Tonight’s TV critics, Debashine Thangevelo and Munya Vomo, reflect on the shows, channels and personalities that made 2014 unforgettable on the small screen…
TOP 5 TRENDING SHOWS OF THE YEAR
True Detective: Erase all those shirtless images of Matthew McConaughey. After Dallas Buyers Club, the Magic Mike actor has reinvented his rom-com poster boy image with this disturbing, macabre and hard-hitting crime drama. And he is joined by the inimitable Woody Harrelson. Hollywood’s heavyweights are praising it as the next big TV phenomenon akin to Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Five Emmys and counting…
Orange is the New Black: If only partners got the Do Not Disturb memo, they would have been spared the Joan Rivers-esque tirade that rained down on them. Yep, this is the new entertainment holy grail of the small screen. Think of a risqué version of Devious Maids.
My Perfect Wedding: That special day is never without drama, tears and frustration. This series had South African viewers glued to the OTT and OMG moments. And those snarky Tweets certainly made for interesting water cooler conversation.
The Walking Dead: This flesh-eating zombie fest has become orgasmic viewing for comic book buffs. Kudos to the writers, who keep upping the ante every season. And so the Rick Grimes saga continues…
Idols SA: A decade on, this show is proving to be like that villain who refuses to die in movies. Yup, it keeps coming back. While some are gatvol of this joke of a talent show, M-Net always has the last laugh with its jaw-dropping high viewership figures. And season 11 auditions are on the cards for early next year, when this year’s winner will become a blur like the others.
TOP 5 GAME-CHANGING CHANNELS
The Oscar Pistorius Trial – A Carte Blanche Channel: Talk about being quick on the draw – MultiChoice made history by being the first TV network to televise a criminal trial. With the worlds eyes on the paralympic champion accused of killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, this channel enjoyed a good run; the same couldn’t be said of the blade runner and his meltdowns on national TV.
SuperSport Channels: It was a massive score across all the SuperSport Channels during the Fifa World Cup Brazil. SuperSport’s extensive coverage leading up to that finale where Germany emerged victorious against Argentina left our nation on tenterhooks.
M-Net Edge: As the title suggests, content that slots into the edgy dominion is found here. Orange is the New Black became its mascot, paving the way for Graceland and Game of Thrones 4 to follow.
Vuzu AMP: The best of both worlds – that’s exactly what this channel offered when it debuted in October. Aside from showcasing international hits like Vampire Diaries 6 and The Originals 2, viewers have been blown away by its novel home-grown content like The Real Jozi A-Listers and 10 Over 10 (season 3).
Mzansi Wethu: With the South African TV landscape going full throttle on local content, this has become a regular pit stop for viewers. With daily doses of Isibaya and Zabalaza, it is also the playground for celebrity culture with Kabelo’s Bootcamp and the popular Lokshin Bioskop movies.
TOP 5 BOOK-TO-TV TRANSLATIONS
Masters of Sex: That cliché, “sex sells”, couldn’t be more appropriate in summing up the anticipation of this series. Based on Thomas Maier’s biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love, it, however, isn’t merely a subject that’s gratuitously exploited. The show is tasteful, brilliantly cast, directed and scripted.
Rosemary’s Baby: The 1967 best-selling novel of Ira Levin first piqued the curiosity of acclaimed director Roman Polanski. Little did he realise the fame and tragedy that would come with his movie adaptation. Now Polish director Agnieszka Holland has resurrected it in a modern four-part mini series with Zoë Saldana and Patrick J Adams (Suits fame). Spine-chilling and just as haunting as the movie, this series boasts spectacular scenic shots of Paris.
The Musketeers: The swashbuckling adventures buried in the pages of Alexandre Dumas’ novel are brought to life by four delectable hunks in BBC Entertainment’s new drama. It’s got romance, comedy, heroism, danger, deception and loads of action. Of course, given the genre, there are creative liberties taken to extend its shelf life.
Game of Thrones 4: This is one of the most anticipated TV series in recent times. Based on the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin, this epic critically-acclaimed fantasy drama offers a minefield of dramatic twists and sexual dalliances mixed with a soupçon of incestuous desires and ingenious tactics that leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake with treachery at every ambitious turn. And there is that stress-relieving humour in between those bloody battles.
Outlander: This sweeping tale pours out from Diana Gabaldon’s novel. It offers a melting pot of time travel, history, romance (that flits between two centuries and one heroine), mystery, fantasy, politics, adventure and war.
TOP 5 SHOWS THAT FIZZLED, NOT SIZZLED
Bad Judge: Kate Walsh bounces back from Private Practice as a highly-sexed, depraved and trashy-looking judge. Now there is nothing wrong with slipping into the skin of different characters, but this is like Oprah doing a Queen Latifah-styled talk show. And the whole 40-something-going-on-16 subtext? Not funny!
American Horror Story 4: We have always saluted Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s boxing clever approach to the American Horror Story franchise. But this time, they have pushed the envelope a little too far. And their fourth instalment, Freak Show, lives up to its name – not in a flattering way, though.
The X Factor SA: Sjoe, where does one start with this one? This SABC1 biggie is a monumental disaster; from its lacklustre presenter to the wooden, dull as dishwater judging panel of Oskido, Arno Carstens and Zonke to the overall lack of showmanship one expects from such a reality series.
Grey’s Anatomy: Yup, it’s time for Shonda Rhimes to go back to the drawing board. What was once a must-see, riveting drama has been reduced to a soapie-style departure. The characters are becoming frustratingly annoying and, even sadder, there is no Cristina Yang to yank them out of this melancholy state. Sob!
Something’s Cooking: That cool cat personality is what South Africans love about MiCasa’s J’Something. So when his cooking show – Something’s Cooking – debuted on Mzansi Magic, fans lined up in front of their screens. While his passion for cooking is unmistakable, so too are the production flaws. A tighter format and better camera work is definitely food for thought if there is a spinoff. After all, personality isn’t the only ingredient that makes a show.
TOP 5 WACK YET ADDICTIVE REALITY SHOWS
The Amazing Race: You have to wonder when the people in this show will ever arrive. Now at 23 seasons, it is obvious someone is watching and wants to see the show go on until we are all in a retirement home.
Big Brother Africa: Seeing some ex-Big Brother Africa contestants walk with their noses pointed with pride is almost laughable. You want to ask what it is that makes them think they are better. All they have to do is sit around and drink and Africa gets to choose the one they like the most.
Survivor SA: This was a good one in the early days but come on, not everything matures like wine. After a while the show becomes a little hard to digest. There is a limit to the amount of jungle politics we can take.
Reality Check: This was e.tv’s idea of seeing if celebrities were still in touch with everyday life. We met Bongani Fassie, Boity Thulo and Somizi and they had to go to impoverished areas and practice some community service. You could see they were uncomfortable and, in most cases, Somizi was unwilling to go all the way.
Goal Diggerz: What’s surprising about this show is that it is basically about the life of African footballers in foreign lands. It was first presented by Lungile Radu and then SK Khoza who were not soccer players. So when Benni McCarthy took over, we thought it would be the best season yet but, TV presenting is not his best skill. Still, soccer fans can’t resist taking a peak into the lives of their heroes.
TOP 5 HOME DEBUTS
Real Jozi A-Listers: If there is one thing celebrities despise it is bad publicity. If you were to say anything bad about them, they usually don’t take it well. Yet on The Real Jozi A-listers, Trevor Gumbi, Maps Maponyane, Da Les and Tol A$$ Mo use the negative things that are said about them to sell this show.
My Perfect Proposal: Cashing in on the success of Our Perfect Wedding, this show helps people who are engaged to be married. It’s hosted by rapper Shugasmakx and presenter Dineo Ranaka who enjoy seeing people take their relationship to a higher level.
Turn It Up: One of the best dudes we have had on TV has to be Siya Ngwekazi. He is great in front and behind the scenes. This show features the latest artists and their music. It is how Ngwekazi presents it that sets it apart from the others.
My Top 20: Another music show which appears on MTV Base. Here a list of top South African videos are played and there is usually a guest who also provides their input on what song should be where.
TOP 5 EPIC COMIC BOOK SERIES
Gotham: It’s amazing how comic book readers are always mocked in school and labelled as “nerds”. The success of Gotham proves that actually the nerds were on to something from day one. On the show, we go back to a time before Batman had emerged in the ugly city of Gotham. This helps you understand his behaviour.
The Librarian: A comic book on this title was published in 2006. This was based on the movie The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines film which was shot the same year. This year then saw the birth of the TV show, The Librarian, which features Noah Wyle.
Flash: Forget Usain Bolt. To anyone out there who knows about Flash, they will tell you that this superhero runs at the speed of light. Yet another comic book that did so well that TV adaptations were the only natural progression.
Arrow: Taken from characters by DC Comics, this action drama may as well be the new William Tell show. While the comic versions are usually for kids, not all kids can watch this as it has some adult material. Good drama, amazing fighting scenes and an excellent script make it addictive.
Agents Of The S.H.I.E.L.D: As if to counter DC Comics, Marvel also released this show which did unsurprisingly well. S.H.I.E.L.D stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division and we get to see a group of gifted lawmen keep peace in their state.
TOP 5 LOCALS LEAVING GLOBAL FOOTPRINTS
Trevor Noah: When he went on Jay Leno’s show and told jokes about Americans misconstruing the African lifestyle, some people declared that Noah would not make it in the US. Well, only last week he made his debut on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on which Angelina Jolie was also featured. Now that is impressive.
Loyiso Gola and the LNN team: When we see Gola and his pals, who include puppet Chester Missing and David Kibuka, do their thing, no one ever anticipated that they would be nominated for two International Emmy Awards. They haven’t won any yet, but nominations are almost just as good.
Lesley-Ann Brandt: If you are a dude and have watched Spartacus, you might have Googled Brandt before. When you did that you would have come across the information that she was born in Cape Town. Now starring in Gotham, Brandt continues to make us proud.
Tats Nkonzo: For someone who hosts SA’s Got Talent, it is great to see that Nkonzo has some talent of his own. Last week he was reported to have beaten top US and UK comedians to win Comedy Final at the largest comedy festival in mainland Europe, the Montreux Comedy Contest. Enough said.
Nondumiso Tembe: She was on True Blood a few years ago before she came home to do some work in theatre and on Generations. She is now shooting the next installment of The Avengers which will air next year.