The new e.tv soccer drama
Shooting Stars premieres next week Monday (3 September).
Set in the competitive world of South African soccer, it takes a closer look at the challenges that not only the players face but the coaches, managers and everyone involved in the game.
Produced by Penguin Films for e.tv, the show will take over the traditional "HBO Spot" on e.tv, vacated last Monday after the series finale of
The Sopranos.
The HBO Slot (which has seen e.tv screening top HBO shows like
Six Feet Under,
Oz,
The Wire and The Sopranos) has not been a major success for the channel, with the shows regularly underperforming in the 21h00-22h00 timeslot on Monday nights.
If you're into your soccer dramas, Monday nights are shaping up nicely for you. SABC1's
Zone 14 airs from 20h30-21h00, which coincidentally is when Shooting Stars starts.
Coincidentally? We don't think so. Them sneaky e.tv folk are clearly hoping to poach a hefty crowd of soccer-lovers from Zone 14 to boost their failing timeslot - and it could well work, and work well, especially considering the fact that Zone 14 is the most-watched drama series in South Africa with well over 3.5-million viewers.
The HBO shows on e.tv barely cracked 800,000 viewers on a good night.
Someone at e.tv has clearly done their homework. With the 2010 Soccer World Cup looming, it makes sense for channels to cash in now before the real cash cow comes strolling through the doors a few years from now.
"That soccer is relevant in this country is an understatement, but it’s never been more relevant," says Deva Britow, e.tv's executive producer on Shooting Stars.
"With the lead up to 2010, e.tv felt that the time was right to provide our viewers with dramatic entertainment that focuses on one of our country's favourite sports."
Shooting Stars will still have to fend off competition from MTN Soccerzone (which follows Zone 14 on SABC1), soapie
Muvhango on SABC2 and
Desperate Housewives on SABC3 - a pretty tough timeslot.
So what's the show all about? Here's a short synopsis:
Arch enemies Bra Vic (
Timmy Kwebulana,
Mazinyo Dot Q), the owner of Shooting Stars, and Neo Moloto (
Vatiswa Ndara,
Home Affairs), owner of the Black Dragons, will come up against each other on and off the field.
Once former lovers, the two cannot stand each other. Bra Vic blames her for the injury that brought his sterling career to an abrupt halt and Neo - once deeply in love with him - is seeking revenge because he left her for another woman.
With Bra Vic’s beloved team Shooting Stars being relegated from the PSL to the first division league, he desperately needs help to save his team.
This comes in the form of Wandile Dhlomo (
Motlatsi Mafatshe,
When We Were Black) who leaves his rural home in Kwazulu-Natal to pursue his dream of one day playing for his country.
Not without difficulty, Wandile ends up playing for Shooting Stars along with Nigerian, Duke Opara (played by former
Survivor Africa: Panama host
Anthony Oseyemi), and together they make a formidable pair.
Fading star Sechaba Makayi (
Dumisane Mbebe,
Divers Down) becomes extremely jealous when Wandile enters the squad as he feels his position in the team is being threatened.
Another thorn in Shooting Stars' side is Clinton Arendse (
Keenan Arrison, Divers Down), whose fiery temper and a lethal tongue sees him red-carded regularly.
Ronnie Cohen Jr (newcomer
Luke Viviers) is a reluctant player who is not committed to playing soccer - he is there on his father’s wishes.
Can the players clean up their act and start playing like a unit and take Shooting Stars back to their former glory?
Hopefully the answer to that question will be forthcoming over the next 52 episodes (three seasons of 13 episodes each).
Other actors starring in the series include
Nicky Rebelo (Louis Motors) as coach Georgi Zelco,
Zikhona Sodlaka (
Tsha Tsha) as Bra Vic's daughter Ayanda, and comedy legend
Joe Mafela as superstitious kit manager Pule.
Shooting Stars premieres on e.tv on Monday 3 September, at 21h00.
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