African Couch Potato

S3 Ep36 Wesley West on Film Composition and Music Production

There are many people who play an integral part of any TV or film production, yet are often not noticed when it comes to fame and fortune. It is part of our mission at ACP to turn the spotlight on these people. On an ever-growing list of guests that are also SAFTA nominees comes someone who's role is often overlooked but you would think something was very wrong if his contribution wasn't there. Meet film composer Wesley West.This week Gino connected with Cape Town–based composer, musician, and producer, Wesley, via Zoom, to talk about his musical beginnings, as a student and then a teacher, as well as his work, featuring over 25 movies among many other productions, notably his SAFTA nominated Reënboogrant. Inspired by Louise van Niekerk’s bestselling 90s novels, Reënboogrant is a Pretoria-based teen telenovela centred on the Brink family. It is an exhilarating rollercoaster ride through the world of authentic teenage drama, family conflicts, love, aspirations, and fierce rivalries. Catch all the highs and lows at Hoërskool Reënboogrant, now streaming on Showmax.Wesley is also very busy planning his wedding and we wish him all the best. Yes? No? Send us a textLet us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:instagram.com/africancouchpotatotwitter.com/africancouchpotgino.arlechino@gmail.com WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato Gino Shelile’s profile • LetterboxdMember of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting ted@aten.co.za Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay© SANTE MEDIA 2026

S3 Ep35 News, Views and Reviews

March already! It'll soon be Christmas at this rate.Welcome to episode 35 of season 3 of African Couch Potato. This week we say Goodbye, Hello and Congratulations.We say Goodbye to Eric Dane. Best known for his roles on Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, the American actor died less than a year after revealing he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a form of motor neuron disease. He was 53.Dane starred as family patriarch Cal Jacobs in the hit teen drama Euphoria. Before that, he was perhaps best known as Dr Mark Sloan, or "Dr McSteamy", in Grey's Anatomy.We say Hello to several series which are coming to Mzansi Magic, notably Youngins and Law, Love and Betrayal plus an extension to the popular Inimba.We say Congratulations to the freshly-announced SAFTA nominees, many of whom have been in the hotseat as guests of ACP.Gino also runs through a list of what to watch as we swing into March, including:Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight - depicts 8-year-old Bobo's life on her family's Rhodesian farm during the Bush War's final stages. Pamela, A Love Story - Follows the life of pop culture icon Pamela Anderson, including never-before-seen archival footage and personal journals.Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model  - a documentary look at how the glamorous competition became a pop-culture phenomenon marked by explosive drama, meltdowns, and controversies.In The Moment - follows London comedian Mo Gilligan as he dishes on fame, family and being British in America.Being Gordon Ramsay - follows the celebrity chef's journey to launch dining concepts at 22 Bishopsgate, London's second tallest building..Taylor Tomlinson: Prodigal Daughter - her fourth Netflix special, following Quarter-Life Crisis (2020), Look At You (2022), and Have It All (2024).March on!Yes? No? Send us a textLet us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:instagram.com/africancouchpotatotwitter.com/africancouchpotgino.arlechino@gmail.com WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato Gino Shelile’s profile • LetterboxdMember of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting ted@aten.co.za Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay© SANTE MEDIA 2026

S3 Ep34 Tim Apter and Elle Oosthuizen on "Helderberg"

On November 28, 1987, South African Airways Flight 295, a Boeing 747-200 named Helderberg, was en route from Taiwan, to Johannesburg with a scheduled stop in Mauritius. Shortly after midnight, the aircraft reported smoke in the cockpit to Mauritian air traffic control. Communication was lost shortly thereafter, and the plane crashed into the Indian Ocean, killing all 159 passengers and crew on board. Helderberg is a locally produced 3-part documentary, and this week on ACP, Gino had the chance to chat to producer Elle Oosthuizen and director Tim Apter about how the series happened and just what goes into pulling together a story from almost 40 years ago. Over the years many documents and transcripts have been lost, people involved at the time have passed on, and the failure to reach a definite conclusion in the original investigation has led to all sorts of theories and speculations as to what actually happened.The Helderberg disaster remains a significant event in South African aviation history, marked by tragedy and ongoing questions about its causes and implications. Catch all three parts of Helderberg currently streaming on Showmax.Yes? No? Send us a textLet us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:instagram.com/africancouchpotatotwitter.com/africancouchpotgino.arlechino@gmail.com WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato Gino Shelile’s profile • LetterboxdMember of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting ted@aten.co.za Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay© SANTE MEDIA 2026

S3 Ep33 Rian van Heerden on “Brakpan Chronicles”

In Brakpan if they invite you for a fight, a braai will break out. Even people from Brakpan make fun of Brakpan!  The two-part documentary series Brakpan Chronicles is due out on Showmax this Friday and in this episode Gino gets to share a brandewyn with South African radio and television personality Rian van Heerden, the man who is lifting the lid on this much-maligned, memed and mocked one-time mining town on the East Rand. Rian chats to Gino about his, often controversial, career from his early days, to his many years of hosting intriguing conversations as a radio DJ and his move into the world of television, where he has helmed such notable successes as Sex in Afrikaans, Die Real Housewives van Pretoria and Tiek Tok Boem. Brakpan Chronicles starts streaming on Showmax, this Friday(Closest cities to Brakpan town centre? Liquor City and Baby City)Yes? No? Send us a textLet us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:instagram.com/africancouchpotatotwitter.com/africancouchpotgino.arlechino@gmail.com WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato Gino Shelile’s profile • LetterboxdMember of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting ted@aten.co.za Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay© SANTE MEDIA 2026

S3 Ep32 Aluve Mjali on a Budding Career

Into the second month of the year and the next date on the horizon is this weekend's Valentine's Day. Two years ago saw the Valentine movie Forever Yena hit our screens. Patience, we'll get there! Playing the role of Kwanda was a young and upcoming actor named Aluve Mjali. In this week's ACP, Gino gets to sit down and follow the budding career of this young hot-shot actor, from his school days, to his interest in sound engineering and mixing for TV, and how that led to new and exciting roles, this time in front of the camera. For someone still on their upward journey, Aluve's CV is already full of big names. Equally comfortable in TV productions, commercials or in the movies, Aluve's star is surely set to shine.   Yes? No? Send us a textLet us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:instagram.com/africancouchpotatotwitter.com/africancouchpotgino.arlechino@gmail.com WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato Gino Shelile’s profile • LetterboxdMember of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting ted@aten.co.za Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay© SANTE MEDIA 2026