In 2004, South Africa celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first democratic elections. It was also ten years since The Line had been screened to the biggest audience to watch a drama series in South Africa.
The line was a series that broke new ground. It grabbed the attention of audiences and political parties; it hit the front pages and headlines, and stayed there for weeks.
The series worked because it dealt with contemporary issues and characters in a way that reflected the time and the place, and managed to give a brief glimpse of the nation’s troubled soul.
Ten years later, Down the line again shows a cross-section of society. Using the same core of characters in a new story, it gives a sense of how South Africans fared since Freedom Day.
This series is less politically obvious, but not apolitical. It is more of a classic thriller that confronts some of the dilemmas and questions around power and its preservation.
