Season 1
Recipes for Love and Murder is a South African / Scottish co-production murder mystery television series based on Sally Andrew's novel Recipes for Love and Murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery, about a small-town recipe advice columnist who turns detective to solve a horrific crime.
When a woman seeking advice about an abusive husband is found dead, recipe advice columnist Tannie Maria and her colleague, rookie journalist Jessie, spring into action, determined to solve this small town Karoo murder and catch the killer.
Big city cop Khaya and his team of local police officers always find themselves just slightly behind the detecting duo, as the investigation takes us through an array of unlikely suspects.
Maria Purvis (nicknamed Tannie Maria, meaning Auntie Maria in Afrikaans), is a middle-aged advice columnist who moved to Scotland as a child along with her parents and returned 10 years ago to South Africa after her husband died.
She now dishes out help and recipes via the local gazette in the imaginary South African town of Eden, in the beautiful region of the Karoo.
Mostly keeping to herself, focusing on food, gardening and showing kindness to others, she is often thought of as an old lady before her time.
But when Martine, a woman who writes to Maria about her abusive husband, is found dead, Maria joins forces with a local, risk-taking, rookie journalist, Jessie September (played by newcomer Kylie Fisher), to solve the small-town murder and catch the killer - before the local police finds more victims.
The series stars Maria Doyle Kennedy as the empathetic, accomplished and complicated Maria; as well as Tony Kgoroge who plays Khaya Meyer, the local Chief Detective.
The series also star Elton Landrew as Constable Piet and Arno Greeff as Warrant Officer Regardt Snyman, Jennifer Steyn as the editor of the local paper and Lee Duru as Grace, a domestic worker whose story shakes up the town.
Also starring are Kylie Fisher as Jessie, Bennie Fourie as Dirk, Daneel van der Walt as Anna, Khadija Heeger as Charlene, Alan Committie as Cornel, with Tinarie van Wyk-Loots as Martine and Terence Bridgett as Doep.
The series was filmed in Cape Town, in the semi-arid region of the Karoo and in Scotland.
Recipes for Love and Murder is produced by Cape Town-based Both Worlds Pictures, in collaboration with Pirate Production (Scotland), and is helmed by directors Christiaan Olwagen and Karen Jeynes.
The novel was adapted for television by Karen Jeynes, who is also an executive producer, with Scotland-based director/writer Annie Griffin as story consultant and co-executive producer.
The producer is Thierry Cassuto from Both Worlds Pictures in collaboration with Pirate Production's Jenny Williams, with development support provided by Screen Scotland, and Maria Doyle Kennedy (co-executive producer), Annie Griffin (co-executive producer) and Christiaan Olwagen (co-executive producer).
Executive producers include Catherine Mackin and Lesley Pemberton from Acorn Media Enterprises, Yolisa Phahle, Allan Sperling and Jan du Plessis for M-Net, Thierry Cassuto and Karen Jeynes for Both Worlds Pictures.
M-Net holds the exclusive rights to the series in Africa; Acorn TV holds the exclusive rights in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand; while Global Screen handles distribution for the rest of the world.
Music is by Zethu Mashika.
Season 1 Cast
(scroll to bottom for available actor bios)
Starring
Maria Doyle Kennedy ... Tannie Maria
Tony Kgoroge ... Khaya Meyer
Kylie Fisher ... Jessie September
Jennifer Steyn ... Hattie Wilson
Arno Greeff ... Regardt Snyman
Elton Landrew ... Piet Kasin
Bennie Fourie ... Dirk Burger
Daneel van der Walt ... Anna Pretorius
Khadija Heeger ... Charlene September
Alan Committie ... Cornel van Wyk
with Tinarie van Wyk-Loots. Martine Burger
with Terence Bridgett ... Doep
Recurring / Guests
Ashley Dowds ... Mickey Purvis
Robyn Scott ... Aileen
Kelly Damon ... Bronwyn September
Zac Wastie ... Riley September
Loren Loubser ... Lucille
Kazi Khuboni ... Georgie
Richard Wright-Firth ... McClintock
Sipho Mahlatshana ... Lawrence
Edgar Whitley ... Bertus Jantjies
David Bennie ... Dr Visagie
Evan Hengst ... Stefan
Qaiya Xatalaza ... Georgie and Frank's Daughter
Thembalethu Cekiso ... Georgie and Frank's Son
Megan Alexander ... Constable Klaasen
Sipho Mahlatshana ... Lawrence Khubeka
Grant Swanby ... Marius Rabie
Anele Matoti ... Frank
Lee Duru ... Grace Zihlangu
Martelize Kolver ... Tannie Elna
Stian Bam ... Gideon
Pierre Malherbe ... Nigel
Schalk Bezuidenhout ... Jeff
Cintaine Schutte ... Natasha
Melissa de Vries ... Nurse Christine
Kudzi Usaihwevu ... Ashwin
Shaun Chad Smit ... Matt
Lya du Toit ... Sanmarie
Marlon Swarts ... Jared
Paul Avenant ... Clint
Rolanda Marais ... Candice (Candy) Webster
Neels van Jaarsveld ... John Robson
De Klerk Oelofse ... David Joubert
Roeline Daneel ... Didi
Gerben Kamper ... Peter Joubert
Chloe Stary ... Jamie Burger
Candice van Litsenborgh ... Dorette
Greg Parvess ... Undertaker
Wayne Harrison ... Mr Roberts
Albert Pretorius ... Farmer Joe
Melt Sieberhagen ... Farmer Tom
David Dennis ... Dr Visagie
Carmen Maarman ... Michelle Kasin
Mwake Ng'ambi ... Khazi Meyer
Jordan-Lee Albertyn ... Lara Kasin
Siobhan Hodgson ... Dr Buchanan
Corien Pelt ... Mrs Stewart
Jemma Kahn ... Medic