Johannesburg - All is not gold for influencer-turned-momfluencer Tali Shapiro. Well, that is how she sees her new chapter. In her new season of Tali’s Joburg Diary, the zany aspiring A-list influencer finds herself leaving the Mother City and returning to her parents’ pool room in Joburg in a bid to cope with the Covid-19 lockdown.
The reality star (played by Julia Anastasopoulos) was first brought to our screens when she announced her impending nuptials to husband (and property devil) Darren (played by Anton Taylor). Comedian Glen Biderman-Pam is back as Tali’s cousin Rael Rosen, who begrudgingly returns to Joburg to be with the family.
Other faces include Safta Award-winning actress Kate Normington, who plays mother Michelle, newcomer Troy Davy as Tali’s son, Jayden, and Naledi Award nominee Sharon Spiegel Wagner (Bedford Wives) as (class mom) Monique the Beak.
The mock reality show format of Tali’s Joburg Diary, created by production company Sketchbook Studios, the company that brought you Suzelle DIY (also featuring Anastasopoulos) is a similar format to that seen in popular shows like the UK and US versions of The Office and US broadcaster NBC’s Parks and Recreation.
Sesason is a light comedy take on the Covid-19 pandemic, detailing the funny lockdown experiences (creating DIY gardens and banana bread) we grew to love and hate. If the first season was inspired by Tali and Darren’s wedding, and the second by their experience of pregnancy, the third season of Tali’s Joburg Diary flows from the couple’s experience of preschool.
“There are so many funny dynamics at play at preschools, from the idea of a ‘class mom’ to the class WhatsApp group, from art auctions to parent-teacher meetings,” says Julia. “We’ve definitely tapped into that.”
“It is crazy because we shot the second season while there was still Covid, and there was a lot of anxiety over our shooting and whether we’d have to shut down and have everyone wearing masks. It felt isolated in a way,” Anastasopoulos said.
“Season 3 was just a big breakaway from that – it was a refresher. We had a lot fun shooting this season. It was light, even though we had to get through a lot in such a short time.”
The joy that was felt in creating the series can be seen in the silly moments scattered throughout it, such as a prosthetic item that becomes a character of its own.
In preparation for the interview with Anastasopoulos, one question arose in my mind. Why do we have more drama shows on our TV screens than comedy shows? I’m in no way expressing boredom with the drama genre, but a genuine interest as to why this is the case.
South Africa loves to laugh, and we are known locally and internationally as a community that loves a good laugh. Whether it be on social media, on stage, or on our television screens, we can participate in comedy and create it well.
Yet it seems writers in respected production houses have not been able to translate that love of humour into scripts for comedy shows. Sketchbook’s popular character Tali Shapiro has managed to retain her dedicated viewers and grow even more as additional series are commissioned. One can only guess as to how many adventures she will take her viewers on through her social media.