Too much violence and too little humour has caused
a serious crisis on South African TV.
That's been our take for too long now so it puts a giggle in our shoes to see this new local show on the schedule.
Afrikaans comedy Die Fakulteit (The Faculty) premieres on eExtra on Sunday 14 April at 19h30, which is also hoorah-worthy because it's the night that people need the biggest chortle to avoid the Sunday Scaries feeling.
Of course there's no way of telling how funny it is until you actually see it, but even if it isn't, one can just pretend to laugh because we hear that's good for you too - apparently your body releases chemicals that lift your mood whether you're genuinely laughing or not. Haha!
These are the details:
Official synopsis
Our story was inspired by the ever-persistent question on the minds of millennials everywhere: "Where are the real adults?"
Picture the classic high school movie archetypes - the jock, the nerd, the hot girl, the dreamer and the unlikely best friend.
Fast forward 10 years, and these characters are still grappling with the same challenges, now finding themselves as incapable adults.
Suddenly, they are thrust into positions of authority as the faculty of an entire school, setting the stage for our narrative.
Taking place in a fictional high school in the vibrant city of modern-day Johannesburg, South Africa, this setting presents a myriad of hurdles for our characters to overcome.
It also opens the door to an array of new and humorous characters who come and go, adding a dynamic element to the story.
Who's Who
Tap the picture to enlarge it to see character descriptions - it opens in a new window so you'll stay so this page.
| Cast |
Character |
Role |
| Bibi du Preez |
Dr Naude |
Principal of the school |
| Carien Botha |
Susan Steyn |
Hockey teacher |
| Abel Knobel |
Du Toit |
Rugby teacher |
| Tabitha de Jager |
Naledi |
Home Economics teacher |
| Carl Trautman |
Jan Gerber |
Teacher |
| Leigh Ann Fourie |
Annetjie Kitshof |
School secretary |
| Tene Minderon |
Sebine Kritzinger |
New maths teacher |
| Zoricke Snyman |
Amelia de Waal |
English/drama teacher |
Guest appearances include:
Zoe Jacobs as Cindy Swanepoel (mean girl) and,
Geraldine Pillay as neighbouring school principal
Production credits
The series is produced by CoolerBox Brothers, producers of VIA series Musiekpaniek, Konings van Kitskos and Vergewe My.
Executive Producers are Marno Koen and Michael van Zyl, and direction is by George van Rooyen.