WHAT I’M WATCHING
The first show I remember binge-watching was probably Breaking Bad
and I pretty much downloaded that. I guess the thing that got me hooked was the relationship between the two main characters. It felt like a new step in terms of character development.
I think in general my series watching is backing up.
I haven’t had the time to watch as much as I want to be watching. One that I recently had on a backlog that I managed to watch was most of Black Mirror. I’ve actually never watched The Wire, which is the big one that everyone else has watched.
I choose what to watch based on word of mouth but also on giving a series a one-episode chance.
I’ll give it one episode and I then I usually know whether to carry on. I think within an episode or two you sort of know whether to carry on with a show.
There’s definitely been a big shift towards foreign shows being as accessible and entertaining as US or British ones.
However, I would say we haven’t made local shows that are as strong, or competitive enough to take on the international shows. I think it’s in the quality of the writing and I think it will happen in the next few years.
I’d like to see stories from the less-dominant cultures, whether that’s South African or elsewhere.
It’s good to see other people’s lives . . . through stories as opposed to documentaries. I’m pretty sure, for example, that soon there’ll be a Mongolian show that will be relatable and grounded.
We’re turning our short, Apocalypse Now Now, into a feature film.
And then there’s the TV show Acts of Man which we’re developing. It’s a bit like True Detective meets Top of the Lake but set in rural South Africa.