The first four episodes of Tali’s Baby Diary, the long-awaited sequel to Tali’s Wedding Diary, are now streaming on Showmax, and critics have been nothing short of gushing in their praise of the home-brewed mockumentary.
In the laugh-a-minute series, an unexpected pregnancy forces Tali (Julia Anastasopoulos, aka SuzelleDIY) into a desperate pivot from Insta-influencer to wholesome momfluencer.
Early reviews are loving the new Tali. TV critic Thinus Ferreira says, “A joy to behold… Tali’s Baby Diary is the best South African TV show of 2021 so far and 100% guaranteed to make you laugh loudly.”
Similarly, Litnet reviewer Reney Warrington writes, “The first two episodes are even wittier and more over the top than Tali’s Wedding Diary, but the characters are already drawn with humanity, with heart. The script, the direction, the actors are all on point. Here’s to Tali’s Baby Diary building on this great start and taking South African television to a next level."
Tech Girl editor Sam Wright agrees. "A few minutes into the first episode I was laughing hard and shouting for Player 2 to come watch something that had me crying with laughter... The show comes out punching from the get-go. The satirical depiction of wealthy white South Africans living in Cape Town doesn’t miss a mark... The best part of the show though is that for all the laughs there is a very real sweetness to all the characters. They’re human and you learn to love them even as you laugh at them. Ari and Julia have this incredible talent of pulling the human out of even the most ridiculous of situations."
Writing on Business Live, Tymon Smith says, “Suitably cringe-inducing and offering a slightly wilder, weirder shake-up of the bubble of privilege protecting its heroine, this season offers plenty of awkward laughs and moments of uncomfortable recognition to keep fans entertained and amused.”
And Glitched founder Marco Cocomello praised Tali’s Baby Diary as “pure joy to watch… After watching the first two episodes I am pleased to say it’s incredible… One can’t help but sit and laugh at it.”
Of course, despite what Tali thinks, everything isn’t just about her. This season, as the nine-month clock ticks down, fan favourites Darren (Anton Taylor) and Rael (Glen Biderman-Pam) are still navigating the choppy waters of the Cape Town property game, with their two most ambitious plans yet - to bring Woolworths to Woodstock, and to finish Cape Town’s unfinished highway.
The first-ever Showmax Original, Tali’s Wedding Diary set a (then) record for the most first-day views on Showmax and was the most awarded comedy at the 2019 SAFTAs, taking home five prizes, including Best Comedy, Best Director (Ari Kruger), and Best Actress (Anastasopoulos).
Watch the trailer right here :
