22 January 2019
Back in business: Superstore S3, now streaming
The only job that comes close to watching TV for a living is working at the Cloud 9 mass-mart store in comedy series Superstore (2015-current, Seasons 1-3 are now on Showmax). You get paid to mess around with your mates all day and the work is minimal – even for the lowest of low staffers, you pack a couple of shelves, re-stock items, have two-hour meetings in the middle of the day, and then go home. Who wouldn’t want a job like that?
It’s all fun and games for the cast
Even rebuilding the store was pretty easy after a tornado ripped its roof off in the Season 2 finale. A couple of nail-guns here, a slick of paint there and presto! They’re back in business! But that’s a bit of an issue for assistant store manager Amy (America Ferrera), who’d rather not be at the Cloud 9 store after smooching her good-guy-colleague and crush Jonah (Ben Feldman) as the wind storm threatened to kill them.
“What? They thought they were about to die,” explains America. “Things got emotional and heated during the tornado. After the kiss – and because they survived – Amy walked away with her family and didn’t even think about what had just happened. It [the kiss] leaves her with questions: is it what she really wanted to do or did she kiss Jonah out of fear as she thought that she was going to die? Or worse, did she simply kiss him because he was standing in front of her?”
Superstore creator Justin Spitzer adds that “it’s definitely a giant step forward [for Amy and Jonah’s sexual tension]. You can’t argue with that. We spent so long slow-burning their relationship that we wanted to take a giant, reckless leap forward”.
If you think that you’ve seen it all on the show so far, think again
This third instalment is dealing with everything from skeletons in the wall to a baby surprise, and even one staffer who lies about being naughty in the store just to feel like part of the team.
And there’s a recurring theme for Amy and Jonah – they’re sticking together like a fly and that horrible sticky stuff on flypaper. They have had this on-off love-hate bond since Season 1 and it’s only going to get stronger, because offscreen America and Ben have been spending a lot of time together.
No, not like that – they’ve both directed episodes this season and shared tips on what to do, what to avoid and how to get the best of their directing opportunities (and just FYI, America can direct what she wants, when she wants because she’s one of the show producers).
“It was fun because it’s the second time that I’ve directed an episode. I leaned on the people around me that I trusted and could help me feel great about when I was in front of the camera, knowing that everything behind the camera was taken care of.”
It’s time to hit the store – binge-watch the whole of Season 3 on Showmax.
Original African stories by local talent
Big Girl Small World
Stream the new Kenyan romcom series Big Girl Small World from 8 May, with new episodes every week.
Empini S1
Stream the Showmax Original drama series Empini from 23 May 2024.
Original Sin: My Son The Killer
Original Sin: My Son The Killer follows the murder of Andrea Venter by Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren, who then went on the run from South Africa to Brazil.
Tracking Thabo Bester
From the makers of Devilsdorp and the director of Convict Conman comes the true-crime documentary South Africa has been waiting for. All the episodes are streaming on Showmax.
The Illuminated
The Showmax Original docuseries The Illuminated explores different religious movements in South Africa. Stream now, with new episodes every Wednesday.
Koek S1
The crime comedy Koek, starring Cindy Swanepoel, now streaming on Showmax, with new episodes every Thursday.
Ekhaya Backpackers S1
Stream the Showmax Original comedy series Ekhaya Backpackers. All the episodes are now streaming.
Cheta M
Cheta M explores the love story between Adanna and Nnanna, young lovers who battle the spiritual and political forces in their way. Stream now, with new episodes Wednesday to Friday.
The Real Housewives Of Lagos S2 Reunion, now streaming
ENO S2: New daughter, more chaos
The best of West Africa
Get up to date with all the drama on Flawsome S2
From shocking revelations to unexpected turns, the drama continues in season 2 of the Nigerian Showmax Original Flawsome, now streaming on Showmax.
Nigerian Idol S9 to stream on Showmax this April
Season 9 of the popular reality TV singing competition Nigerian Idol will be available to stream from 22 April on Showmax.
Must-watch AMVCA-nominated shows on Showmax
Stream AMVCA-nominated shows including Wura, The Real Housewives of Lagos S2 and more, now streaming on Showmax.
Showmax’s Freemen highlights the origin story of Nnewi’s most successful businessmen
The Showmax Original documentary Freemen highlights how Nnewi breeds successful businessmen like Dr Alex Chika Okafor and Dr Cosmas Maduka. All the episodes for Freemen are available to stream.