S2 28 January Binges

S2 28 January Binges

Author: Gino Shelile January 13, 2025 Duration: 18:06

It’s already the middle of January and we are all broke. Whatever salary we got in December was finished in December. The only thing that remains is shrivelled up carrots and half an onion in the fridge plus a packet of noodles that you and the kids will have to fight over. 
A lot of us are back at work, depressingly so. 
Our lack of cash, however, does mean that we have a lot of time on our hands to watch things. In today’s episode, Gino lays down his Top Ten of what's hot on the box.

  1. The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga - A small-town feud, an internet conspiracy, an Elvis impersonator, black market organs, and a presidential assassination attempt intertwine in Mississippi's jaw-dropping scandal.
  2. Curry and Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case - The real-life case of Jolly Joseph, a lady suspected of planning the cyanide poisoning of six family members over more than ten years, including a two-year-old kid.
  3. Missing You - Detective Kat Donovan's world unravels when she finds her estranged fiancé on a dating app. Leading her to reopen her father's unsolved murder.
  4. A Quiet Place: Day One - A young woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing.
  5. Cunk on Life - Philomena Cunk delves into life's profound questions, examining subjects from the big bang to AI, meeting academics and creatives, all with her trademark misguided observations.
  6. Umjolo: My Beginning, My End - Caught between her family and her free spirit, Mayi begins to question her upcoming nuptials when she meets a charming and passionate saxophonist.
  7. Mr Easy Loo - Based on Sam Matona's story, a self-made millionaire who built a business from the ground up. Set in the 1980s, Mr Easy Loo is a story about resilience, love and realising your dreams - even when the odds are stacked against you.
  8. Senna - Fictional miniseries based on the life of Ayrton Senna da Silva, the Brazilian racing legend who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship three times.
  9. Youngins - A hard-hitting teen telenovela set at a boarding school in Johannesburg.
  10. Ma - A lonely woman befriends a group of teenagers and decides to let them party at her house. Just when the kids think their luck couldn't get any better, things start happening that make them question the intention of their host.

Enjoy this lot and payday will be here sooner than you think. Happy binging!

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Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews 

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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2026


Gino Shelile’s African Couch Potato offers a distinctly South African lens on the world of screens, big and small. As an award-winning TV producer himself, Gino brings a seasoned insider’s view that goes beyond simple reviews. Each episode feels like a relaxed, insightful conversation, blending a deep-dive review of a current film or series with curated recommendations for what’s worth your time in the coming week. The podcast truly shines in its interviews, where Gino chats with a variety of industry professionals right from the studio, uncovering the stories behind the stories we watch. There’s also a fond look back at older movies that deserve a fresh viewing, all discussed with a local flavour you won’t find elsewhere. It’s a comprehensive, engaging listen for anyone who loves to think and talk about television and film, delivered with the warmth and knowledge of a friend who really knows his stuff. Tune into this podcast for a regular, thoughtful fix of screen culture that feels both personal and professional.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 144

African Couch Potato
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