Season 1
Ou Toppies is a South African, Afrikaans-language sitcom set in a retirement home and revolving around four retired men from different backgrounds who find themselves living under the same roof, something they'd never do voluntarily.
That's what retirement is all about: accepting the inevitable and each other and finding the fun factor in ageing.
Boetus van der Merwe (played by Tobie Cronje) is an ex-actor who moves into a small retirement home, the only building left on land owned by a conglomerate who would love to bulldoze it and develop an estate.
There he is forced to rub shoulders with the ex-musician slash hustler, Jabu Chili (Amos Ketlele); an ex-army commander, George de Bruin (Ian Roberts); and former food and beverage manager Alvin Adonis (Simon Bruinders).
There is also an insanely gorgeous and retired doctor, Gloria, played by Heidi Mollentze.
The four retirees repeatedly find themselves in tricky situations.
They inevitably compete every chance they get, to the frustration of Gloria, whose affections are at the top of their bucket list.
But ultimately, they must rely on their different strengths and each other to get by.
In the process, they become unlikely friends, sharing the ups and downs of retirement and ageing, proving that it is not the end of the line but the start of a new adventure.
Also in the cast are Nomsa Buthelezi-Shezi as Nhlanhla and Sans Moonsamy as Vikesh, a couple working at the retirement home.
In the series premiere, "Welcome to Huis Wag-'n-Bietjie": The small urn with Sus' ashes is misplaced on the day of her memorial service.
The Ou Toppies all want Sus' old room and decide whoever finds (or fabricates) Sus' ashes can move into her room.
Sus' dead-broke son Boetus arrives for her memorial.
When he "injures" himself he uses it as an excuse to move into his mom's old room... with no intention of ever leaving again, since he has nowhere to go.
Ou Toppies is produced by Darkchild Productions with executive producers Cabby Magongwa and Wayne Pearce.
The producers are Nischette Willemse and Cuba Wills, the head writer is Dorette Nel and the head director is Heather Cooke.
The theme tune is by Adam Lomas.
Season 1 Cast
(scroll to bottom for available actor bios)
Starring
Simon Bruinders ... Alvin Adonis
Tobie Cronjé ... Boetus van der Merwe
Amos Ketlele ... Jabu Chili (as Amos Ketlele-Chalale)
Ian Roberts ... George de Bruin
Recurring / Guests
Nomsa Buthelezi ... Nhlanhla (as Nomsa Buthelezi-Shezi)
Heidi Mollentze ... Gloria
Dorette Nel ... Narrator (voice)
Sans Moonsamy ... Vikesh
Jill Keevy ... Old Tannie Giggles
Smodern Dzimba ... Tiny
Reem Koussa ... Missy Stander
Quintan Voigt ... Jacobus (as Quinton Voigt)
Sherlain Holmes ... Selfie Girl
Theoline Morgan ... Cagey Girl
Amalia Stewart ... Red Lips Lady
Olive Strachan ... Mrs Mokoena
Duncan Wilkinson ... Assessor
Wouter Oosthuizen ... Fanus
Lwazi Ngema ... Siyabonga
Janine Buytendag ... Bessie