Sunday, March 31, 2024
Adventure Time | Pilot | Nickelodeon/Cartoon Network
The short focuses on a boy named Pen (later renamed Finn in the television series) and his best friend, a shapeshifting dog named Jake. One day, Lady Rainicorn, a unicorn-like creature, flies past them in tears; Pen and Jake follow her to an icy domain, where they discover that the Ice King has kidnapped Lady Rainicorn's owner, Princess Bubblegum, in the hope of marrying her.
Development Alert: Nick Jr. Global To Remove Blue Clues & You, Bossy Bear And Santiago Of The Seas From The Channel's Lineup In April
Since then, various content from the network had quietly exited the lineup and now with corporate writeoffs the brand's future is put into question. Several projects such as The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish and The Casagrandes had been folded under Netflix.
It's sister trademark Nick Jr. is scheduled to remove Blue's Clues & You and Santiago Of The Seas programs that were part of the write offs. To make it worse even Bossy Bear was added to the lineup although there's no word on if these is also being axed as well.
Considering the timeframe, it wouldn't seem far fetched if the show was bundled with the latter. There were reports going around of a potential second season to Bossy Bear and if it is a write off those chances have been killed alongside these shows.
In other developments, Nick Jr. will debuting a reboot to one of their original series Dora The Explorer which will simply be titled Dora. It follows the adventures of Dora and her monkey friend, Boots as they go on epic adventures in a rainforest.
Saturday, March 30, 2024
New Series Alert: Evil Affairs And Beyond Love Coming This April To Star Life
But as seen through several platforms later in the week, Star Life will be allocating two new shows to the lineup, Evil Affairs and Beyond Love. These series will be split within a 1 hour timeslot therefore increasing primetime on the channel from 13 to 15 series.
Synopsis for Evil Affairs:
Evil Affairs (Shaitani Rasmein) centered around Nikki, an orphan who discovers love in Piyush, the prince of the esteemed Gehlot family of Bhurangarh. The story unfolds as they embark on the path to matrimony, blissfully unaware of the ominous secrets harboured by Piyush's family.
It starred Shefali Jariwala as Kapalika, Naqiyah Haji as Nikki, Vibhav Roy as Piyush, Surbhi Shukla as Arohi and Nikita Sharma as Saudamini. The series began broadcast earlier in the year and is currently on the air.
Synopsis for Beyond Love:
Beyond Love (Aashiqana) revolves around Yashwardhan Chauhan, a police officer who is haunted by the deaths of close family members, and Chikki Sharma, who aspires to be a police officer like her father but fails the entrance exams.
It starred Zayn Ibad Khan as A.C.P. Yashvardhan Chauhan, Khushi Dubey as Chikki Chauhan, Harshita Shukla as Mausi, Anurag Vyas as Shyam and Sneha Chauhan as Payal. The series began broadcast in 2022 and since then 4 seasons had been produced so far.
Divya-Drishti will conclude by 7 April with Evil Affairs taking up the 22:00 timeslot with Beyond Love at 23:00 by 8 April On Star Life.
Friday, March 29, 2024
The Possible Damage Awaiting MultiChoice Following The Cancellation Of M-Net's Me And 1Magic On DStv
These channels would have joined B4U Movies, Deutsche Welle (DW), People's Weather, Ginx eSports TV, Emmanuel TV, NWTV and One Freestate Televisual to have been axed since the start of the year with WildEarth to follow soon.
MultiChoice in these endeavors have made their closures very distasteful with the lack of marketing to their consumers. Not even a press release on their website to probably explain the matter and what fate awaits the programming on these channels.
As these channels play an important role in their respective packages and were one of the few reasons anyone would latch on to their consumers. With their inevitable demise, MultiChoice risks losing more DStv consumers and revenue.
Amidst these inflated prices, MultiChoice had promised their Compact Plus consumers a rebranded offering. This would see one of their current entertainment channels convert into open window for Showmax originals alongside third party content.
Seeing as it will not launch immediately after 1Magic and Me would depart from several consumers. The channel would have lost an audience as the only means of survival for this brand would be extending its reach to more DStv consumers.
Not much details has shared on whether the channel would replace Me or if select shows would be accessible on the channel. With the amount of content coming from Showmax not much space would be available to accompany M-Net's existing offering.
Although some programming from Me such as Chicago Med and The Equalizer can be accessible on Universal TV they're lagging behind by several seasons from Me. Aside from that, they haven't obtained nor have plans to broadcast Chicago Fire.
April 2024 On TLC Across Africa | New Series Alert: Curvy Brides Boutique | Returning Shows Including 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After And Bad Skin | More
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? S8
NEW SEASON
"Cultures clash when Mahmoud joins Nicole in LA, and Emily and Kobe are met with chaos in Cameroon. Manuel's secrecy causes Ashley suspicion. Gino's error means trouble for Jasmine's kids. Ed and Liz embrace their fresh start. Sophie reveals her next step with Rob."
First TX: 11 April
TX Day: Thursday
TX Time: 20:00
Last TX: 6 June
The Bad Skin Clinic S6
NEW SEASON
Dr. Emma Craythorne is on a mission to solve complex skin conditions. She helps people whose lives have been impeded by devastating disorders.
First TX: 27 April
TX Day: Saturday
TX Time: 21:00
Last TX: 25 May
Seeking Sister Wife S5
NEW SEASON
The popular show documents the lives of polygamous families who are searching for a new wife to add to their plural marriages.
First TX: 27 April
TX Day: Saturday
TX Time: 21:00
Last TX: 3 July
Africa
The Bad Skin Clinic S6
NEW SEASON
Dr. Emma Craythorne is on a mission to solve complex skin conditions. She helps people whose lives have been impeded by devastating disorders.
First TX: 27 April
TX Day: Saturday
TX Time: 21:00
Last TX: 25 May
Welcome to Plathville S5
NEW SEASON
Frustrated by the rift between Olivia and his family, Ethan hopes time can heal their unresolved issues. Barry gets personal with Micah about the divorce.
First TX: 1 April
TX Day: Monday
TX Time: 21:00
Last TX: 27 May
Curvy Brides' Boutique S1
NEW TO CHANNEL
Situated in rural Essex, fashion partners Jo Cooke and Alison Law design wedding dresses for overweight brides in England.
First TX: 11 April
TX Day: Thursday
TX Time: 21:00
Last TX: 30 May
Development Alert (Rumour): TeenNick To Fold Under The Nickelodeon Teen Trademark In European Countries Including Germany, Austria And Switzerland
Although TeenNick is not viewable in most of parts of Africa, the channel has managed to build its presence in MENA, Greece, Israel, Hungary, Latin America, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Romania.
According to a story on Parabola, Paramount Global had filed a new trademark for the network later in the week known as Nickelodeon Teen. This trademark is already in use by the company in France and from the looks of it could be carried in Europe.
The name change is said to be an effort by Paramount Global to strengthen its core brand among children and young audiences. Of course, what's strange about this is why they opted to incorporate a localized trademark as opposed to TeenNick.
In recent years, global businesses tend to operate independently from their main feed. It's likely that Nickelodeon Teen is being added in these countries due to its success in France and another being a globalization as seen with sister networks, MTV and Nick Jr.
Development Alert: Baby Shark's Big Show Likely Cancelled On Nickelodeon After 3 Seasons As New Episodes Rollout On Nick Jr.
In South Korea, Baby Shark's Big Show! debuted on the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) with a Christmas special on December 25, 2020 with the full series from September 2021. In the United States, it premiered on Nickelodeon on December 11, 2020.
Not long ago, it was reported that Paramount Global had removed various Nickelodeon titles from their lineup. This included Paramount+ originals Big Nate and Rugrats alongside past series like Are You Afraid Of The Dark? and Middlemost Post.
Paramount Global which is undergoing a possible restructure amidst a possible acquisition had consumed various debts. The latter to have been axed are a part of corporate write offs which sees some of these projects getting erased from existence.
Amidst this shakeup, several consumers had spotted new episodes of Baby Shark’s Big Show on the Nick Jr. channel. As some readers are aware, all primetime titles are usually folded under Nickelodeon with preschool stuff under a dedicated block.
Sister stations for Nickelodeon are usually bombarded with repeats and usually whenever a current program from Nickelodeon is made available on an exclusive basis it usually signals a possible cancellation.
Although there's no official confirmation, Nickelodeon has been very distant from most of their projects. Nickelodeon serving as co-producer alongside Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) means that the show could be picked up by another platform.
Paramount+ Removes 10 Nickelodeon Titles Including ‘Blue’s Clues & You!’ & ‘Rugrats’ Series
Paramount+ has purged 10 Nickelodeon original series, following the removal of other Nick titles from the platform over the past several months.
The list includes Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019-2022), Blue’s Clues & You! (2019), It’s Pony (2020-2022), Middlemost Post (2021-2022), Ollie’s Pack (2020), Ryan’s Mystery Playdate (2019-2023), Santiago of the Seas (2020), That Girl Lay Lay (2021-2024) as well as the made-for-Paramount+ Big Nate (2022)and Rugrats (2021).
This is said to be part of content removal addressed in the most recent Q4 earnings call on February 28. Targeting Nick titles is a little surprising as, according to parent Paramount Global, the network’s Kids & Family content consistently ranks among the most watched and re-watched programming on Paramount+.
“In connection with our continued review of our international content strategy, during the first quarter of 2024 we made a strategic decision to focus on content with mass global appeal,” the company said in its 10-K filing. “As part of this, we are rationalizing original content on Paramount+, especially internationally, and improving the efficiency of our linear network programming. As a result, we have reviewed our expansive global content portfolio and are removing select content from our platforms.”
Paramount expects “to recognize additional programming charges that we currently expect to be in the range of approximately $700 million to $900 million during the first quarter of 2024.”
Thursday, March 28, 2024
New Series Alert: New English/Afrikaans Dubbed Telenovela "Innocence" Debuts This April On SABC 3
After KykNET & Kie debuted a 2 hour timeslot for Turkish dramas as a rival offering to eExtra's Kuiertyd. The public broadcaster is next to join in the war of Istanbul with the addition of a new daily drama from the 1st April at 16:30 titled Innocence.
Synopsis for Innocence:
The life of Bahar, who leads an ordinary life, will change forever when her daughter becomes a victim of violence. On the night of February 24, a young girl is found who was thought to be dead. Ela Yüksel turned 19 that day. Her mother accuses businessman İlker Ilgaz. İlker is about to marry İrem. With the mother's accusations, İlker and Ela's forbidden love, the bloody truths of all three families will come to light.
Innocence (also known as Masumiyet) starred Hülya Avşar as Hale Ilgaz, Deniz Çakır as Bahar Yüksel, Mehmet Aslantuğ as Harun Orhun, İlayda Alişan as Ela Yüksel and Serkay Tütüncü as İlker Ilgaz.
It premiered on 24 February 2021 and concluded on 24 May 2021 with a total of 13 episodes on NOW. Formerly known as FOX, the channel is home to shows such as Om Elke Draai (Her Yerde Sen), Dokter Ali (Mucize Doctor), Doodsondes (Yasak Elma).
The news of the channel's first ever Afrikaans dubbed telenovela comes after the public broadcaster had moved further Afrikaans shows to SABC 3. As they look to restructure SABC 3 as a multilingual brand as seen with sister networks SABC 1 and SABC 2.
“We are very excited to launch this slot, and we couldn’t have done it with more apt drama. The story in INNOCENCE is aligned to the times of our modern society as it explores the unfortunate realities of transactional relationships, fame/popularity, cyber bullying, and gender-based violence that plague our modern society. We have seen the staggering increase in popularity of Turkish drama the world over, and South Africa is no exception. We have selected the most recently produced and compelling drama titles to ensure our viewers will be highly entertained on a daily basis”- Sane Zondi, S3 Head of Channel.
Reminder: The Second Season Of High-Stakes Medical Drama, SkyMed, Premieres Exclusively On Universal TV In Africa On 1 April
NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-to-Consumer today announced the territory premiere of the second season of high-stakes medical drama, SkyMed, on Universal TV in Africa. The young medics and pilots flying air ambulances return for more life, death, and drama in the skies of remote Northern Canada. The new season will air every Monday at 20:00 CAT from April 1, exclusively on Universal TV in Africa, with episodes available on Universal+ immediately thereafter.
SkyMed’s second season promises new hookups, heartbreaks, and challenges on the job as the medevac service expands into new territory, throwing the flight crew into intense new emergencies at work and in their personal lives.
The series was inspired by creator Julie Puckrin’s sister and brother-in-law who met flying air ambulances. Returning to SkyMed is Natasha Calis (The Possession, The Firm) as Nurse Hayley Roberts, Morgan Holmstrom (Day of the Dead, I Still See You) as no-nonsense Nurse Crystal Highway, Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew, October Faction) as First Officer Chopper, “Ace” Aason Nadjiwon (Step Up All In, Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce) as golden boy pilot Captain Austen Bodie, Mercedes Morris (Between, Slasher) as First Officer Lexi Martine, Thomas Elms (I Still See You, Timeless) as icy-cool pilot Captain Nowak, and Kheon Clarke (The Magicians, Supermans & Lois) as Nurse Tristan Green. Braeden Clarke (Impulse, Run Woman Run) reprises his recurring role as Crystal’s charming on-again-off-again love interest, Jeremy Wood, Emilia McCarthy (Zombies) returns as Madison and Aaron Ashmore (Ginny & Georgia, Veronica Mars, The Thaw) returns as Wheezer, the wise-cracking big brother that everyone looks up to.
Cast joining the second season includes Sydney Kuhne (Ginny & Georgia) as fiery new flight medic Stef, Ryan Ali (The Hummingbird Project) as handsome young pilot Reese, and Nadine Whiteman-Roden (Faith Heist) as Dr. Yana Noah.
SkyMed is produced by Piazza Entertainment in association with CBC, Canada’s national public broadcaster, and CBS Studios. The series is created by Julie Puckrin, who also serves as executive producer along with Vanessa Piazza and Gillian Hormel. Outside of Canada, SkyMed is distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Season 2 of SkyMed premieres on April 1 at 20:00 CAT, exclusively on Universal TV in Africa, with new episodes every Monday. The episodes will also be available on Universal+.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Moonbug Entertainment To Rollout New Children's Channel Blippi & Friends In MENA With More International Territories To Be Added Soon
Distributed by Intigral on Jawwy TV and stc tv, Blippi & Friends is a 24/7 linear channel named after Moonbug’s live-action pre-school brand, targeting children aged four to eight years old. It includes a daily segment tailored to younger pre-schoolers.
The channel’s lineup boasts a diverse array of Blippi shows such as Blippi Visits, Blippi Draws, and the Blippi Game Show, alongside other popular franchises like Meekah and the feature-length special Big Dino Adventure. The daily segment for pre-schoolers showcases beloved shows including CoComelon, Little Angel, and Arpo.
Intigral’s streaming platforms Jawwy TV and stc tv extend the reach of Blippi & Friends across Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Nicolas Eglau, Managing Director of EMEA, APAC and Global Distribution at Moonbug Entertainment, said: “Following the successful launch of our Moonbug linear channel, which is now available in 83 countries across the globe, we are delighted to announce the launch of the brand new 24/7 Blippi & Friends channel in the Middle East and North Africa.
“Designed to enrich families and their daily routines, this channel has been curated with the local market in mind, with Blippi not only sharing bespoke messages but celebrating regional holidays and moments too. The launch of this channel marks our next step in bringing great entertainment to children across the world.”
Moonbug, known for its success on YouTube, previously introduced its first linear pay TV channel in South Africa in 2022, with MultiChoice incorporating the Moonbug Kids channel into its lineup.
Patrice MotsepeIs In Talks To Join Canal+ In A Bid To Acquire MultiChoice Group
Bringing South Africa’s richest black man into the deal would likely help the French media conglomerate meet the country’s stringent black ownership requirements, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is still private.
Representatives for both Canal+ and Motsepe’s investment company, African Rainbow Capital, declined to comment. Discussions are at an early stage and there is no guarantee that an agreement will be reached, said the people.
Canal+ has built up a holding above 35% in MultiChoice, South Africa’s biggest pay-TV group, triggering a mandatory takeover offer. If the Vivendi Group-owned French broadcaster can navigate the country’s limits on foreign media ownership, it will gain greater access to African markets, home to the world’s fastest-growing and youngest population.
Canal+ is expected to make a formal offer for MultiChoice at R125/share, valuing the company at about R55-billion, before 8 April for consideration by the board’s independent members, said the people. The French company had pushback from MultiChoice on its earlier offer of R105/share.
Formed in South Africa in 1985, MultiChoice expanded across Africa in the early 1990s with packages including live English football matches and local shows. The company was spun off from Naspers in 2019. It also owns Showmax, the popular video streaming service and Netflix rival.
Vivendi aims to combine its local Canal+ operations with MultiChoice, creating a group with almost 50 million subscribers and resources to invest more in local content and sports.
Credits: Bloomberg and TechCentral
BOMBSHELL. WildEarth Goes On A Rant And Exposes Lucrative Business Deal With MultiChoice's DStv
During the week, it was mentioned by WildEarth's CEO that they have made numerous attempts to in securing carriage fees for their channel on DStv. Following unsuccessful attempts, the company is looking to take their channel off DStv by the end of April.
The only way WildEarth can remain on the DStv platform would be for MultiChoice to pay for the channel and not vice versa.
Earlier the company had mentioned that MultiChoice would rather pay for National Geographic and National Geographic Wild. But through ongoing interaction with viewers some minor details had been revealed about their agreement with DStv.
Here’s a little David and Goliath story - although at this point, it is difficult to see how David is not going to get...
Posted by Wildearth on Tuesday, March 26, 2024
On top of their financial woes, WildEarth has been paying MultiChoice to keep the channel on air. For 4 straight years, WildEarth on top of generating some ad revenue had to split part of those earnings to keep their space on DStv and cover other expenses.
Taking to account such deals are not unlawful but haven't proven to be favorable either. It's like running your own website where the publisher (DStv) offers ad platforms (WildEarth) a space to promote in exchange for money with ad platforms getting exposure.
Based on circumstances, it's "likely" WildEarth approached MultiChoice and only agreed to this as they were hoping to salvage more out of this. Not a lot of people were familiar with the brand as seen with flagship show SafariLIVE it seems like the only logical conclusion.
Another would be that MultiChoice positioned WildEarth as a business type channel as seen with former channels VOOV and TV Mall.
MultiChoice had agreed to carry WildEarth as a pop-up channel initially under those terms. Based on figures opted to continue this agreement while WildEarth running on the platform was hoping to join the league of Warner Bros. Discovery and BBC Studios.
Donate to WildEarth: click here
Petition to keep WildEarth on DStv: click here
Drafted Version: April 2024 On Cartoon Network And Cartoonito Across Africa | Returning Shows Featuring Craig Of The Creek And Ninjago | Earth Day Stunt Featuring Cocomelon And Bugs Bunny Builders | More
• Craig Of The Creek (New Episodes): Following the adventures of Craig Williams and his two friends, Kelsey Pokoly and John Paul `JP' Mercer, as they explore the untamed wilderness of the Creek, which is dominated by tribes of children.
• Jellystone (New Episodes): Yogi Bear, Cindy Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and other residents of Jellystone cross paths in fun and ridiculous ways, turning everyday activities into hilarious pandemonium.
• Ninjago: Dragon's Rising (New Episodes): Two teenagers from different worlds use their Ninja powers to defend dragons from villains who want to harvest the dragons' life forces.
• Pokemon: The Power Of Us: Ash and strangers with nothing in common must work together to save the people and Pokémon of Fula City when a series of threats interrupt the annual Wind Festival.
• Mewtwo Strikes Back: Dr Fuji creates a living weapon by cloning legendary Pokémon Mew. But when Mewtwo develops his own plan to destroy the world, Ash, Pikachu, and their friends must prevent catastrophe.
• Teen Titans GO! Vs. Teen Titans: The Master of Games, a villain who travels through the multiverse, abducts the Teen Titans in order to take over the world. He soon pits them against another version of themselves to destroy Earth.
• Teen Titans: Trouble In Tokyo:Teen Titans follow Saico-dek to Tokyo and learn about the Brushoman legend. Inspector Daizo, Head of Tokyo Troopers, hunts down Teen Titans one by one by implicating them in the murder of Saico-Dek.
Cartoonito
Moley (New Episodes): Revolving around an adventurous mole's quest with friends to broker peace between humans and moles. Following the underground adventures of the charmingly optimistic charmingly young mole, Moley.
• Earth Day Stunt including Cocomelon, Bugs Bunny Builders, Zig & Sharko and Mr. Bean.
• All Day Marathon of Mr. Bean, Zig And Sharko, Masha And The Bear, Lu And The Bally Bunch, Grizzly And The Lemmings, Cocomelon and Batwheels.
Nickelodeon's Live-Action Slate On Possible Hiatus Following Release Of ID's Documentary Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV
Episode 3 garnered the most attention after All That and Drake And Josh star Drake Bell came forward to address the abuse he experienced as a minor. Since then, several notable figures came forward to voice their support with talks over the matter still ongoing.
Nickelodeon had responded to the revelations on Quiet On Set but some child actors feel more needs to be done by the network:
“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct. Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts, and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
Schneiderverse hold on Nickelodeon
Following the release of Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV, Nickelodeon has distanced themselves from anything Schneider this includes Henry Danger and Danger Force shows that form part of the Dangerverse and also the last of Dan's masterpieces.
In 2019, Nickelodeon did an investigation on misconduct in the workplace and fired Dan Schneider after investigation concluded. Although, he has no involvement in any projects from the network he is still being credited amongst properties.
Drake Bell after coming forward on Quiet On Set had criticized the network for keeping these shows on air for several years. It has caused further live-action on the channel to be boycott with their future in jeopardy.
As some readers aware, Nickelodeon currently has only two live-action projects on the air, The Really Loud House and Tyler Perry's Young Dylan. Following cancelations to Danger Force and That Girl Lay Lay, these shows are likely to suffer the same effect if not worse.
We're not saying Nickelodeon won't offer any further live-action but the toxicity that persisted on previous projects would endanger their success rate. If anything, it's possible Nickelodeon could put more attention to their animation slate.
Something we've kind of seen Disney Channel put more emphasis as they've got a new movie on Big City Greens coming out alongside a new season of Phineas And Ferb. Monsters At Work which was previously a Disney+ first had moved to the network for Season 2.
Although Nickelodeon doesn't have a consistent lineup of content its one of the very few brands alongside Disney Channel to offer anything noteworthy as all other content is streamed these days.
Development Alert: Investigation Discovery Greenlights Fifth Episode To Teen Centered Documentary Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV
Investigation Discovery has ordered a fifth episode of the docuseries, titled “Breaking the Silence.” It will air Sunday, April 7 at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery (and stream on Max).
According to ID, Episode 5 “will delve deeper into the toxic and dangerous culture behind some of the most iconic children’s television shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s, including allegations of abuse, sexism and racism,” and build off “the revelations explored in the first four episodes.”
Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien will lead a conversation featuring previous participants Drake Bell (The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh), former All That cast members Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Hearne, and Hearne’s mother, Tracey Brown. Additionally, “new voices” will appear — including fellow former All That cast member Shane Lyons — “to discuss where the industry can go from here.”
Bell, now 37, appeared in Episode 3 of Quiet on Set and revealed himself to be the minor at the center of Brian Peck’s 2004 conviction. Peck, who served as a dialogue coach at Nickelodeon and bears no relation to Josh Peck, appeared on episodes of All That and The Amanda Show, and was later convicted of a lewd act against a child and oral copulation of a person under 16.
Bell’s Amanda Show and Drake & Josh co-stars Josh Peck and Nancy Sullivan both released statements following the release of Quiet on Set. “I reached out to Drake privately, but want to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world,” Peck said on March 21. “Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry.”
Sullivan, meanwhile, wrote that it “broke my heart into a million pieces to hear just how much Drake was holding inside while we were working together. I was both devastated and proud seeing the man he’s grown into sit down on camera and bravely tell his truth.
“Past abuse doesn’t define us,” she said, “and it has no right to rule our lives.”
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
‘Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV’ Exposes Toxic Working Environment On Dan Schneider's Popular Teen TV Series Of The 1990s And Early 2000s This April On Investigation Discovery Across Africa
QUIET ON SET pulls back the curtain on an empire built by creator Dan Schneider that had an undeniable grip on popular culture. Series such as All That and The Amanda Show, among others, were obsessively consumed by children across the country and defined comedy for a generation. But behind the upbeat onscreen presence on these shows with questionable jokes and over-the-top sketches, QUIET ON SET reveals an insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew.
QUIET ON SET features unprecedented access to key cast members, writers, and crew spanning Schneider’s popular series at Nickelodeon. Former All That cast members Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, Bryan Hearne and Katrina Johnson and director Virgil Fabian pull back the curtain on the culture on the set of the beloved teen sketch series. In The Amanda Show writer's room, writers Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton expose allegations of a toxic and sexist environment. Alexa Nikolas offers insight into being a part of Zoey 101. QUIET ON SET will feature additional cast and crew from iCarly, Sam & Cat, Victorious, and other iconic series, such as Marc Summers from the popular game show Double Dare. The series will also offer emotional testimony from parents of cast members who attempted to advocate for their children on these sets.
Over the course of its four parts, QUIET ON SET will shine a spotlight on these emotional accounts, chronicling a pattern of gross, abusive, and manipulative behaviour that unfolded across decades, as well as exclusive stories about child predators on set. These interviews, woven with archival footage (some of which has never been broadcast), scenes from the shows and social media commentary, will recontextualise many moments within these series that may have seemed silly or off when first aired but now carry a much darker undertone, offering a powerful reframing of these beloved shows.
QUIET ON SET is directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz and produced by Maxine Productions and Sony Pictures Television – Nonfiction in association with Business Insider.
QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV will premiere across two nights, Sunday, 7 April and Sunday, 14 April, from 21:00 – 23:00 CAT on Investigation Discovery (ID) Africa with two episodes back-to-back each week.
Reminder: M-Net's Me And 1Magic Alongside Ginx eSports TV Will Close On DStv From 31 March 2024 (Schedule Attached)
MultiChoice will be axing M-Net's 1Magic and Me alongside Ginx eSports TV from the DStv platform by the end of March. This would bring the number of scrapped TV channels on the platform to nine joining B4U Movies and People's Weather which exited a month prior.
Another brand looking to exit DStv soon is WildEarth as both parties failed to reach new agreement. Since then, a petition has been going around to keep it on DStv with the channel seeking donations as they've been going through financial woes.
1Magic
According to the pay-tv company, further content from 1Magic would be available on the remaining M-Net channels. That would mean those currently watching 1Magic would have to revert their focus to Mzansi Magic for further content currently viewed on Showmax.
Unlike most items on the list, MultiChoice had promised to supplement 1Magic with another TV channel known as Channel X. It has no relation to Elon Musk but will base their lineup and identity on Showmax as the revamped streamer also trademarks an X.
Me
Me will ends its run with reality based series The Real Housewives Of Atlanta based from The Real Housewives franchise at 23:10. Most shows within this week would reach their climax including M-Net originals Reyka and Recipe For Love And Murder.
According to the pay-tv company, further content from Me would be available on the remaining M-Net channels. That would mean those watching Me would need DStv Premium to watch the latest international and locally produced content on M-Net.
Although some of the entertainment like Chicago Med and The Equalizer is available on Universal TV with Young Sheldon on Comedy Central. These channels are lagging behind with one of two not having an estimated timeframe on new episodes.
It's currently unknown whether Me will fold under Channel X or the pay-tv company will look find other means for compensation.
Ginx eSports TV
Ginx eSports TV will end its run with The Games That Made Me at 23:00. Despite SuperSport handling distribution rights and other technical aspects of the brand, current seasons of programs won't be completed with other portions being repeats.
Unlike the other two, MultiChoice doesn't offer an alternative offering to Ginx eSports TV this leaves WWE as the only sports brand to be grouped under general entertainment section of their platforms.
Monday, March 25, 2024
Canal+ Group Buys Stake In African TV Production Company Marodi TV
The deal pursues Canal + and Marodi’s ongoing partnership, as well as further strengthens the Paris-headquartered company’s position in French-speaking Africa, where Canal+ produces over 4,000 hours of African content and has 30 channels dedicated to the continent in 10 languages.
For the last five years, Marodi TV has broadcast its catalogue as part of Canal + Group’s channel line-up. It has produced exclusive series that premiered on the Sunu Yeuf channel in Wolof, and went on to launch on the pan-African channel A+. Both channels are available to Canal+’s 8 million subscribers in Africa. Marodi TV and Canal+ have also co-produced together a number of successful series, such as “Emprises” and “Déchéances.”
Founded in 2012 with the ambition of making quality African content accessible on all media, Marodi TV boasts a catalogue of over 600 hours of content, as well as a community of 6 million subscribers on YouTube. Some of its biggest series hits include “Pod & Marichou,” “Maitresse d’un homme marié” (“mistress of a married man”) and “Karma.”
With Canal+ Group as its new shareholder, Marodi TV will continue being managed by its founder and majority shareholder, Senegalese entrepreneur Serigne Massamba Ndour. The partnership will allow Marodi TV to expand the library’s distribution across Africa and beyond via synergies with Canal+. They will also establish an original catalogue for Canal+’s future channel in Pulaar, the language spoken by the Fulani community which has a strong presence in Senegal, Guinea and Mali.
Canal+ Group is already a majority shareholder in the production companies Rok Studios in Nigeria, Plan A in the Ivory Coast and Zacu Entertainment in Rwanda.
“Based in Senegal, this producer benefits from an artistic, technical, linguistic, and climatic environment that is particularly conducive to audiovisual production,” said Fabrice Faux, director of channels and content at Canal+ International. “This investment again demonstrates our enduring commitment to growing Africa’s creative industries and our excitement and commercial optimism in its creative and media sectors,” Faux continued.
Serigne Massamba Ndour, Marodi TV CEO, said the “alliance will enable us to strengthen our production and broadcasting capabilities and export our model across the continent.”
WildEarth To Cutback On Live Shows Following Its Possible Exit On MultiChoice's DStv
Not long ago, it was reported that WildEarth would be looking to take their channel off DStv by the end of April. This comes months after the channel's current CEO was negotiating with MultiChoice over adding carriage fees to the channel.
As some readers are aware, WildEarth hosted a live event where several notable figures were briefing audiences on the future of the brand. Aside from the departure from DStv, they are looking to no longer offer any live content and transition to short form.
This means shows like Sunrise Safari and Sunset Safari will continue to exist but will be pretaped. On top of that airtime for these shows will be further reduced as they try to offer more short form content as they eyeing potential deals who feel the offering is lacking.
SafariLIVE was one of their signature shows and what helped them garner an online presence. For that to be minimized or possibly scrapped, consumers are led to wonder if this would bring about its end on YouTube where part of their content resides.
They are looking to film some of these shows in other countries as opposed to limiting their stance in South Africa and Kenya. Of course, they'll need further donations to remain on the air and get some of this content of the ground.
If you're looking to save WildEarth from being removed on DStv: click here
With WildEarth looking to add more variety to their lineup and eyeing potential deals. Some of this content will likely be deprived from consumers if not minimized something that wasn't discussed as much.
Press Release: Come Back To Me Premieres This April On Telemundo Across Africa
Set in Ciudad de Juárez and Ciudad de México, this romantic drama follows Nuria, a woman of humble means, who begins a relationship with Braulio without knowing that he is one of the owners of the company where she works to support her son and sister. The lives of the main characters begin to intertwine after the tragic kidnapping of Andrés, Nuria's son. Her strength is only proportional to the love she feels for her son. At the least expected moment, Santiago enters her life to become not only the pillar that keeps her hope alive in a journey full of obstacles, but also the great love of her life.
The original series, produced at Telemundo Center’s state-of-the-art soundstages in Miami, also stars Laura Flores, Christian de la Campa, Rodolfo Salas, Geraldine Galván, Amaranta Ruíz, Christian Ramos, Anthony Álvarez, Anna Sobero, Ariana Saavedra, with special participations by Fernando Ciangherotti and Diego Klein, and André Sebastián.
Produced by Telemundo Global Studios, this original story is written by Sergio Mendoza and Amaris Páez, and directed by Danny Gavidia, Felipe Aguilar and Uandari Gómez. The direction of photography is by Damián Aguilar and José Velarde, with Pedro De Larrechea as production designer. Telemundo’s Karen Barroeta, Ximena Cantuarias and Elizabeth Suárez serve as the production's executive producers.
The brand new series, Come Back to Me, premieres exclusively on Telemundo on April 8 at 22:00 CAT, with new episodes every Monday.
Channel Closure: WildEarth Will Stop Airing On DStv By The End Of April, Freeview And ROKU Might Follow Soon
Since December, the channel's future in Africa came into question after WildEarth uploaded a survey which would help determine if the channel should remain aboard the DStv platform. At the time, the channel didn't share any of their findings on the matter.
This past weekend, WildEarth held a live event which was accessible on YouTube. It was there were more details about their survey had come forward.
According to the surveys, WildEarth serves as one of the top 3 favourite channels by 76% of its viewers with 90% voting it as one of their favourite local channels. Despite the positive reception, the channel is not able to retain its position on DStv.
Andre Crawford, the current CEO of WildEarth had been engaging conversation with MultiChoice to try and recieve payment for the channel. Unfortunately, they couldn't come to an agreement with the channel looking to exit DStv by the end of April.
WildEarth has been struggling to sustain itself within the current economic climate where platforms like Netflix and TikTok reign supreme. With that in mind, they're look to restructure their business model in the coming months in order to stay afloat.
If you're interested in donating: click here
Following news of its possible closure on DStv, a viewer had created an online petition which not only requires them to get compensated but keeps them on the air for the foreseeable future: click here for the petition.
Should MultiChoice not come to a new agreement with WildEarth, this would be the 10th TV channel to have exited their platforms. It would join M-Net's Me and 1Magic alongside Ginx eSports TV channels which had exited a month prior.
For the full interview
Sunday, March 24, 2024
New Series Alert: Sommerdahl Moorde, eExtra's First Series From Denmark And Germany Debuts In April
Synopsis for Sommerdahl Moorde:
DCI Dan Sommerdahl investigates murders in a lovely Danish coastal town with his best friend, Detective Flemming Torp, and his wife, Marianne, a criminal technician. But Dan's years of devotion to the job have hurt his marriage, and with Marianne wanting a divorce, Dan discovers his rival for her affections is none other than his best friend. And they all must still work together to solve crimes.
It starred Peter Mygind as Dan Sommerdahl, André Babikian as Flemming Torp, Laura Drasbæk as Marianne Sommerdahl, Mathias Käki Jørgensen as Benjamin, Lotte Andersen as Hanegaard, Diêm Camille as Lina and Martin Svaneborg as Thor.
Sommerdahl Moorde debuted by March 2020 and since then 32 episodes had been produced so far with over 4 season. A fifth season is also said to be in development as free-to-air households gear up for the first season in the coming weeks.
In other developments, eExtra will be rolling out a local youth comedy titled Die Fakulteit in April. This will be followed by rural infused soap Keiders Van Geheime on e.tv in May which will serve as a rival offering/replacement to former soap, 7de Laan.
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Could PBS Kids Be The Next Channel To Exit The DStv And GOtv Platform?
The channel was made available in Africa by 2019 and since last year remains the only international market following its departure from Australia. This was after MultiChoice added various content exclusively to DStv Stream as part of an experiment.
This was the feedback given by MultiChoice after adding content from PBS Kids in 2018:
"We received a lot of positive feedback from our viewers when PBS Kids was made available on DStv Now [now DStv Stream] and our parents appreciate the fact that DStv is providing the kind of kids' programming that will help to make them classroom ready, while also keeping them entertained".
Foxtel had opted to discontinue carriage of the channel in Australia two years after it launched in Africa based on performance and popularity of its content. Since then, consumers were recommended to browse shows on Cartoon Network and CBeebies.
MultiChoice had cutback or lost at least 9 nine TV channels in under 3 months including Emmanuel TV, B4U Movies and People's Weather. No new channels were launched and none of these affected brands were replaced.
Although PBS Kids has brought fun and engaging content, the channel hasn't been productive in terms of new programming. The inclusion of PBS Kids had contributed to MultiChoice's boost in educational content with Moonbug and Da Vinci Kids.
Recap To The Decade: Have William Shakespeare And Wife Anne Hathaway Returned From The Afterlife?
How did Anne Hathaway Meet Her Husband?
Anne Hathaway has acted in many projects, such as the plethora of adapted films she’s been a part of, the Princess Diaries series, Les Misérables, The Dark Knight Rises, One Day, Love & Other Drugs, and so many more. It’s pretty endless at this point.
She met Adam Shulam, a fellow actor, jeweler, and producer, during a Palm Springs Film Festival in 2008. Oddly enough, Hathaway told a mutual friend of theirs at the time, “I’m going to marry that man. I think he thought I was a little nuts, which I am a bit, but I’m also nice.” And a few years later, they tied the knot in September 2012. Coming from a troubled marriage prior, Shulman became the light of her life. She fell in love with him easily and knew in her heart that she could trust this man.
Background of How William Shakespeare met his Anne Hathaway Met
Now Shakespeare and Hathaway’s marriage is actually a little more scandalous. They were married in November 1582 when Shakespeare was 18 and Hathaway was 26… and already pregnant. During this time, Shakespeare was still considered a minor in the eyes of the law, so he had to ask Hathaway’s father’s permission for her hand in marriage. And because he married so early, he couldn’t complete an apprenticeship, where young people would have lived with a mentor and learned how to master the respected craft they wished to be part of.
The couple’s main priority was to avoid the pregnancy scandal at all costs, so Shakespeare quickened the workmanship process by applying to the Bishop’s Court in Worcester. Which then allowed them to marry outside of the normal residence. Six months after the wedding, their first daughter, Susanna, was born. They then had twins named Judith and Hamnet.
The Conspiracy Theory
Reincarnation stems from Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism religions, where peoples’ (or even animals’) souls are believed to be reborn into another body. So to speak, they are living another life on Earth. There have been some real-world accounts of people recounting their past lives. For example, as a young child, James Leininger recollected memories from a past life as a war hero. This first started at the age of two when he began having nightmares of a terrible plane accident. In the subsequent years, Leinger started to share stories as a fighter pilot from the Navy during 1945. What he shares is quite strange, as he was just a kid with little exposure to military basics.
With that in mind, let’s discuss the possibilities of Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulam’s reincarnation. Note: This is strictly a conspiracy theory and should not be taken seriously!
There are some partial coincidences or hard facts on the matter. Anne Hathaway was born on the four hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare and Hathaway’s wedding. Another — quite possibly the best evidence — is Shulman’s physical appearance. His face looks nearly identical to Shakespeare’s portrait paintings. Unfortunately, Hathaway of Stratford has fewer portraits to support her half. Sillier evidence for this claim is that Hathaway hasn’t aged for quite some time which causes people to speculate that maybe she is a ghost from the past!
Another evidence source comes from the horse’s mouth:
“Life is too short to love you in one. I promise to look for you in the next life.”
William Shakespeare
Within this theory, it’s believed that Shakespeare had promised his wife that in the next life, she would be famous, and he would take the back seat. Impartialy because he lived apart from his family for most of their marriage, he only visited occasionally.
Credits: Bookstr
ROK's Future In Doubt As Canal+ Seeks To Buy Parent Company Of Africa Magic
During the month, it was reported that Canal+ had increased its offer to takeover DStv by 19% with a sum of R35,9 billion. This comes after their initial offering of R32 billion was rejected with the Takeover Regulation Panel (TRP) ordering them to propose a new deal.
As some readers are aware, Canal+ owns various properties in parts of Europe and Africa. Some of which clash with MultiChoice's current offering and should Canal+ succeed in their takeover of the pay-tv company various changes could await the content.
In this instance, Canal+ owns Nigerian film company ROK Studios who manage the ROK channels currently viewed on DStv. The company was founded by Mary Remmy Njoku in 2013 before folding under the Canal+ company by 2019.
For several decades, MultiChoice has operated Africa Magic which serves as a rival offering to ROK Studios with its own lineup of original content. Should the acquisition move forward these two could merge into one entity since they'll be managed by one entity.
Another would be a potential sale of ROK Studios as a means to keep Africa Magic intact for the foreseeable future. These brands have a lot of history and consumers aren't open to the reality of their assets being merged.
One thing that comes to mind as a means to keep both brands intact is a restructuring to their demographic. ROK Studios could transition into a youth oriented brand as seen with the likes of 1Magic while Africa Magic caters to millennials and other audiences.
April 2024 On DreamWorks Channel Across Africa | New Series Alert: Spirit Riding Free | New Episodes: All Hail King Julien | Weekend Movies: Astro Boy
Spirit Riding Free
From Monday, 1st April
Weekdays at 8.30am, 8.10pm
DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free centers on a group
of three friends, who together experience coming
of age and the power of friendship. Lucky, a gutsy
12-year-old girl, befriends a wild mustang she
names Spirit. With her two best friends, Abigail
and Pru, and their horses by her side, they explore
a world filled with endless rides and never ending fun. Together they’ll push their own limits and discover what it truly means to be free.
NEW EPISODES (53-65)
All Hail King Julien
From Monday, 1st April
Weekdays at 3.35pm, 8.35pm
Weekends at 11.50am, 5.40pm
After King Julien flees the kingdom, a chill sets in
on the island of Madagascar: Koto is coming. As a battle of the lemurs looms large, King Julien must
venture across the sea to recruit an army of
unlikely allies, including Uncle King Julien, some
saucy lemur ladies, and the despicable Karl. In
this heroic saga for the ages, Julien must find a
way to reclaim his beloved kingdom
WEEKEND MOVIE
Woody Woodpecker
Saturday 6th April at 9.20am
Sunday 7th April at 7.15am
Woody must protect his forest home from Lance
Walters (Timothy Omundson), who starts building
his dream mansion in the forest with his son,
Tommy, and fiancée, Vanessa (Thaila Ayala). To
make matters worse, he must avoid the clutches
of two grizzly poachers. With a series of crazy
hijinks to sabotage their plans, Woody proves he'll
stop at nothing to defend his turf. Get ready for big laughs in this hilarious comedy about everyone's favourite woodpecker!
WEEKEND MOVIE
Astro Boy
Saturday 27th April at 9.20am, 6.05pm
Sunday 28th April at 7.15am
In futuristic Metro City, a brilliant scientist named
Tenma builds Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore), a
robotic child with superstrength, X-ray vision and
the ability to fly. Astro Boy sets out to explore the
world and find acceptance, learning what being
human is all about in the process. Finding that his
friends and family in Metro City are in danger, he
uses his incredible powers to save all that he
loves.
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