Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

New Showmax Original breaks all-time viewing record

04/02/2019

4 February, 2019 - 06:04

The Girl From St Agnes, the first Showmax Original drama, broke an important record on its debut on the service yesterday. The number of unique viewers in the first 24 hours exceeded that of the previous record-holder, the Showmax Original comedy series Talis Wedding Diary. In addition, the number of views was more than double that of the most popular Hollywood series on its debut.

Were over the moon, says Candice Fangueiro, Head of Content for the Connected Video division of MultiChoice, which houses Showmax. This shows without a shadow of a doubt that local content is a major differentiator, and it also shows that African productions can not only hold their own against the best in the world but they can actually come out on top.

In The Girl From St Agnes, a popular student is found dead at a prestigious all-girls boarding school in the Midlands. The police are quick to declare the death of Lexi Summerveld (newcomer Jane de Wet) a tragic accident, but drama teacher Kate Ballard (Paris Fashion Week and Vogue model Nina Milner, who also starred in Troy: Fall Of A City) doesnt believe it. The more she investigates, the more Kate realises that she didnt really know Lexi or the school at all. Behind the imposing walls of St Agnes, Lexis killer wont be the only person exposed...

Showmax has a strong catalogue of Hollywood and UK series and movies, including exclusive hit shows from major studios that arent available anywhere else. These first and only shows are a key part of the appeal of the service and drive major viewing volumes. Local content - including favourites from Mzansi Magic and kykNET- is the second pillar of Showmaxs service and what sets it apart from others. Showmax Originals are set to become the third pillar of the service, with two successful Originals already released and more in the pipeline for later this year.

Going into more detail on viewing patterns for The Girl from St Agnes, Fangueiro said. Wed, of course, hoped that The Girl from St Agnes would get loads of views, but what we didnt expect was how many people have already watched the entire series. Thats eight one-hour episodes in less than 24 hours - a serious testament to how binge-worthy the show is.

The Girl From St Agnes stars Milner, de Wet, Tyrone Keogh (24 Hours To Live) in his first local role since being named SAs sexiest actor during his time on The Wild; Serenity and District 9 actor Robert Hobbs; and Monte Carlo Best Actor finalist Graham Hopkins (The Lab). Theyre supported by internationally recognised South African talent like Tessa Jubber (Wallander), former Olympic swimmer Karl Thaning (Dredd), and Shamilla Miller (Troy: Fall Of A City); hot new talent like Jane de Wet, Paige Bonnin and 2018 Fleur Du Cap Best Student nominee Tristan de Beer; and local favourites like Strictly Come Dancing winner Zakeeya Patel (Isidingo), Makgotso M (IsThunzi), Celeste Khumalo (The Queen), and Jocelyn Broderick (Getroud Met Rugby: Die Sepie).

2018 SAFTA winner Catharine Cooke and 2017 SAFTA nominee Cindy Lee co-direct, with the multi-award-winning Quizzical Pictures producing.

Binge The Girl From St Agnes first and only to Showmax at https://www.showmax.com/eng/tvseries/fu974m61-the-girl-from-st-agnes. The series is also being distributed internationally by Red Arrow Studios International (Death and Nightingales, Bosch).

For more information, visit https://www.showmax.com/eng/girlfromstagnes or https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfromstagnes/. Join the conversation on social media using #TheGirlFromStAgnes

Get More Film Business South Africa

Select your Membership

What South Africa is saying:

The kind of story that makes viewers want to click continue watching at 3 a.m. and talk about it at work the next day. Quartz

The Girl From St Agnes has its hooks in us and we want more... Htxt

Who knew the Midlands, with its lush green pastoral backdrops, could have this much killer intrigue? Critical Hit

We were captivated from beginning to end... Like nothing youve seen on SA TV before. Popcorn and Sugar

Definitely the first of its kind for South Africa... I was immediately taken back to my alma mater, eerily so... Mail and Guardian

Highly addictive... the production standards are incredibly high and on par with (or, dare we say, better than some) international series.... a gripping eight-part murder mystery thats thrilling, horrifying and will have you talking to your TV like its real life. All4Women

The story keeps you at the edge of your seat... Unlike anything you have seen on South African television... A truly binge-able experience... The South African

Brilliant, bracing and completely binge-worthy! This may be one of the best productions South African has ever seen. Brent Lindeque from Good Things Guy on Twitter

Embedded video for New Showmax Original breaks all-time viewing record

Television

Africa South Africa
LINK: http://www.filmcontact.com/news/south-africa/new-showmax-original-brea...
See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines

17/02/2025

How BBC Wales returned live to 1985

TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night By Jenny Priestley Published: February 14, 2025 ...

17/02/2025

Film studio tax relief programme gets underway in England

Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 17, 20...

17/02/2025

Empowering progress from within

As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...

17/02/2025

EIB Global Lends 125 Million To Finance SES's Medium Earth Orbit Satellites

EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...

15/02/2025

Nielsen's Business Resource Groups celebrate inclusion with BRinG It! Campaign

At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...

15/02/2025

Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom

Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom Rob Christensen February 15, 2025 0 Comments Whether you want to remove distracting ...

15/02/2025

Wisycom Expands Into Argentina and Uruguay With EQUAPHON

Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...

15/02/2025

DPA Microphones Adds to Sales and Marketing Teams

DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...

15/02/2025

Tuxera brings media-optimized SMB technology to NAB Show...

Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...

15/02/2025

Bitmovin Report Ad Insertion Tops Streaming Challenges a...

Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...

15/02/2025

Oberc Lights Michelin-Star Hotel Guide Promo with DoPchoi...

When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...

15/02/2025

Formula E Supercharges Fan Experience with AI-Driven High...

Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...

15/02/2025

Agile Content is Now AgileTV

Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV. The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...

15/02/2025

Hiltron to Promote Latest-Generation Satellite Communicat...

Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...

15/02/2025

DoPchoice Debuts Airglow Float - Inflatable Round Topligh...

Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...

15/02/2025

Marshall to Debut RCP Plus Controller at 2025 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...

15/02/2025

Gray Media Names Blake Sebo GM of Stations in Anchorage, Alaska

ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....

15/02/2025

DPA Microphones To Introduce CORE+ Technology at NAB Show

KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....

15/02/2025

QuickLink To Unveil StudioPro-NDI, StudioPro-3 at 2025 NAB Show

SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...

15/02/2025

Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In For Final Production

Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...

15/02/2025

NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season

NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...

14/02/2025

Spotify's Partner Program Helps Creators Increase Revenue and Consumption of Video Podcasts

Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...

14/02/2025

Four Ways L3Harris Targeting and Sensor Systems are Defining the Future of Land Missions

The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...

14/02/2025

ISE 2025: 5 Reasons to Join Calrec at ISE

Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025 Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...

14/02/2025

World Radio Day: On the same wavelength

World Radio Day: On the same wavelength By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...

14/02/2025

Tegna Inks Deal for Dallas Wings Broadcasts

DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...

14/02/2025

Prime Video Makes Significant Upgrades to Its Apple TV App

Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...

14/02/2025

Telos Alliance To Showcase Quasar V3.2 AoIP Software at NAB Show

CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...

14/02/2025

Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puget Bench for Creators

Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...

14/02/2025

Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow

Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow Brie Clayton February 14, 2025 0 Comments 80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...

14/02/2025

Paramount, Youtube TV Avoid Channel Blackout, Will Continue Negotiations

A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...

14/02/2025

Stop-motion triumph

Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail By C...

14/02/2025

BitFire appoints Jim Akimchuk as CEO

BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration By Jen...

14/02/2025

Arena TV liquidators dismiss banks' defence as unsustainable'

The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021 By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 14, ...

14/02/2025

YouTube TV Likely To Drop Paramount Channels Today

A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...

14/02/2025

LG Opens Its First Virtual Production Studio

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...

14/02/2025

CIMM, TVB Release Local TV and Video Innovation Showcase

NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...

14/02/2025

U.S. Senators Blast Weaponization of FCC' Against Broadcasters

WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...

14/02/2025

The Apple TV App Comes to Android

Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....

14/02/2025

Red Adds Nikon Z Mount To V-RAPTOR [X], KOMODO-X Camera Systems

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...

14/02/2025

Fox Sports Revs Up for Daytona 500 With New NASCAR Deal, Some New Tech

DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...

14/02/2025

Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn

Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...

14/02/2025

2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR Season

2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...

14/02/2025

VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2.6 Million for Demining in Ukraine

14 Feb 2025 VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....

14/02/2025

Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season

Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season Max Warner Bros. Television Group The Pitt New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...

14/02/2025

110 Years of Love in Every Frame: A Technicolor Celebration of Romance

This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...

14/02/2025

NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court

NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...

14/02/2025

LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access Features in Year 4

LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...