kykNET to launch first Afrikaans medical drama ‘Hartklop’

We all lived for the drama and romance during all 19 seasons of Shonda Rhimes’ medical drama series, Grey’s Anatomy.

The series’ storyline became so popular with viewers, which saw many other shows like The Good Doctor, Chicago Med and New Amsterdam hitting viewers’ screens.

And now, yet another medical drama will keep South Africans enthralled and glued to their seats on Tuesday evenings from July.

kykNET announced on Tuesday that the channel’s first medical procedural series, Hartklop will premiere on Tuesday, 18 July, at 8pm.

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Hartklop storyline

According to a statement from kykNET viewers can look forward to storylines about medical cases that will leave them gasping in disbelief about the fact that it is based on actual events.

“Some of the stories will make you laugh; others will bring a tear to your eye, and some will move you deeply with life-and-death situations,” reads the statement.

There will also be stories of hope and of patients making miraculous recoveries against all odds.

And as with any medical drama, the viewer gets a front row seat into the personal lives of the doctors and how it impacts their work – work that confronts them with the age-old question: Are doctors allowed to play God?  

The set

The hospital scenes were filmed at the Solomon Stix Morewa Memorial Hospital and the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

The medical cases that are part of the storylines, are all based on actual cases, and a team of doctors acted as advisers. Trained theatre sisters helped with the filming of the operating scenes to make it as realistic as possible.

The pen behind Hartklop, Zoë Laband, says they decided to set the series in a government hospital as it is not only more representative of the bigger South Africa, but also where all the country’s young doctors and nurses are trained. 

“Our local doctors are more than just doctors – they are superheroes. International military doctors come to South Africa to train in our hospitals as it is equivalent to working in a war zone.

“Being a doctor here is not easy, and it has major consequences for your personal life. It involves a lot of sacrifice and hardship, and we wanted to reflect that in our stories and create characters who are both extraordinary and flawed,” said Zoë.

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The cast

The star-studded main cast includes Simoné Pretorius, Renate Stuurman, Dawid Minnaar, Leandie du Randt, David Louw, Jacques Bessenger, Oros Mampofu, Carla Classen and Marlee van der Merwe.

There are also several well-known actors in supporting roles, including the likes of Christel van den Bergh, Arno Marais, Rika Sennett, Thulani Mtsweni, Susan Coetzer, Vusi Thanda, Esmeralda Bihl, Christo Davids, Elma Postma, Francois Jacobs and Bouwer Bosch.

Watch the Hartklop trailer below:

Hartklop was directed by Harold Hölscher (Ludik) and Christo Davids (Spoorloos) and will start on Tuesday, 18 July, at 8pm on kykNET (DStv Channel 144) and will be available on Catch Up. 

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