SMALL SCREEN STANDOUTS OF 2018
2018 was filled with entertaining and new shows that had viewers glued to their screens and on the edge of their seats. Let’s take a look at some new and old favourites.
A MILLION LITTLE THINGS
The family drama revolves around a group of friends who are motivated to live fuller lives after the unexpected death of a close friend. What makes it interesting is when some of the friends try to figure out why a perfectly “happy” man commits suicide.
AMERICAN WOMAN
Bonnie Nolan’s (Alicia Silverstone) life is turned upside down when she discovers her husband is having an affair. Amid the rise of secondwave feminism in the 1970s, the unconventional mom leaves her marriage and raises her two daughters.
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER S5
The new season of the American legal drama is full of surprises. When you think you’ve figured out the plot, it leaves you guessing again. This season, we follow Annalise and her team as they fight and win cases. We meet a newcomer at the law clinic and witness a murder.
THIS IS US S3
If you balled your eyes out in season 1 and 2, then 3 is no different. The This Is Us core kicks in almost immediately as Kate throws another “not pregnant” pregnancy test onto the pile. The season also focuses on Randal wanting to adopt Deja, and Kevin’s early stages of a relationship with Beth’s cousin.
THE CRY
The series tugs at the heart strings. In episode 1, Joanna and Alistair’s threemonth-old son Noah was taken from his car seat in an Australian backwater while his parents were metres away at a shop. By expertly editing different time frames together, viewers move through the before and after. The Cry explores the taboos of motherhood with refreshing honesty.
EMPIRE S3
Two years after losing Empire to Eddie Barker, Cookie and Lucious are picking up the pieces and trying to reclaim the Lyons’ position in the music industry. The season upped the game – the storyline is great and so is the music and new cast. Even if you haven’t watched it before, it’s an easy catch-up.
IKHAYA
iKhaya follows the story of Eddie whose circumstances threaten to put his world in turmoil when his secret is on the verge of coming out. Family values are challenged when iKhaya explores the lives of two families unknowingly headed by one man. Season 2 of the show is set to return on Monday, January 7 at 8pm. In the new season, one of the wives tries to asserts herself as the main wife.
NKULULEKO
The 13-part drama series is a comingof-age story set in Khayelitsha. The show focuses on Nkululeko Zwai, played by newcomer Aphiwe Mkefe. He is a talented mathematician preparing for a competition that could change his life and destiny forever. However, he makes an impulsive decision in a moment of blossoming love and suddenly finds himself in deep trouble with his friends. Everything he has worked so hard for falls apart, leaving his future in jeopardy.
THE IMPOSTER S2
Season 1’s gripping storyline zoned in on twin sisters, Mantwa and Matshepo Tau, whose lives took an unconventional twist when one of the sisters broke out of prison to claim the life of her identical twin. Season 2 follows the story of Tebogo “Tebza” Modikoane who struggles to make ends meet and provide for his daughter, while his long-lost twin brother, Gary Mokoena, lives a luxurious life, with manicured lawns, expensive cars and extreme wealth.
THE HERD
Love, power and the pursuit of material wealth can drive a man to sacrifice his soul. The Herd, with an enigmatic supernatural storyline, explored the extent to which people will go to obtain their heart’s desires.