Leap of faith for SA soapie

MAKING HISTORY: 7DE LAAN NOW AVAILABLE ON SABC 2 YOUTUBE CHANNEL After a 15-year broadcast, the soap keeps it fresh with a new theme tune and offers episodes for free online.

It’s one of SA’s cross-cultural phenomenons. Weeknights at 6.30pm, you cannot escape the theme tune of 7de Laan. From Soweto to Sandton, the Soweto String Quartet’s popular tune has been heard for 15 years.

On Monday, producers of the show started teasing something big is changing on the show.

The episode was dotted with celebrity appearances – from super group Mi Casa, fashionista Gert-Johan Coetzee, doyenne Lillian Dube and current Mr SA Armand du Plessis who attended the opening of the fictional club – but the real surprise was the launch of the show’s new theme tune.

Creative director for the show Rohan Horn said the entire crew had sleepless nights before the launch of the new tune and visuals to celebrate the soap’s 15 years on air.

Shot in Parkview and Melville, the new sequence flirts the beauty of the fictional Hillside, where 7de Laan is set.

The music for the new 35-second theme song was written by musician Joe Niemand and is a tad more pop than the iconic original tune.

SA’s reaction to the new tune trended on Twitter Monday night.

@MichOneLove tweeted: “I’m going to miss the old #7deLaan jingle though. It’s like a part of my childhood has been erased.”

@ThatKidDarren said: “#7deLaan has a new intro!? The world is gonna end soon.”

@RayVahn93 tweeted: “#7delaan was refreshing tonight, to say the least.”

@naf_khan3 tweeted: “New theme song! To top it off, a bunch of amazing celebs arrived.”

Some of the actors and guest stars were also tweeting up a storm during the episode.

Nadia (played by Simoné Nortmann) ponders if Mr SA, Du Plessis, would take a selfie with her. Du Plessis tweeted the selfie during the episode.

The episode also featured real interviews, with fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee chatting about his new range.

While opinions were split on the theme tune, 7de Laan producers doled out another surprise – one for the record books – the show is officially available to watch online for free. Load shedding be damned ...

The music for the new theme song by musician Joe Niemand is a tad more pop than the iconic original tune

It is the first SA show to be available in that way.

Each episode will be available on SABC 2’s YouTube channel for seven days after it’s first broadcast as a way to catch up.

Pictures: Gallo Images GUEST. Lillian Dube shone in her guest role on 7de Laan .

MASTERMIND. Joe Niemand was the man that wrote the new theme tune.

HEY THERE. Mr South Africa, Armand du Plessis, live tweeted during the episode.

FASHION FORWARD. South African designer Gert- Johan Coetzee was also included in the episode.