That Guy: Flashback Time to take your Zumba medicine

Cast and crew of Zumba Doctors. Photo / Supplied

Opinion

Once in awhile, a great New Zealand drama comes along that changes the television landscape forever. As a journalist, I am often privileged to preview such shows.

One such drama is Zumba Doctors, which is set to ignite our small screens in a big way in just a couple of weeks.

Zumba Doctors takes the proven formula of a medical soap and combines it with the sexy fitness craze, Zumba.

Dr Bojangles is an idealist, a man who went to an online medical school so he could change people's lives.

After a series of questionable career choices, he finds himself running his high-tech medical clinic from within a suburban fitness centre, which has been taken over by Zumba fever.

This premise seems confusing at first but, after a series of flashbacks, we learn that he has also run clinics at a sea aquarium, an ice-skating rink and a two-star Indian restaurant.

Dr Bojangles' nemesis is the evil Ritt Parker. Ritt also happens to be his twin brother, half-brother and stepbrother and wears a patch over one eye.

Ritt's goal in life is to destroy his half-twin brother's career and take from him whatever he has, be it his Zumba clinic or multiple love interests.

In the first episode, we hear the immortal line from Dr Bojangles that sets up the series: "Get the hell out of my Zumba class, Ritt Parker."

From that moment, Dr Bojangles and Ritt Parker are locked in a power play that culminates in Ritt hiring an assassin to kill Tony Bojangles while he is in a sauna.

Other characters include Dr Chavez, who wears a neck brace and speaks through a device similar to the one used by Stephen Hawking.

Dr Chavez was once Dr Bojangles' right-hand man but, because of his condition, he struggles to front a sexy Zumba class and Dr Bojangles is forced to put him on to Swiss ball maintenance.

Ritt sees an opening and attempts to lure most of the staff to the dark side.

The producers appear to have taken the lead from the Spartacus series and introduce sex when the plot drifts.

Episode one begins with a sex scene that is bound to find its way to the Sroadcasting Standards Authority. Dr Bojangles tries to put the fireworks back into their relationship by doing just that.

But a Mt Vesuvius Roman candle-type pyrotechnic erupting from Dr Bojangles' backside isn't enough to win Waverwee back, although it does set fire to the curtains.

But the real strength of this series is the writing. The dialogue is so strong that it lets us overlook some of the questionable casting and continuity decisions.

Chanese is the only Asian character yet she is played by a red-headed vixen from Scotland and Dr Fabio is apparently paralysed but only spends about half the time in his wheelchair.

"It's about the emotion and the chemistry between the characters. Whether they are paralysed one minute and taking a Zumba class the next is neither here nor there. These characters are just vessels," says producer and director Bernard Laing.

As I mentioned, this series is dominated by flashbacks - often there are flashbacks within flashbacks. Occasionally there are dream sequences within flashbacks and these can make a programme like Lost seem coherent.

This show isn't for everyone but if you are into medical dramas and Zumba you might want to give it a try.

Each episode closes with a 5min Zumba work-out so you can get fit while you watch. By the end of the 12-week series, you could lose 6-8kg.

Zumba Doctors makes it's debut on Moon TV, 10.30 Wednesdays, on TV2.

Editor's note: For our readers' sake I hope the Zumba Doctors' episodes are more appealing than seeing Leigh Hart in Speedos on Moon TV this week.