The Road is a South African telenovela produced by Bomb which revolves around a television producer who buys the rights to a book of memoirs written by a man who lived in Sophiatown in the 1950s and makes a successful television series out of it.
Set against the backdrop of iconic Sophiatown, the endearing love story starts with a journey that is intertwined with the dramatic threads of history - a thrilling world of music, danger, politics and romance. It is the exploration of a love affair written from the memories of an old man and narrated in the modern day.
The Road sees the beautiful singer Stella and talented writer Themba as star-crossed lovers longing to be together - but only destiny will tell if they end up in each other's arms.
Their story and the one-sided romance between them is told against bubbling tensions, a mysterious murder and unresolved passions.
A heavyweight TV producer eager to tell and capture the touching story takes on the challenge, leading to spell bounding actions he couldn't have predicted.
The main storyline centres round producer Zwelakhe Masondo (Luthuli Dlamini) who buys the rights to a book written by an old man called Themba Mashinini (Darlington Michaels), who wrote his memoirs about his life in Sophiatown in the 1950s.
The book has become a huge hit so Zwelakhe snaps up the rights to it and starts making a series from it called Kofifi, making it a TV-show-in-a-TV show. The series follows the behind-the-scenes action of making Kofifi, as well what happens in Kofifi to blend the past and present.
As all of the action unfolds - and while the crew make Kofifi - something happens on set. A murder. People start dying. The series is also a murder mystery that unfolds over the 208 episodes and the murderer is only revealed in the final episode.
Some of the actors play two characters as a result: their characters in the real world, who are actors on the TV show, and the Sophiatown characters that they play in the TV show.
Both series are filmed at dedicated studios in Jeppestown in downtown Johannesburg.
The Road is a Bomb Production and was created by Catherine Stewart from a concept by Angus Gibson. It is executive produced by Gibson, Desiree Markgraaf and Teboho Mahlatsi and the pilot episode was directed by John Barker. The head writer is Stewart and storyliners include Justine Loots, Gillian Breslin, Minky Schlesinger and Andy Petersen.
The title sequence music is by Kabelo Mabalane and Andrew Baird, whilst Philip Miller composed the score, with additional music by Siya Makuzeni.
Harlem High Hats Band
Singers
Mluleki Chuma
Bubele Mgele
Happy Motha
Bonginkosi Motha
Back Up Vocalists
Siya Makuzeni
Thandi Khoza
Kevin Maduna
Nozuko Mapoma
Lundo Mlonyeni
Guitar
Zelizwe Mthembu
Billy Monama
Piano
Mokoke Seritsane
Thandi Ntuli
Bass
Sibusiso Chiloane
Thembinkosi Mavimbela
Trombone
Ayanda Zalekile
Alex Hitzeroth
Drums
Godfrey Mgcina
Joshua Maluleka
Trumpet
David Moagi
Sibusiso Mkhize
Saxophone
Tebogo Smith
Broadcast Notes
The episode order was originally 208, but this was reduced to 124 when the show was cancelled early.