M-Net’s upcoming drama, “Summertide” aims to get the whole family on the couch to enjoy a heart-warming story.
Set in False Bay, “Summertide” follows the lives of the Field family, who have just experienced the death of a loved one. To heal from the grief, they decide on a fresh start.
The series tackles themes of grief, the transformative power of love, community, conservation and growth.
Produced by the award-winning duo Corné and René van Rooyen from Red Letter Day Pictures, the show will premiere on January 28 on M-Net.
“We’ve crafted a compelling narrative using a large ensemble and a multi-generational cast, delving into the authentic dynamics of a South African family.
“Each episode extends an invitation to viewers to connect with a specific branch of the Field family tree,” René said.
She hoped the show would bring everyone in the household together on one couch to enjoy a “beautiful, commercial, heart-warming story.”
"We loved the idea of doing this story, especially after this time that we have come through (Covid) where we have been so disconnected from each other.
“The setting was also important to us, and we just adore the area that we’re shooting at. It’s all around False Bay coast. It’s such a unique environment, very contemporary, it’s got a very unique character and identity to it.
“We just thought that the idea of the ocean, it creates an interconnectedness between all the characters and they all, in some way, connect to this ocean and each other, and how that helps their relationships and growth as well.”
She continued: “These days there is so much choice on TV. I don’t watch TV anymore because I can’t choose between the different options, so this show is saying, ‘sit back and just enjoy the end of your weekend’.
“I used to love Sunday evenings, that kind of predictability, something you could watch with your family, so the big thing for us was recreating that.”
Speaking more about the story, Corné said: “It’s about a father who returns home to the place where he grew up, with his two kids, after the death of his wife.
“He decides to start a marine trust in honour of his wife, to protect and save the coastal region of False Bay.
“It’s about healing and how a family deals with grief and how they come together to help each other heal, and the ocean provides healing.
“The theme we are dealing with is parenthood, especially fatherhood. What is a modern father these days, and what it means.
“Then we have retirement, because our older couple have retired, so we look at how to find each other again after so many years.
“Then we have the brother who is dealing with love, marriage, figuring himself out, quarter life crisis, but mostly about him trying to find a partner that he wants to settle down with.
“We also look at teenage issues, how these two kids deal without a mom, their father trying to be the mom and dad, but at the end of the day it’s about them finding themselves.
“The normal coming-of-age stories. All this takes place against the setting on the ocean,” Corné said.
Using the ocean as a backdrop for the story was a big part of their vision.
“In a lot of ways we might have even started with the ocean in mind before the actual story. We felt that this was an area an English family could live in, but the ocean was so integrated into why we wanted to tell the story,” he said.
Bringing the story to life is “Lioness” actor Frank Rautenbach, who plays “Summertide’s” lead protagonist, Martin. He is joined by Amalia Uys, Monique Rockman, Tyrone Keogh, Jan Combrink, Evangelina Hallock and veteran actors, Terry Norton and Andre Jacobs.
“We have a stellar cast. For us it was very important for this cast to be relatable to the audience. The audience need to feel the warmth of them. We also wanted them to appeal to family life.
“It is interesting because we have cast from 10 years old to 70. Every scene has a generational gap in it. So that was exciting for me,” Corné said.
On why viewers should watch the series, the pair agreed that the show is fresh, exciting, interesting and because of its setting, very unique.
∎ “Summertide” airs on Sundays on M-Net (DStv channel 101) from January 28 at 6pm.