Reyka (TV series)

Last updated

Reyka
Also known asThe Cane Field Killings
Created byRohan Dickson
Starring
Country of originSouth Africa
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Rohan Dickson
  • Serena Cullen
  • Harriet Gavshon
Producers
  • J.P. Potgieter
  • Schalk Willem Burger
Production companies
Release
Original network M-Net
Original release25 July 2021 (2021-07-25)

Reyka, released as The Cane Field Killings in some countries, is a South African crime thriller television series created and written by Rohan Dickson. It is an M-Net original production co-produced by Quizzical Pictures and Serena Cullen Productions for subscription television channel M-Net, released in July 2021. [1] [2] Reyka was also co-produced for international distribution by Fremantle. [3]

Contents

The series received eight nominations at the 2022 South African Film and Television Awards, winning four of them, including Best Actress in a TV Drama for Kim Engelbrecht. It also received two 2022 International Emmy Award nominations for Best Drama and Best Performance by an Actress.

Reyka was renewed for a second season by M-Net in November 2022. [4]

Overview

The series alternates between Reyka's past and present. In 1994, when apartheid was ending, an 12-year old Reyka was abducted by Angus Speelman, who sexually assaulted her for four years. Reyka managed to escape at age 16, with her abductor finally caught and sentenced to prison.

Now as an adult, Reyka (Kim Engelbrecht), is a criminal profiler investigating a string of brutal murders in Kwa-Zulu Natal by a serial killer. She deals with her traumatic childhood past, which somehow also helps her get into the minds of Africa's notorious criminals. [5]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Episode 1" Zee Ntuli Rohan Dickson25 July 2021 (2021-07-25)
2"Episode 2"UnknownUnknown1 August 2021 (2021-08-01)
3"Episode 3"UnknownUnknown8 August 2021 (2021-08-08)
4"Episode 4"UnknownUnknown15 August 2021 (2021-08-15)
5"Episode 5"UnknownUnknown22 August 2021 (2021-08-22)
6"Episode 6"UnknownUnknown29 August 2021 (2021-08-29)
7"Episode 7"UnknownUnknown5 September 2021 (2021-09-05)
8"Episode 8"UnknownUnknown12 September 2021 (2021-09-12)

Production

It was announced in 2018, that M-Net and Fremantle would work together in creating the series. It was set to start production in early-2019. [6] [7]

On 9 December 2020, Kim Engelbrecht posted pictures of behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram, expressing her excitement for working on the set alongside Iain Glen. [8]

In an interview with Independent Online, Managing director of Quizzical Pictures, Harriet Gavshon, says when she was approached by Rohan Dickson for the series, she was happy to share the production credits with Serena Cullen. She says “I read the outlines and loved it. Then we met the British producer, Serena Cullen, and we got on very well". [9]

On 15 December 2020, M-Net and Fremantle announced the lead cast for the series. [10]

Filming began on the taking place for 7 weeks, predominantly in the rural settlements of Stanger and Inanda, as well as in Johannesburg. [11]

Broadcast

The series premiered on 25 July 2021 on M-Net. The series had an international release via BritBox.

Reception

Critical response

The first episode of Reyka was shown at the 60th Monte-Carlo Television Festival and received rave reviews. [12]

South African reporter, Thinus Ferreira for News24, gave the series a rating of 3/5, comparing it to Prodigal Son and The Silence of the Lambs . [13] He says the script by Rohan Dickson may likely be inspired by South African serial killer Thozamile Taki, known as the Sugarcane Killer. Thozamile was convicted with 19 life sentences on 19 January 2011 for the murders of 13 young women, 10 of which were murdered in the sugarcane fields around Umzinto in 2007. He warns "some on-screen gruesomeness is par for the cause in a catch-the-killer crime drama. Reyka is possibly best watched with the lights on, and on bright, on a Sunday night". [14]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2022 South African Film and Television Awards Best TV DramaReykaNominated [15]
Best Actress in a TV DramaKim EngelbrechtWon
Best Actor in a TV DramaHamilton DlaminiNominated
Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV DramaRohan DicksonWon
Best Achievement in Directing – TV DramaCatharine Cooke, Zwelesizwe NtuliWon
Best Achievement in Editing – TV DramaMelanie Sara Golden, Matthew Dylan SwanepoelNominated
Best Achievement in Cinematography – TV DramaTom MaraisWon
Best Achievement in Make-up and Hairstyling – TV DramaTheola BooyensNominated
International Emmy Awards Best Drama Series ReykaNominated [16]
Best Actress Kim EngelbrechtNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Cattrall</span> British, Canadian, American actress (born 1956)

Kim Victoria Cattrall is a British and Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones on HBO's Sex and the City (1998–2004), for which she received five Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning the 2002 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the films Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010).

<i>Isidingo</i> South African TV soap opera (1998–2020)

Isidingo was a South African soap opera, with dialogue mostly in English and isiXhosa. The series premiered on SABC 3 in July 1998 and was broadcast evenings on SABC 3 from Monday to Friday at 19:00. Until 2001 it was titled Isidingo: The Need.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim So-yeon</span> South Korean actress

Kim So-yeon is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in a number of well-known television dramas, notably All About Eve (2000), Iris (2009), Prosecutor Princess (2010), Happy Home (2016), and The Penthouse: War in Life (2020–2021).

Kim Suzanne Engelbrecht is a South African actress. She is the recipient of two South African Film and Television Awards as well as a nomination for an International Emmy Award.

<i>Rhythm City</i> (TV series) South African musical drama series

Rhythm City was a South African musical drama series produced by Quizzical Pictures. It is an e.tv original production that premiered on the country's free-to-air television channel e.tv on 9 July 2007 to 16 July 2021 as a replacement for the now-defunct youth-targeted soap opera, Backstage, on weekdays at 19:00. The story revolves around the trials and tribulations of those who are trying to break into the music industry. The series also airs on e.tv Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Sae-ron</span> South Korean actress

Kim Sae-ron is a South Korean actress. She began her career when she was nine years old and became a popular child star through the films A Brand New Life (2009) and The Man From Nowhere (2010). As Kim reached her teenage years, she was cast in more leading roles, notably in the film A Girl at My Door (2014). She has also starred in television drama series, including Listen to My Heart (2011), The Queen's Classroom (2013) and Hi! School-Love On (2014). Her first adult lead role was in the television drama Secret Healer (2016).

MasterChef South Africa is the South African version of the television cooking game show franchise MasterChef. It was originally filmed on the Nederburg Wine Estate in Paarl, Western Cape and judged by Pete Goffe-Wood, Benny Masekwameng, Reuben Riffel and Andrew Atkinson, up to the third season. The series' first run was from March 2012 – May 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thando Thabethe</span> South African actress and radio personality

Thando Thabethe is a South African actress, and Radio DJ who was the presenter for the television show Thando Bares All on channel TLC and current drive time host on 947. She is Nivea's first brand ambassador in Africa. In 2019, Thando was named one of Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30. She is also the host of 947 Drive With Thando.

Acorn TV is an American subscription video streaming service offering television programming from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, other Commonwealth countries, Ireland, Spain, and Mexico. In other countries, it is available on a variety of devices including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, and Roku.

eExtra South African digital satellite television channel

eExtra is a South African digital satellite television channel owned by eMedia Holdings, offering a variety of lifestyle, dramas, telenovelas, court shows, sitcoms and movies.

<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.

Devilsdorp is a South African four-part true crime documentary television series directed by David Enright and narrated by Jana Marx. It depicts and analyses the 11 killings in Krugersdorp, West Rand by the group Electus per Deus between 2012 and 2016, dubbed the Appointment Murders and the Satanic Murders. It was released on Showmax on 29 July 2021.

<i>The Girl from St. Agnes</i> South African TV series or program

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.

Kim Cloete is a South African actress, television presenter, singer, dancer, MC and businesswoman. She is best known for the roles in the television serials Binnelanders, Isidingo, and Wild at Heart.

<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.

The fourth season of MasterChef South Africa was announced on 17 August 2021 and began airing on 28 February 2022 on M-Net after a seven-year hiatus.

Quizzical Pictures, formerly known as Curious Pictures until 2012, is a South African film and television production company based in the Johannesburg area.

Desert Rose is a South African crime thriller television series developed by Quizzical Pictures. Distributed by MultiChoice, the series premiered on M-Net on 2 June 2022.

Greteli de Swardt is a South African actress, photographer, and artist. She is known for her roles in the kykNET series Alles Malan (2019–) and the Netflix series Blood & Water (2020–).

Lioness is a South African crime drama television series created by Ilse van Hemert and developed by Ochre Moving Pictures. It premiered on 28 January 2021 on M-Net.

References

  1. ↑ "Get ready for the premiere of Reyka – DStv". www.dstv.co.za. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Introducing, Reyka | Fremantle". fremantle.com. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Vourlias, Christopher (30 November 2022). "South African Crime Drama 'Reyka' Renewed for Season 2 By Fremantle, M-Net (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Whittock, Jesse (30 November 2022). "M-Net Greenlights Season Two Of Fremantle Mystery Thriller 'Reyka'; David Thewlis, Thomas Brodie-Sangster Cast In Disney+'s 'The Artful Dodger' — Global Briefs". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  5. ↑ https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/tv-plus-south-africa/20210729/282076279894601 . Retrieved 31 August 2021– via PressReader.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ "Fremantle to develop South African drama with Multichoice". TBI Vision. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "M-Net teams with Fremantle for crime thriller Reyka | Programming | News | Rapid TV News". www.rapidtvnews.com. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Kim Engelbrecht reveals projected premiere date of Reyka". JustNje. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "'Reyka' producer Harriet Gavshon unpacks the other side of showbiz". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  10. ↑ "M-Net and Fremantle announce lead cast for South African drama Reyka as production begins". QUIZZICAL PICTURES. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "5 things you need to know about M-NET'S African Crime Drama "Reyka"". www.glamour.co.za. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "New SA Crime Drama Reyka Featuring Game of Thrones Star Receives Rave International Reviews". SAPeople - Worldwide South African News. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  13. ↑ Ferreira, Thinus. "Reyka". Channel. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  14. ↑ "TV with Thinus: TV REVIEW. Put the light on bright for M-Net's shaky Reyka local crime drama series". TV with Thinus. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  15. ↑ Ferreira, Thinus (14 July 2022). "From The Wife to Tali's Baby Diary - All the 2022 Saftas nominations". Channel24. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  16. ↑ Yossman, K.J. (29 September 2022). "International Emmys 2022: The Complete Nominations List". Variety . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.