THERE’S NOTHING SIMPLE ABOUT LIVING LIFE IN JOZI

THE WAYMzansi Magic is churning out great shows, soon we will not be tuning in anywhere else for drama series.

They started with Inkaba which did okay, but did not go far. What it did manage to do, however, is prove that there is a thirst for local stories which viewers could relate to.

Then came Isibaya which changed the game in every aspect of TV production. Half of the actors were inexperienced, while the other half were legends, but you could not tell them apart because they worked so well together. So good was the production that the show was extended and adapted into a soapie. While that’s good for the viewer, it put unnecessary pressure on the production team to perform, but that’s a conversation for another time.

Then we had Zabalaza which was hailed as the first kasi soapie, a thing most of us had never thought of. Look at all the other locally made soap operas: they are all shot in studios which take away from the realness of life out here. The scenes in most of these soapies are also in offices and towns, resulting in the township audiences (who watch these shows in their millions) feeling left out. Zabalaza tackled these problems by being shot on location in the townships.

Then there was Ayeye, another first on South African TV. The show centres on a group of spoilt Jozi kids who love the high life, girls and alcohol. It began of with a lot of steam, but lost its momentum, with many people citing that it was not relatable to the ordinary young South African man. If the writers heard that, then perhaps they’d improve because there is a rumour that another season is on the way.

With all these shows doing rather well, you would think that Mzansi Magic would have enough material for the year, but you would be wrong.

Another baby is on the way and it is the much-anticipated drama, It’s Complicated. Made by Fuzebox Productions, the drama will follow seven characters residing in Joburg who have to adapt to life’s curve balls that have been thrown at them individually.

On the show we will meet Fikile Mthwalo (Ipeleng), Siyabonga Radebe (Thato), Thishiwe Ziqubu (Ntandokazi), Samela Tyelbooi (Mandisa), Motlatsi Mafatshe (Thabang), Pabi Moganedi (Matli), Atandwa Kani (Vumani) who all come with a wealth of knowledge from various local and international productions.

It remains to be seen how far, in the Mzansi Magic food chain, a show like this will go because talent alone will not be enough.