A Place Called Home is a South African television drama series produced for SABC1 by T.O.M. Pictures and based on the novels Finding Mr. Madini and Great African Spider Writers by Jonathan Morgan about a writer who inspires and finds inspiration from homeless people living in Johannesburg.
The series originally aired on SABC1 from 20 December, 2006 to 25 February, 2009. There are 39 half-hour episodes in two seasons. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
A rebroadcast of Season 2 premiered on SABC1 on Monday 18 November 2013, at 22h00. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 26 episodes in the second and final season.
Season 1
The first season is about Maxwell, a writer in search of a story.
In his search for authenticity he is drawn into the world of the homeless, where he discovers a group of wannabe writers who eke out a living by selling articles to a homeless newspaper.
He offers to teach them and in return gains insight into their world.
The group is a disparate one. There's Siphiwe, who literally lives in a drain but who is a genuinely talented writer, struggling on the margins of society.
Milhoti is a single mother who shares a large room with four others. Divided by a thin curtain she desperately hangs onto a notion of privacy, while she dreams of a day when a knight in shining armour will take her away from it all.
Steven is an aspirant boxer trying to battle his way out of the ghetto, wanting nothing more than to be that man.
Ali, an illegal immigrant from Liberia, arrives in the city of gold dreaming about being the next great investigative journalist, but soon learns that reality is much harsher.
Charlene is the woman who runs the rec centre where the group meets - she hopes she can save the world, preferably before lunch.
They all fear Sylvester, the ruthless street gangster that rules their world with an iron fist.
Season 2
Jozi - the city of Johannesburg - is well known around the continent and the world for being the city paved with gold.
People from all over the country and beyond the border converge here in search of the city's wealth, in the hope to lead them to a better life. Some succeed and some don't. This is the story about these people.
The homeless people have a very different and harsh reality of the city. They have been displaced, harassed and abused, and find out very quickly and painfully that the streets are not what they thought they would be.
But this is not a depressing series about the trials and tribulations of displaced people. There are many other characters with whom our main characters interact, including lovers, family, employers and friends, through whom we will see many different sides of the city.
This season will not show hopeless characters living in the street, but enthusiastic and positive characters living in the city.
The show is directed by Rolie Nikiwe (Tsha-Tsha) Akin Omotoso (God is African, Rifle Road) and first timers uZanenkosi and Zamo Mkwanazi; and produced by Robbie Thorpe, Omotoso and Kgomotso Matsunyane. The series was written by Craig Freimond and Kgomotso Matsunyane.
Original music is by Zwai Bala.
Seasons
Series exclusive to SABC1. Rebroadcast dates included.
Season 1 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 20 December 2006 | Finale: 14 March 2007 | Wednesdays, 20h30
Premiere: 19 August 2013 | Finale: 11 November 2013 | Mondays, 22h00
Season 2 (26 episodes)
Premiere: 3 September 2008 | Finale: 25 February 2009 | Wednesdays, 20h30
Premiere: 18 November 2013 | Finale: 16 June 2014 | Mondays, 22h00