When Critical But Stable premieres on Mzansi Magic (channel 161) on Sunday, 26 July, viewers will meet a story of friendship, betrayal and the secrets hiding beneath long-term relationships. But getting Angela Makholwa’s celebrated novel from page to prime time was a journey in itself, one that producers say would not have worked without the author’s hands-on involvement. The 13-part drama is produced by Barkers Media and co-executive produced by Makholwa through her company, Red Ink.
It marks the independent production house’s latest addition to a growing slate of scripted drama, feature films, narrative reality and factual entertainment, following productions such as the Safta-nominated How to Manifest a Man, Killer Front Page, The Bala Family, Shebeen Queens, Ngishade Wrong and uMbali – a series that became the most-watched drama on eVOD before pulling in an average audience of more than two million viewers on e.tv. From novel to insurance scam drama Mzansi Magic’s new drama series ‘Critical But Stable’ follows Duke, a struggling businessman who pulls his closest friends into an insurance scam in a desperate bid to save his ailing wife and his failing business. Duke and his childhood friends belong to a jazz-themed stokvel called Khula.
Picture: Supplied/Mzansi Magic Critical But Stable follows Duke, a struggling businessman who convinces his closest friends to take part in an insurance scam to save his failing business and his terminally ill wife. The men are bound together through Khula, a jazz-themed stokvel built on brotherhood and mutual support, but soon discover that their seemingly stable lives are hiding secrets that could destroy everything they’ve built. While the novel was picked up through a publishing partnership between the broadcaster and Red Ink, turning it into television required considerably more than transferring the story to screen.
Barkers Media says it went through an extensive development process before the final commission came through, needing to show broadcasters exactly how the book could work as a television drama while staying true to its emotional core. “The success of the book opened the door, but it certainly didn’t guarantee a television commission,” Barkers Media co-founder Reneilwe Sema said in a statement. “We had to demonstrate how the story could evolve into compelling television while offering audiences something …
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