A new 'Laan' is coming to the SABC in the form of Systraat, the South African public broadcaster's first web series in the form of an Afrikaans animation show.
Systraat will be the the
SABC's first animated Afrikaans sitcom series, as well as the public
broadcaster's first show to roll out and be "broadcast" online first before its
been shown on linear television.
Systraat ("Sidestreet") is
produced by Stemmburg Television also responsible for the long-running Afrikaans
music competition show Noot vir Noot
and the more recent Musiek Roulette
on SABC2.
Systraat's first episode will
debut on 24 November at 21:00 online at YouTube on SABC3's YouTube channel.
Systraat's internet debut
follows the second season of Clifton
Shores, now retitled as The Shores,
also currently playing out with a new episode weekly on YouTube as the South
African TV industry starts to move more TV content to viewers through over-the-top
(OTT) players and platforms.
Systraat follows the comedic
exploits of the Afrikaans Kotze family and will have English subtitles.
"We're moving into a new digital age where
television becomes on demand, so we thought we want to make this two firsts –
the first South African animated sitcom but we also want to make it the first
South African on demand show from the SABC and put that on YouTube," creator
Carl Stemmet told the SABC.
"That's the perfect platform for it where
people can watch it at anytime, anywhere, where ever they are in the world.
We're reaching ex-pats who are sitting overseas as well who are hungry for
local content and miss local content as well, so in this way we're reaching a
much wider market."
According to Carl Stemmet Systraat's stories and humour will be very specific to South
Africa.
"The characters in the series are very identifiable as South Africans –
and the situations they deal with: things like the matric dance that everyone
has to go to, the braai competition that everyone wants to take part in, the
rugby team at university that the oldest son wants to be part of."
"The other themes of father son
relationships, squabbles at home, the love life at school and trying to get the
girl's attention and social awkwardness, all that kind of stuff is universal," says Carl Stemmet.
Systraat revolves around dad
Gys Kotze, an enthusiastic, yet somewhat dimwitted guy who sees himself as an
inventor. His wife and mom Esbe Kotze is the strict one and then they have two
sons. The older brother Werner is the jock and rugby player at university and
the younger brother Hein is the awkward, social outcast and studious child.
Similar to The Simpsons, South Park
and Family Guy the main characters
are surrounded by a collection of supporting characters ranging from the
principal and rugby coach to butchery owner, a doctor and various other ones
who pop up throughout the different webisodes.
