Entertainment Inside Us (Insidus)

During the week, it was reported that Star Life will be rolling out a new series Jhanak replacing Faltu once it comes to an end in May. But that's not the only surprise set to hit viewer's screens later in the month as another deals with their current show, Evil Affairs. The supernatural drama alongside Beyond Love debuted earlier in the month replacing Divya-Drishti. It was met with an onslaught of complaints from viewers about its dark themes and depiction of Hinduism with some viewing it as scary.  Last minute notice, the channel published on their Facebook page plans to halt daytime repeats of Evil Affairs. Not only that further alienate it from other shows in terms of promos meaning consumers can only enjoy at 22:00 and possibly anytime in the night.  👻📺 Big news! You shared, we heard! Starting TOMORROW, "Evil Affairs" won't haunt your daytime screens anymore. No... Posted by Star Life Africa on  Tuesday, April 30, 2024 It also means that

During the week, it was reported eMedia Investigation would be axing OUTtv by the end of the month . As further content fold under the eVOD streaming service, while Ultraview came with a fee content from OUTtv comes at no charge. Of course, this brought out a lot of unanswered questions for which we enquired to eMedia's teams and only got a response a short a while ago. This pertains to the rest of Ultraview's offering particularly EDGE since it only consisted of two channels. According to a representative, FUSE will also be disconnected on the 30th April 2024. Similar to OUTtv, plans are underway to get FUSE on eVOD meaning Ultraview as some viewers predicted is a complete bust leaving consumers with the Indian channels. For those who aren't aware, OUTtv Proud is a joint venture between OUTtv and FUSE. If eMedia Investments is saying FUSE will be added soon expect it to fold under OUTtv Proud which we presume is crowded with programming from OUTtv at the mome

BBC Children’s, France Télévisions and Germany’s ZDF have ordered Piggy Builders Created by Marie Manand, Julien Hazebroucq and Emmanuelle Leleu, this 52 x 11-minute series stars three pig siblings who are very different individually, but who all share a passion for building projects in their forest home and fending off a meddlesome wolf named Vern. Romain Villemaine (Ricky Zoom, Maya the Bee) is on board to direct, and Piggy Builders‘ first episodes will be unveiled at MIPCOM in October, followed by premieres on CBeebies, France Télévisions and ZDF in Q3 2025. Piggy Builders was originally pitched at Cartoon Forum 2021, where it was well-received, according to Xilam founder and CEO Marc du Pontavice. It’s the studio’s second CG-animated series after Oggy Oggy, which has been acquired by the likes of France Télévisions, Discovery (Italy) and Super RTL (Germany) following its global premiere on Netflix in 2021.    Paramount CEO Bob Bakish is stepping down, will be replaced b

The one-hour drama project is said to be nearing a deal at the streamer with a script-to-series commitment. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps aside from the fact it will be based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon. Warner Bros. Television will produce, with the studio having recently launched the “Dead Boys Detectives” series at Netflix. Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg serve as writers and will also executive produce along with André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner under their Midnight Radio banner. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman will executive produce via Berlanti productions (the company is currently under an overall deal at WBTV). Jonathan Gabay of Berlanti Productions and Adrienne Erickson will co-executive produce. Reps for both Netflix and WBTV declined to comment. Should the project go forward, it would not be the first live-action Scooby-Doo project to make it to the screen. Most famously, “Scooby-Doo” was released in 2002 and starred Fred

Canal+ owner Vivendi is still exploring a stock split, as it today posted first quarter revenues up significantly. France-based Vivendi posted Q1 revenues of €4.28B (R86 billion), up 5.4% on 2023’s numbers when using constant currencies and and the businesses the firm owns today. No earnings were revealed in the unaudited numbers. Within those numbers, Canal+ saw revenues grow 4.3% year-on-year to €1.5B (R30 billion, +3.5% at constant currency and perimeter). International revenues were up 5.8% thanks to subscriber growth, particularly in Africa, where Canal+ has been buying up shares in MultiChoice and looks set to take over the South African giant. Mainland France TV operations revenue was up over 5%. However, Studiocanal saw revenues decline compared with 2023, when the likes of Alibi.com 2 and John Wick 2 had significant domestic and international launches. Other notable performances saw social video platform Dailymotion increase revenues by 24.8%, with the ‘New Initiat

Amazon.com Inc. is close to a deal to bring NBA games to its Prime Video streaming service, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.  The league is also nearing a new agreement with Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, which is expected to keep the rights to the NBA finals but air fewer regular-season games, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information. Details on the number of games Amazon will have in the regular season and playoffs are still being ironed out. Rights to the women’s league, the WNBA, are expected to be included as part of both deals. The Athletic and Puck reported earlier on the framework of the deals. Both news outlets said the agreements would last a decade. Representatives for the NBA and Amazon declined to comment. ESPN didn’t respond. The NBA’s incumbent partners are Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. The league’s current media deals are worth a total of $24 billion, or over $2.6 billion a year. Those contr

During the week, it was reported Star Life would be rolling out a new Hindi drama Jhanak in May after Faltu. Now Zee World is also looking to debuting a program from Zee TV titled Force Of Attraction (Pyar Ka Pehla  Adhyaya: Shiv  Shakti) a spinoff to Radha Mohan. Force Of Attraction follows Shakti Sharma a kind woman who aspires to be a doctor. After losing her parents, she lives with her uncle and aunt in Varanasi. She crosses path with Shiv Kashyap a doctor, who has a hurting past and is unable to heal.  It starred Arjun Bijlani as Dr. Shiv Kashyap, Chinmay Patwardhan as Ravi Singh,  Megha Singh as Janvi Sharma,  Parineeta Borthakur as Gargi Rameshwar Sa, Seema Pandey as Gayatri Kashyap and Ashman Kumar as Ayush Singh. Force Of Attraction debuted on Zee TV from 3rd July 2023 and since then 289 episodes has been filmed so far each with a 22 minute duration. It will commence on Zee World in Southern Africa from 22 May and a week later for consumers in ROA from 29 May.

South Africa 7 Little Johnstons S9A NEW SEASON In this installment, Jonah becomes the first Johnston kid to turn 21, with Christmas just around the corner. Trent’s and Amber’s efforts to elevate the holiday season are interrupted due to the antics of the adult kids in the house. Things take a turn for the worse when Amber confronts Anna about her plans to move out. First TX: 20 May TX Day: Monday TX Time: 20:00 Last TX: 5 Aug 90 Day Fiance:  Love in Paradise S4 NEW SEASON The show focuses on four lovestruck Americans travelling to Brazil, Colombia, Italy and Malta to share lives with their significant others. Each couple will struggle with getting to know each other while also dealing with the highs and lows inherent in any relationship. First TX: 15 May TX Day: Wednesday TX Time: 20:00 Last TX: 17 July The Curious Case Of Natalia  Grace: Natalia Speaks NEW TO CHANNEL A follow-up to the 2023 docuseries that focused on Natalia’s adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett

The Grinch stares down at Whoville through his telescope from Mount Crumpit, planning to take the Whos' presents using his gadgets. He goes in his cave, and looks through his blueprints deciding which gadget to make first. However, the Grinch accidentally falls off his mountain of boxes and his blueprints fly away down to Whoville and various parts of Wholand. The Grinch visits Whoville, the Whoforest, Whoville Municipal Dump, and Wholake, destroying Christmas presents, playing pranks on the Whos and recovering pieces of his blueprints in the process so he can steal Christmas. For a Gameboy Color emulator visit Cartoon Games and click CARTOON EXTENSIONS  Download Now

The board is expected to lean on company division heads in lieu of a CEO while it negotiates a possible merger with Skydance Media. Paramount Global has set up a special committee to explore the deal. The companies are in exclusive talks to pursue a deal until May 3, though that window could be extended. Bakish has lost the trust of Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, according to people familiar with her thinking. Redstone wanted to make a move to oust Bakish before Paramount Global’s carriage negotiation with Charter Communications, which is pivotal for setting a value for the company in its merger talks with Skydance, the people said. A spokesperson for Paramount Global declined to comment. Paramount and Skydance have been making headway on a final deal, under which Bakish would leave Paramount, reported Thursday. Skydance intends to name its CEO David Ellison to helm Paramount, according to people familiar with the matter. In private, Bakish has dis

Since the first broadcast on 9 April 2013, kykNET&kie has not only shown the cream of kykNET's programs, but also provided new content produced exclusively for kykNET&kie. The award-winning Suidooster, winner of the Safta in 2022 for the best soap opera, and the telenovela Arendsvlei brought real South African stories to viewers, put a host of new talented actors in the spotlight and made for a huge injection into local TV - operation taken care of. Then there are programs like Say your say, KLOP! and the dubbed Turkish telenovelas that keep viewers buzzing. kykNET&kie's schedule change in May will give viewers the luxury of sitting back and relaxing with excellent entertainment in the evening. So, put down that remote control and enjoy prime viewing in premium time. • Binnelanders' twelfth season starts on Tuesday 7 May at 17:30. The series is broadcast from Mondays to Fridays. • Deep Waters' first season can be seen from Tuesday 7 May at 18:00.

Velma is an American adult animated mystery television series based on the character Velma Dinkley from the Scooby-Doo franchise. Developed and created by Charlie Grandy for HBO Max, it stars executive producer Mindy Kaling as the voice of the titular character, with Sam Richardson, Constance Wu and Glenn Howerton in supporting roles.  The series revolves around Velma Dinkley and the other human members of Mystery Inc. before their official formation, making it the first television series in the franchise to not feature the character Scooby-Doo. Since its inception, Velma had received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the voice acting and animation, but were divided towards the humor and criticized its meta storytelling , characterization, writing, and departures from the traditional Scooby-Doo format.  Despite the massive backlash that the show has taken, Velma was Max's most-watched animated original show in 2023. The [hate] streaming was probably what contribut

French media group Canal+ today announced it has acquired additional shares In MultiChoice, the operator of Africa’s biggest pay-TV – DStv. Following a significant increase in its ownership stake, Canal+ has triggered a mandatory offer to minority shareholders of MultiChoice Group. This action was necessitated after surpassing a predefined threshold established by the JSE. In accordance with JSE regulations, when an individual or entity acquires at least 35% of a listed company, a mandatory offer must be extended to other shareholders under terms agreed upon with the main exchange. Canal+ has put forth a mandatory offer to acquire all outstanding shares of MultiChoice Group not already held by the conglomerate. The proposed purchase price stands at R125.00 per share, payable in cash, signaling Canal+’s commitment to further consolidate its position within the media landscape. Today, Canal+ announced it has increased its shareholding to 41.60% in MultiChoice. Canal+ has acqu

eExtra, a general entertainment channel operated by eMedia Investments that is home to international dramas from Turkey, Asia and India is set to rollout a new series titled Ajooni. eMedia has yet to release further details about the show. But from what we presume here this could be a reference to the drama from Star Bharat. Of course, the reason we've been doubtful pertains to the misinformation regarding Broken Bonds and This Is Love. The story Ajooni is set in Haryalipur, where the titular character and Avinash are to be engaged but then she accidentally meets Rajveer in the market and he falls for Ajooni - love at first sight.  He starts stalking her and breaks her engagement with Avinash. It starred Ayushi Khurana as Ajooni Bagga, Shoaib Ibrahim as Rajveer Singh Bagga, Drisha Kalyani as Meher Vohra, Pankaj Dheer as  Ravindra Singh Bagga and Shraddha Singh as Harman Ravindra Singh Bagga. Ajooni aired from 26 July 2022 to 23 August 2023 on Star Bharat with 316 epis

Paramount+ has renewed the animated preschool series Dora for a second season.  The iconic Latina heroine returned this month in the CG-animated revival series produced by Nickelodeon Animation.  Dora, based on the original series Dora the Explorer, follows everyone’s favorite bilingual explorer, Dora (Diana Zermeño), and her best monkey friend, Boots (Asher Colton Spence) as they embark on epic adventures in a fantastical rainforest. Guided by trustworthy Map (Anairis Quiñones), Dora and her friends must work together to overcome many obstacles while being challenged by the sneakiest fox, Swiper (Marc Weiner). Kathleen Herles, the original voice of Dora the Explorer, voices Mami. “Kids and family programming is consistently one of the most popular genres on Paramount+ and we’re thrilled that our audience has already embraced Dora,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President, Programming, Paramount+. “It’s an incredible opportunity to introduce this beloved character and

NickMusic's demise on weekday mornings  NickMusic is a basically a youth oriented version to the current MTV that features a mixture of local and international hits catered toward a younger demographic. Internationally, it operates as a programming block (if not TV show) and 24 hour channel. Since its inception on Nicktoons, the show has been going through numerous timeslot changes and in recent months getting phased out from the lineup. Usually Nicktoons would restart NickMusic from the beginning but now it can go unnoticed for several months.  As some readers are aware, NickMusic airs daily at 16:10 and from May 6th these episodes will air in its repeat slot at 09:00. I don't get why they'd want to air new episodes that early when a majority of the channel's viewers aren't tuning in. Another why let The Casagrandes get another timeslot as the channel had become bloated with its repeat alongside SpongeBob SquarePants. Is this the channel's way of ax

OUTtv will be coming off the subscription Ultraview platform on Openview at the end of April. eMedia Investments has yet to mention a replacement for EDGE consumers unless that's being discontinued as FUSE would be the only TV channel currently priced at R75 per month. Ultraview launched as a pay tier to the current free-to-view Openview platform comprises of two packages each with their own set of entertainment. Spice TV is a Bollywood package offering Zee Family and Star Select from India's largest broadcasters while EDGE is youth oriented for OUTtv and FUSE. eMedia Investments has yet to disclose any further details on subscriber numbers for Ultraview but it is believed to be small bunch. Majority coming from Spice TV due to the existing involvement from Zee One and Star Life which serve as sister channels to the channels in question.  EDGE

Star Life, a general entertainment channel operated by Disney Star that is home to various Bollywood drama series and movies all of which are dubbed in English is set to rollout another series in the coming months titled Jhanak. Jhanak follows the titular character as she faces many challenges and obstacles in her life due to her poor background, but she never gives up on her passion. She meets Anirudh, who offers her support and encouragement, but fate separates them.  It stars Hiba Nawab as  Jhanak Raina,  Krushal Ahuja as  Aniruddha Bose,  Chandni Sharma as  Arshi Mukherjee,  Dolly Sohi as  Srishti Mukherjee,  Sachin Verma as  Shubh Basu and  Kajal Pisal as  Tanuja Basu. The Hindi drama debuted on November 20, 2023 on StarPlus and 80 episodes have reportedly been filmed. It was met with a lot of praise by viewers and even surpassed the rankings of  Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin better known as Lost In Life. Jhanak will air daily at 18:00 CAT from 24 May replacing Faltu

Last month, it was reported that e.tv will be debuting its first original Afrikaans soap Kelders Van Geheime from 6 May. This comes after SABC failed to replace one of their longest running shows 7de Laan in 2023 and moved further Afrikaans content to SABC 3.  Kelders Van Geheime , which is based on the wheelings and dealings of the community that lives on Soebatskloof (a wine farm in the Cape), focuses on three families. As they stand together to earn their bread and butter – and a glass of wine! As some readers are aware, the show will be airing at 18:00 on e.tv replacing Ouma Sarie. This is the same timeslot SABC 2 aired 7de Laan which garnered 800,000 viewers while Ouma Sarie pulled 1.8 million viewers which is almost double.  As we're browsing the schedule, there's no daily repeats (for now) as the bloated e.tv has stuffed its schedule with eExtra's scraps. But as we turn to eExtra there is a listing for Kelders Van Geheime weirdly enough its a simultaneou

After debuting on Cartoon Network in most parts of the world by 2016, Warner Bros. Discovery suddenly decides to license the show for the network in Africa 8 years later. It was made available on Toonami 4 years after it debuted in other countries.  It follows Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other superheroes join forces to form the Justice League that aims to fight villains. The series will air daily at 17:50 CAT from 6 May on Cartoon Network and similar to other countries no daily reruns.  Unlike Teen Titans and Beware The Batman that were heavily ignored by Cartoon Network. Justice League Action is getting some exposure now the issue here most of the channel's audience at the time had grown up and probably aren't tuning into the network. Not that Justice League Action is doomed to fail or anything as Cartoon Network has a huge fanbase in the market but some consistency would have helped now those who use it to view the network by 2016 are probably missing ou

Just weeks after announcing that its chairman, Imtiaz Patel, would stay on to oversee a possible deal with Groupe Canal+, MultiChoice Group on Tuesday announced Patel’s exit from the role with immediate effect. The move comes amid concerns about corporate governance at the broadcaster, which is the subject of a takeover bid by France’s Canal+. In a surprise move, MultiChoice said on 2 April — following a board meeting before the Easter weekend — that it had rescinded a previous announcement that Patel would step down, with board member Elias Masilela due to take up the chairmanship from 1 April. “In view of the recent ruling by the Takeover Regulation Panel that required Canal+ to make an immediate mandatory offer to all MultiChoice shareholders … the MultiChoice board has reached an agreement with Imtiaz Patel to remain on as chair,” the company said at the time. “The board believes there is significant benefit in continuity at this time, and Mr Patel has agreed to extend

Not long ago, it was reported that Nickelodeon will be exiting Germany as RTL looks to acquire the channel awaiting regulatory approval . Several shows from the channel such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Paw Patrol are set to rollout under Toggo. Nicktoons and Nick Jr. serve as sister channels to Nickelodeon are anticipated to remain in the market for now. Based on a programming block on Super RTL, Toggo will be rolling out as 24 hour channel in the region which is set to continue the Nickelodeon legacy while also supplying other content. As Paramount opts to build its children's offering through streaming.  Interesting to note, Nickelodeon had a troublesome launch in the market initially rolling out in 1995 went through bankruptcy and several of its shows had been licensed to Super RTL. Coincidence, went it relaunched in 2005 it only came in Africa by 2008. Prior to this, M-Net had operated K-TV as a children's channel to consumers in select countries. The channel s

German family channel Super RTL wants to take over children’s channel Nickelodeon in Germany and rebrand it into its children’s brand Toggo. The companies confirmed a corresponding agreement to German industry publication DWDL . According to the agreement, Super RTL will take over Nickelodeon’s established satellite frequency on Astra (19.2° East) and operate the channel under its own Toggo brand after a transitional period, while continuing to show popular Nickelodeon series such as Paw Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants. The Nickelodeon channel brand will disappear from German free-TV. Paramount intends to focus entirely on its streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto TV in the children’s sector in Germany in future. “By expanding the partnership with Nickelodeon and Paramount, Super RTL is offering its young audience an even richer wealth of high-quality children’s programmes. The takeover of the satellite frequency creates a new valuable Toggo touchpoint for the target gro

As some readers aware, StarSat once offered a pornographic content on their platforms for consumers in South Africa. This had garnered a lot of media coverage and even led to numerous legal disputes with the channels alienated within the region. Despite StarTimes playing it safe by having those channel's offering reduced to weeknights and making consumers who opted to bundle the entertainment pay extra. Their attempts had proven to be unsuccessful and led consumers to flee the platform.  Now Canal+ is seeking to acquire MultiChoice and should these attempts prove favorable. DStv's entertainment would have to be merge/aligned with Canal+'s current offering of course this may prove to be another hurdle. Similar to StarTimes in select countries, Canal+ offers also offers pornographic material known as MultiMan TV with Hustlers and Private TV. It might form part of MultiChoice's current offering as part of an alignment of content and TV channels. We're not

eExtra hits the snoozefest button with Eternal Love  After debuting on the channel earlier in the year, a rebroadcast of Eternal Love is scheduled to air daily at 16:15 from 3 May. This is by far the quickest comeback ever for a rebroadcast as it ending sometime in February taking a 3 month gap. Based on the novel of the same name, Eternal Love followed a free-spirited woman's soul inhabits the body of a timid woman from a different time. She must find a way to balance her double life when she falls in love with two different men. The Erens are back for more drama As seen on the programme guide, Annekan Die Swa Kry is not going anywhere after the second season finale debuts on e.tv from 19 May. As season 3 is scheduled to air immediately after the second season finale in the same timeslot on e.tv at 17:00. Synopsis on the first episode of season 3 While the Eren brothers are enjoying the rich life they have, Akif, who is left without a penny, is looking for ways to re

Discovery Channel   Crimes Gone Viral S1 NEW TO CHANNEL Gripping clips of kidnappings, break-ins,  wild car chases, and other crimes rack up  millions of views, but the stories behind  these crimes are often never told -- until  now. This series takes viewers inside the  most shocking crimes that went viral. First TX: 28 May TX Day: Tuesday TX Time: 20:55 & 21:25 Last TX: 6 Aug Wheeler Dealers  World Tour BRAND NEW After twenty years of iconic makeovers  Mike and Elvis are back to take on their  most ambitious projects yet and this time,  they're going global. From the US, to  Australia, Europe and the UK, Mike will  track down a selection of vehicles that are  iconic to each country, in need of some  serious TLC, set up in a local garage and leave it to Elvis and local mechanics to  restore them to their former glory. First TX: 31 May TX Day: Friday TX Time: 20:00 Last TX: 2 Aug Wild & Weird America S1 BRAND NEW Watch uproarious real-life moments:  backyard mis

Soccer's global governing body FIFA is close to an agreement with Apple to give the tech company worldwide television rights for a new, month-long club tournament, the New York Times reported on Monday. The deal with Apple could be announced as soon as this month and valued at around $1 billion, a quarter of the $4 billion FIFA had first estimated, the report said, citing three people familiar with the matter. The potential agreement would give the company's streaming business an edge amid competition among streaming services providers to lap up rights for widely watched sporting events in a bid to add subscribers. If the deal goes through, this would mark the first time that FIFA has agreed to a single worldwide contract, the report said. Senior executives at FIFA, however, have raised concerns over the possibility of "free-to-air rights", which would make the event only available to subscribers of Apple TV+, according to the report. It is unclear whether

Six new animated specials for Cloudco Entertainment’s Care Bears: Unlock the Magic are set to premiere on Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) Cartoonito and HBO Max/Max across EMEA and on Max in Latin America. Individual EMEA country launch dates will vary, but both Cartoonito and HBO Max/Max are planning to begin rollouts this summer. In Latin America, Max debuted the first special in mid-March, with plans to release the others in April, July, September, October and November. The Care Bears: Unlock the Magic specials have already launched on POP in the U.K., Family Channel in Canada, Channel 9 in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand. They have begun their rollout in the U.S. as well, with future releases continuing into November. The six new specials are titled “The Quest for the Rainbow Stone,” “Grumpy’s Ginormous Adventure,” “The Star of a Thousand Wishes,” “The Mystery of the Snickering Ghost,” “The Bad Crowd Strikes Back!” and “The No Heart Games.” “We’re excited to see the

As reported sometime ago, Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to acquire eMedia Investments several years back . Following various legal hurdles of foreign ownership sold their remaining shares as eMedia Investments continues to blossom. They currently offer Openview, SA's most successful free-to-view DTT platform which is accessible to over 3 million households. It  offers over 20 TV channels which offer a range of movies, reality shows, drama series, telenovelas, sports and cartoons. Most of which probably wouldn't have been under Warner Bros. Discovery's radar leaving consumers the latter on DStv and StarSat. Warner Bros. Discovery (known as Time Warner) at the time consisted of brands such as HBO, TNT, Cartoon Network and Cartoonito (formerly Boomerang). Before the merger in 2019, their lineup consisted of drama series, movies and cartoons. There's no way eSeries could have entered the equation if M-Net licensed content from HBO and Warner Bros. Studios