It has been a year since the hit teen drama series, Blood & Water, premiered on Netflix in over 190 countries, which comes just before the premiere of season two.
On Wednesday, 20 May 2020, Blood & Water season one was released on Netflix in over 190 countries. The teen drama series was the second original South African drama to be commissioned by Netflix, following the successful and highly acclaimed action drama series, Queen Sono, with leading actress, Pearl Thusi, at the helm.
To promote the release of the drama series, Netflix South Africa took an unconventional route. The paid subscription platform made the first episode of the series available for viewing on YouTube. The move proved to be beneficial as it not only hooked viewers, but also enticed new users to subscribe to Netflix.
The show was an immediate success and highlighted the untapped market of teenagers in the world of series. South Africa had not had a teenage drama since hit television programmes like Yizo Yizo and Soul Buddies, all of which were aired on television in the early 2000s. Due to the rarity and popularity of the show, Blood & Water was then renewed for a second season.
A matter that was not anticipated, however, was how long fans would need to wait for the second season. The cast started shooting the second season of the show in October 2020, with the delay in shooting being due to the pandemic. In March 2021, the cast wrapped up shooting.
Two months after the production wrapped, there has still been no word on a possible premiere date. The only proof of the show’s imminent comeback was a post of the cast participating in the viral Dakiwe Challenge. The post suggested that the cast was together for the promotional shoot of the upcoming season. With the first season of the show celebrating its one-year anniversary this month, viewers can only hope that season two is on its way.