The Villagers (TV series)

The Villagers
Title shot from the first season of The Villagers in 1976 of sheave wheels on top of a gold mine shaft tower.
Written byJohn Cundill
Directed byGray Hofmeyr
Starring
Country of originSouth Africa
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
Production
Running time25 minutes
Original release
Release5 April 1976 (1976-04-05) –
1978 (1978)
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The Villagers was the first English-language drama produced for South African television, first airing in April 1976 on SABC, only four months after television was first broadcast nationwide in South Africa. It was acclaimed at the time for its high quality and was well received by audiences, gaining a cult following in later years. The drama was written by John Cundill and directed by Gray Hofmeyr. It is regarded as the forerunner to the long running South African television series Isidingo, a soap opera also set in a gold mining town on the Witwatersrand.