by Thinus Ferreira
kykNET is hoping to make a splash with a new Afrikaans telenovela, Diepe Waters, from October, set in and around the pool of a competitive swimming club where secrets and revenge inside and away from the water, abound.
The new Afrikaans telenovela that M-Net's Afrikaans kykNET division said it will launch this year is Diepe Waters, produced by Penguin Films in Cape Town, telling the story of the various people involved with a competitive swimming club.
Diepe Waters, with 208 episodes, splashing onto kykNET (DStv 144) in October, will have four stacked weekly episodes from Mondays to Thursdays at 18:00.
Penguin Films, also responsible for kykNET series like Arendsvlei, Afgrond and Projek Dina will mine the fictional Die Swartmarlyne swimming club for stories "filled with intrigue, secrets, illegal loves and above all a story with heart and depth", according to kykNET.
"Diepe Waters has been created by a world-class team who knows and tries to understand the kykNET viewers and the South Africa of today even better," says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director of kykNET channels.
"Our aim is to tell engrossing, authentic stories with which viewers can start their evening's viewing enjoyment."
kykNET and Penguin Films haven't announced the cast but is providing character descriptions.
Die Swartmarlyne swimming club is a family-owned business of Gys Swarts in which his sons, Rossouw and Jacques are also involved, and with his grandkids, teenager Karla and Johan who are included as swimming team members.
Karla is under pressure to be a swimming champion with her mom Sanet pressuring her to get an overseas swimming scholarship. Jacques is the sexy swimming coach while Zelda Joubert is the owner of the beauty salon Skinvestment and Pam is her daughter.
Lettie runs the coffee shop and Henry is the new caretaker of the club whose son, Tshepo is a threat to Johan's reputation.
Roberta Durrant, creative producer, says Diepe Waters is "unusual and about something else, yet a telenovela about love, secrets and intrigue, as well as revenge. We have an amazing cast and interesting setting and we hope viewers will resonate with it".
