Press Release
Come Monday 09 February 2015 and SABC1 viewers should look forward to cutting-edge programming with the introduction of brand new shows on Mzansi’s #1 youth channel.
The hot line-up of locally-produced shows will include the following titles:
UZALO (Mon 09 Feb @ 20h30)
(Local Telenovela)
UZALO is a provocative, bold and authentic narrative that tells the story of two family dynasties, the Mdletshes and the Xulus, and the two young men who carry their hopes and legacies. The two families are immersed in contradictory worlds of church and crime respectively.
The drama also throws the issues of family ties and loyalties against personal ambition into sharp relief – from loving patriarchs who exert unwelcome influence on their ambitious, young sons, to the tension created amongst family members when one of them decides to pursue their own career goals and reject the family business. Uzalo delves into what makes these ambitious and successful, yet troubled families tick.
The Mdletshes are a God-fearing family with its patriarch pastor Melusi Mdletshe (Bheki Mkhwane) presiding over the charismatic Kingdom of Canaan Church and its promising gospel choir. The church gives a strong moral standard that is in direct conflict with the Xulu family, ruled by Muzi Xulu (Mpumelelo Bhulose), which is invested in a life of crime.
Lead Cast includes: Naymaps Maphalala (Mxolisi Xulu); Khumbulani Kay Sibiya (Ayanda Mdletshe); Mpumelelo Bhulose (Muzi Xulu); Bheki Mkhwane (Melusi Mdletshe); Dawn King (Lindiwe Xulu) and Leleti Khumalo (Zandile Mdletshe).
Uzalo is written by playwright-producer Duma Ndlovu and is produced by Gugulethu Ncube and Pepsi Pokane.
ITHUBA LOKUGCINA (Wed 11 Feb @ 19h30)
(Local Sitcom)
The local comedy series chronicles an odd group of underachieving misfits come together to save their futures, save face and save telling their parents that they’ve again failed. As a heroic/foolish Professor thinks he can save them all and turn them into the brains they wish they had.
Cast: Zola Nombona (Zodwa); Mthuthuzeli Feni (Fundani); Thulani Mahlaba (Mandla); Thandy Matlaila (Mpumi); Thuli Thabethe (Philile); Arthur Zita (Bobo); Elliot Makhubo (Milton) and Dirk Vermeulen (Pieter M)
HOLIDAY SWAP (Mon 09 Feb @ 18h00)
(Local Reality Show)
Welcome to Holiday Swap, an innovative new TV reality show, pioneered by Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and Thebe Tourism Group. The show will feature challenges where teams of friends experience a holiday thrill that is outside of their comfort zone. Each team will need to score points for completing the challenges and the team with the most points wins.
As with any reality TV show, cameras will follow the teams every step of the way to showcase their fabulous holiday and share their new experiences with the viewers. The teams are supported along the way by the show’s presenter extraordinaire, Nomzamo Mbatha.
Thandeka's Diary (Mon 09 Feb @ 19h30)
(Local Comedy Series)
Thandeka's Diary is a comedy series about the growing pains of a 16-year-old girl from Kagiso, in the West Rand. Her boastful dad is a mechanic and her protective mom is a self-employed seamstress. Her parents don’t bring in much but their belief is that family is more important than money.
Her 7-year-old sister is like all annoying 7-year-olds, nosey and mischievous. Thandeka’s family lives in a big house which her father inherited from his parents, and his parents in turn were given the house by the old mine manager.
The house came with her Malume Mbube (her father’s eldest brother), who never moved out of the house, never lifts a finger, and is patiently waiting to inherit the house while reminding Thandeka’s dad at every opportunity.
Cast: Thandeka (Busisiwe Mtshali); Sihle (Lwazi Mthembu); Sli (Tumi Maretele); Bheki (Skhumba Hlophe); Malume (Babsy Selela); Ayanda (Katlego Dinga); Joyce (Nomboniso Paile); Mr Govender (Jai Prakash); Mrs van Niekerk (Michelle Ayden); and Dee (Kgaogelo Monama).
MOKAPELO (Wed 11 Feb @ 18h00)
(Local love make-over show)
Mokapelo is a Setswana word that can only be explained in English as
partner of my heart.
Mokapelo is a love make-over show aimed at primarily women between the ages of 29 and 45 still looking for love. Women in this age group are ready for long lasting relationship.
With the changing of gender status between men and women, women are also going into the love field to aggressively explore their preferences and making hard decisions to prepare for the lifelong commitment that we all come to desire at some point. But, looking for that lasting love after a lifetime of bad love habits can be quite challenging.
Host: Kagiso Msimango
NFVF/SABC BLACK WOMEN & YOUTH FILM INITIATIVE (Thu 12 Feb @ 20h30)
(Documentary Series)
10 South African short stories crafted and produced by young black female filmmakers, in partnership with the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF).
1.
Heroes (Thu 12 Feb @ 20h30)
Set in JHB Surburb, 1990.
Comedy.
Duration 29:00
PG 13 – Prejudice and Language
Set in 1994, just before South Africa’s transition to democracy, HEROES pokes fun at a white suburban community, terrified that a black family might move into their pristine neighbourhood. Ryan Murray, recently divorced and at a loss, returns to his childhood home to bury his father, and finds the suburb in an uproar. A community member is threatening to sign an offer to purchase, and the prospective homebuyer is rumoured to be black.
2.
The Manicurist (Thu 12 Feb @ 21h00)
Set in JHB, present day.
Drama.
Duration 24:30
Diana is manicurist to the elite. She is a perfectionist with nails, has a firm and soothing touch with massage and she’s a warm and caring listener – it seems she was born to make beautiful women even more beautiful. But Diana has a secret. A singer with a God-given talent, she was poisoned by a traumatic childhood experience. She believes she was denied the opportunity to share her voice and vocation with the world but she’s buried her resentment deep.
3.
The Dance (Thu 19 Feb @ 20h30)
Set in Greater Durban Area, present day.
Romance.
Duration 27:00
PG 13 L
THE DANCE tells the story of Vishal and his lover, the doomed Vidya, who are partners in the tradition of classical Indian Kathak dance. They move from rural KwaZulu-Natal to the city of Durban to try their luck as professional dancers, finding moderate success. Vidya, however, is plagued by self-doubt and turns to drugs to ease her insecurity.
4.
The State (Thu 19 Feb @ 21h00)
Set in undefined fictional location, year 2034.
Futuristic Drama.
Duration 24:00
As South Africa celebrates 20 years of democracy, THE STATE looks 20 years ahead to a dystopian future. A system of apartheid exists between those who are blindly obedient to the State and those who are not. Supporters reside in the gated suburbs where there is service delivery and work opportunities for all. Detractors are relegated to deprivation in the townships and can only enter the gated communities with a rarely-issued Pass. This is the world that 24-year old Nomzamo learned to survive in after her activist parents’ death.
5.
Through Her Eyes (Thu 26 Feb @ 20h30)
Set in JHB, present day.
Drama
Duration 29:06
PG 13 - L
When Somi returns from the United States to marry Sipho, her long time fiancé, she is confronted by the father who abandoned her as a child, and who now heads up the negotiations around her lobola. Things are complicated further when Somi begins to suspect that her betrothed has not been entirely faithful during her absence. She goes into a tail-spin of uncertainty, trying to reconcile the images of the men in her life with the reality that now faces her.
6.
Bougainvillea (Thu 26 Feb @ 21h00)
Set in JHB, present day.
Drama
Duration 24:00
PG 13 - L
Lola once had an original writing voice, but now she’s a fashion blogger consumed with the pretence of a fashionably quirky and desirable lifestyle. She awakens on the day she will host a chic dinner party to secure a vapid ‘Chick Lit’ book deal.
7.
Dear Betty (Thu 05 Mar @ 20h30)
Set in present day.
Dramatic Comedy
Duration 24:30
PG 13 - L
In a quiet post office in an even quieter town, Reabetswe “Betty” Leopeng folds paper in an elaborate way as the clock ticks away the minutes of her life, which seems stuck in limbo like a parcel without an address. One day a tall, dark stranger enters the post-office. Although Betty doesn’t have the courage to serve the charismatic Hloni, later she finds herself irresistibly drawn to his parcel. She breaks all protocol and opens it…
8.
Lungelwa (Thu 05 Mar @ 21h00)
Set in present day Eastern Cape and Rustenburg
Drama
Duration 28:05
In the aftermath of the police shootings at a local platinum mine, SUDDENLY sees a young widow leave her modest home in the Eastern Cape and travel to Rustenburg to claim her husband’s body, as well as the pension she believes to be her due. Lungelwa has never travelled further than the nearest village and is filled with trepidation, aware that she must perform a ‘male duty’ in a male-dominated world.
9.
The Last Doorman (Thu 12 Mar @ 20h30)
Drama
Duration 24:47
In the twilight of his life, 60-something Harry just wants to be left alone to lead his quiet existence. A dignified doorman at a five-star hotel by day, Harry spends his nights lovingly maintaining his collection of miniature trains. But the world is changing and it seems a free South Africa has no use for an older white man. He’s informed he’s too old for his job and must train his replacement before he leaves.
10.
Pathology (Thu 12 Mar @ 21h00)
Futuristic Drama
Duration 22:05
The Forgotten Country is set in a dystopian South Africa of the future, when impossibly high walls circle the city of Cape Town, separating the healthy from the virus-ridden and the rich from the poor. Two sisters work in a clinic beyond the walls, spending their time administering palliative care and researching a cure for Hepatitis F. Or so it would seem...
The following popular SABC1 shows will be coming back in new seasons:
TEMPY PUSHAS SEASON 2 (Fri 13 Feb @ 20h30)
(Local Drama Series)
Thise local drama series is a story about 3 orphans whose relationship is tested on their way to becoming their own men. Tempy Pushas it is set against the backdrop of the lavish fashion world and juxtaposed with the vibrant township culture.
The series focuses on two giant fashion houses, two families - a poisonous saga of greed, revenge and buried pasts, as the multi-million rand fashion market lies waiting… for the taking! The drama series brings to light the grit and reality behind the fashion industry – going beyond the just the luxury, celebrity and style associated with the industry.
Cast includes: Sdumo Mtshali (Kuti Daniels); Pallance Dladla (X); Akhumzi Jezile (Ngulube); Camilla Waldman (Alexia Daniels); Paballo Moganedi (Lerato Bogatsu); Mara Louw (Girlie); Mothusi Magano (Dot Org); Khulu Skenjana (Zenzele Zembe); Tumi Ngumla (Princess Zembe); Putla Sehlapelo (Skywalker); Lillian Dube (KG) and Mmabatho Montsho (Noxy).
NYAN NYAN SEASON 3 (Tues 10 Feb @ 18h00)
(Youth Reality)
Nyan’ Nyan is a youth reality series that seeks to encourage truth and honesty within relationships. It is driven by real stories from real people – focusing on individuals in a relationship who have a desire to confess and explain their situation to their partner.
The show has a travel confession mobile where couples can engage in private – encouraging couples not to keep secrets that might hold back their relationship from growing. The participants are provided access to professional counseling.
The show is driven by the dynamic presenter, Luyanda Potwana.
COME AGAIN SEASON 2 (Sun 15 Feb @ 18h00)
(Travel documentary series)
Come Again is a travel documentary series that visits places in South Africa with unusual names. Ntombi, the presenter goes finds out the origins and the meaning of the name. The series goes deeply into the name and the place to see if the name is indeed a true reflection of what the place is like and how life is there.
Whilst in the area Ntombi explores the place; meets the people, experience the lifestyle, eat the food and do anything else of interest in the area. Essentially, the show profiles places that are not usually shown on television and gives a full reflection of the life there including any points of interest - the history, the success stories and the heroes.
The show is presented by Ntombi Mangcobo Mzolo.
Fan Base will also be back for another season, Season 4 starts on Friday 6 February at 18h00. More about it here:
Fan Base