''Binnelanders'' (previously ''Binneland'' and ''Binneland Sub Judice'') is a South African

Afrikaans Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

. It is set in and around the fictional

private hospital A private hospital is a hospital not owned by the government, including for-profit and non-profit hospitals. Funding is by patients themselves ("self-pay"), by insurers, or by foreign embassies. Private hospitals are commonly part, albeit in var ...

, Binneland Kliniek, in

Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...

, and the storyline follows the trials, trauma and tribulations of the staff and patients of the hospital. The series is produced by Friedrich and Elsje Stark of Stark Productions.Hans Strydom is the only cast member to be present in every season.

Production history

''Binnelanders'' began as a weekly one-hour drama, the first episode of which was broadcast only in Afrikaans on 13 October 2005 on both

M-Net M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

and kykNET. Halfway through the show's second season, it became a daily half-hour soap opera, and English subtitles were introduced. It was broadcast directly after Egoli on M-Net in the 18:30 time slot. Programming shifted to the 18:00 timeslot in preparation for the conclusion of Egoli, after which Binnelanders would extend over a one-hour period, consuming both time slots. The title of the show was changed to ''Binneland Sub Judice'', and a new legal firm, Rossouw, Paulse and Knight Incorporated (RPK), was added to the storyline, along with new characters. For the seventh season, the show was again renamed, this time to simply ''Binneland''. The legal angle of the series was dropped, and the show was reverted to a half-hour time slot. ''Binneland'' was removed from M-Net in early 2011, the name was changed back to ''Binnelanders'' and the show is now broadcast exclusively on kykNET.

Opening sequence

The theme song used in ''Binnelanders'' was written and performed by Afrikaans artist Jak de Priester. The title sequence was changed for ''Sub Judice'', but later reverted to the original, with a few modifications.

Main cast

* Hans Strydom as Dr. At Koster is the Former CEO of Binneland Kliniek, majority shareholder and father of Dr.Conrad Bester. * Hykie Berg as Dr. Conrad Bester is the Co-CEO of Binneland Kliniek, he also holds major shareholding in Binneland, he is the father of Leah Bester. * Reynard Hugo as Dr. Tertius Jonker is the Head of Ongevalle and he is married to Tracy Jonker. * Je-ani Swiegelaar as Naomi Koster is a former nurse, she is currently the head of relations at Binneland and is married to At's half brother Louis Koster. * Germandt Geldenhuys as Louis Koster is the head of IT at Binneland, he also owns a restaurant Mimi's and Bar Doepa, he is married to Naomi and is the Brother of At. * Kate Roothman as Dr. Nicolette Nortje is a young surgeon, working under Dr. Bester and is also the former 2IC of Ongevalle. * Gerard Steyn as Dr. Uys Wagener is a doctor * Melinda Viljoen as Tracy Jonker * Marlee van der Merwe as Dr. Ella Swart * Odelle de Wet as Delia Richter * Roberto Kyle as Dr. Joe Olivier

References

{{reflist 2005 South African television series debuts Afrikaans-language television shows Mass media in Pretoria Medical television series South African television soap operas 2000s South African television series 2010s South African television series 2020s South African television series