Political crime drama on Labour’s One is Jackpot 4 (17 Black... geddit?)

Jackpot 4 – you cannot blame anyone for conjuring up another casino game that relies on the numbers to win, like a roulette table’s 17 Black perhaps? The enigmatic name of alleged assassination mastermind Yorgen Fenech’s secret Dubai company?

And why not? For Jackpot 4 is the name of a new One TV political crime drama, that will feature the storyline of a “prime minister’s chief of staff, whose job brings with it great pressure and must be carried out with absolute loyalty.”

And given that it broadcasts on Labour’s TV channel, whose party’s history with its own chief of staff is tainted by his association with Fenech and the Daphne political association, one hopes DBA Entertainment’s brave offering will be less Bronk and more Borgen.

An idea that the show looks beyond the frontiers of the Malta’s real-life political panto, is the line-up of characters: Barry Calvert plays the role of ‘Walter’, the American president.

Sandro Attard will play ‘Brian’, the chief of staff to the PM, veteran actor Khaled Riani – decked out in Bedouin chic – plays the role of Libyan dictator ‘Said’ who gives “no chance for dialogue”, acting mainstay Mikhail Basmadjan is ‘Salvatore’, the Italian PM, Ekaterina Verdoodt plays Greek prime minister ‘Agatha’, and Lawrence Buontempo will be the Maltese PM, ‘Alex’. Guess what: “Alex is very much loved and in the last election he garnered an absolute majority!” Sounds familiar...

Also playing will be health minister ‘Bondin’ and the PM’s loyal and personal driver ‘John’ (Dorian Micallef). ‘Antoinette’ will play the PM’s wife’s ‘Louise’’s sister (Gabriella Parsons and Joanne Busuttil) – and playing the PM’s daughters ‘Steph’ and ‘Kim’ are Kaya Falzon and Alexia Micallef. Will they be twins, one wonders...?