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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
PRODUCERS of the once popular cartoon strip The Bulawayo Show say they have stopped production as it is not commercially viable.
The Bulawayo Show that had characters such as Rantu and Sox was a hit four years ago when its hilarious social commentary videos went viral across the country. At the height of its popularity, The Bulawayo Show was compiled as a movie and shown at the Rainbow Cinemas (now Ster Kinekor). It was a hit and most sought after.
Now, The Bulawayo Show has not been produced for over two years with producers saying they are focusing on adverts as they are rewarding compared to the show which does not bring in money.
Executive producer Zenzele Ndebele said although The Bulawayo Show was popular, they were not making money off the comical side of the project.
“We received a lot of views and likes online but they weren’t paying the bills. We needed to pay for use of the Internet and the people who were working on the show. However, all we got were good comments from people and no commercial value.
“So, we decided to concentrate on making adverts for companies and I’m glad that’s been successful as we’re doing five videos a week that are being paid for. This has sadly affected The Bulawayo Show’s brand that is known by ordinary people,” said Ndebele.
He said the idea of The Bulawayo Show was to promote comedy, the entertainment industry and highlight social issues in Bulawayo.
All hope, Ndebele said, was not lost as producers are working on revamping the cartoon strip.
“This year, we’re hoping to revive Z with the addition of female characters after realising that it feels like it’s a male dominated field.
“We’re working on a clip that will be focusing on the girl child and the character will be called Mimie. She’ll be tackling and challenging gender stereotypes.
By next month, we’d have cleared the workload we have and start production,” he said.
derick.khumalo