Smoke & Mirrors (TV series)
| Smoke & Mirrors | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Telenovela |
| Created by | Loyiso Maqoma |
| Written by | Matthew Jankens |
| Directed by | Lungelo Ngcobo |
| Starring | Ayanda Bandla Zolisa Xaluva (season 1) Hlomla Dandala Mavuso Magabane Kabomo Vilakazi Lusanda Mbane Charmaine Mtinta Siya Sepotokele Raymond Khaya Xaba. |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Zuko Nodada Thandeka Nodada Loyiso Maqoma |
| Producers | Thandeka Nodada Christa Greyling Zuko Nodada |
| Production locations | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Cinematography | Howard Nciweni |
| Editor | Nandipha Mehlomakhulu |
| Running time | 22-24 minutes |
| Production company | The Final Chapter |
| Original release | |
| Network | e.tv |
| Release | 17 April 2023 – present |
Smoke & Mirrors is a South African television drama series created, written and produced by Loyiso Maqoma. It is an e.tv original series produced by The Final Chapter Productions for e.tv, and stars Ayanda Bandla, Hlomla Dandala, Meshack Mavuso Magabane, Kabomo Vilakazi, Charmaine Mtinta and Lusanda Mbane, among others.[1][2]
Plot
[edit]Thandiswa Mseleku (Ayanda Bandla) is a hairdresser by day and escort by night. She is haunted by the ghost of her sister, who was murdered to be used in a ritual by Caesar (Zolisa Xaluva), Jaxon (Mavuso Magabane) and Mthetho (Kabomo Vilakazi). Her relentless spirit forces Thandiswa to move into the mining town of Emnyameni to face the unholy trinity of morally corrupt men.[3]
Cast
[edit]- Ayanda Bandla as Thandiswa Mseleku
- Zolisa Xaluva/Hlomla Dandala as Caesar
- Mavuso Magabane as Jaxon
- Kabomo Vilakazi as Mthetho
- Lusanda Mbane as Martha
- Charmaine Mtinta as Nomeva
- Siya Raymond as Sakhile
- Khayalethu Xaba as Mpendulo Mseleku
- JT Medupe as Leeroy
Production
[edit]Pre-production for the series started in September 2022, with the series filmed in Sasani Studios, with some footage filmed around Johannesburg. The series was then renewed for season 2, for which pre-production began in December 2023.[6]
Casting
[edit]Zolisa Xaluva was cast as Caeser, while Ayanda Bandla was announced as Thandiswa.
In April 2024, it was announced that Zolisa Xaluva would exit the series. Hlomla Dandala would take over the role as Ceaser from the series second season.[7]
e.tv hosted a launch party on Sunday 16 April 2023, for Smoke & Mirrors. The series was launched alongside e.tv's other telenovela Nikiwe.[8]
KwaNgonyama: The Movie
[edit]Certain episodes of the series were filmed in KwaBhaca, Eastern Cape, alongside a short film, titled KwaNgonyama: The Movie. The episodes, along with the film, focused entirely on Caesar and how he became a ruthless cold-hearted villain. The episodes were filmed in partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, and starred Sive Mabuya and Thembekile Komani.[9]
Allegations of plagiarism
[edit]In April 2023, it was reported that reality-TV star Tebogo Ramokgadi accused e.tv series producer Khanyi Nxumalo of plagiarising the show concept.[10] Screenshots of WhatsApp messages and emails detailed that the series was registered in 2019, with the pilot episode filmed costing R1 million, and pitched to e.tv in 2021 by Leo Phiri.[11] According to news articles, Tebogo's version of the series was meant to be a 13-episode series, set in a mining town and filmed in the North West. Tebogo threatened to sue eMedia for stealing his intellectual property.[12] eMedia released a media statement on 21 April 2023, confirming Tebogo's unsolicited proposal, stated that the proposal was based on a royal family and their celebrity couple friends grappling with their sexual identity was rejected, and that the name of the series is simply a common phrase, and that any similarities were purely coincidental.[13][14]
Broadcast
[edit]The series premiered on e.tv on 17 April 2023. The series was also added to streaming service eVOD.
International broadcast
[edit]The series is distributed in French-speaking territories through Canal+ and A+, under the title 'Le Voile de L'illusion' (lit. The Veil of Illusion).[15]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]The series reached 1.7 million viewers in its debut, and later reached 3 million viewers in October 2023.[16] The series went on to become the third most watched series on the channel, ultimately beating e.tv's longest-running soapie Scandal!. Critics attribute its debut figures to e.tv's lack of effort into promoting the series.[17][18][19]
References
[edit]- ^ "Smoke & Mirrors - Sindi's Death | e.tv". www.etv.co.za. 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "New Show Alert | Smoke & Mirrors". Actor Spaces. 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "Smoke & Mirrors | TVSA". www.tvsa.co.za. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "Who's who on Smoke & Mirrors | Smoke & Mirrors Teasers | TVSA". www.tvsa.co.za. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "ETV's new Smoke & Mirrors promises mystery with their all-star cast". Drum. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "Productions | Sasani Studios". www.sasani.co.za. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Gaanakgomo, Compiled by Constance. "'An exciting challenge': Hlomla Dandala shakes up e.tv's Smoke & Mirrors as new villainous Caesar". Life. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Madlala, Njabulo (2023-04-18). "The launch of 'Nikiwe' and 'Smoke & Mirrors' brings out Jozi's finest [photos]". The South African. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "Smoke & Mirrors | KwaNgonyama | e.tv". www.etv.co.za. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "TV with Thinus: Tebogo Ramokgadi accuses e.tv of show idea theft as eMedia says producer's unsolicited Smoke & Mirrors pilot and proposal was rejected". TV with Thinus. 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ ""We spent R1 million on that show" ?" Reality TV star accuses e-TV of stealing his show idea, Smoke & Mirrors". www.zimoja.co.za. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Sicetsha, Andile (20 April 2023). "Smoke and Mirrors': Tebogo Ramokgadi guns for eTV lawsuit over show IP". Shwisher Post. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ Maako, Compiled by Keitumetse. "eMedia denies producer's allegations that new late-night drama is his brainchild". Life. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Selisho, Kaunda (2023-04-25). "Smoke and Mirrors: e.tv denies stealing reality star's show idea". The Citizen. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "Le Voile de L'illusion". myCANAL.
- ^ TEAM, GLM (2023-10-26). "Smoke & Mirrors Reaches 3 Million Viewers!". Gauteng Lifestyle Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Tshambuluka, Sinazo (2023-06-07). ""It's so good": SA and Phil wonder why e.tv isn't promoting 'Smoke and Mirrors'". Briefly. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "TV with Thinus: Little publicised Nikiwe and Smoke & Mirrors cost and lost e.tv over 1 million viewers in April in disappointing TV ratings debut". TV with Thinus. 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "TV with Thinus: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. e.tv's latest publicity failure for new local shows underscores South African television's growing PR disaster as global players (rightly) do the proper work and get the attention". TV with Thinus. 2023-04-19. Retrieved 2024-08-01.