9 January 2018
The Handmaid’s Tale: Coming soon to Showmax
The award-winning, 10-episode screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale is launching on Showmax on Thursday, 1 February 2018. Having recently won the Golden Globe for Best Television Drama, this gripping series continues to attract critical acclaim.
Lead actress Elisabeth Moss, who also won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Actress, is outstanding in her role as a handmaid, a women enslaved in a fundamentalist society. Once, June had a husband, a daughter, a job, a life. Now she’s Offred, enslaved as a walking womb in a country where the only thing rarer than pregnancy is escape.
Moss quoted Atwood’s novel during her acceptance speech, highlighting the relevance of this story in relation to the sexual misconduct revelations that shook Hollywood in 2017.
“We were the people who were not in the papers,” Moss read, “We lived in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.”
“Margaret Atwood, this is for you, and all of the women who came before you and after you who were brave enough to speak out against intolerance and injustice and to fight for equality and freedom in this world,” Moss said. “We no longer live in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. We no longer live in the gaps between the stories. We are the story in print, and we are writing the story ourselves.”
Elisabeth Moss gives a shoutout to the #HandmaidsTale author, upon accepting: "Margaret Atwood this is for you" #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/i4jX5vrdvw
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 8, 2018
Watch the trailer
What the critics say
https://people.com/movies/golden-globes-2018-handmaids-tale-best-television-series-drama/
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/dec/19/the-handmaids-tale-50-best-tv-shows-of-2017-no-1
https://time.com/4732788/handmaids-tale-review/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/arts/television/review-the-handmaids-tale-creates-a-chilling-mans-world.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/04/the-visceral-woman-centric-horror-of-the-handmaids-tale/523683/
Looking for more award-winning series? Read these:
Original African stories by local talent
Unfollowed S1-2
Unfollowed examines cancel culture in social media through real-life stories of South African celebs. Stream S2 now, with new episodes weekly.
The Hot Seat S1
The Hot Seat promises bold banter as some of Kenya’s biggest celebrities face the heat. Stream now, with new episodes weekly.
Nairobi Bachelor S1
Nairobi Bachelor follows the journey of young bachelors and singletons on a quest to find their perfect match. Stream now, with new episodes every Friday.
Spooksoeker S1
When Warno Alberts turns 15, he suddenly becomes aware of ghosts in his dorpie – and it’s now his job to banish them. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
4Play
4Play follows four men who, despite their chaotic personal lives, find friendship, love and perseverance in Nairobi’s concrete jungle. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
Die Tollie & Manila Show
A bold talk show where SA celebs join drag queens Tollie Parton and Manila von Teez for an evening of conversation and games… in drag. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday.
The Station Strangler
The Station Strangler is a true-crime documentary investigating the serial killer who is believed to have killed 21 young boys and one adult from the late 80s to the mid-90s on the Cape Flats. Now available to stream.
Black & Blue S1
Black & Blue, a Showmax Original police-based mockumentary series, now streaming, with new episode every Wednesday.
Youngins S2, now on Showmax
Soft Life, now streaming on Showmax
More Mzansi gold
Outopsie S1-3
Senior forensic pathologist Dr Hestelle van Staden reveals what really happens behind closed doors in captivating cases where forensic pathology played a central role.
Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener (2024)
This one-off special explores three dramatic cases that left South Africa stunned: Daisy de Melker, the so-called Sea Cottage incident, and the Krugersdorp bank robbery.
Zarelda de Bruin on her breakout debut role in Spooksoeker
The 17-year-old Zarelda de Bruin plays Melissa in the Showmax Original Spooksoeker, now available to stream. Catch new episodes every Thursday.
9 reasons that 2024 was the best year yet for local TV
Stream the best local content on Showmax in 2024, featuring iEmmy winners, record-breaking documentaries, SAFTA winners, and globally acclaimed hits.