RSVP Maybe: Tali’s Wedding Diary

Tali’s Wedding Diary, the first Showmax original, hit screens in December of last year. The show takes the format of a behind-the-scenes documentary leading up to the titular bride-to-be’s big day. We are all invited to witness the ups, but mostly downs that she invariably brings upon herself and her hapless fiancé Darren.

The Concept

There’s something refreshing about seeing a conceit made popular in overseas comedy implemented in a South African setting. The mockumentary style that worked so well in shows such as The Office and The Comeback, unfortunately, falls a bit short here.

Formatted as a behind-the-scenes wedding documentary, Tali’s Wedding Diary presents the more awkward parts of this couple’s life. The result paints a picture vastly different to what Tali must have had in mind. There’s humour in seeing one character trying her best to appear perfect on screen, while everybody around her feels a bit out of place and unsure of what to do. The end result is plenty funny interactions and on-camera reactions.

Pushing humour beyond what is safe made this format as successful as it is today. I was screaming at Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie Cherish in The Comeback to just stop talking. Her innate awkwardness was making my skin crawl. Here, the intent is to push the boundary, but Tali invariably settles in the safe zones.

The Characters

Tali is supposed to be annoying. We don’t have to like her to enjoy her show, but Julia Anastasopoulos plays her perfectly. Like her other creation SuzelleDIY the talented actress completely disappears behind the blonde extensions and Insta pout. While Tali treads a fine line between funny and offensive, she is portrayed with a sense of tenderness and emotional awareness.

Anton Taylor as the clueless Darren, a wannabe property mogul, and Glen Biderman-Pam as Rael, Darren’s business partner complement Tali’s main cast. While both actors do their best to bring life to their characters, they might have been too thin to begin with.

The rest of the cast is a mixed bag of hits and misses. Some characters are played too over the top, and others more grounded, placing the show in a weird tonal limbo.

The Story

Tali Shapiro decides to document her wedding journey because a wedding video is just not enough. One might expect this to be a straightforward lead-up building to the big day, but the narrative choices made are somewhat more interesting than that. You get the typical pre-wedding beats, like the announcement, bridesmaid selection, wedding invitations, and the dress. But the narrative often veers into darker territory, mostly making us dislike Tali even more.

A late-season twist has Tali reconnect with her ‘ugly’ half-sister. This interaction surprisingly redeems Tali in the eyes of the viewer. After all the over-the-top hijinks and tantrums, Tali finally does some long-overdue introspection and we get to see a glimmer of someone real behind the Gingham filter.

A sub-plot involving Darren and Rael’s business feels out of place (why would the cameras be following them at work? Internal logic flaw, I guess). Darren’s whole arc seems a bit forced. He was always the nice guy and is played wonderfully as such. But when they try to jam some character growth on him, it ultimately feels unnecessary.

Final Thoughts

I liked Tali, or rather the idea of Tali. It is wonderful that Showmax is dabbling in original content. A simple format with a great cast and great production is not enough to save some questionable writing, though. I walked away feeling elated and deflated. I loved the idea, but I can’t help but feel that the creative force behind this show was maybe a little blinded by the concept too. It’s good. But it could have been so much better.