Faith, family and football

Giants is a stunning portrait of players, families and the emotional cost of chasing greatness on and off the field

- S'bo Gyre

In the fairy tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, a poor boy trades his family's cow for magical beans that sprout into the heavens and into the realm of giants.

Many lessons can be taken from the story but one that stands out is that of faith and family.

The belief that magical beans can grow and uproot your family from suffering can be seen as whimsical and as far-fetched as the dream of making it as a professional footballer or, if you're a fan, that your team will march to victory.

Yet somehow this classic fairy tale beautifully parallels the football story told in the upcoming sports docuseries, Giants.

The latest in the roster of SuperSport Originals, Giants is produced in collaboration with the award-winning film company T+W to tell a story about faith, family and football.

In the five-part series scheduled for a five-season run, South African football teams will grant T+W exclusive access to document their league and cup campaigns.

Season 1 sees the production house and broadcaster lay bare the heart and soul of Orlando Pirates' 2024-25 season in a raw and emotional narrative.

For Giants, think Netflix's Drive to Survive but for iDiski Times website. For the non-sporting people, imagine the American NBC comedy The Office but in the high-pressure, high-performance and unscripted world of football.

Yes, you get a laugh here and there, but ultimately on Giants you are seeing the most human aspect of athletes who, with their gladiatorial frame, often seem infallible. You don't see athletes, you see humans.

"Audiences today want more than match highlights — they want depth, emotion, context and humanity," says series director Luthando Tshaya.

"With