Here’s why Lockdown has captured viewers’ hearts

Imagine watching a show for the first time and instantly falling in love with it. That’s exactly what happened when the first season of Lockdown aired. The popular prison drama series has received nothing but great reviews from viewers and critics. There’s no surprise there – a well-written script and a talented cast is a recipe for success. We’ve listed a few reasons why there’s so much hype around the show…

The cast

Image: Mzansi

Lockdown stars some of the country’s most talented and renowned actors including Pamela Nomvete, Thandeka Dawn King, Zola Nombona and Lorcia Cooper. According to Lorcia, the cast was chosen on talent and not on following.

The actress told 702 in an interview,“I feel like our industry is kind of leaning towards ‘get the followers so that, you know, the show gets out there. This cast, and big up to the director Mandla N who’s chosen [the cast] because the performers were good, it was based on skill. So, when we shot it we knew performance-wise we had fulfilled something that hasn’t been done in our country in a really long time.”

The storyline

Each character has a unique story to tell. The show tackles a wide variety of topics including corruption, bullying, sexual abuse and crime. These stories reflect the reality faced by those in South African prisons. All the actors deliver a stellar performance and always leave viewers asking for more. Now, that’s how you know you’re onto something!

The music

Everything about the show is great, even the music. Each episode takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster and the sad music in the background doesn’t make things any easier. You may even weep as it toys with your emotions. It is absolutely heart-wrenching. But that’s what makes a show great, right? Being able to evoke emotions from your viewers.

Add Mandla N to the mix

Mandla N is the brains behind the hit show. The actor, musician, director and producer has been in the entertainment industry for years and is always changing the game. When asked how Lockdown came about, he told Afternoon Express in an interview that while growing up, prison stories always fascinated him.

“Especially because it’s either your uncle is from prison or going into prison… And all these guys when they came back from prison they’d sit down and tell us the stories. They’d be like the celebrity because you’re looking up at them and going ‘wow, that’s amazing’. And I thought, you know we’ve seen the male side. How about we do the female version because they’re affected too, and they go to prison…”

That’s how the show was born.

Lockdown is a must-watch and is available to watch right now.