By now, The Girl From St Agnes has the country talking. The murder mystery series is a collaboration between SA's award-winning Quizzical Pictures and Showmax.
After getting to preview the first episode ahead of its release, I was absolutely buzzing to dig into Showmax's first original drama. The 8-episode season drops us straight into the story as we're faced with a school where everyone has something to hide.
The Girl From St Agnes Plot Image supplied. The story follows drama teacher Kate Ballard as she struggles to come to terms with the death of one of her students, Lexi Summerveld. Kate soon finds that the upmarket school is not what it seems.
Police declare Lexi's death a tragic accident, but Kate believes something far more sinister is playing out behind the scenes. The more she investigates, the more Kate realises that she didn't really know Lexi - or the other students and teachers - at all.
Image supplied She sets out on a journey to uncover the truth and exposes far more than she hoped to find. During the course of the investigation, the secrets of the students and the staff emerge slowly.
Lexi plays a central part in the dramas of the school, and her death becomes a catalyst for exposing the many individual misdeeds among staff and students. St Agnes isn't just a place where an unfortunate event happened, it's a place where tragedies play out continually.
Dark themes intertwined with social concerns Image supplied The Girl From St Agnes centres around themes such as misogyny, teenage sexuality, identity, rape culture, sexual assault and bullying. It shares a glimpse into the life of a South African teenager, albeit a privileged one who attends an exclusive boarding school.
One of the producers, Harriet Gavshon, said it's a universal story set in an environment that's recognisable to an international audience, even though some things are very peculiar to South Africa.
Growing up in the age of social media Image supplied The show flings us headlong into the lived experience of modern teenagers as they deal with the timeless pressures to perform academically, on the sports field, and navigate the complex social hierarchy at St Agnes.
Social media features heavily during the show. For anyone who didn't go to school during the social media age, it's a timely reminder of how much more is at stake for children today when every misstep can be instantly broadcast to the world and remain there indefinitely.
Multifaceted characters Image supplied Head writer, Gillian Breslin, describes the cast as magic and lightning in a bottle. She feels that everything that was in her head is on that screen and then more, thanks to the extraordinary cast. The characters are layered, and we're often caught feeling empathy for characters who in other contexts we may despise.
Breslin promised that she'd done everything to make us understand how difficult these girls have it and to do her best to make their actions as honest as possible. She doesn't disappoint, and the scenes in the school and around the sportsfield certainly ring true.
At the helm is Nina Milner in the role of Kate Ballard, and Jane De Wet as Lexi Summerveld. Milner drives the story forward, her character naively searching for the truth. Her expressive portrayal of Ballard as she deals with her own personal problems and doggedly searches for an answer is critical to the binge-worthiness of the show.
Image supplied Milner makes us care about the story, and all the while carries the suspense as we realise along with her that St Agnes is not a simple story of good and evil.
Jane De Wet makes the most of her screen time as Lexi, though if I was going to have any complaints, I'd say that perhaps her motives could have been more deeply explored.
That said, the show's storyline focuses on the events following her death. Shamillah Miller and Paige Bonnin perform admirably as they show some of the more toxic elements of modern school life.
Image supplied Overwhelming reaction from viewers Even before its release, the trailer was viewed more than two million times on various platforms. After its release, the show broke a vital record.
In the first 24 hours, the number of unique viewers exceeds that of the previous record holder: Showmax Original Tali's Wedding Diary.
It certainly delivers and packs a punch Overall, the show is beautifully shot with the highland fog adding a dreamy foreboding element to a lot of the scenes. A Gothic atmosphere, if you will.
Image supplied The Girl From St Agnes is being compared to Netflix's Elite and 13 Reasons Why. While there are similarities, I feel that's a lazy comparison to make.
If we are going to draw comparisons, then The Girl From St Agnes resembles European series such as the masterful Tabula Rasa and spine-chilling Dark more than its American counterparts - visually and in tone.
The strong production values and a beautifully curated soundtrack make for an incredibly immersive experience that will definitely leave you watching just one more episode to see how the show reveal the many secrets of St Agnes.
Watch: The Girl From St Agnes Trailer Additional information
Season: One.
Run time: 52 min/episode.
Genre: Drama, Mystery.
Tagline: At St Agnes, the only saint is in the name.
Language: English (South African)
Production Co: Quizzical Pictures
Head writer: Gillian Breslin
Directed by: Catherin Cooke, Cindy Lee
Cast
Nina Milner as Kate Ballard, drama teacher
Graham Hopkins as Chris Whittaker, school Principal
Robert Hobbs as Gary Clayton, father and businessman
Jane De Wet as Lexi Summerveld, the murdered student
Paige Bonnin as Meghan Clayton, a student at St Agnes
Shamilla Miller as Jenna Galloway, a student at St. Agnes
Tristan de Beer as Jason Clayton, a stud
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
By now, The Girl From St Agnes has the country talking. The murder mystery series is a collaboration between SA's award-winning Quizzical Pictures and Showmax. 
