Drop the clutch and smash the throttle – Showmax’s Spinners smokes its way onto M-Net Channel 101 on 22 August at 22:00. Ethan (Arendsvlei’s Cantona James) is a 17-year-old driver working as a driver with local Lavender Hill gang boss Damien (Elton Landrew). But Ethan discovers a new stage for his driving skills when spinning crew mechanic Shane (Dillon Windvogel, Blood & Water) shows him what you can really do with a set of wheels. Ethan has to choose his future and his destiny, as he gets pulled deeper into both dangerous worlds when a gang war looms.
Spinners – filmed on location in Lavender Hill on the Cape Flats – is the first African series selected in competition at Canneseries; beat the Emmy-winning final season of Succession for Best Foreign TV Series at the 29th Shanghai TV Festival’s Magnolia Awards; won three awards at Dakar Series, including Best TV Series; received a standing ovation from its sold-out South African premiere at the Silwerskermfees and was the opening night screening at MIP Africa, generating rave reviews.
The third co-production between Showmax and CANAL+, Spinners’ cast also includes South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) winner Brendon Daniels (White Lies, Skemerdans, Five Fingers for Marseilles), while the legendary DJ Ready D acted as music supervisor and composed several tracks for the series. The concept of spinning is simple: send your car spinning in circles while still maintaining complete control – and then hop out and strike a pose while the car continues to encircle you in tyre smoke.
Rave reviews for Spinners include: “Fast & Furious meets Top Boy in Afro-European co-pro that is so much more than an extreme sports series” – Max Goldbart, Deadline: Global Breakout spotlight and “Gripping … Part gangster series, part coming-of-age sports drama.” – Christopher Vourlias, Variety.
The series has streamed in all 44 countries across Africa where Showmax is available; on CANAL+ in French Africa and France, where it charted at #6; Globo in Brazil and SBS in Australia, with more sales on the way via Studiocanal. In France, the reviews have been effusive. Le Journal Du Dimanche says, “If we put the film City of God, the Fast & Furious franchise, and the Gomorrah series in a shaker … the final cocktail could look like this production!”
A co-production between Showmax and CANAL+, Spinners is co-created by producer Joachim Landau and showrunner Benjamin Hoffman of Empreinte Digitale, with the story developed by and head written by SAFTA and Silwerskermfees winners Sean Steinberg and Matthew Jankes. SAFTA and Silwerskermfees winner Jaco Bouwer directs, while the English/Kaaps series is co-produced by Locarno, Amiens and FESPACO winner Ramadan Suleman from Natives at Large, Spinners’ local co-production company.
“Spinners takes viewers into a world that exists right under their noses, but they know little about,” says Waldimar Pelser, Channel Director: Premium Channels at MultiChoice Group. “The show’s glowing international reception is fully deserved and is a tribute to the quality of our local talent and crew, working in partnership with global experts from CANAL+.”
Spinners comes to DStv Premium on M-Net (Channel 101) and DStv Stream from 22 August at 22:00 and will also be available on DStv Catch Up and DStv Stream. Join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.