by Thinus Ferreira
The Tali's Diary series on Showmax is getting stiff competition with e.tv that has jumped into the local mockumentary genre with Daryn's Gym that will release on its eVOD service on 1 December, following a naive and hapless manager trying to save his gym from a ruthless competitor.
The hilarious Daryn's Gym filled with visual gags is another new eOriginal that will premiere on e.tv's eVOD video streaming service, following Daryn Miller Jnr (played by newcomer Clifford Joshua Young) who rallies the staff to try and save their Miller & Sons gym in Randburg before Christmas from Funeka (Hlubi Mboya) and her evil staff at her multi-national fitness centre.
The Daryn's Gym main cast also includes Ayanda Seoka as Zintle, Siv Ngesi as Jackson, Natasha Sutherland as Starla, Deon Coetzee as Paul, Carla Classen as Bianca, William Harding as Jacques and Mphumzi Nontshinga as Richard.
The eNCA (DStv 403) news anchor Shahan Ramkissoon also makes an appearance as himself.
Filmed by Nostalgia Productions, Daryn's Gym was written and directed by Brett Michael Innes who is also one of the producers, Dino Benedetti as the director of photography, and with Thabang Phetla, Helga Palmer and Marlon Davids at e.tv as executive producers.
Daryn's Gym was filmed in Johannesburg during the Covid-19 lockdown and uses a gym setting to deliver a naughty yet hilarious mockumentary feature, similar to series like Parks & Recreation, Modern Family, Arrested Development and kykNET's Hotel.
Daryn's Gym is released on eVOD on 1 December.
