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A scene from the six-episode drama series, Loch Ness.

BY BILLY SUTER
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THE haunting shores of Scotland’s most iconic loch provides the backdrop for a six-part drama series, Loch Ness, which premieres on DStv’s Universal Channel (channel 117) at 8.40pm today (Monday, September 25).

The British television series follows Detective Annie Redford, played by Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser, on the hunt for a serial killer.

Scotland’s sheltered community of Lochnafoy is turned upside down when the body of a local man turns up at the foot of Carn Mohr Mountain, along with an isolated human heart on the loch shore.

The town’s tightly knit community is soon shattered – everyone is a suspect – and the search for the killer becomes a matter of life and death for local detective Annie (Fraser), who is trying to cope with her first murder case.

Wife to husband Alan (Gray O’Brien), a tour boat operator and mother to Evie (Shona McHugh), a rebellious 18-year-old, Annie’s ordinary family with ordinary problems soon starts to buckle under the pressure of a murder case looming over their heads.

Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Lauren Quigley, played by Downton Abbey’s Siobhan Finneran, is brought in to lead the enquiry. Quigley is joined by Forensic Profiler, Blake Albrighton (Don Gilet), who brings years of experience and expertise with him. The supporting cast also includes John Sessions as Annie’s boss, DCI Frank Smilie, and William Ash as local tourist operator Leighton Thomas.

Laurence Fishburne as Nelson Mandela in Madiba.

It appears that Scotland’s monsters are not the legendary creatures found in the water, but rather the humans that inhabit the town…

Meanwhile, also headed for DStv soon is the landmark new miniseries, Madiba, starting on Discovery Channel (channel 121) at 9pm on Monday, November 6.

This six-part series examines the revolution created by Nelson Mandela to fight for the freedom and equality of all South Africans, despite the efforts of those in power to maintain longstanding separation and discrimination in the country.

Madiba also looks into the intricacies of Mandela’s personal life and the internal struggles he faced in his quest to free the nation.

With a rich and powerful cast, the series features leading performances by Laurence Fishburne (Black-ish, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Matrix Trilogy) as Nelson Mandela and Terry Pheto (Tsotsi, Catch a Fire, Goodbye Bafana) as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Kate Liquorish plays Ruth First, Hlomla Dandala is Govan Mbeki and Meren Reddy is Ahmed Kathrada, to name just a few.

“We are incredibly excited to announce that Madiba will feature as part of Discovery Channel’s upcoming programming line-up,” says Dilek Doyran, VP of Commercial Development and Country Manager of Africa and the Mediterranean.

“Featuring a star-studded local and international cast, Madiba depicts the rich history of one of South Africa’s most beloved heroes. The series not only demonstrates our commitment to showcase more locally-relevant content for our African audiences, but also exemplifies Discovery Channel’s purpose of celebrating unique stories and extraordinary characters, wherever they may be.”