Zukile Gqobose

Period drama Black Velvet Band takes us back to Victorian times when a gang of petty crooks find themselves sentenced to transportation to Australia, their ship, however, docks in South Africa and the gang manage to make their escape. The film starred Nick Berry, Chris McHallem and Todd Carty, who had all previously appeared in EastEnders together. The initial idea came from McHallem, whilst Nick Berry, thanks to being the darling of ITV at the time because of his hit show Heartbeat, had the clout to get it made.

Safari tour guide David Webb (Robert Powell) takes a job as head of security on the luxury train Pride of Africa and discovers that the wealthy passengers can be just as dangerous as the wild animals he knows so well. As the train sets off across the lush countryside, Webb contends with a dangerous kidnapping plot, a heated lovers' quarrel and a possible murder in this made-for-TV mystery set in the 1930s.

When Hanky Pranky (alias Schucks), star of a candid camera TV show, loses his job to affirmative action, he applies for a job at a stress academy. It´s not long before Schucks discovers his new boss, Jack Paddaman, is as crooked as they come, but it´s too late: the employment contract is signed and sealed.A year passes, and Schucks is no better off. However, his candid camera videos, which poke fun at all sectors of post-1994 South Africa, prove a big hit with stressed-out government ministers. When the president asks Paddaman to make a movie to benefit street children, Schucks and his pals do all the hard work while Paddaman plans how he can get hold of the profits from the video sales. Add a scatterbrained secretary, a lovelorn traffic cop and a cunning street child and you have a roll-in-the aisles comedy with a distinctly South African flavour.