Mzansi Magic's new telenovela The Road premieres on Monday night (31 August) at 19h30 and we've got you covered with what you need to know about it.
Here are 10 must-knows:
1. The main storyline centres round producer Zwelakhe Masondo (played by Luthuli Dlamini) who buys the rights to a book written by an old man Themba Mashinini, who's written 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.
So The Road is a TV-show-in-a-TV show. It follows the behind-the-scenes action of making Kofifi, as well what happens in Kofifi to blend the past and present.
A scene from Kofifi, the-TV-show-in-the-TV-show.
2. 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.
3. Darlington Michaels plays 80-year-old Themba and Neo Ntlatleng plays Mothusi, the actor who plays the young Themba in the TV show.
4. Producer Zwelakhe is a shout out to Duma Ndlovu and Mfundi Vundla
.
Mzansi Magic's Mfundi Ndlovu: Desiree Markgraaff -
Executive Producer of Bomb, the production company making The Road.
Desiree: Luthuli's character Zwelakhe really is modelled on a combination of Mfundi and Duma, two producers who we love. Not modelled seriously but they're characters, they're larger than life and they're very invested in telling local stories. In a way it's a little tribute.
Gail at the official launch of the series on Wednesday (26 August) and Kabelo in character.
5. Gail and Kabelo Mabalane are both in the show but have very little to do with each other. Kabelo plays Bogart, the leader of the No-Name Gang in Kofifi. The most powerful gang in Sophiatown apart from the Russians.
Gail plays Kedibone “Kedi” Seakgoe, the star of Kofifi. She's the main lurve interest in both the TV show and behind-the-scenes because she's having an affair with producer Zwelahke, who wants to marry her.
In the present, as an actress, she's a diva and in the TV show her character is an innocent, who sings.
6. Trevor Gumbi plays the cameo role of Bongani Khoza, nickname: Spaceman. He's the 1st Assistant Director on Kofifi and the set jester who uses humour to manage the actors and director Monty, played by Blessing Xaba.
7. While all of the action unfolds - while the crew make Kofifi - something happens on set. A murder. People start dying. So the series is also a murder mystery that unfolds over the 208 episodes. The murderer will only be revealed in the final episode.
8. Themba is definitely NOT the murderer.
9. Both series are filmed at dedicated studios in
Jeppestown in downtown Joziburg.
10. Episodes air Mondays to Thursdays.
Bonus fact: This is what it looks like when you peer through the windows of the wardrobe department:
Keep a lookout for more on Who's Who.