'Lockdown' is not just a local rip-off of 'Orange Is The New Black'

Rebecca Davis puts Mzansi Magic's latest prison drama 'Lockdown' under investigation

I wonder what the minister of justice and correctional services, Michael Masutha, thinks about Lockdown. The new drama series on Mzansi Magic is set in a fictional local women's prison, and it's up for debate whether the conditions it portrays are better or worse than the reality.

 I suspect the cells are less crowded than those in real South African prisons - but in the real deal, do prison wardens collude with people on the outside to keep inmates in jail?

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I hope I never have to find out. Lockdown's Thabazimbi Women's Correctional Facility looks sufficiently terrifying, especially for prison newbies.

In the usual tradition of TV prison dramas, Lockdown introduces us to jail via a new inmate, a Kelly Khumalo-style socialite called Monde banged up for being caught with her boyfriend's drugs. "It's Babes Wodumo!" another prisoner squawks as Monde walks by.

Comparisons with Orange Is The New Black will be inevitable, particularly as producers have managed to cast one local actress who looks spookily like Taylor Schilling, who plays the lead role of Piper on OITNB. Then again, dramas set in women's prisons have a time-honoured pedigree, and mostly march to the same drumbeat. Bad Girls, anyone? Prisoner: Cell Block H, anyone? Same show, different accents.

Anyway, Lockdown is not OITNB. For one thing, on the American show the wardens use digital clickers to count the prisoners. In the local show, no such hi-tech equipment is available. They count prisoners by prodding them in the midriff with a truncheon, Mzansi style.

The show's opening episodes have dealt with the imminent release of inmate MaZet, who is one of two leaders in the jail. Her nemesis is the sexually predatory Tyson, played by Lorcia Cooper - who looks like she is having the time of her life in the role. Dawn Thandeka King's MaZet is another strong performance.

The emphasis of the show is on the drama, but there are some nice comedic touches too, like the white inmate who yells at her black counterparts: "We'll see what Vusi Maimane has to say about this!" If a prison is a microcosm of wider society, the Thabazimbi jail makes South Africa look just as messy as it really is.

WATCH an introduction to Lockdown

Lockdown is that rare beast: a local production that is immediately engaging. After just three episodes, they're already miles ahead of most South African soapies. Producers have done well to assemble a gifted cast and crew, including talented director of photography Gaopie Kabe.

As an aside, it is also refreshing to see a South African TV show starring mainly black people that is actually written by a black person. Do yourself a favour and check out the writing credits for a show like Muvhango.

• 'Lockdown' airs on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) on Mondays.