The Cane Field Killings, New South African Drama for Channel 4

The Cane Field Killings, a South African detective drama starring Kim Engelbrecht (Bullet Proof, The Flash, Eye in the Sky) and Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey), has been acquired by Channel 4. . The eight-episode series, which premiered in South Africa last year to acclaim, will premiere on Channel 4 at 10 p.m. on April 10, 2022. After that, All 4 will have all of the episodes available.

The Cane Field Killings tells the story of Reyka Gama (Engelbrecht), a gifted criminal profiler who is fighting to come to terms with her tragic history. Reyka, who was kidnapped as a youngster by farmer Angus Speelman (Iain Glen), now uses his horrific past to get insight into the brains of Africa’s most prominent criminals. The series chronicles her investigation into a string of gruesome murders in the sugar cane fields of Kwa-Zulu-Natal by a serial killer.

20 years on from her abduction, the manipulative, charming Speelman still exerts a powerful hold on Reyka, and this relationship, together with the one she is struggling to rebuild with her mother Elsa forms the backbone of the story. The series takes viewers into a tropical world of stifling heat and dangerous wildlife, ruled by a criminal underworld and characterised by shadowy political manoeuvring.

Nick Lee, Channel 4’s Head of Acquisitions, said: “The Cane Field Killings is a striking crime drama with a compelling lead character and a deep sense of place. It’s a rarely told South African perspective on a detective story which brings together fascinating historical and contemporary themes and which we’re thrilled to bring to British audiences on Channel 4 and All 4.”

Produced by Serena Cullen for Serena Cullen Productions and Harriet Gavshon for Quizzical Pictures. The Cane Field Killings is a co-production between M-Net and Fremantle and is distributed internationally by Fremantle. The series was created by Rohan Dickson and executive produced by Jan du Plessis, Yolisa Phahle Allan Sperling, Harriet Gavshon and Serena Cullen.