“A deeply moving drama series about a group of old friends who have drifted apart as they have grown older. They are brought together when tragedy strikes.”

Wow. The pilot made me ugly cry. Twice. It has that kind of emotional punch. It feels as if this cast could be your neighbours, your friends. The authentic dialogue, humour and struggles all add to that lived-in feeling.

It also has a stellar cast, the who’s who of English television and film and they all bring it. Brandon Auret, Kate Liquorish, Shannon Esra, Susan Danford, Brendan Pollecutt, Dorothy Ann Gould, Tiffany Barbuzano and Lorcia Cooper to name but a few.

As is the standard these days for South African film and television, the production values are high, the cinematography and styling top class and the production design on point.

What is not standard for South African television though is proper writing. The scripts are rushed. Not in this case. Careful thought and a lot of rewrites went into Still breathing. That is how it feels in any case. Let’s hope the rest of the series is this good.

Wow. It made me ugly cry. Twice.