‘Appels en Tee’: A cozy small-town family drama you'll want to curl up with

WHEN you watch a series and it feels like sunlight after a day of swimming in cold water, that nostalgic hug that warms you from the inside out, you know you're in for a journey.

- BERNELEE VOLLMER

That was exactly how I felt at the exclusive screening of kykNET's Appels en Tee at Welgemeend in Cape Town. Table Mountain literally peeking over the venue made the whole setting feel like a teaser for what we were about to see on screen - green, sunlit, and quietly comforting.

And as I sipped my tea (because, of course), I couldn't help but notice how perfectly the venue mirrored Hoekville, the small-town backdrop of the show in Knysna, a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively.

Knysna hasn't been used much for scripted series. Reality shows, sure, but this? Not so much. And that's what makes Appels en Tee so refreshing. It's a family drama rooted in real South African scenery, where the roads are familiar, the hills green, and the rhythm of daily life feels instantly recognisable.

It's homely in the best possible way. Even from the first scene, a basket of apples sitting casually on a kitchen counter, you sense the balance of innocence and comfort that the title promises. Apples, young and bright; tea, a slow, healing presence that makes the whole story feel like a cup of warm chamomile for your soul.