bosses are repeat offenders
Actors get a raw deal from a situation that is difficult to structure to their advantage
Thirty years ago, in July 1989, the television comedy show Seinfeld debuted on American screens. Nine years later the last episode of the show was screened. In September 2019 Netflix signed a deal worth over $500m to broadcast the show from 2021.
The show’s enduring appeal, together with a payment structure that continuously rewards actors who technically stopped working in 1998, is a good example of what the SA creative industry has lacked since time immemorial. There is no doubt that SA actors have produced some timeless classics over the ages. Some have even found their way to other countries, thanks in part to the wide footprint of MultiChoice. However, an enduring point of contention has been primarily the regulatory vacuum that pits the actors, support staff, producers and broadcasters against one another...
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