Julien Neaves, Caribbean Head Writer
Context: Last night (June 27) I had the privilege of attending a screening of the pilot of new Trinidad and Tobago sitcom Mixed Up at CinemaOne IMAX. A joint production of FilmTT (The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company) and state-owned national television station TTT, it is the winning project of the second edition of FilmTT’s Script to Screen Programme called On Set. The series was created by acclaimed and prolific actor, producer and writer and multiple Cacique Award winner Richard Ragoobarsingh and “surrounds the story of a mixed family of an Indo-Trinbagonian wife, an Afro-Trinbagonian husband and their ethnically mixed children who must make their way through challenges faced in everyday life” (creativett.co.tt). The first season will run for five episodes.
The series stars veteran actor Kevon Brooks as David Wilson, a chef of Afro-Trinidadian descent, and up and coming actress Keshala Mahabir as his wife Anaisha Deosingh Wilson, a lecturer of Indo-Trinidadian descent. The cast also includes Cacique award-winning veteran actresses Patti-Anne Ali and Penelope Spencer, who play Anaisha’s mother Fatima and David’s mother Sylvia respectively, fellow Cacique Award winner Serran Clarke as David’s sister Alana, and young actors Bridget Rampersad, Jarlon George, and Kristen Wilson as the couple’s children Riya, Daniel and Arielle respectively. The pilot episode kicks off when Anaisha makes a startling discovery in Riya’s room. The episode will not be available to the public until September and therefore I will be sharing my spoiler-free thoughts. Let’s get mixed up! You see what I did there, and you liked it!
Review: The first thing that stands out about Mixed Up is the quality of the production. The lighting, the sound, the music and the editing were all top notch, which is important for the series to make the jump to outside these shores, possibly on a streaming platform. I did find the inter-scene transition was just a tad too quick, but it was not a major issue.
In terms of performances, I thought everyone here put in solid work. Kevon Brooks as David was the standout for me, bringing an energy, likeability and believability that was instantly endearing. He has an antagonistic relationship with his mother-in-law Fatima which adds some drama and biting comedy to the proceedings. Patti-Anne Ali as Fatima was also quite enjoyable, providing some layers and vulnerability to the abrasive character. Serran Clarke as sassy, sexy, free-spirited Alana was also quite fun. I must also commend the young actors on delivering in their roles and being quite natural, especially Jarlon George. Penelope Spencer does not feature much in the episode but does drop a few welcome zingers. Keshala Mahabir does yeoman work as conflicted Anaisha, though she unfortunately comes off as shrill at times. But overall, there were no performances that drew me out of the experience.
And what about the comedy? It is thankfully more hit than miss, with a few chuckle-worthy moments to be had. Some of the timing could have been tighter and some of the situations could have been milked some more, but it’s just the pilot and the show has time to grow and refine the formula. The story is pretty typical of sitcom fare with a Trini seasoning and there are a couple well-worn tropes added to the mix, for better or worse. But I will commend Ragoobarsingh for including a welcome message in the story and presenting it in a way that was organic and not ham-fisted nor preachy. And I do give him points for the punchy ending, which did whet my appetite for more.
The Mixed Up pilot represents quite the promising start for the five-episode first season. And it has already made history by being the country’s first sitcom (that is as far as I know, do feel free to correct me). I am most intrigued to see what the cast and crew throw into the mix for the next four episodes. Puns. I got ’em.
Editor Jules’ Score: 7.5 out of 10
Trinidad and Tobago viewers can check out the pilot on TTT when it officially premieres on September 24 (Republic Day). You can also follow Mixed Up on Facebook by clicking here. And you can check out more TT content below:
Julien “Editor Jules” Neaves is a TARDIS-flying, Force-using Trekkie whose bedroom stories were by Freddy Krueger, learned to be a superhero from Marvel, but dreams of being Batman. I love promoting Caribbean film (Cariwood), creating board games and I am an aspiring author. I say things like “12 flavours of awesome sauce”. Read more.