The Girl from St. Agnes

Last updated
The Girl from St. Agnes
The girl from st agnes title card.png
Written byGillian Breslin
Directed by
  • Catharine Cooke
  • Cindy Lee
ComposerBrendan Jury
Country of originSouth Africa
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Niclas Ekdahl
  • Candice Fangueiro
  • Shaamila Fataar
Producers
  • Harriet Gavshon
  • JP Potgieter
  • Nimrod Geva
Production company Quizzical Pictures
Original release
Network Showmax
Release31 January (2019-01-31) 
21 March 2019 (2019-03-21)

The Girl from St. Agnes is a South African mystery drama television limited series developed by a creative team of women from Quizzical Pictures. It premiered on 31 January 2019 as Showmax's first original drama series. [1]

Contents

Premise

The sudden death of a popular student at a prestigious all-girls boarding school in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal is quickly ruled a tragic accident. Her teacher, however, has reason to believe otherwise and sets off to find the truth. [2] [3]

Cast

Main

Supporting

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Before the Devil Fell"Catharine CookeUnknown31 January 2019 (2019-01-31)
2"An Everlasting Funeral"Catharine CookeSean Steinberg7 February 2019 (2019-02-07)
3"My Own Sins"Catharine CookeZoë Laband14 February 2019 (2019-02-14)
4"Immaculate Proof"Cindy LeeZoë Laband21 February 2019 (2019-02-21)
5"The Proper Morning"Cindy LeeZoë Laband28 February 2019 (2019-02-28)
6"The Devil's Agents"Cindy LeeSean Steinberg7 March 2019 (2019-03-07)
7"Loose Spirits"Catharine CookeUnknown14 March 2019 (2019-03-14)
8"Vengeance is Loose"Catharine CookeUnknown21 March 2019 (2019-03-21)

Production

Development

Gillian Breslin served as head writer, whilst Catharine Cooke and Cindy Lee co-directed the series. Producer Harriet Gavshon drew upon her own real-life experiences at boarding school for inspiration. Moonyeenn Lee was in charge of casting. [4]

Filming

Principal photography took place on location in Ixopo and Johannesburg, wrapping in November 2018. [5] Multiple locations were used to make up the fictional school, including King's Grant Country Retreat. [6]

Release

A teaser was released on 9 January 2019 followed by a full trailer on 15 January. The 8-episode drama launched on Showmax on 31 January. [7] It was showcased at the 2019 MIPTV in Cannes. [8]

Reception

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
2020 South African Film and Television Awards Best Script – TV DramaGillian Breslin, Zoë Laband, Sean SteinbergNominated
Best Original Music – TV DramaBrendan JuryNominated
Best Actor – TV DramaRobert HobbsNominated [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodie Whittaker</span> English actress (born 1982)

Jodie Auckland Whittaker is an English actress, best known for her roles in television as the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who (2017–2022) and Beth Latimer in Broadchurch (2013–2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Hope</span> English actress

Charlotte Hope is an English actress. She first achieved recognition for her recurring role as Myranda in the third through fifth seasons of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2013–2016). Hope gained further prominence in the lead role of Catherine of Aragon on the Starz historical drama series The Spanish Princess (2019–2020). In 2020, she appeared as a series regular on the second season of the ITV thriller Bancroft and the Netflix biographical drama The English Game. Hope headlined the Showmax true crime series Catch Me a Killer as forensic psychologist Micki Pistorius in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showmax</span> Video on demand and streaming service

Showmax is an online subscription video on demand (SVOD) service that launched in South Africa on 19 August 2015. Its majority owner is MultiChoice, which owns 70% of the Showmax group, while NBCUniversal owns 30% in all territories except Nigeria, where NBCUniversal holds an indirect 23.7% stake in the local subsidiary. In 2023, Showmax announced a partnership with Comcast's NBCUniversal and Sky. The new Showmax launched in February 2024, with a brand-new app and streaming platform, as well as an unprecedented content slate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Ooja</span> Nigerian actress (born 1991)

Sharon Ooja Egwurube is a Nigerian actress. She came into the limelight after she played the role of "Shalewa" in the web series Skinny Girl in Transit.

<i>eHostela</i> South African television series

eHostela is a television drama series in South Africa. The series was renewed for season 3 but leading actor Thobani Nzuza did not return but instead added Siyabonga Thwala ,Tony Kgoroge and Gcina Nkosi as new lead actor for the new season. The show did not receive positive rating for its 3rd season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Ngwenya</span> South African politician

Gwen Sinethemba Amanda Ngwenya, is a South African academic, politician and Head of Policy for the opposition Democratic Alliance. As a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance in the Fifth Parliament, she served on the Standing Committee on Finance. She has also served as COO of the South African Institute of Race Relations, Africa's largest classically liberal think tank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jahmil X.T. Qubeka</span> South African film director (born 1979)

Xolani Thandikaya Qubeka, professionally known as Jahmil X.T Qubeka, is a South African film director, screenwriter, and producer.

<i>Blood & Water</i> (South African TV series) South African television series

Blood & Water is a South African teen crime drama television series developed by Gambit Films for Netflix starring Ama Qamata, Khosi Ngema and Gail Mabalane. Set in Cape Town, the series follows a girl who transfers to an elite school when she suspects one of the students may be her sister, who was abducted as a baby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zakeeya Patel</span> South African actress

Zakeeya Patel, is a South African actress and presenter. She is best known for her roles in the series Isidingo, 7de Laan and High Rollers.

Lea Vivier is a South African actress, best known for her leading role in the Showmax original series Dam (2021) and her appearances in the films The Day We Didn't Meet (2021) and Wonderlus (2017).

<i>The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip</i> American reality television series

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, abbreviated as RHUGT, is an American reality television series that premiered on Peacock on November 16, 2021. The series follows several women from The Real Housewives franchise as they vacation together.

Arendsvlei is a South African soap opera. Featuring an almost all-Coloured cast, it premiered on 1 October 2018 as kykNET & Kie's first telenovela. It was originally intended to be a limited series spanning one year, its first season picking up two SAFTAs. Due to popular demand, Arendsvlei was renewed for a second season in August 2019 and a third in August 2020.

Jane de Wet is a South African actress and dancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamilla Miller</span> South African actress and presenter

Shamilla Miller is a South African actress, television presenter and model. She is best known for her roles in Amaza, Forced Love, Tali's Baby Diary, Troy: Fall of a City, and The Girl from St. Agnes.

Makgotso Monyemorathoe is a South African actress. Her television work includes the Mzansi Magic drama Is'Thunzi (2016–2017) and the Showmax miniseries The Girl from St. Agnes (2019). She appeared in the historical epic film The Woman King (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siv Ngesi</span> South African actor

Sivuyile Ngesi is a South African actor, comedian, presenter, and producer.

Nicole Fortuin is a South African actress, dancer, and theatre maker. Her films include Flatland (2019), Indemnity (2021), and Late Bloomer (2022). On television, she is known for her roles in Roer Jou Voete (2015–2016) and Alles Malan (2019–2022).

Natasha Loring is a South African actress. She first gained prominence through her roles in the films The Dinosaur Project (2012) and Zulu (2013), and the E4 comedy-drama Beaver Falls (2011–2012). She won a SAFTA for her performance in the Showmax thriller Dam (2021–).

Dam, also stylised as DAM, is a South African psychological thriller television series created, written and directed by Alex Yazbek and developed by Picture Tree. The 8-episode first season premiered on 22 February 2021 on Showmax.

References

  1. Chutel, Lynsey. "An original teen drama shows streaming service Showmax is ready to grow up". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  2. Kahla, Cheryl (4 February 2020). "The Girl From St Agnes: Hard to watch but impossible to stop". The South African.
  3. Senne, Busang (3 December 2020). "LONG READ: The Girl From St. Agnes exposes the dark underbelly of SA private school". Tagged!. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  4. "The Girl From St Agnes". Stage and Screen. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. "Filming wraps on Showmax's first original drama, 'The Girl From St Agnes' | IOL Entertainment". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  6. van der Plank, Stephanie (28 March 2019). "Interviews With The Cast Of The Girl from St Agnes". Woman & Home. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  7. "Intriguing new teaser for Showmax's The Girl from St Agnes". The Plum List. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  8. Vourlias, Christopher (8 April 2019). "'Shadow,' 'The Girl From St. Agnes' Take South African TV Worldwide". Variety. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  9. "Here are the 2020 SAFTAs nominees". Yo Mzansi. Retrieved 12 October 2021.