The Dingleys | |
---|---|
Directed by | William C. Faure |
Starring |
|
Theme music composer | Rabbitt |
Opening theme | "Dingley's Bookshop" |
No. of episodes | 24 |
Original release | |
Network | SABC TV |
Release | January 4, 1977 [1] |
The Dingleys is an early South African television family drama from 1977, following the South African Broadcasting Corporation's introduction of television. Set in Pietermaritzburg in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal), it centred on a fictional middle-class, white South African, English-speaking family, the Dingleys, who own a bookshop. [2]
The series starred John Hussey, [3] Vera Blacker, [4] Sybel Coetzee [5] and Eckard Rabe. [6] It was directed by Bill Faure. [7] Although some outdoor scenes were shot on location in Pietermaritzburg, most of the show was recorded on a set in the SABC's Johannesburg studios. [8] Celia Motsie, who played the only black character in the series, was removed after she shared a table with white cast members in the SABC's whites-only canteen. [9]
It received mixed reviews from South African viewers, with the Rand Daily Mail publishing complaints from readers under the heading "The Dingleys are dreadful", although others described it as "good clean fun", praising the sight of "a family sticking together - be it rather conservative and dull." [2]
The theme song, "Dingley's Bookshop", was performed by Rabbitt, and featured on their album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night. [10] One of its members, Duncan Faure, was the brother of the programme's producer. [11]
Television in South Africa was introduced in 1976. The country is notable for the late introduction of widespread television broadcasting.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations (AM/FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's state-owned enterprises.
Pietermaritzburg (; is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after Durban. It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The town was named after King Dingane's royal homestead uMgungundlovu. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in Afrikaans and is often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products, as well as the main economic hub of uMgungundlovu District Municipality. The public sector is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial government offices located here.
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Rabbitt is an South African pop rock band formed in Johannesburg in 1972, evolving from a band called The Conglomeration, consisting of members Trevor Rabin, Duncan Faure, Ronnie Robot, and Neil Cloud. Their successes included making it to the top of the South African charts with the hit "Charlie" in 1976. Rabbitt broke up in 1978 and have recently reunited. They are set to retake the stage in 2023.
The Witness is a daily newspaper published in Pietermaritzburg. It mainly serves readers in Pietermaritzburg, Durban and the inland areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
A referendum on becoming a republic was held in South Africa on 5 October 1960. The Afrikaner-dominated right-wing National Party, which had come to power in 1948, was avowedly republican and regarded the position of Queen Elizabeth II as the South African monarch as a relic of British imperialism. The National Party government subsequently organised the referendum on whether the then Union of South Africa should become a republic. The vote, which was restricted to whites—the first such national election in the union—was narrowly approved by 52.29% of the voters. The Republic of South Africa was constituted on 31 May 1961.
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The Pietermaritzburg Reformed Church was a congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal, but after the sale of the congregation’s downtown building, its centre shifted to what is now Howick. It was the first congregation founded by Voortrekkers after they left Cape Colony and the 25th oldest congregation in the NGK. The congregation’s membership, however, declined by around two-thirds, from 752 in 2000 to 256 in 2015.
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