After standing in for so many other places on the silver screen, Cape Town is finally the star of its own TV miniseries. The six-part series, Cape Town, was shot entirely in the Mother City and is based on the 1994 bestseller Dead Before Dying by South African crime writer Deon Meyer.It features Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim in the lead, with a supporting role from American heart-throb Boris Kodjoe, who starred in the TV series Girlfriends.The show's German producer, Annette Reeker, told the Sunday Times after Friday's premiere in Camps Bay: "It's the first time someone has done Cape Town for Cape Town."We had to make [the plot] more international and believable for a younger audience, who wants to be thrilled. It becomes very political, [but] it's still a very Cape Town-based series."We had to adapt what was in the book to what's current and relevant - for example, the international crime which features in the series. Crime nowadays is connected to every place."The basic storyline is still based on the book, so readers can relate, but it has add-ons for a modern audience."Half of the crew who worked on the show were also involved in the blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Charlize Theron, an indication of the kind of production weight behind the miniseries.Meyer, who was not involved with the production, said he was thrilled with the adaptation of his book, calling it "the best series to be shot within our borders".He added: "My philosophy is that it is my job to write the book and the producers' to make the best TV series."I don't think authors are objective enough to insert themselves into what goes into the series. There is a big difference between a good movie and a good TV series and a good book, and it needs an expert to take out the right elements for each."'Cape Town' premieres on DStv's Universal Channel (117) next month...