Insidus

Saturday, December 26, 2020

The 8th Day Coming Soon To Timeless Dizi Channel Africa

As expected we'd follow other regions TDC and now the next Turkish drama making its way onto viewers screens is intriguing super series, The 8th Day (8. Gun).

When nothing is what it seems, anything is possible.

Bahar is a clever and cheerful college student. She has grown in wealth and lived a happy life... Until one day when everything turns upside down. Her mother Şehnaz, who was a software engineer at the Lotus company, is killed. Bahar steps aways from her safe life, into a dark world. People who killed her mother are after Bahar now. She tries to survive her enemies while working to solve the mystery behind her mother’s death.
In "The 8th Day", you will watch how Bahar's perfect life changes dramatically with the mysterious disappearance of her mother.

Will Bahar manage to survive and unveil the mystery behind her mother’s dissappearance?

Director: Çağrı Vila Lostuvalı, Ender Mıhlar
Screenwriter: Toprak Karaoğlu, Savaş Korkmaz, Seda Çalışır
Stars: Burcu Biricik, Bugra Gülsoy, Musa Uzunlar, Ceyda Düvenci

Catch the first episode at 21:40 CAT/22:40 EAT/20:40 WAT which takes up Kurt Seyit And Shura from Tuesday, 5 January

TDC is available on DStv and StarTimes

Friday, December 25, 2020

e.tv Acquired Broadcasting Rights To Erkenci Kus

Thought of sharing the news with Turkish fans later in 2021 but since there's a lot of fans here I decided to share the news early.

e.tv bagged another Turkish show which will also be dubbed in Afrikaans called Erkenci Kus. The fact I said e.tv doesn't imply it will air there chances are it will air exclusively on eExtra so when a Turkish show is announced beforehand I'll use e.tv as the liable source kind of like how Nickelodeon use their name when signing show off to Nicktoons.

This telenovela will be available later in 2021 on eExtra as part of their successful block, Kuiertyd. It will be available in the middle of the following year so I might give out a date when it's available and the title so for now here's the plot:

Sanem is a young woman who aspires to become a writer and live in the Galápagos Islands. She helps out at her father's grocery store but is forced by her parents to choose between an arranged marriage with her neighbor Muzaffer and finding a suitable job. Sanem will find a job at Fikri Harika, one of Turkey's leading advertising agencies where Leyla, her older sister, is an executive assistant. Aziz, the owner of the advertising agency has two sons, Emre and Can. Emre wants to take over the business, but his father considers Can better suited for the job and appoints him manager of the agency. Can has what his father wants for the company, but Can prefers taking photos in remote parts of the world. Can eventually agrees to run the company when he learns of his father's health problems. Aziz also tells Can to find the spy in the company that is helping their competitor Aylin. Emre doesn't like the idea of his brother being the manager and believes that he deserves that position and plans to make him fail. At the party for the 40th anniversary of the company at an opera, Sanem enters into the dark backstage and bumps into Can. Can, thinking that she was his girlfriend Polen, kisses her. After leaving, Sanem realizes that she is in love with the stranger that kissed her, giving him the codename Albatros. Soon, Can falls in love with Sanem, and discovers that he kissed her on that day in the opera, and thus began this inevitable story of love.

Just to let you there's more Turkish shows coming and I'll mention them later in 2021.

Magnolia Network Launches In 2021, Does This Mean Anything For Africa?

In November 2018, Chip and Joanna Gaines of the former HGTV series Fixer Upper announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, that they were in early talks to form a "lifestyle focused media network" with Discovery via their personal company Magnolia (that's where the name originated from).

They've been trying to get this channel onboard for a 2 years but there have been further delays particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On August 4, 2020, it was announced that the network would launch in 2021. Fixer Upper, which had originally permanently ended in 2018, will resume production of new episodes in conjunction with the launch of Magnolia Network.

The channel will feature longform content with shows centered around community, home, garden, food, wellness, entrepreneurialism and design. Magnolia Network currently has 14 original programs in production and an additional 22 original programs in development.

In 2021, Discovery will have a preview of this channel's offering through their streaming service which will rollout internationally.

Before this streaming service became official Discovery EMEA decided to streamline their operations. Due to Discovery+, there's chances that they'll shutter a couple of brands.

In Africa, you basically saw the discontinuation of the underrated channel Fine Living through StarTimes with Discovery Science through Zuku TV as part of an strategic adjustment. Discovery Family in some way was created to replace Discovery Science and World with Real Time likely serving as a replacement for Fine Living through Zuku TV.

Starsat and StarTimes are currently searching for possible replacement for the channel. Maybe this channel will be the placeholder but there's a high chance it won't since StarTimes gave that impression that the replacement might not be another Discovery Channel.

If Magnolia Network were to make its way to Africa perhaps it will launch in favour of Travel Channel and/or Food Network which are currently on DStv. Then there's another chance this brand will be kept as a U.S. exclusive.

Which Of The Following Channels Will Occupy Channels 312-317 On DStv? + Other Kids Developments

As you already know 2020 has been a chaotic year to me it's kind of like a trailer to 2021 as this year was kind of paused for most people and businesses. Things were suppose to happen only for others to be delayed.

This year, we witnessed a lot of channels shutting down in (South) Africa so I'm not expecting that to stop next year. In 2020 alone, we lost TV Mall, Sundance TV, SABC Encore, FOX Life, ITV Choice, BBC First, FOX Life and Disney XD.

Compared to all the other years, the kids area has experienced exponential growth on DStv and for the first time in over a decade MultiChoice actually reviews the offering in that area.

We got to see pop-up channels such as Toonami, ZooMoo, Mindset POP and for a while Da Vinci Kids. Just as you thought they've filled up the gap Disney XD was taken away and CBeebies was added to easen the blow.

A few months back I drew up a list of possible candidates that might occupy Disney XD spot. Now I'll be expanding as far as looking into possible candidates for other empty spots such as channels 300, 304 & 312-317.

The list of candidates goes as follows:

1. K-TV - this is M-Net former children's channel I mean there have been a couple of brands that were revived like PBS Kids, G4, Real Time, TBN, Sony Channel etc. but there's also chances that this will never happen seeing that channels such as KykNet & Kie, Mzansi Wethu and KykNet Lekker have dedicated kids blocks. At the end of the day they could bring it up as a kids channel offering content in English and other (South) African languages like Akilli TV perhaps even under another name. This year M-Net conjured up a ton of repeat channels for lower bouquets expecting more to surface next year I mean the kids one makes sense considering the timeslots and airtime they're given on the 3 M-Net channels.

2. Akilli Kids (Kenya Only) - A free-to-air children's channel aka Kenya's version of eToonz for children under 14 years of age with shows such as Team Umizoomi, Ubongo Kids and Wonder Pets. The channel's content is in English and Swahili. From what I hear the channel is gaining some traction in its respective market. If DStv Kenya considered adding the channel they would join DStv South Africa as another market with a free-to-air children's channel.

3. Baby TV - this channel is catered for toddlers pretty much for an audience that's much younger for Disney Junior. You get to learn rhymes, play games, listen to music and other activities. It was suppose to be on DStv a decade ago don't know what led them not to acquire the channel. Since Disney is the proud owner of this brand you can't help to wonder what the future holds for this brand considering the lack of attention towards it.

4. BabyFirst - is an Asian-American TV channel owned by First Media that produces and distributes content for babies' ages 6–36 months and their parents through television, the internet, and mobile applications. The channel is owned by First Media. The content is intended to develop an infant's skills, such as color recognition, counting and vocabulary. Pretty much a competitor to Baby TV.

5. Fix & Foxi - is an international children's entertainment brand founded by the German company Your Family Entertainment. Themed around Rolf Kauka's Fix and Foxi characters, the name is used to operate television channels in multiple languages around the world. Some of the content can be found on ZooMoo.

6. SABC Education (SA Only) - this is your typical Mindset channel with less grade based programming and filled with archived shows from SABC 1-3 under this banner. The channel is still coming to DStv at an unconfirmed date according to SEVA.

7. African Animation Network - this upcoming channel promises to air African produced animation and by the looks of it hopes to build up its own animation. The team behind it are still working on the channel.

8. Discovery Kids - is a children's television channel that is owned by Discovery Communications. The brand is available in Latin America, India and MENA. The version we could adapt to is the one in MENA that was the case with Discovery Family plus not a lot clashes there.

9. Other - African based channels similar to Nickelodeon, Da Vinci and Mindset. It could be SA Youth TV and Teen Africa TV. Then again it could another channel from an existing supplier.

Now to get to the hard part Disney XD might not be the last kids channel to go off air as these ones are likely to get booted off as well.

1.1. In future it wouldn't be shocking if the Nick brand downsized from 3 to 2 channels considering the duplication of the Junior brand. From that point they would be tying with Disney and WarnerMedia that only provide 2 kids channels on DStv.

1.1. The first scenario would be that Nickelodeon gets all the original programming including the ones from Nick Jr.

1.1.2. Nicktoons and Nick Jr channel get scrapped for Nickelodeon+ channel perhaps they could even keep the Nicktoons brand considering how popular it is but just invest more time in acquisitions for the channel while supplying reruns from Nickelodeon.

1.1.3. It wouldn't be a complete loss for Nick Jr the brand would be active in a block and the Ethiopian version will still supply the channel.

2. eToonz - the channel is filled with a lot of ton of DreamWorks/NBCUniversal originals. There's chances that it could breathe in the same room as the DreamWorks Channel since the channel has a mixture of cartoons that can be found on other kids channels.

2021 holds a lot of mystery and intrigue on cable.

The Walking Dead S10B Coming In March 2021 On FOX Africa

FOX has announced that The Walking Dead’s extended 10th season of six new episodes will premiere on 1 March at 03:00 CAT, simulcast with the U.S., and then again at 20:45 CAT that night (Monday 1 March) on FOX (Dstv 125, Startsat 132).

Leading up to this, this festive season, FOX will be celebrating a decade of the popular show with a marathon of every single episode. From 2 December 2020 at 21:30, every weeknight, viewers can enjoy double bills of the post apocalypse horror series starting from the very beginning of the first season.

New guest stars to be featured in the extended third season episodes include Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Perry Mason, Scorpion) as “Mays,” Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill, White Collar, Friday Night In with the Morgans) as “Lucille” along with new co-star Okea Eme-Akwari (Greenland, Cobra Kai) as “Elijah,” among others.

Last on The Walking Dead, we witnessed the fall of Alpha (Samantha Morton) and the end of the Whisperers War. The Kingdom had fallen, Hilltop was virtually destroyed and Alexandria abandoned to prepare for final battle. The survivors were trapped and separated from one another. Yet, when faced with almost certain death, they rallied together to fight, killing Beta (Ryan Hurst) and eliminating the threat of the horde.
In these six new episodes, we’ll see our survivors trying to pick themselves up by their bootstraps following the destruction the Whisperers left in their wake. The years of struggle weigh upon them as past traumas surface, exposing their more vulnerable sides. As they question the state of humanity, the state of their collective community, and the states of their minds, will they find the inner strength to persevere with their lives, friendships, and group intact?

“The Walking Dead has captured the imagination of horror viewers since its inception ten years ago, and continues to deliver nail-biting storylines, grit and action in every single episode, leaving viewers wanting for more. We are thrilled to be celebrating the show with fans across the continent this festive season, as we gear up for brand new content from the franchise in the new year.” said Evert van der Veer, Vice President, Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, The Walking Dead is produced by AMC Studios and executive produced by Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple, Showrunner Angela Kang, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera and Denise Huth.

# # #

New episode synopses and featured cast are below:

EPISODE 1017 – “Home Sweet Home”
Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has returned with a story she is not ready to share, even when her past catches up to her. Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan,) safety is at stake again. Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Maggie fight an unseen and unknown threat.

Director: David Boyd
Writers: Kevin Deiboldt & Corey Reed

EPISODE 1018 – “Find Me”
An adventure for Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) turns sideways when they come across an old cabin. It takes Daryl back to the years when he left the group after Rick disappeared as he relives a time that only the apocalypse could manifest.

Director: David Boyd
Writer: Nicole Mirante-Matthews

EPISODE 1019 – “One More”
Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) search for food and supplies to bring back to Alexandria. Small tragedies lead to bigger tragedies as faith is broken and optimism is fragmented when they are put to the ultimate test.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writers: Erik Mountain & Jim Barnes

EPISODE 1020 – “Splinter”
Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), and Princess (Paola Lázaro) are captured and separated. Princess struggles with memories of her traumatic past and tries to escape one way or another with the help of Ezekiel.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writers: Julia Ruchman & Vivian Tse

EPISODE 1021 – “Diverged”
Daryl and Carol come to a fork in the road and head their separate ways. Each going into their own type of survival mode, the easiest of challenges become much harder. Will their individual journeys be the tipping point needed to mend their friendship or is the distance between them permanent?

Director: David Boyd
Writer: Heather Bellson

EPISODE 1022 – “Here’s Negan”
Carol takes Negan on a journey, hoping to minimize the increasing tension. Negan reflects on the events that led him to this point and comes to a conclusion about his future.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, The Walking Dead is produced by AMC Studios and executive produced by Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple, Showrunner Angela Kang, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera and Denise Huth.

How to tune in:
DSTV: 1265
Starsat: 132 on DTH, 71 on DTT (215 on DTT in Uganda)

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Fine Living Stops Airing Across Africa Through StarTimes (Starsat) And What Does It Imply?

Without notice Fine Living which is owned by Discovery Inc. (the company that handles channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, Real Time, Discovery Family and ID) has been removed from StarTimes across Africa.

This decision wasn't made by StarTimes but by Discovery Inc. themselves due to a "strategic alignment" meaning there could be more channels fading away from their portfolio.

In 2021, they'll be rolling out a new streaming service called Discovery+ carrying exclusive content while airing content from their other brands so this may be the cause for their decision.

My guess would be that Discovery will invest in less channels so if you had to look at their next victim(s) is likely going to be Travel Channel since the U.S. counterpart uses it for paranormal activity for which Discovery Channel/Family can manage or Food Network in an attempt to boost TLC and possibly Discovery Family lineup.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

January 2021 On Zoomoo Africa | OFFF | NAU | P: AAA

OWL’S FABULOUS FEATHERS FRIENDS
Premieres 05 January 2021
Every Tuesday at 11:00am (PH)
In conjuction with Bird Day
Join Owl and Lemur as they explore the bird world and meet some fabulous feather friends!

NUTS ABOUT YOU!
Premieres 21 January 2021
Every Thursday at 12:00pm (PH)
In conjuction with Squirrel Appreciation Day
Did you know that there are over 200 different species of squirrels? The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, flying squirrels and prairie dogs amongst otehr rodents. Find out more about these cute and cuddly tree dwellers on ZooMoo this January!

PIGLET’S AWESOME AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE
Premieres 26 January 2021
Every Tuesday at 12:00pm (PH)
In conjuction with Australia Day

ZooMoo is available on DStv channel 314 and Zuku TV channel 630

January 2021 On Disney Channel Africa | Upside Down Magic | DCOM

UPSIDE-DOWN MAGIC
Movie premiere
Friday 29th January at 17:00

There is exciting news for Disney Channel viewers in the New Year: we are premiering a brand-new Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), Upside-Down Magic, on Friday 29th January at 17:00.

When 13-year-old Nory discovers she can flux into animals, and her best friend Reina can manipulate flames, together they enter the Sage Academy for Magical Studies. Reina's expert ability to harness the power of fire lands her at the top of her class of "Flares," but Nory's wonky magic and proclivity for turning into a "Dritten" (a half-kitten, half-dragon)-lands her in a class for those with Upside-Down Magic, otherwise known as UDM. While Headmaster Knightslinger believes the UDM's unconventional powers leave them vulnerable to dangerous and evil "shadow magic," Nory and her fellow UDM classmates set out to prove that Upside-Down Magic beats right side up!

Brand-new DCOM Upside-Down Magic premieres on Friday 29th January at 17:00, as part of our Friday Movie Nights, on Disney Channel. Happy New Year!

DISNEY CHANNEL FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIES
Programming event
Fridays throughout January 2021 at 17:00

Disney Channel’s Friday treat for film fans continues into the New Year, with some great entertainment to celebrate the start of each weekend. There’s a marvellous movie every Friday at 17:00, repeated on Saturday at 10:40.

The fun starts with Cheetah Girls on New Year’s Day, (Friday 1st January), followed by Cheetah Girls 2 (Friday 8th January), Cloud 9 (Friday 15th January), The Swap (Friday 22nd January) and last of all our fabulous new DCOM Upside-Down Magic (Friday 29th January), all at 17:00.

In The Cheetah Girls (Friday 1st January at 17:00) four New York teens face the challenges of growing up as they dance and sing their way towards that elusive record deal. Raven stars alongside Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan.

Viewers can see these great Disney movies on Fridays throughout January 2021 at 17:00, repeated on the following Saturday at 10:40, on Disney Channel.

Disney Channel is available on DStv channel 303

Disney Junior Africa Starts The New Year With A New Season Of Vampirina

Vampirina, Disney Junior viewers’ favourite young monster, is back to share even more of her monster-self with her human friends, inviting them on spooktacular adventures in her magical haunted house and throughout Transylvania. Season three of her adventures launches on the channel on Monday 11th January 2021 at 07:00, and continues with more premiere episodes on weekdays at the same time until Friday 22nd January.

In the two stories which make up the season launch episode, Weekly Normalness/Vampire's Luck (Monday 11th January at 07:00) when Edgar struggles with his new blog for the world wide cobweb, Vee, Gregoria and Demi help him come up with an idea. Then Nan gives Vee a good luck charm for her ballet performance.

Great news for fans of this “fang-tastic” show is that they have a second chance to see these brand new episodes back-to-back in a marathon block, on Saturday 16th and Sunday 24th January from 11:00 to 14:00.

Season three of Vampirina launches on Disney Junior on Monday 11th January 2021, and continues with premiere episodes on weekdays until Friday 22nd January, at 07:00.

Disney Junior is available on DStv channel 309

Close Enemies Season 2 Coming Soon To Telemundo Africa

The show went on hiatus on Telemundo Africa for literally a year after the first season of Enemigo Íntimo made its debut on Telemundo Africa in January 2020.

The second season of Close Enemies (Enemigo Íntimo) takes place two years after the first season. Roxana (Fernanda Castillo), who can no longer hide under the alias of "El Profesor", will fight to reestablish the Mil Cumbres cartel and grow her empire, but Alejandro (Raúl Méndez), commander of the Anti-Drug Unit, will not be willing to leave her now that he knows that "El Profesor" and her missing sister are the same person. These conflicts between opposing sides unleashed a war of revenge between two blood brothers, now turned into worse enemies.

Catch Close Enemies season 2 weeknights from 22:00 CAT/21:00 WAT/23:00 EAT which comes around the time as Laws Of The Heart.

Telemundo is available on DStv and GOtv

As Die Skoen Pas Coming Soon To eExtra

To start off the new year, the channel will be introducing another Afrikaans dubbed Turkish drama as part of the Kuiertyd block on eExtra called As Die Skoen Pas.

As Die Skoen Pas (Kiralık Aşk), when Defne's brother gets into debt and is held captive, Defne is forced to accept an offer in exchange for the money. She has to make omer, a wealthy shoe designer who owns a company, fall in love with her and marry her. Barış Arduç and Elçin Sangu take up the lead roles.

Since the series debut back in 2015, it managed to rollout in 14 other countries with 2 additional countries including South Africa only getting them in 2021.

Catch it weekdays at 19:30 from Monday 18 January. Yes, I'm aware a rerun of Deur Dik En Dun occupied that timeslot. So what will happen is the repeat will air after Begeertes which comes at a time the show changes its storyline.

As Die Skoen Pas joins other Afrikaans dubbed Turkish dramas currently seen on eExtra such as Deur Dik En Dun, Elif and Begeertes.

There's also another romcom coming later in the year....

eExtra is available on OpenView, DStv and Starsat

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Three Months After The UK Shuttered Their Disney Channels, Several Other Markets Follow

Disney XD In Africa alongside the UK Disney Channels shut down back in October. This was due to ongoing review of the entertainment with the other being the launch of Disney+.

Since the streaming service launch you've seen several markets shut down their Disney Channels particularly Disney XD now the demise of the brand continues with Malaysia which is connected to other regions.

We’re delighted to share that Astro is refreshing its Kids Pack for the next generation of Malaysian kids with two exciting new entertainment channels plus 10,000 On Demand episodes starting December 15.

First, please welcome Boomerang (Ch 619) and Nick Jr. (Ch 617) to our family. These two great channels will join Cartoon Network (Ch 615 HD / Ch 635) and Nickelodeon (Ch 616 HD / Ch 636) on the Kids Pack, and will complement Baby TV (Ch 618), Astro Xiao Tai Yang (Ch 304 HD / Ch 344), Chutti TV (Ch 213), Astro Tutor TV (Ch 601 / Ch 602 / Ch 603), Astro TVIQ (Ch 610), and, of course, Malaysia’s no. 1 kids entertainment brand, Astro Ceria (Ch 611 HD / Ch 631). We’re looking forward to pre-school favourite Nick Jr. (Ch 617) enhancing our line up with global hits like Paw Patrol, Dora the Explorer, Top Wings, Shimmer and Shine and Blue`s Clues & You whilst Boomerang (Ch 619), with its multi-generational appeal, is the home of hit shows such as Mr. Bean: The Animated Series, My Little Pony: Pony Life, Scooby-doo! Guess Who?, The Tom & Jerry Show, The Looney Tunes Show and Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures.

In addition, we have over 10,000 episodes of quality children’s entertainment and education available on Astro On Demand and Astro GO including hits such as We Bare Bears, SpongeBob SquarePants, Beyblade, Upin & Ipin, Ejen Ali, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, Ben 10, Peppa Pig, Lego Friends, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bandanamu Kids Songs, Molang, Oddbods, Thomas & Friends, SMK, Omar & Hana, Didi and Friends, The Five Elves, Happy Little Submarines, Motu Patlu, Bahubali, and much, much more!

And there’s more! We’re just putting the final touches to FAMtv (Ch 100), a brand new pop-up channel for all customers to enjoy from December 15. FAMtv (Ch 100) promises something the whole family can enjoy with Malaysia’s favourites such as Running Man, Mr. Bean, Doraemon, Phua Chu Kang, Crayon Sin Chan, Dexter’s Laboratory, Kampung Boy and many more.

While we’re delighted about our refreshed kids content slate we should also advise that Disney has notified all regional South East Asia partners it will be discontinuing the Disney XD HD (Ch 612) on 31 December 2020, 24:00 hours. As part of this upcoming refresh of our Kids Pack, Disney Channel HD (Ch 614 HD / Ch 634) and Disney Junior HD (Ch 613) will also cease broadcast on our network on 31 December 2020, 24:00 hours. We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and regret any inconvenience caused.

As always, our customers, especially our young ones, remain at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to continuously improving our children’s entertainment and education offerings and can’t wait to share all of the great new line up. It all begins in just a few days!

Update: Greece will shut down Disney XD early next year

Friday, December 11, 2020

80 Projects Announced At 2020 Disney Investor Day

Here are the 80 biggest announcements Disney made.

The Walt Disney Company on Thursday night held a virtual 2020 Disney Investor Day that included a raft of content announcements that ranged from the Kardashians to the Marvel universe, from Pixar to National Geographic and even that Star Wars galaxy far, far away.

Disney's presentation was strongly focused on how the Mouse House is bolstering its catalogue of its Disney+ video streaming service, clearly showing that as the world's second-biggest streaming service it is ready to take on Netflix for first place.

Disney executives said that it's main-focus in content creation is now on growing its direct-to-consumer business, meaning Disney+, and that it is pivoting to a "DTC first business model".

Disney spoke multiple times about its Disney+ subscribers "all around the world" and new territories where it plans to launch Disney+ as well as its general entertainment video streamer STAR.

With its presentation Disney clearly wanted to show that it can rival or outpace a competitor like Netflix when it comes to creating new original content based on its own sought-after brands and intellectual property.

Here is the 80 most noteworthy announcements Disney made:

1. While Disney plans to rollout Disney+ in more countries and territories in 2021, the continent of Africa and South Africa as it's most developed TV market still doesn't feature anywhere.

Disney+ is already in all of the comparable markets to South Africa like the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South American countries, and Disney will roll out STAR as a new general entertainment video streamer in places like South America.

2. STAR as Disney's new subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service will be a general video entertainment service that will launch outside of the United States.

It will be for more mature audiences like adults and older teenagers, so it will, for instance, carry a film like Deadpool and general content that - although part of Disney - Disney wants to keep separate from the kid and family-friendly Disney+ brand.

STAR is essentially the hulu video streamer that is available in America but that Disney last year said "has no name brand recognition" outside of America, which is why Disney is going with STAR internationally.

STAR will include series from Disney Television Studios and FX, as well as films and library content from the Disney library and its 21st Century acquisition, for instance, The Simpsons. Available content titles will only show up within STAR depending on the parental control level chosen.

In South America STAR will launch as it's own stand-alone service called STAR+. Elsewhere, for instance, in Australia, Canada and elsewhere, it will launch in February 2021 as STAR as the 6th tile within the existing Disney+ streaming service. Disney+ now has 86.8 million subscribers globally and will hike prices from March 2021 because of the fold-in STAR content offering.

3. hulu's The Handmaid's Tale seen on M-Net (DStv 101) and Showmax has been renewed for a 5th season.

4. The Kardashian Jenner clan and their Keeping Up with the Kardashians that got cancelled on NBCUniversal's E! (DStv 124) a few months ago is jumping into streaming. hulu and STAR is doing a new video streaming reality series with the Kardashians that it plans to run for several years.

hulu content, unlike Disney+ content, is for sale to M-Net so expect this series to show up on M-Net, one of the M-Net channels like VUZU, or somewhere on DStv.

5. FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia seen on M-Net (DStv 101) and Showmax has been renewed for a further 4 more seasons, taking it to season 18.

6. FX has commissioned an Alien TV series, as "the first Alien story set on Earth" and Ridley Scott is involved. "Set not too far into our future, it's the first Alien story set on Earth. By blending both the timeless horror of the first film with the action of the second, it's going to be a scary thrill-ride that will blow people back in their seats". This series will very likely be available for pick-up by M-Net (DStv 101) or FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131).

7. FX is working on Shogun, a new series based on the James Clavell novel, as "one of the most sweeping, sophisticated adult series that FX has ever created". It is "set within the riveting and real Game of Thrones that was feudal Japan".

8. Disney and Lucasfilm are working to bring a further 10 Star Wars series to Disney+. Star Wars The Mandalorian is getting two, live-action spin-off TV series. Star Wars Rangers of the New Republic and Star Wars Asoka will both be set within the timeline of The Mandalorian. "These interconnected shows along with future stories will excite new audiences," says Disney. These series will "culminate in a climactic story event".

9. "One of the most exciting and ambitious series we have coming to Disney+ in 2022 is Endor - a tense, nailbiting spy-thriller in the Star Wars universe," with Diego Luna back in the role as Rebel spy Cassian Endor from Rogue One. Production on Endor started in London 2 weeks ago.

10. Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi is a special event series and will start 10 years after the dramatic events of the Revenge of the Sith film. "Hayden Christensen will be returning in the role of Darth Vader. This will be the rematch of the century". Production will start in March 2021.

11. The animation series Star Wars The Bad Batch is a new spinoff from Star Wars The Clone Wars and "follows the specialist commandos of Clone Force 99 as they embark on new missions in a rapidly changing galaxy".

12. Star Wars Visions will be a series of animated short films celebrating the Star Wars galaxy through the lens of the world's best anime creators. This anthology collection will bring 10 stories from the leading Japanese anime studios to life and offer a fresh and culturally diverse perspective on Star Wars.

13. In Star Wars Lando, Lando Calrissian will return in a brand-new limited, event series.

14. Star Wars The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into "a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers in the final days of the High Republic Era".

15. Lucasfilm Animation is teaming up with Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to develop A Droid Story. "This epic journey will introduce us to a new hero guided by our most iconic duo, R2-D2 and C-3PO on a special mission, known only to them".

16. The new Willow series will be set decades after Ron Howard's 1988 movie "continuing the spirit of adventure, heroics and humour of the original film". Filming starts in March 2021 in Wales and will debut on Disney+ in 2022.

17. The next and final film of Indiana Jones is in pre-production. Harrison Ford will be back to "conclude this iconic character's journey". Indiana Jones will start shooting in late 2021 and will be released in July 2022.

18. Tomi Adeyemi's book Children of Blood and Bone is getting the feature film treatment and the story will revolve "around a young African girl's heart-racing quest to restore magic to her forsaken people, the magi".

19. Taika Waititi is busy writing the next Star Wars film.

20. Patty Jenkins will be directing the next Star Wars film, Star Wars Rogue Squadron that will "introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride". Rogue Squadron will be released in cinemas Christmas 2023.

21. Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic content, says the new documentary film Cousteau "features never-before-seen archival footage as a deep-dive into the fascinating life of the man who first showed us the beauty and wonder under the sea".

22. The National Geographic anthology series Genius is moving exclusively to Disney+ from the 4th season that will dramatise and profile the life of the American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.

23. James Cameron is doing the new National Geographic natural history series, Secrets of the Whales, narrated by Sigourney Weaver, showcasing never-before-seen behaviour from 5 different whale species.

24. A Real Bug's Life will be using the latest miniaturised camera technology to capture and show the world of insects from the African savannah to New York's urban life.

25. America The Beautiful is a natural history portrait series showing the wildlife and places of the United States.

26. In Welcome to Earth, Will Smith takes viewers on a journey around the world, exploring the strangeness of our planet and some of the most extreme and exciting places, for instance, the side of a volcano and going inside a glacier in Iceland.

27. Big Shot from David E. Kelly is a new dramedy series set in the world of high school basketball with John Stamos who becomes the coach of a girls team at a private California high school.

28. Beauty and the Beast The Prequel Series will be a live-action drama series set before the events of the film with Luke Evans and Josh Gad who will return to reprise their roles.

29. Swiss Family Robinson will be a live-action drama series and reimagine the classic story as a live-action drama series.

30. The Mysterious Benedict Society is a live-action dramedy, based on the young adult book.

31. Disney is working on Hocus Pocus 2 as a "spooky sequel" to the original bewitching film.

32. Disney is "deep in development" with "a hilarious take on the 80s comedy" Three Men and a Baby. Aiming for a 2022 release, Three Men and a Baby has Zac Efron attached in a starring role.

33. Greek Freak, heading into production in 2021, is a biopic based on the life of the life story of NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family as they lifted themselves out of poverty as undocumented immigrants living in Greece. Disney+ is developing another similar biopic about another NBC star, Chris Paul.

34. The live-action film Flora & Ulysses is based on the book about the girl Flora and her squirrel Ulysses and will be released in February 2021 on Disney+.

35. In 2022, Disney is reimagining the comedy Cheaper by the Dozen, centred around a multi-racial, blended family of 12, navigating a hectic home-life, while managing their family business. Gabrielle Union will star in this reboot.

36. Disney is revisiting the beloved Diary of a Wimpy Kid but this time as an animation film.

37. After 5 films, 20th Century Studios is now in production on a spinoff film, exclusively for Disney+ entitled The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild and will revolve around the possum brothers and weasel Buck.

38. Night at the Museum is returning as a new animated film.

39. In July 2021 Disney will release Jungle Cruise with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.

40. Disney is developing "a Lion King prequel of sorts that revisits these iconic characters" and production is underway on the already-announced live-action version of The Little Mermaid that will have the classic songs as well as new music.

41. Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is becoming a Disney+ hybrid live-action and animation film. In this film, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, "cartoon are living among us, in all their forms, and let us just say they may have gone a little overboard to keep up with current popularity of CGI". The film will be release in late-2022.

42. The live-action remake of Pinnochio was already announced but the Tom Hanks film with state-of-the-art special effects is now moving to Disney+.

43. Peter Pan & Wendy is a new film specifically for Disney+ with Jude Law as Captain Hook.

44. Disney confirms that Amy Adams will be back as Giselle in a sequel to Enchanted exclusively for Disney+. The live-action film, Disenchanted will once again follow the hapless Disney princess who accidentally found herself in New York.

45. Disney is developing Sister Act 3 - and Whoopi Goldberg will be back in the starring role and producing. Tyler Perry is also a producer on the project.

46. The already-announced live-action film Cruella will dive into the early life of "one of the most notorious, and most notoriously fashionable villains, the legendary Cruella de Ville played by Emma Stone. Set in the 1970's punk-rock London, Cruella (then Estella) is noticed as a burgeoning fashion designer.

47. Walt Disney Animation Studios is doing its first-ever original animation series based on the Big Hero 6 film, entitled Baymax!. It will be on Disney+ in early-2022.

48. Zootopia+ is a short-form series that will take a hilarious look at some of the animal that moviegoers only briefly met in the film. Viewers will get to know more about Zootopia's hottest shows like The Real Housewives of Little Rodentia, So You Think You Can Prance about the back-up tiger dancers, and a show that follows the fast lane of sloth speed. Zootopia+ will release on Disney+ in late-2022.

49. Tiana is a new long-form animation series coming to Disney+ in 2023 and revolves around the Disney princess and her friends in a musical comedy series with Tiana stepping into her role as a princess of a land yet to be seen, as well as with a lot of New Orleans to be discovered.

50. Disney is developing a long-form musical comedy series, Moana, to explore new stories with this character. "In this series, Moana's boundless sense of adventure takes her far beyond the reef". Moana the series will be on Disney+ in 2023.

51. Walt Disney Animation Studios is teaming up with the pan-African comic book company Kugali to create the original animation series Iwájú for Disney+. Walt Disney Africa was asked how viewers in Africa will be able to see Iwájú - that roughly means "the future" but the company didn't respond. Iwájú will debut on Disney+ in 2022. The long-form series, steeped in science fiction, is set in Lagos, Nigeria.

52. Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature film will be an animation musical set in Colombia, where a magical family lives in a magical home in Encanto. Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is attached with songs in Spanish and English.

53. Pixar has a new upcoming animation spinoff series from the UP film entitled Dug Days, following the talking dog's adventures and that will release around March 2021.

54. The Cars franchise is making a comeback around late-2022 with a new animation series following Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater as they head on a roadtrip across America. Episodes will be filled with imaginative new destinations as well as old friends.

55. Win Or Lose is Pixar's first long-form original animation series and follows a primary school sports team in the week leading up to a game. Each 20-minute episode follows the same week but from the perspective of a different character. The Pixar series will debut on Disney+ in late-2023.

56. Luca is a new Pixar animated feature film set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian riviera following the adventures of the boy Luca and his friend Alberto experiencing an unforgettable summer. It will debut in cinemas worldwide in June 2021.

57. Around March 2022 Pixar will release the feature film Turning Red revolving around May, a confident 13-year old who uncontrollably turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets excited.

58. In mid-2022 Pixar plans to release Lightyear in cinemas. Remember in Toy Story how the Buzz Lightyear doll action figure was based on a never-seen film? Lightyear is now that film as the "definitive origin-story of the original Buzz Lightyear and reveals how this young test pilot became the space ranger we all know him to be today". Captain America's Chris Evans will be voicing Buzz.

59. Marvel Studios' already-announced WandaVision series coming 15 January 2021 released a new trailer and it looks a bit like the Pleasantville film, with the characters of Wanda and Vision who will discover that they're trapped in some reality/universe not of their making.

60. Marvel Studios' Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be released in cinemas 25 March 2022 and will connect directly to the events of Wandavision and will also connect to the new Spider-Man film coming to theatres in December 2021.

61. Marvel Studios also unveiled a new trailer for the already-announced Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier coming from March 2021 and will be "a cinematic experience playing out over 6 episodes".

62. The already-announced Black Widow will return to the big screen on 7 May 2021 with Scarlett Johansson.

63. Loki with Tom Hiddleston will debut as a Disney+ series in May 2021 and is joined by Owen Wilson, Richard E. Grant and others. "We've put Loki in the centre of his own crime-thriller. If that sounds a little confusing, don't worry, Loki is just as confused."

64. What If...? is the first animated series from Marvel Studios and will release on Disney+ in mid-2021. The series "flips the script on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), taking famous events from the films and reimagining them in unexpected ways". Many MCU actors will reprise their roles for their animation versions.

65. Production has just wrapped in Australia on the film Chang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and will release in cinemas on 9 July 2021.

66. The already-announced American-Pakistani superhero series Ms Marvel will release next year on Disney+ with Iman Vellani in the title role.

67. The already-announced Captain Marvel 2 is currently in the works and will also be connected to the Wandavision series.

68. The already-announced Eternals will release in cinemas ofrom 5 November 2021 and Marvel Studios describes it as "introducing a brand-new emsembleof superheroes" that "is an epic story spanning thousands of years and is one of our most ambitious films yet".

69. The original Avenger Jeremy Renner returns to star in Hawkeye launching on Disney+ in late 2021. In this new series Hawkeye will team up with another well-known archer Kate Bishop who will be played by Hailee Seinfeld.

70. She Hulk is coming to Disney+ as a new series and is described as "a very funny series" with Tatiana Maslany in the title role. Tim Roth is returning as the Abomination first introduced in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk will be appearing in the series as well.

71. Moon Knight is an action-adventure, Indiand Jones type story from Marvel Studios as a Disney+ series. Moon Knight is a vigilante suffering from disassociative identity disorder and these multiple identities are very distinct characters. The backdrop to the series is Egyptian iconography.

72. Secret Invasion was a Marvel Comics cross-over story and now with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury is a new series coming to Disney+.

73. Ironheart is a new Disney+ series about inventor Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, who makes her own most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Ironheart and Secret Invasion will both tie-in to MCU feature films.

74. Production is also underway on a new series, Armor Wars. Tony Stark's worse feat comes true - it's what happens when his tech falls into the wrong hands. Don Cheadle will appear as War Machine.

75. Marvel Studios will be doing a live-action The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Disney+ with James Gunn as writer and director and will release in December 2023.

76. Baby Groot, everybody's favourite little tree, will appear in the series I Am Groot on Disney+, featuring several new characters.

77. Thor Love and Thunder will start filming in January 2021 with director Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Tessa Thompson returning and Christian Bale as Gorr, the God Butcher. It will release in cinemas on 22 May 2022.

78. Development and storylines are coming together for Blade with Mahershala Ali in the title role.

79. The third Ant-Man film from Marvel Studios will officially be called Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania. Paul Rudd as Ant-Man will be back together with Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kathryn Newton is joining the cast as Cassie Lang.

80. Black Panther II won't recast the role of Chadwick Boseman and will release in cinemas 8 July 2022. Writer and director Ryan Coogler is working on the story. Marvel Studios is working on a new The Fantastic 4 feature film.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

SABC, e.tv And DStv Ratings For November 2020

SABC 1:
Uzalo - 8 529 490
Generations the Legacy - 7 323 551
Skeem Saam - 5 446 976
Xhosa News - 4 103 578
Zulu News - 3 947 110
Sgud'snaysi - 3 882 355
Mtn 8: 2nd Leg Semi Final Kaizer Chiefs - 3 117 079
Nyan Nyan - 2 964 280
The Braai Show with Aka - 2 887 285
Live Amp - 2 836 858
Uxolile - 2 819 528
The Prophetess - 2 804 214
Skeem Saam (Repeat) - 2 791 321
Selimathunzi - 2 769 572
Uzalo (Repeat) - 2 728 246
Family Secrets - 2 708 970
Real Goboza - 2 615 225
Throwback Thursday - 2 581 194
Love & Maskandi - 2 558 027
Uzalo (Omnibus) - 2 527 150

SABC 2:
Muvhango - 3 794 449
Lithapo - 1 844 964
Kliphard - 1 691 685
7De Laan - 1 543 533
Vutha - 1 408 698
Mokgonyana Mmatswale - 1 187 936
Ngwanaka Ngwanaka O Kae - 1 117 443
Nuus - 1 091 057
Mohlolohadi 2 - 1 033 692
Muvhango (Omnibus) - 948 499
Ses/Tsw/Sep News - 869 596
Morning Live - 783 352
Live Lotto Draw - 2 772 495
Lithapo (Repeat) - 737 840
Setswana/Sesotho News - 704 330
Venda/Tsonga News - 670 859
Uzalo (Repeat) - 654 532
Touched by An Angel - 644 844
Crown Gospel Music Awards - 644 552
Koskaskenades - 642 201

SABC 3:
Afcon 2021 Qualifiers South Africa vs Sa - 1 242 030
Soccer Wrap - 685 527
Earth's Great Rivers - 643 072
Earth's Great Seasons - 483 348
Music - 453 227
Bundesliga Dortmund vs Bayern - 444 533
News - 437 624
The Insider Sa (Repeat) - 436 189
Knight Rider - 433 479
Days on the Street - 428 870
Kfc T20 International:South Africa vs En - 412 375
Soccer Build-up - 400 706
The Greatest Dancer - 392 544
The A-Team - 390 972
Bride Wars - 335 036
Ama Knows Best (Repeat) - 333 747
Generations the Legacy (Repeat) - 333 303
Magnum P.I. - 329 038
Celebrated Love - 326 034
Mela Maga - 322 969

e.tv:
Scandal - 5 062 166
Rhythm City - 3 920 618
Imbewu - 3 454 008
The Jungle Book - 2 972 167
The Lion King - 2 683 189
Jumanji:Welcome to the Jungle
Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation
Mad Max Fury Road - 2 583 373
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - 2 459 296
News - 2 452 510
Journey 2 Mysterious Island - 2 290 909
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - 2 095 736
Durban Gen - 2 005 932
Imbewu (Repeat) - 1 727 819
Just for Laughs Gags Filler - 1 711 976
Checkpoint (News) - 1 710 656
The Wolverine - 1 686 812
Scandal (Repeat) - 1 648 576
Rhythm City (Repeat) - 1 534 531
Little Big Shots Forever Young - 1 526 913

DStv:
Gomora (Drama, Mzansi) - 1 317 325 & 1 640 143
The Queen (Drama, Mzansi) - 1 295 432 & 1 641 515
Idols SA (Mzansi) - 1 180 435 & 1 511 709
Uthando Nesthembu (Mzansi) - 933 800 & 1 187 453
The River (Drama, Mzansi) - 915 498 & 1 105 578
Isibaya (Drama, Mzansi) - 903 999 & 1 083 311
You Promise to Marry Me (Moja) - 859 437 & 1 060 304
The Powerball Draw (Mzansi) - 784 073 & 985 013
Our Perfect Wedding (Wethu) 753 032 & 933 160
Ehostela (Drama, Wethu) 658 001 & 831 748
The Queen (Omnibus, Wethu) - 653 285 & 817 452
Accused (Drama, Wethu) - 617 232 & 755 376
Vula Vala (Drama, Mzansi) - 594 972 & 734 718
Mzan 2000-2159 (Mzansi) - 585 352 & 712 410
Izangoma Zodumo (Mzansi) - 548 611 & 661 930
Unmarried (Drama, Mzansi) 537 045 & 682 896
Isibaya (Repeat, Wethu) - 536 112 & 652 405
The Throne (Repeat, Wethu) - 535 331 & 627 477
The Queen (Repeat, Wethu) - 526 948 & 603 146
Mzan 1800-1959 (Mzansi) - 518 350 & 638 537
Love & Loss (Mzansi) 485 563 & 577 234
Isithembiso (Drama, Wethu) - 482 578 & 543 023
The Score (Movie, Mzansi) - 477 902 & 607 354
Ingane Yam (Mzansi) - 472 199 & 538 411
Emlanjeni (Bioskop) - 454 856 & 615 879
Themba Lam (Bioskop) - 430 655 & 490 837
The River (Repeat, Mzansi) - 425 835 & 502 601
Uyangenza (Bioskop) - 423 933 & 524 581
Gomora (Repeat, Mzansi) 420 728 & 473 460
Rea Tsotella Maga (Moja) - 419 387 & 463 278

Elinor Wonders Why Airs On PBS Kids Africa

Elinor Wonders Why encourages children to follow their curiosity, ask questions when they don’t understand and find answers using science inquiry skills. The main character Elinor, the most observant and curious bunny rabbit in Animal Town, will introduce kids ages 3-5 to science, nature and community through adventures with her friends. This new multiplatform series, created by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson and produced in partnership with Pipeline Studios.

“Kids love to ask questions about how the world works,” said Linda Simensky, Vice President, Children’s Programming, PBS. “That’s what makes ELINOR WONDERS WHY such a perfect show for preschoolers. Kids will recognize themselves in Elinor’s boundless curiosity as she pursues the questions she wonders about – making observations and reveling in nature’s amazing answers.”

The stories in ELINOR WONDERS WHY center around Elinor and her friends Ari, a funny and imaginative bat, and Olive, a perceptive and warm elephant. As kids explore Animal Town, they will meet all kinds of interesting, funny, and quirky characters, each with something to teach us about respecting others, the importance of diversity, caring for the environment, and working together to solve problems. In each episode, Elinor models the foundational practices of science inquiry and engineering design -- including her amazing powers of observation and willingness to ask questions and investigate. When she encounters something she doesn’t understand, like why birds have feathers or how tiny ants build massive anthills, she just can’t let it go until she figures it out. And in discovering the answers, Elinor often learns something about nature’s ingenious inventions and how they can connect to ideas in our designed world, and what it takes to live in a community. Elinor Wonders Why encourages children and parents to ask their own questions and experience the joy of discovery and understanding together.

“We want to encourage children’s curious nature and share with them the fun and joy of discovery. We hope to show children that science is not just a list of facts, but a way of answering questions, and of learning about the world,” said co-creators Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson.

Each episode of Elinor Wonders Why will include two animated 11-minute stories with accompanying interstitial content. The series is currently in production for 40 half-hour episodes.

Catch the first episode on Friday, 11 December at 16:00 CAT/15:00 WAT/17:00 EAT

PBS Kids is available on DStv across Africa and GOtv in selected markets.

Mindset Pop And ZNBC Education Stops Airing On DStv

On December, 10 at 23:59 ZNBC Education (DStv channel 315) and Mindset POP (DStv channel 317) will go off air as the agreement states these channels were available for a limited period.

A representative of DStv stated a few months back that Mindset POP was available on a full-time basis and you clearly see that's not the case. Of course the owners of the channel are hoping to continue the brand on another platform or they could move them to Mindset.

ZNBC Education came in as a walking Mindset channel in the same market where that channel pretty much existed. It was helpful since Mindset couldn't cover certain learning areas. The content there was live as well like POP.

Kids can look out for more developments in 2021

Even though, these channels will stopped being active you can view other safe and educational content on CBeebies (DStv channel 306), Disney Junior (DStv channel 309), JimJam (DStv channel 310), PBS Kids (DStv channel 313), ZooMoo (DStv channel 314), Da Vinci Kids (DStv channel 318) and Mindset (DStv channel 319).

January 2021 On MTV Africa | New Season | CE: ITC | ASS (WT)

The Hills: New Beginnings S2
Tuesday 19 January 2021 – 23 March 2021 At 21:30 CAT
A few television personalities and their socialite friends navigate the glitz and
glamour of Los Angeles while trying to live fulfilling personal lives.

Celeb Ex: In the City
Thursday 7 January 2021 – 11 February 2021 At 21:30 CAT

All Star Shores (WT)
Thursday 28 January – 15 April 2021 At 15:00 CAT

January 2021 On BET Africa | SVCB | New Season & Episodes

SAVANNA VIRTUAL COMEDY BAR
NEW SHOW
STARTS 14 JANUARY AT 22:00
THURSDAYS 22:30
Comedy Central Live Savanna Virtual Comedy Bar features both established and up and coming local comedians in an exciting virtual format tackling everything from dating to food, family, heritage, politics, and language barriers amongst others.

OVAL S2
NEW SEASON
STARTS 21 JANUARY WEDNESDAYS AT 22:30
“The Oval” tells the story of a family placed in the White House by people of power while also highlighting the personal side and everyday lives of the staff who run the inner workings of the nation’s most iconic residence. Ed Quinn, Kron Moore, Paige Hurd, Daniel Croix Henderson, Javon Johnson, Ptosha Storey, Vaughn Hebron, Teesha Renee, Lodric Collins, Ciera Payton, Taja V. Simpson, Walter Fauntleroy, Brad Benedict, Travis Cure and Matthew Law star in the 25-episodes original series.

BLACK INK CREW
NEW EPISODES
STARTS 19 JANUARY TUESDAY AT 22:00 TUESDAYS AT 22:00
The sixth season of the reality television series Black Ink Crewchronicles the daily operations and staff drama at an African American-owned and operatedtattoo shop in Harlem, New York.

Mi Corazon Insiste En Lola Volcan Makes Its Comeback On The New Year On Another Station

The series graced Africa's screens when Telemundo made its successful debut in the market back in 2013 alongside Aurora, Behind Closed Doors, Precious Rose and the late bloomer The Del Monte Dynasty.

The love Lola and Andres have for one another knows no boundaries. Hopeful with the idea of loving each other for eternity, they decide to elope to Las Vegas, confronting Andres’ family, who has always opposed their relationship. Little did they know that their decisions would bring about the greatest misfortune of their lives. Lola, in an act of rebellion against her aunt Chabela and her mother Soledad, who also oppose their love, escapes one night and gets a salamander tattooed on her back. The tattoo is a symbol of her love for Andres, who has called her “my salamander” since they met. Marcelo Santacruz, Andres’ father, puts him back in the military school from which he escaped, making sure that this time Andres is watched extra closely. As if this was not enough, Marcelo also schemes to lock Lola in jail – where she will remain for more than five years.

During this time of imprisonment, Lola will learn to survive through her spiritual strength, a strength she learned since childhood from her aunt Chabela. She will keep her hope to reunite with Andres alive, not knowing that destiny has other plans for her.

Once out of jail, Lola will confront a series of misfortunes that will change her whole existence. Her aunt Chabela dies and her mother suffers with severe depression and needs to be admitted into a psychiatric hospital. Andres, her only remaining life support, is about to marry Debora, his eternal admirer, who hates Lola since they were little girls. Desperate, feeling deceived and without means, Lola decides to accept a marriage proposal from a family acquaintance who acts as her protector. Andres will insist on winning Lola over once again, but it will seem that this couple will never be able to make it so their paths unite… nor fully separate. Out of spite, Lola rejects Andres and marries four times, although none of her husbands will be suitable or lasting, since all will die unexpectedly, not long after saying “I do.”

Lola considers Andres her best friend, her first love, and the only man she’s given everything to, but her pride and determination to not depend on others push her to fight against what her heart really wants, causing this love to appear nearly impossible.

Follow the journey of My Heart Beats For Lola weekdays at 23:00 from Monday 11 January on eExtra

Yes, it will return to Telemundo Africa

eExtra is available on OpenView, DStv and Starsat

Friday, December 4, 2020

What To Expect On Discovery Plus?

In the U.S., discovery+ will offer more than 55,000 episodes all in one place, with over 2,500 current and classic shows from Discovery’s iconic portfolio of networks, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Viewers in the U.S. will also gain access to new series from iconic franchises and personalities such as Chip and Joanna Gaines; Will Packer and Kevin Hart; 90 Day Fiancé; Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis; Duff Goldman; Amy Schumer; Carla Hall; David Schwimmer; Sir David Attenborough; Ben Napier; Sebastian Maniscalco; Joe Kenda; Mike Rowe and many others. A list of discovery+ original greenlights can be found below.

As part of a new content partnership, discovery+ will bring together for the first time the top non-fiction content from A&E, The HISTORY Channel and Lifetime with the Discovery brand portfolio, deepening the service’s leadership position as the premier destination for the best in real life entertainment. More than 1,500 episodes of content from popular franchises from A&E networks on discovery+ will include The First 48, Bring It, Dance Moms, Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars, Ancient Aliens, Storage Wars, 60 Days In, Intervention and Ghost Hunters.

Additionally, discovery+ will also offer the definitive collection of nature and environmental programming, headlined by exclusive streaming access to the BBC’s largest natural history offering, including The Mating Game, Planet Earth and Blue Planet, plus content from digital-first brand The Dodo. discovery+ will also feature special content partnerships with the top environmental organizations in the world, including The Explorers Club, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), The Nature Conservancy (a U.S.-based global conservation organization), Oceana and World Wildlife Fund.

DISCOVERY+ GLOBAL ROLLOUT

Internationally, Discovery will leverage its massive library of local-language content, as well as its broad portfolio of live sports, to drive its direct-to-consumer offering across more than 25 key markets in 2021, including the Nordics, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. discovery+ will also launch in Latin American markets, including a planned launch in Brazil, and in parts of Asia.

Expanding upon Discovery’s strong relationships with distribution partners, discovery+ launched with Sky in the U.K. and Ireland last month. Sky is currently offering discovery+ to its millions of Sky Q customers for 12 months at no extra cost. discovery+ will further be supported by TIM in Italy in early 2021.

In the European markets launching in 2021, discovery+ will be supported by Eurosport’s unrivalled, premium and locally-relevant multi-sport offering, which includes the tennis Grand Slams, cycling Grand Tours, motorsport, football and winter sports. Beginning with the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year, it will become the streaming Home of the Olympics* in Europe with access to every minute, every medal, and every hero live and on demand.

JB Perrette, President and CEO of Discovery International, said:

“With decades of connecting audiences in every corner of the globe to the local voices and stories they love, Discovery drives inspiration, aspiration and loyalty everywhere, like few media brands can. discovery+ will harness our unique global and local model and strategy to serve fans around the world as we bring the best of real life entertainment to customers in a whole new way.”

DISCOVERY+ PRICING

For direct purchase, discovery+ will be available in the U.S. starting at $4.99 per month, with an ad-free version available for $6.99 per month. Each account will include up to five user profiles and four concurrent streams, among the most offered in the streaming video category. At launch, discovery+ will be available across major platforms, including connected TVs, web, mobile and tablets. Verizon customers will receive up to 12 months of discovery+ on select plans.

DISCOVERY+ CONTENT & EXCLUSIVE DEALS

discovery+ will feature a wide range of exclusive series – including more than 1,000 hours of discovery+ original content in year one – across popular passion verticals for which Discovery brands are known.

In the U.S., discovery+ will feature an exclusive first look at content from the Magnolia Network, the forthcoming multiplatform joint venture with Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Magnolia Network preview includes advance access to some of the Gaineses’ most-anticipated projects, including the newest iteration of the show that started it all with Fixer Upper: Welcome Home; episodes of the cooking series Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, where viewers will spend time in the kitchen with Joanna as she shares with us her favorite recipes, where they come from, and why she finds herself returning to them time and time again; Road to Launch, featuring intimate conversations between the Gaineses and various talent from the upcoming Magnolia Network programming slate; the documentary Courage to Run, which chronicles a fortuitous meeting that inspired Chip to train for and complete his first marathon; and premiere episodes from ten upcoming Magnolia Network original series. The preview will be exclusive to discovery+ until the launch of Magnolia Network later in 2021.

At launch, discovery+ will be home to 90 Day Journey – a curated series featuring the ultimate collection of stories focused on fan-favorite couples – as well as an all-new 90 Day Fiancé tentpole series and multiple additional titles from across the franchise including game and talk show style formats totaling more than 200 hours of 90 Day content. Across platforms, 90 Day devotees have consumed a staggering 73 billion minutes of the franchise year to date. The series and its spinoffs currently air in nearly 170 countries and 40 languages, underscoring the massive global reach of the hit series. The first wave of 90 Day titles for discovery+ are included below, with more to be announced.

For the first time, discovery+ will offer all in one place the definitive collection of science, nature and environmental programming, headlined by exclusive streaming access to the BBC’s largest natural history offering, and featuring shows like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, as well as the U.S. premiere of A Perfect Planet. The new five-part series is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and created by the executive producer of Planet Earth and The Hunt. In a unique fusion of blue-chip natural history and earth sciences, A Perfect Planet explains how the living planet operates, showing how the forces of nature – weather, ocean currents, solar energy and volcanoes – drive, shape and support Earth’s great diversity of life. In doing so, it will reveal how animals are perfectly adapted to whatever the environment throws at them.

Exclusive originals coming to the U.S. product in 2021 will cover fan-favorite, real life genres, including:

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS
90 Day Bares All: Get ready for your favorite 90 Day couples to bare it all – the lies, the secrets and everything we couldn’t show on TV. Hosted by Shaun Robinson, this companion series to 90 Day Fiancé will put cast members in the hot seat where they reveal pivotal new information and speak completely uncensored. Exclusive content, must-see footage and all the stories behind 90 Day Fiancé!

90 Day Diaries: An intimate look into the lives of our couples, told from their perspective. Without producers or crew, the cast members film themselves in their day-to-day lives as they continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the new challenges it brings to their relationships.

90 Day Journey: The ultimate collection of 90 Day Fiancé stories for the 90 Day Superfan are now on demand! Each curated mini-series is made up of every single scene a beloved couple has appeared in across each show in the 90 Day Universe. Now fans can watch each couples’ story from the very beginning how and when they want to.

The Other Way Strikes Back!: Viewers will get a fresh look at the duos fans have come to know and love, sharing their home lives, behind-the-scenes details missed by cameras and addressing some of the most outrageous, cringe-worthy moments, and sassy social media and pillow talk commentary of the second season of The Other Way.

LIFESTYLE
Long Island Medium: There in Spirit: Theresa Caputo has met the challenges that come with her gift of communicating with the departed for decades. Now, in light of COVID-19 with widespread mourning and isolation, the stakes are even higher as Theresa delivers messages and readings without always leaving her home. This season will feature those who couldn’t say goodbye to their loved ones, and there’s always time for a little Hollywood, with your favorite celebrities receiving virtual readings.
Food

Bobby and Giada in Italy: Longtime friends Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis take viewers on a culinary tour of Italy. It’s the ultimate road trip across the most delicious country on earth.

Cakealikes: This comedic, ultimate cake off competition challenges experts to create life-size cakes that are the spitting image of famed celebrities. Hosted by Tregaye Fraser and judged by hyper realistic cake artist Natalie Sideserf, hilarious food commentator Kalen Allen, and a rotating guest judge, this panel will keep you laughing through every red carpet cake-win and cake-fail!

Duff’s Happy Fun Bake Time: Headlined by Duff Goldman who, along with a cast of hilarious fantastical puppets from The Jim Henson Company, teaches the basics of cooking and how ingredients work together to create the food we love. This new series equals fun for the whole family.
Foodways with Carla Hall (working title): Celebrity chef, Carla Hall, takes us on a global adventure exploring the unknown histories within today’s American food culture. Marveling over the food that makes America delicious, she will break bread with friends, new and old, as she works backwards to trace and uncover the origins of favorite bites and classic dishes.

Luda Can’t Cook: Ludacris is both a legendary rapper and successful restaurateur, but his skills in the kitchen don’t match his talent in the studio. We’ll watch as he gets schooled in cooking.
Mary McCartney Serves it Up: It’s the most delicious and delectable invite as home cook Mary McCartney invites us into her London kitchen to serve up family favorites and fabulous vegetarian food her friends adore. In each episode, she’ll be joined by a famous friend, including Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie, Dave Grohl, Kate Hudson, Gayle King, Mark Ronson and Liv Tyler.

What’s Eating Sebastian Maniscalco (working title): We’ll go on a journey with comedian, social observer, and exasperated food lover, Sebastian Maniscalco, as he explores his own hot button questions in the world of food.
Amy Schumer Learns to Cook: Uncensored: discovery+ offers an updated and uncensored look at the Emmy-nominated series.
Home

Clipped: Hosted by actor Michael Urie, with lead judge Martha Stewart and her fellow judges, lifestyle/landscape expert Chris Lambton and renowned landscape designer Fernando Wong, this is the first-ever competition series set in the eye-popping world of Topiary. Competitors are real life Edward Scissorhands who make breathtaking sculptures out of meticulously trimmed shrubbery, plants and flowers, creating colorful, larger-than-life living pieces. High-stakes challenges include sculpting enormous animals or designing a living room with “furniture” made entirely of plants! Each week a topiarist is eliminated until one triumphs as “Clipped Champion” and wins a life-changing prize of $50,000.
Frozen in Time: Maureen McCormick and designer Dan Vickery overhaul homes that are stuck in a design time warp. Dan will update the structure, while Maureen sources beautiful decade-specific pieces to give the home a refreshed look and a wink to its original era.

House Hunters: Comedians on Couches Unfiltered: America’s favorite pastime – watching and commenting on House Hunters – will get a fun new twist in this pithy new series led by comedians Dan Levy and Natasha Leggero. The series will feature eight popular comedians as they deliver hilariously unfiltered color commentary on classic episodes of House Hunters. The celebrity lineup includes Seth Rogen, John Mulaney, Ali Wong, JB Smoove, Chelsea Peretti, Whitney Cummings, Margaret Cho and NBA star-turned-comic, Blake Griffin.

Home Town: Ben’s Workshop: Master wood worker Ben Napier will share his expertise in craftsmanship and carpentry with celebrity guests including astronaut Scott Kelly, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, comedian Loni Love, and country singer Chris Lane. In this four-episode series, Ben’s visitors are in for a fun Southern experience – building iconic wood projects and making surprise visits to donate them to the community or a neighbor.

True Crime
Queen of Meth: Meth didn’t start at our border, it started with Lori Arnold, sister of star Tom Arnold, in a cabin, in Iowa back in 1984. By 1986 she was at the center of the country’s meth boom – the Queen Pin of a multimillion-dollar enterprise, manufacturing and distributing the drug throughout the Midwest. Now, for the first time, she tells her whole story.

American Detective with Joe Kenda: Lt. Joe Kenda, one of the toughest, most experienced homicide detectives in ID history, is back exclusively on discovery+ with an all-new series. Over the years, Kenda has heard about cases that defy logic – investigations so confounding that they feel more scripted in Hollywood than reality. In American Detective, Kenda trades in his own case files to bring viewers astounding investigations from across the country, with each episode featuring a different homicide detective whose tireless efforts helped put a killer behind bars and bring justice for the victim.

Onision: In Real Life: Greg Jackson, known to the world as “Onision,” discovered YouTube when the platform was still burgeoning in the digital world. And as the power of YouTube grew, the character “Onision” grew with it. Jackson amassed millions of subscribers across multiple channels, luring in viewers with his off-kilter, opinionated and dark humor. But while his channels were twisted, his real life might be more sinister. This cutting-edge investigative series explores the mystery, controversy and alleged criminality surrounding Greg Jackson, bringing forward new research and revelations about the man that the YouTube community loves to hate.
Adventure

Route 66 (working title): From Executive Producer Will Packer and HartBeat Productions, Route 66 (working title) features Kevin Hart hitting the road, going along America’s famous Route 66 to see what’s going on with America. He will visit people and places and bring along friends in an exploration of the U.S. heartland from Chicago to L.A.

Pushing the Line: Imagine walking a thin, nylon line of rope stretched across a 900-foot gorge. For a select few, each day on the line, they push themselves and each other to do something bigger, crazier, harder than anyone’s ever done before. And each night, their campsite is a party where anything and everything goes. Day and night, it’s all about pushing the line.
Nature and Science

Mysterious Planet: Narrated by David Schwimmer, Mysterious Planet is an epic journey to the ends of the earth. Combining humor with the awe and beauty of the natural world, this special looks to unlock the greatest mysteries behind the world’s most incredible species.

Six Degrees with Mike Rowe: Mike Rowe poses questions that no one has ever asked, and then, with a little help from his old buddy Chuck, provides unforgettable answers that prove every single thing is connected.

DOCUMENTARIES
P.S., Burn This Letter Please: A box of letters, held in secret for nearly 60 years, ignites a five-year exploration into a part of LGBT history that has never been told. The letters open a window into a forgotten world where being yourself meant breaking the law and where the penalties for “masquerading” as a woman were swift and severe.

The Impossible Row: Documenting adventurer Colin O’Brady and his crew’s attempt at the world’s first completely human-powered ocean row across The Drake Passage, the most dangerous 600 miles of open ocean on Earth.

My Beautiful Stutter: Follows five kids who stutter, ages 9 to 18, from all over the United States and all walks of life, who, after experiencing a lifetime of bullying and stigmatization, meet other children who stutter at an interactive arts-based program, The Stuttering Association for the Young, based in New York City.
Beyond Borders: On the morning of August 13, pilot Juan-Peter Schulze (JP) and travel vlogger Louis Cole set off to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine, 1974 Cessna T210L aeroplane named Balloo. The duo had 81 days to complete the journey, with their return to California eagerly awaited by a large party of friends and followers. This is their journey.

The Parachute Murder Plot: The true story of a master manipulator. When Victoria Cilliers’ parachute failed, she survived against the odds, only to discover the shocking truth. Her own husband had just tried to murder her … for the second time.

PARANORMAL
discovery+ is developing content with some of the biggest names in the horror genre, including an exclusive multi-project deal with director Eli Roth (Hostel, Borderlands).

GROUP NINE MEDIA
As an extension of Discovery’s partnership with Group Nine, discovery+ will also feature a slate of new original programming from some of the world’s most popular digital brands, including The Dodo, NowThis and Thrillist, in addition to access to some of the company’s existing library.