BBC Studios And MultiChoice Strengthen Long-Standing Partnership By Expanding Reach Of BBC Channels On DStv In South Africa

• BBC UKTV expands its potential audience by a further 2.7 million homes by joining DStv Compact.

• BBC Lifestyle joins DStv family for the first time

• The DStv catch-up window for BBC owned content on BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, BBC UKTV and CBeebies will increase from 30 days to 60 days

BBC Studios’ multi-genre channel, BBC UKTV, will expand to DStv’s Compact package and Lifestyle channel, BBC Lifestyle, will join DStv Family from 1st September 2023. BBC Studios’ will also extend the DStv catch-up window on BBC owned content across channel portfolio from 30 days to 60 days from September, providing DStv audiences further access to the best of British content.

BBC Studios’ multi-genre channel, BBC UKTV (DStv channel 134), launched in December 2023 and has proven to be a channel of choice with subscribers to the DStv Family, Access and EasyView packages with its audience share increasing by 79% in its second quarter since launch. BBC UKTV will now also be available in DStv’s Compact package, providing around 8 million families in South Africa access to a variety of entertainment, natural history series, soaps, and children’s shows from BBC Studios’ award-winning catalogue. Shows coming to the channel in September include Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators, Father Brown Season 3 and Earth's Great Seasons Season 1.

Home to a variety of premium local and entertainment programming, including The Great South African Bake Off Season 4, Listing Jozi and Jamie Oliver Cooking for Less, BBC Lifestyle (channel 174) will be available on DStv Family subscribers for the first time since launch in 2015 in addition to its place in the DStv Compact package. DStv Family subscribers can look forward to Come Dine With Me South Africa Season 9 and Britain’s Most Expensive House Season 2.

BBC Studios’ suite of channels will continue to offer DStv audiences premium programming, now with an increased catch-up window for BBC owned content on DStv catch-up across BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, BBC UKTV and CBeebies, from 30 days to 60 days. Shows include Death in Paradise, Green Planet, The Great British Bake-Off, Hey Duggee and many more.

Pierre Cloete, the Commercial Director at BBC Studios in Africa says “We have a long-standing relationship with Multichoice and are proud of our six incredible BBC channels on the DStv platform. Each channel offers something for everyone with broad genre, trusted quality and international and local talent. I’m so excited to showcase our commitment to going further, broadening the reach of BBC Lifestyle and BBC UKTV and increasing the catch-up window for BBC owned content across our portfolio. This will give even more people in South Africa access to the very best BBC content and I can’t wait for new audiences to find their new favourite shows.”

Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets says “We are proud to extend the reach of our portfolio. Adding BBC Lifestyle to Family and BBC UKTV to Compact enables us to reach wider audiences utilizing the richness of the BBC’s content, providing more DStv subscribers access to award-winning shows.”

“We continue to strengthen our content offering, therefore, we are excited about broadening the content scope for our customers,” says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head of General Entertainment Channels at MultiChoice Group.

BBC To Close Linear Channels And Move Into An Internet-Only Digital Future

The BBC is to have “fewer linear broadcast services” in the next decade as it “consolidates activity under one simple, single brand,” Director General Tim Davie has revealed, as he unveiled a blueprint for a digitally-led Public Service Broadcaster.

Davie didn’t elaborate during an RTS talk this morning but Deadline understands it could be several years until the move is enacted. The speech signalled the start of a shift to taking linear-channels online only that will start over the next decade, as Davie prepares for a digital future.

“The BBC will focus its effort on the digital world and over time this will mean fewer linear broadcast services and a more tailored joined up online offer,” said the DG. He stressed “live linear is here for the long term.”

Some of this has already started happening, added Davie, who pointed to the controversial move to combine the BBC News Channel with BBC World News. BBC Four, meanwhile, still exists but has stopped commissioning original programing. To many people’s surprise, youth-skewing BBC Three went in the opposite direction, relaunching as a linear channel earlier this year.

BBC:
- eAfrica Vs. BBC UKTV: Another Attempt To Auction Off Second Hand Goods
- BBC UKTV Vs. ITV Choice: Another Attempt At Boosting The BBC On DStv
- Acorn TV Closing Down By The End Of The Year In South Africa, Still No Clue If AMC+ Will Launch In The Market
- MultiChoice: "Why Premium Customers Might Lose Out On A Certain New Channel?"

Another way in which the BBC could “unite under a single brand” would be through combining iPlayer with Sport and podcast apps, for example, with more information on this activity due in the new year.

Davie, who has been in post two years now, stressed the need for more investment to lead the BBC into an internet-only digital future.

“Inevitably all this requires another choice and that is to actively, dare I say happily, invest in the BBC,” he added, in the speech to grandees, journalists and commentators in Central London. “Moving to digital is not the challenge in of itself, moving to digital while not losing most of your audience and burning millions of pounds unnecessarily is the challenge.”

His talk came a day after UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said it is “impossible” for the license fee to remain the BBC’s funding model after 2027 and a review is currently taking place into the corporation’s future funding.

Beyond the increase of commercial outfit BBC Studios’ debt limit, more partnerships and loosened regulation, Davie struggled to put his finger on how the BBC will be able to attract the necessary capital for the transformation.

He said the BBC’s current £5.3B ($6.4B) annual income can just about keep the corporation afloat with prices soaring and the license fee frozen for the next two years.

“The bigger conversation here is whether we are OK to get into the 2030s to protect PSB,” he added. “If you look across the world, [media companies] are struggling to raise revenue. There will be a massive strain but we believe we can maintain universality and scale in UK.”

His blueprint for a thriving digitally-led PSB is four-pronged: “owning a move to an internet-only future with greater urgency,” “transforming the BBC faster,” “proactively investing in the BBC brand” and “moving faster to regulate for future success.”

By this method, Davie said the pubcaster will avoid “simply drifting to the point where the emergence of vast U.S. and Chinese players marginalize us while we put on a very British brave face as they do so.”

Part of the push involves owning more IP, an area that Davie stressed is far more important than having studio space.

“We need to own IP and find the writers who own them,” he declared. “This is a bigger question than who is operating the most effective shed [studio space]. Those sheds are brilliant at skills and apprenticeships but they are not going to underpin the future – that’s about IP and ownership.”

DStv:
- kykNET Lekker Opened To More DStv Customers For A Limited Time
- What Consumers Should Be Concerned About Regarding SABC's Yet To Be Launched Channels On DStv?
- Press Release: DStv Welcomes The Launch Of Quincy Jones’ QWEST TV Onto Screens This Month
- New Channel Alert: WildEarth To Launch In The UK Later In The Year

Digital First: What's Next For BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle And BBC Earth?

Last month, BBC Studios Director General Tim Dave unveiled plans to become a digital first service (as seen in Asia) with terminations of BBC World News and BBC Kids on the cards. Questions rise regarding the fate of the remaining stations BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth and already discussed CBeebies.

BBC Lifestyle (alongside BBC World News to some extent) happen to be one of the longest running channels from BBC Studios. BBC Lifestyle served up food, home & design, fashion, health and personal development.

The channel became one of the top brands in South Africa for shows like Come Dine With Me, MasterChef, First Dates, Blackpool and Great British Bake Off.

 

Even after trading places with BBC Knowledge, Earth continues its road to stardom with natural history and wildlife with award winning documentaries like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Horizon, Uprising and Life.

Unfortunately, not all channels from BBC Studios have something to look back on or feel accomplished by.

BBC Brit has been active in Africa for as long as BBC Earth when it launched as a replacement to BBC Entertainment's reality offering as BBC First handled scripted programming. Shows made available included Top Gear, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and The Graham Norton Show.

 

Over the years, BBC Brit had struggled to surpass its successor BBC Entertainment that even BBC Studios opted to scrap production of original content for the channel and put most of its efforts in sourcing mostly already seen content from other BBC stations.

Compared to the three, there's actually more reasons to boot BBC Brit but from what we've seen with BBC First. There's more reasons to believe BBC Lifestyle or Earth to go overboard.

Roundups #58: #FreeMaoMao As Cartoon Network Withhelds The Second Season, BBC Lifestyle Is Coming To Cape Town And Die Binnekring Makes Its Linear Debut On eExtra

Mao Mao needs your help

Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart centers on the title character, Mao Mao, a daring cat who has high intentions for action and adventure. who stumbles upon a town called Pure Heart Valley with his co-hero Badgerclops, a cyborg-armed badger, and meets Adorabat, a cute little bat. Together, the three go on adventures to protect their citizens of Pure Heart Valley from the forces of evil while they find a way to fix the Ruby Pure Heart to its original state.

The show made its debut on Cartoon Network by mid 2019 and was renewed for a second season a year from that period. For almost two years, there's been no MaoMao not even a single rerun leading some to speculate the potential demise of the series.

 

According to sources, Cartoon Network is withholding the new season of Mao Mao. A user asked the creator when the awaited second season will be released and the creator responded to say "Ask Cartoon Network". Since then several fans of the show insert the hashtag #FreeMaoMao in an attempt to free it from captivity.

Listing Cape Town coming soon to BBC Lifestyle

Take a glimpse inside Cape Town’s most luxurious homes, from farms in Franschhoek to sublime sunsets in Fresnaye, the Listing series returns with five new agents in the affluent suburbs of Cape Town.

Following the success of Listing Jozi in 2021, viewers can look forward to Listing Cape Town, the second season of the hit property-themed reality TV show, from 1 June 2022 . Listing Cape Town will join BBC’s local line-up on Wednesdays at 20h00 on BBC Lifestyle, DStv channel 174.

 

This season will take viewers into homes across the Atlantic Seaboard, Green Point, Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Fresnaye, Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, De Waterkant, Cape Town City, Bishopscourt as well as inland properties in and around Franschhoek, Val de Vie and Pearl Valley. From manicured stud farms in and around the Cape winelands, to breath-taking beach bungalows, Listing Cape Town will feature some of the Mother City’s most opulent and over the top properties ranging from R15 million to R280 million in value.

More eVOD for Openview consumers

Amidst the news of a pay-tv competitor for eExtra's Kuiertyd block, we can now confirm that the action series Die Binnekring which began streaming on eMedia's streaming service eVOD earlier in the year will make way to eExtra replacing Die Put on weekdays from June 1st at 20:30.

 

Die Binnekring brings two young people from different places as they stand side by side and fight against a conspiracy. They bring to account old notebooks, dirty cases, big and small lies. They also face a mysterious danger known as Halka.

Until further notice: eExtra is expected to cease transmission on the DStv platform by the end of June as MultiChoice couldn't reach an agreement with eMedia that took them to court regarding the channel alongside eToonz, eMovies and eMovies Extra.

Britbox Video Streamer To Launch In South Africa Later In The Year With Content From ITV And BBC

Another video streaming service will be launching in South Africa in the second half of 2021 with BritBox, the joint 50/50 streaming venture between BBC Studios and ITV, that announced that it will become accessible to South African consumers later this year.

BritBox, an ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service will join the quickly getting crowded video streaming market in South Africa where Netflix SA fiercely compete with the likes of MultiChoice's Showmax, VIU, Vodacom Video Play, TelkomONE, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

Meanwhile the South African public broadcaster is working on launching its own SABC streaming service, while Discovery+, Paramount+, HBO Max and Disney+ are still to launch in the territory and across the rest of Africa as well.

BritBox will serve as somewhat of a replacement for the ITV Choice channel and the BBC First channel that both shuttered on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform during 2020.

BritBox carries on-demand content in the form of British box sets, drama premieres and live events, as well as new and exclusive original commissions.

South Africa will be BritBox's 5th worldwide territory to launch in, following launches in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

"The launch of BritBox in South Africa is yet another step in the platform’s trajectory towards international expansion. We’re delighted to bring the service to a brand new territory and continue towards establishing BritBox as a premium VOD brand across the world," says Martin Goswami, ITV group strategic partnership and distribution director, in a statement.

Paul Dempsey, president of global distribution at BBC Studios, says "We know that South African audiences have a real connection to British television and we can’t wait to bring them even more great shows, on-demand, that we know they will love".

Read Also:
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- 44 projects in development on Paramount+
- When will Star Plus and Star Life on DStv, Openview and StarTimes (Starsat) adapt to the Utsav branding?
- Several titles coming to Discovery+
- PremiumFree launching as an alternative to OpenView 
- Government enforcing local quota on streaming platforms
- WarnerMedia is working on more content for kids
- R.I.P. FOX, long live Star, will other markets follow?
- Utsav branding takes affect on Vijay TV, will StarPlus and Star Life follow in Africa
- Will Paramount+ lead to the shutdown of several linear channels?
- BBC recognises African animation

BBC Upfront + Other Rumored Developments For DStv

BBC held a virtual upfront today to discuss details relating to the new agreement they had with MultiChoice and also unveil a bunch of programming for their channels. Here's the scoop (part of it mentioned earlier):
- MultiChoice made the decision to remove BBC First (they didn't mention it but it gave it away) and BBC is trying to get viewers hooked onto BBC Brit which will be the new hub for content that was available on First.
- BBC Brit will broadcast the new anthology miniseries, Small Axe this summer in South Africa. The 5-episode Small Axe drama series revolves around stories focused on the experience of black people in Britain, with the cast that includes John Boyega.
- Production of the latest 6th season of Come Dine with Me South Africa produced by Rapid Blue TV on BBC Lifestyle shut down because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic but will restart soon for the last few episodes of the season that will then be shown.
- BBC Earth will broadcast Perfect Planet, with Sir David Attenborough as the narrator. Two new series filmed in Africa, will be Work On the Wild Side, and Waterhole: Africa's Animal Oasis. Other upcoming series include: Age of Nature and Ades Climate Pioneers.
- CBeebies which was available only on Premium and Compact+ will now be available on DStv Compact, Family and Access presumably around the time Disney XD stops airing on the platform.
- BBC Lifestyle will be available in high definition.

Rumored developments that have nothing to do with BBC:
- More channels are rumored to get pulled off these include regional channels.
- Nickelodeon will be open for a limited time to celebrate the launch of Danger Force.
Packages: Access, Family and Compact
- fliekNET will be available for 3 days in October.
Packages: Compact+
- M-Net Movies 2 will be open from 6:00-18:00
Packages: All packages
- EVA and National Geographic will be opened for a limited time
Packages: Access
- Telemundo will be added onto DStv Easyview from 19 October (with the deduction of new telenovelas it wouldn't shock me if it dropped from three to just two current telenovelas)
- SABC Education will be added soon you just need to wait on SABC to provide those details.
Packages: All packages
- There's been rumours that MultiChoice changed the availability for the 4 remaining channels before you'd need Compact to watch all 5 new channels now that's been adjusted in some markets. There's also been talks of expanding current channels.

Read Also:
- Limpopo launches first commercial channel
- KIX, the ultimate destination for action movies
- Is MultiChoice planning to remove EVA as well
- Discovery EMEA streamlining channels
- Zoomoo kiddies lineup
- Scrapped channels on DStv - their status is still unknown

New Details Emerge About MultiChoice Deal With BBC + October Highlights

Following all the cancellations and pop-up channels over the year with MultiChoice. There's new details regarding the deal formed with BBC Studios:

1.The first fact is that BBC First stops airing on DStv and several programs will move onto M-Net and BBC Brit.

2. CBeebies which was available only on Premium and Compact+ will now be available on Compact, Family and Access. This comes at a time where viewers are losing Disney XD.

3. BBC Lifestyle will soon be available in HD

4. The deal involves additional Catch Up rights so more shows will be available on Catch Up, some as seasonal box sets.

No dates have been confirmed for these yet.
This from their statement about it:
The agreement sees the continuation of a number of the BBC’s award-winning British shows, including Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, EastEnders, Peaky Blinders and much more.
There’s also fresh content in the form of a brand-new seasons of Our Girl, Come Dine with Me South Africa, The Mallorca Files, Jamie Oliver’s Keep Cooking and Carry On, and The Graham Norton Show.
Viewers who are wildlife and nature enthusiasts can look forward to more landmark titles such as A Perfect Planet and The Waterhole: Africa’s Animal Oasis on BBC Earth.
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OCTOBER 2020 WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

MasterChef series 16 (24 episodes)
Weekdays from Monday 5th October at 18:00 on BBC Lifestyle
More images available on request
One of BBC Lifestyle’s most popular cooking competitions is back with John and Greg ready to see who the next MasterChef will be…

Out of the thousands who applied, 60 hopeful amateur cooks have made it through to compete over five weeks of Heats. This year they will have to cook not only for their place in the competition but also the right to wear a coveted MasterChef apron. With six contestants in each Heat and only four aprons up for grabs, the battle is fierce from the offset.

The contestants get their first chance to win an apron by cooking their Signature Dish – a plate that tells John and Gregg about who they are as a cook and how good they can become. After tasting all six dishes, John and Gregg will pick their two favourites and those cooks will earn themselves not only a MasterChef apron, but also a place in the next round.

Return to the Wild series 2 (6 episodes)
From Monday 5th October at 19.00 on BBC Earth
Adventurer Ben Fogle revisits people who turned their backs on the rat-race to set up home in some of Earth’s most remote locations.

How have things panned out for the former war correspondent who became a grizzly bear guide in the Canadian wilderness? Or the former city fat cat turned jungle Tarzan in the swamplands of Georgia, USA? And what about the man whose tragic accident prompted a move to Australia’s notorious Tornado Alley? Ben finds out what’s changed for these compelling characters as he learns about the challenges they’ve faced since he first spent time with them. Is life in the wild still their ultimate dream?

Pointless series 23 (55 episodes)
Weekdays from Monday 5th October at 19.00 on BBC Brit
The brainy quiz returns for a twenty second series in which contestants try to score as few points as possible by plumbing the depths of their general knowledge to come up with the answers no-one else could think of. Presented by Alexander Armstrong and Co Host Richard Osman.

Eight Go Rallying (4 episodes)
From Wednesday 7th October at 20.00 on BBC Brit
Four celebrity duos are joining a group of intrepid classic car enthusiasts on the Endurance Rally Association’s ‘Road to Saigon’, travelling over 3000 km from Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand through Cambodia and Vietnam. The series follows them over three countries and over 3000 km as they endure crashes and break downs as well as experiencing the sights and sounds of three fascinating countries.

Each pair has been given their own rally-prepped classic car, with no sat nav, no air-conditioning and no in car entertainment. Together, they must take on some of the most challenging roads in the world, spending hours together in stifling 40 degree heat. What will they make of their first taste of endurance rallying? Will their relationships survive this formidable test?

Motoring enthusiast Noel Edmonds and wife make-up artist Liz Edmonds are in a classic MGB GT. Spandau Ballet pop star- turned-actor Martin Kemp and wife, Wham! backing singer Shirlie have a 1972 Mini. Mother-and-daughter team cookery expert Andi Oliver and TV presenting daughter Miquita Oliver have the oldest car - a 1959 Morris Minor, and grime star Tinchy Stryder and Rizzle Kicks rapper Jordan Stephens have been given a sky blue Hillman Imp.

Have they got what it takes to make it all the way to the finish line?

Crusades (3 episodes)
From Friday 9th October at 19:00 on BBC Earth
Bloody and brutal, the Crusades were meant to be the religious wars to end all others. Except they didn’t, and in modern times, their history has been hijacked by politics and religious fervour, with both Muslim and Western worlds misunderstanding the truth. This series sets out to shed new light on these legendary wars, and re-analyse the romanticised, idealised history to find out what really happened eight centuries ago, through detailed archaeology, and fresh scrutiny of ancient sites and long discarded eyewitness testimony.

The School That Tried End Racism (2 episodes)
From Tuesday 13th October at 19:00 on BBC Earth
This gripping documentary series follows a British school which helps its students uncover and eradicate racial biases. The two-part programme explores how these hidden differences can affect us all and as well as what we can do to tackle them. In the first episode, the students are tested for unconscious racial bias, with two best friends receiving surprising results. Elsewhere, the classmates explore white privilege and a white British student is shocked to hear her black classmates’ experiences of racism.

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby series 3 set 1 (3 episodes)
From Thursday 15th October at 20:00 on BBC Lifestyle
Check into more of the world’s most awe-inspiring hotels as this fun, aspirational hit series returns. These fantastic locations represent the zenith of luxury and the ultimate in customer care.

Fancy a visit to a Macau hotel with one of the world’s largest indoor gardens? Or an opulent palace magically set in an Indian lake? Presenters Giles Coren and Monica Galetti roll up their sleeves and learn how hard the staff work in these incredible locations.

Jamie Oliver Keep Cooking and Carry On (20 episodes)
From Monday 19th October at 20:00 on BBC Lifestyle
In these unprecedented times, Jamie sets out to help, sharing some incredible recipes that make the most of your kitchen staples.  With ingenious ideas on what to do with those panicked pantry purchases and forgotten frozen food, he’ll offer us new ideas on what to cook with the simple ingredients you’ve got to hand and what to swap out if you haven’t.

Read Also:
- Disney XD and the tacky FOX Life stop airing on DStv
- DStv will be launching 5 channels and 4 are experimental
- KIX movie lineup ahead of its October launch
- Discovery EMEA streamlining channels
- Zoomoo kiddies lineup
- Scrapped channels on DStv - their status is still unknown
- Fashion One is no longer available on DStv

August 2020 On BBC Africa | Warrior Woman | We Hunt Together | Agatha Raisin | Flirting Dancing | More

As the UK's leading international television broadcaster, BBC Studios operates a diverse portfolio of channels around the world, bringing the best British factual, entertainment, children's and lifestyle programming this August.

·       Channels are as follows: BBC Brit 119, BBC Lifestyle 174, BBC Earth 184, BBC First 119

W/c 3rd August

Warrior Woman With Lupita Nyong'o

Monday 3rd August at 19:00 on BBC Earth (1 episode)

Lupita Nyong’o is about to discover the Warrior Women’s incredible secrets.

In this immersive and epic TV documentary, with extraordinary and unique access, Oscar®-winning actress, author, and producer Lupita Nyong’o journeys across Benin, West Africa to uncover the remarkable truth behind the women who helped to inspire the Dora Milaje of Marvel’s film Black Panther.

She discovers that an army of African female fighters actually existed in West Africa and are still remembered there as the ‘Agoji’—or as Europeans labelled them, the ‘Amazons’. As she exclusively reveals in a powerful, emotional, and epic road trip, these real-life warrior women, in armies 4,000 strong, fought African and European powers alike from the 17th to the 19th centuries in the Kingdom of Dahomey, centred in the modern-day country of Benin.

Beautifully shot, this is a searing story of both the past and the present.

We Hunt Together – not confirmed yet

From Wednesday 5th August at 20.00 on BBC First (6 episodes)

We Hunt Together is an audacious new drama about what happens when two profoundly damaged people collide and finally speak the unspoken, giving each other permission and reason to act out their most violent compulsions. A brave new take on a classic cat and mouse story, We Hunt Together explores the intoxication of sexual attraction, the dangerous power of emotional manipulation and how finding a volatile form of solace in another can have dire consequences for those who dare to get in the way.

Freddy (Hermione Corfield) is magnetic, highly intelligent, disarmingly charming…and she might just be a psychopath. Baba (Dipo Ola), on the other hand, is vulnerable, compassionate yet damaged former child soldier, whose chance encounter with Freddy turns his world upside down. He’s desperate to suppress his predisposition for extreme violence, but the pair’s lust for each other takes over and creates a truly deadly duo. Meanwhile, DS Lola Franks (Eve Myles) and DI Jackson Mendy (Babou Ceesay) face their own unconventional relationship, as the pair get thrown together to work on a high-profile murder case and try to catch the killers. Jackson and Lola’s differing opinions cause conflict during their investigation, as does Lola’s inability to deal with her own demons which have the potential to push them both to breaking point.

A psychological thriller and a romance, it explores the dangerous power of desire, what happens when two profoundly damaged people meet and reawaken their latent capacity for violence, and finally, what happens when the honeymoon period is over.

The Persians: A History of Iran

From Friday 7th August at 19.00 on BBC Earth (3 episodes)

Discover the complex and fascinating history of Persia, the world’s first empire.

This series reveals historical and cultural sites across Iran that few westerners have ever seen. Learn about the Shahnameh, one of the most important books in Iran’s history, used by kings as propaganda, but also modern-day Iranians as a way of connecting with their Persian heritage. And see the ancient Zoroastrian fire temple, home to a fire said to have been burning for over 1,500 years. Welcome to a world of kings and invaders, epic poets, and exceptional artists.

Agatha Raisin (Season 3)

From Friday 7th August at 20.00 on BBC First (8 episodes)

Starring Emmy®-nominated actress Ashley Jensen (Catastrophe, Extras, Ugly Betty) and based on MC Beaton’s best-selling novels, season three once again follows a London PR whizz turned amateur sleuth, who becomes entangled in mischief, mayhem, and murder when she opts for early retirement in a small village in the Cotswolds. Drawn into various mysteries, Agatha attempts to solve the crimes… often in rather unorthodox and amusing ways.

Flirty Dancing (Season 2)

From Sunday 9th August at 20.00 on BBC Lifestyle (6 episodes)

Ashley Banjo returns to front the innovative and feel-good hit that puts old school romance back into modern dating as he attempts to plays cupid with a raft of hopeless romantics looking to find love on the dancefloor. Each episode will see him match two couples and choreograph bespoke dance dates that allow them to get to know each other in a totally unique way. They won’t talk, they just dance, and when the music stops they’ll walk away without saying a word. Based purely on the chemistry they feel in the dance, they must then decide if there’s enough of a spark to want to see each other again.

W/c 10th August

Simon Reeve’s Sacred Rivers

From Monday 10th August at 20.00 on BBC Earth (3 episodes)

History, adventure and travelogue combine as Simon Reeve explores three of the world’s major rivers: the Nile, Yangtze and Ganges.

Through the stories of the people who live alongside these great waterways, he uncovers their vast influence, and reveals how they unite, and divide, some of the most extraordinary parts of the world. Travel from the twin temples of Abu Simbel to the Nile delta; down the Yangtze from the giant Buddha of Leshen to the Three Gorges Dam and on to Shanghai; and along the great mother Ganges in a world caught between ancient traditions and astonishing modernity. Full of wonder and breathtaking, magisterial landscapes, Simon Reeve’s Sacred Rivers is a potent mix of revelation and hands-on adventure - a riot of colour, extraordinary spectacle and unexpected encounters.

The Great Pottery Throw Down (Season 3)

From Monday 10th August at 20.00 on BBC Lifestyle (8 episodes)

Melanie Sykes is at the potter’s wheel as the new host, as 12 passionate home potters compete to be crowned the nation’s best.

Master potter Keith Brymer Jones returns as judge, alongside award-winning ceramicist Sue Pryke. Each week the potters face two potting challenges to impress the resident judging duo, as well as guest experts from the world of pottery. The potters tackle everything from homeware to toilets before the judges ultimately decide who becomes Potter of the Week, and who must be sent home. Inspired by and inspiring a new craze for creativity, The Great Pottery Throw Down delights in showing ordinary people creating extraordinary things.

Reggie Yates Meets World

From Thursday 13th August at 20:00 on BBC Brit (4 episodes)

Young people, facing uncertain futures, are being tempted with new ways to better their lives. In this series Reggie Yates enters these worlds to see if they deliver on their promises, or if they have a darker side.

Episode 1: Reggie meets SPAC Nation

With knife crime at all-time high, a new London church is offering young people in gangs a way out of crime. And they don’t hide from controversy, as Reggie Yates finds out during his week with SPAC Nation.

Episode 2: Reggie Meets Pro-Gamers

Playing computer games has moved out of teenage bedrooms and into vast arenas where gamers battle it out for fame and fortune. But with young players devoting their lives to gaming and so many hoping to go professional, Reggie heads to Dallas find out the reality of living and chasing the ESPORTS dream.

Episode 3: Reggie Meets Nollywood

Reggie Yates travels to Lagos, Nigeria to see for himself how the burgeoning film industry, Nollywood, is seen as a way out of poverty in a country with the biggest wealth divide in the world.

Episode 4: Reggie Meets The Influencers

Social media influencers are the new Celebrity and with this fame comes the pressure to keep up. Reggie Yates spends a week in LA to find out how willing influencers are to go under the knife in search of the beauty perfection.

Around the World by Train (season 2)

From Thursday 13 August at 19.00 on BBC Earth (6 episodes)

Tony Robinson is back for whole new epic railway adventure.

He is re-joining the rails and heading around the world again but this time in the opposite direction and through new counties for an eye opening experience. He’ll be heading off the beaten track to see cities and places around globe in his own style. Forget your typical tourist trail, Tony will be doing this his way and stopping to experience things that grab his attention.

He’ll be immersing himself in wonderful local cultures and getting to know the fascinating people he encounters, from French cowboys and Mexican wrestlers to Argentine tango dancers and American Hip Hop clowns. He’ll be doing all this while riding the most luxurious, unusual and spectacular rail routes on earth and stopping off at breath taking places like Machu Picchu. Whether it’s Europe like you’ve never seen it before or a fascinating journey through South America, he’ll be travelling the globe to bring Mexico, USA to Canada and Russia right to your living room.

Primates

From Sunday 16th August at 16.00 on BBC Earth (3 episodes)

From the makers of Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II…

Monkeys, lemurs, lorises, bush babies and, of course, the great apes. Countless faces, one remarkable animal family.

Captured with BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s signature style, with immersive cinematography, emotional storytelling and new insight into the animals we thought we knew, Primates combines celebration with revelation. We meet familiar primates with new stories and new species  rarely seen on screen.

Chris Packham narrates the definitive series about our closest relatives.

At the heart of this ground-breaking series is incredible animal behaviour. New technology has captured primates on their level and in their world, whether that’s in the treetops of a flooded forest, or the tangled undergrowth of the Sri Lankan night.

Semi-Detached

From Friday 21st August at 20.40 on BBC Brit (6 episodes)

Real-time sitcom following the hapless Stuart (Lee Mack) as he struggles through the worst half hour of his life.

When his new girlfriend April (Ellie White) goes into labour, Stuart quickly finds himself having to rely on his ex-wife Kate (Sam Spiro) to get her to hospital. As Stuart thinks he’s getting a handle on the situation, he is forced to deal with a sexually promiscuous father (Clive Russell), a daughter with a newly-shaved head (Sarah Hoare) and the surprise return of his errant brother (Neil Fitzmaurice), who is on the run from some very unsavoury types. And that’s before Stuart has to enlist the help of one tipsy neighbour (Geoff McGivern) to help with another neighbour (Patrick Baladi), who he finds naked and the victim of a DIY circular saw accident.

July 2020 On BBC Channels Africa | Meat | The Restaurant That Burns Calories | Mister Winner | More

Embarrassing Bodies (seasons 3 to 7)
Weekdays from Monday 6th July at 21:00 on BBC Lifestyle

The Embarrassing Bodies BAFTA winning doctors are back, once again aiming to de-stigmatise common complaints that many people would rather ignore than take to their GP. Dr Christian Jessen, Dr Dawn Harper and Dr Pixie McKenna take a look at patients' ailments and discuss treatment plans.

Meat: A Threat to Our Planet
Tuesday 7th July at 19:00 on BBC Earth

Science and wildlife presenter Liz Bonnin travels around the world to investigate the impact that our hunger for meat is having on our planet’s environment.

Liz travels from Texan mega-farms, the Amazon rainforest where she discovers how beef farming is a leading cause of deforestation and, in South Africa, Liz discovers life in our oceans are effected – driving African penguin towards extinction.

Liz also meets the scientists and entrepreneurs urgently looking for solutions and at the end of her journey, Liz starts to assess her own attitude to meat, and questions what we can all do to save our fragile planet.

Dragons' Den, Season 17 Set 2
From Wednesday 8th July at 20:00 on BBC Brit

Dragon’s Den returns with Series 17 where budding entrepreneurs get three minutes to pitch their business ideas to five multimillionaires. But will they be willing to invest their own cash?

The Supervet (Season 6)
From Monday 13th July at 18:00 on BBC Earth

The Supervet returns for another series with Professor Noel Fitzpatrick and his team at Fitzpatrick Referrals changing the lives of some of the UK’s most critically sick and in need pets.

The brand new series includes the likes of 4 year old pug and beagle cross Barney, who is rushed into Fitzpatricks after being hit by a bus. His ankle has been crushed by the wheel and he has lost forty percent of the bone. Faced with the prospect of losing his leg, Barney’s family are praying Noel can come up with a way to save the leg and repair the damage. Worryingly the puggle’s wound is contaminated and is a serious infection risk, so Noel must find a way to fix the ankle without infection spreading. In a world first The Supervet invents a custom implant that holds the ankle together by fitting inside the bone.

The Restaurant that Burns Calories 
Tuesday 14th July at 19:00 on BBC Earth

Perhaps a good idea for post quarantine life?

Welcome to a restaurant like no other. Where behind the scenes is not just the kitchen, but a secret gym and an army of exercisers - aiming to burn off every single calorie the diners eat.

With a three-course meal plus drinks easily coming in at 2,500 calories, it’s going to get sweaty. How will the diners feel when all is revealed? And how will they feel when they have to take a turn on the treadmills? This high-energy stunt combines humour with innovation to reveal the science of calories.

Mister Winner
From Friday 10th July at 20:40 on BBC Brit

This new comedy series follows the ironically named Leslie Winner, a well-meaning optimist who frequently finds himself in the midst of chaos, through a combination of silly decisions and tough luck.

However, the pressure is on now for Leslie to finally pull himself together, as he prepares for his wedding to beloved fiancé Jemma and attempts to win over his skeptical father-in-law to be.

The series poses the question, by the end of the series "will Leslie be a winner or will his surname continue to be ironic?"

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Spycam Sex Criminals
Tuesday 21st July at 22:00 on BBC Brit

Stacey Dooley investigates a new kind of sex crime which is sweeping South Korea.

In a country where pornography is illegal, Molka is a DIY alternative where mobile phones and hidden cameras capture footage of women at their most intimate moments without their knowledge. With 6,000 cases reported to the police in 2018. Stacey meets both the perpetrators and victims of this huge and threatening phenomenon, known as 'molka'.

Over 90 percent of the population of South Korea owns a smart phone, and some users are utilising these and other ever-improving technologies to create pornographic material without people’s consent. As camera technology has improved, it has become easier than ever to hide cameras in public places.

Some of these cameras are as small as the head of a needle. Changing rooms, toilet cubicles and even showerheads can be hiding hidden cameras, some of which are used to live stream pornography to illegal websites.

Wild Tokyo
Sunday 26th July at 17:00 on BBC Earth

Situated on Japan’s largest island, Honshu, Tokyo is the largest and busiest metropolitan area in the world. But behind Tokyo’s concrete curtain are natural refuges where wildlife has adapted and learnt to co-habit in Earth’s most human-dense territory. Home to 38 million people, a quarter of Japan’s population, this is a land where Earth’s tallest towers and busiest streets accommodate some of the rarest animals in the world - and scientists are pouring more time, energy and money than ever before into studying these human-animal cohabitations.

From the mountainous forests of Tokyo’s Okutama region, along the Tama River, through the wild sanctuaries of Tokyo’s city centre and out to its network of volcanic islands - Wild Tokyo features stunning 4K photography, shot by the world’s best natural history cinematographers, this film will reveal an unseen side of Japan’s capital city.

Charles & Di: The Truth Behind Their Wedding
Thursday 30th July at 20:00 on BBC Lifestyle
Find out the truth behind the fairytale wedding of the century which was watched by three quarters of a billion people around the world. But all wasn’t as perfect as it seemed.

At 11:30am on Wednesday 29 July 1981, 20-year-old Lady Diana Spencer walked up the aisle of St Paul’s Cathedral towards HRH Prince Charles.

This documentary uses rich archive and interviews with people who knew the couple to tell the revealing, and often, shocking inside story of the seven days running up to the wedding. It compares what the jubilant public saw from the outside to the doubt, fear and heartbreak suffered privately by two individuals propelled by a fate they couldn’t control.

Brand New Look For BBC Lifestyle Unveiled At BBC Studio's Summer Upfront, The Number 1 International Lifestyle Channel On DStv Given A Chic Make Over

BBC Studios in Africa revealed today the vibrant and playful new look branding for BBC Lifestyle, channel 174, at its bi-annual Upfront event held in Johannesburg. The number one international lifestyle channel on DStv has a chic and contemporary new on-air look featuring a fresh set of palates, designs and objects around the channel’s aspirational and entertaining lifestyle content. The brand makeover will launch from 20th November with new series Give It A Year, fronted by the UK’s ‘First Lady of Football’ Baroness Karren Brady which illustrates the channel’s ambition to always entertain, inspire and empower viewers. Using her prowess as one of the UK’s leading business women, Karren works with people wanting to create change and start their own businesses by visiting them at the start and end of their first year, to help guide and coach on what it takes to make it big and thrive in the business world.

The event also showcased the BBC’s stellar summer season of programming across BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, BBC First, BBC Brit and CBeebies. Exclusive to DStv, viewers in South Africa can look forward to a vast array of world class shows over the next six months, featuring stars such as Sir David Attenborough, Richard Gere, Idris Elba, Mary Berry, Lily Collins and Benedict Cumberbatch to name a few.

To revel in the excitement of what’s to come and express their enjoyment for the BBC and its shows, popular celebrity faces, Anele Mdoda, Chef Nti and Gareth Cliff were all in attendance at the event championing hits such as Strictly Come Dancing (currently airing on BBC Brit, channel 120), Come Dine With Me South Africa (BBC BRIT) and many more.

Joel Churcher, Vice President and General Manager, BBC Studios for Africa said, “2018 got off to a fantastic start with some record ratings coming through for several incredible TV moments, including Blue Planet 2, the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the return of Come Dine With Me South Africa (s4).  In this ever competitive world of TV, our BBC Channels continue to deliver strong audience growth as our programming line up showcases the very best creativity the UK has to offer, alongside hugely successful local formats and international stars.   

“We are not taking our foot off the pedal this summer and are excited to be bringing, new and exclusively to South Africa, shows including the TV adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Miserables, the latest adventures of Jamie Oliver through to the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley’s excursions in Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventures.”

Full details of the programming can be found here www.bbcsouthafrica.com  

Highlights include:

BBC BRIT:
Coming in 2019, new and exclusively from the US is the hilarious Child Support a brand new, laugh out loud gameshow, starring Fred Savage (The Wonder Years) who plays hosts to adult contestants, the award winning comedian Ricky Gervais (The Office) and a group of five children between the ages of 6 and 9. The contestants are asked to answer 10 questions to earn the prize. If they cannot correctly answer a question, they have the chance to be saved by the kids who have been asked the same question by Gervais. It’s tense, it’s funny and a totally fresh take on a gameshow.
Formidable British documentary maker Louis Theroux is back in 2019 with his latest instalment of three hard hitting, provocative investigations into monogamous v. polyamorous relationships, the rise of private adoption in the US and also a look at the debate surrounding the right to decide when you die. All three will raise questions and shed light on controversial subjects occurring today in the United States of America.

BBC Lifestyle:
Dating can be a challenge at the best of times. This December, BBC Lifestyle brings South African audiences the Australian version of one of the world’s most popular dating shows. Farmer Wants a Wife Australia sheds light on how it can be even harder for farmers living in the ‘Aussie outback’ miles away from anyone. In this heart-warming series, which has had global success in orchestrating eight marriages so far, Farmer Wants A Wife Australia  will have audiences charmed with the hopeful rural guys, all looking to find love.
One of BBC Lifestyle’s favourite property gurus is back in the New Year for a fifteenth instalment of the hit series Grand Designs. Presenter Kevin McCloud once again puts on his hard hat to follow some of Britain's most ambitious self-building projects, as more intrepid individuals attempt to design and construct the home of their dreams. Expect ambition, extravagance and elite designs to infiltrate the series and have you all trawling through Instagram and Pinterest for new interior inspirations to bring some grand designs to your own homes.

BBC FIRST:
This December, comes the breakout hit from the UK – The Cry starring Jenna Coleman (Victoria, Doctor Who). This cryptic series packed full with curiosity and intrigue follows a young couple whose baby is abducted during a trip to Melbourne, Australia. All is not as it appears on the surface and audiences will be kept glued to their sofas trying to solve what really happened to baby Noah.
Sherlock fans will be pleased to hear that Benedict Cumberbatch is returning to BBC First in the New Year, as the lead in Brexit, from Olivier Award-winning writer James Graham. The political thriller explores the campaign behind one of the most contested, controversial government referendums in modern history and unpacks the tactics employed to swing one of the most surprising political votes in living memory as well as the powerful and divisive figures driving Brexit from the shadows.

BBC Earth:
Dynasties is the latest offering from the BBC’s multi-award winning and critically acclaimed Natural History Unit and once again features the iconic voiceover of Sir David Attenborough. Enter a world of dynastic power struggles and family treachery that’s more dramatic than any work of fiction. This intimate, landmark series pulls viewers into the lives of some of our most iconic animals- chimps, emperor penguins, lions, painted wolves and tigers, showing their incredible determination to dominate their landscape and do whatever it takes to see off vicious challenges to their leadership and dynastic line – often from close family members.
From the man behind hit music acts such as the Spice Girls, Kelly Clarkson and iconic TV formats Pop and American Idols – Simon Fuller, comes a new venture for families to enjoy called Serengeti. The landmark series offers a ground-breaking approach to natural history storytelling, allowing the animals to share the unpredictable narratives, intertwining relationships and emotional moments they face – all from their own perspective. Step inside the world of a real-life animal drama set right in the heart of Africa.

Celebrity MasterChef Is Back On BBC Lifestyle Along With Brand New Seasons Of The Best Shows On BBC Lifestyle Africa

Celebrity MasterChef
Series 8
From Wednesday 13 July at 20:00
Celebrity MasterChef returns, welcoming 16 famous hopefuls to battle for the title of Celebrity MasterChef Champion.

Episode one sees the first batch of celebrities undertake three tough culinary challenges in a bid to prove themselves to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Setting foot in the MasterChef kitchen this week are writer and broadcaster Janet Street Porter, Sugababe Heidi Range, comedian Katy Brand and businesswoman (and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood's ex-wife) Jo Wood. The first challenge for the four hopefuls is a mystery box test; the legendary measure of imagination and creativity in which the celebrities are presented with a range of ingredients. Here they come face-to-face with a spider crab – and with nerves running high and just 50 minutes to cook their dish, the celebrities must think on their feet to impress the judges.

Which of these unlikely amateur chefs has what it takes to make the final and be crowned Celebrity MasterChef?

Don't Tell The Bride: Specials
Series 8
From Sunday 20 July at 20:00
Special editions of the show in which the groom must choose every detail of his wedding, with no help from the bride.

First, in a Christmas special, Rosie can stamp her feet all she wants... because she has handed over control of her big day to her man with a festive plan. Rosie's fiancé Nick has just three weeks and £12,000 to give her the perfect Christmas present - a wintry wonderland wedding she will never forget.

So will Nick give his little princess a very merry Christmas or will he be skating on thin ice and receive a frosty reception?

The next special episode sees the most put-upon brides from series six being given the chance to seek revenge on their hapless grooms with a Christmas 'gift' to remind them who is back wearing the trousers. 

Then sit back, relax and fasten your seat belts for a hilarious romp through the world of weddings, as Don't Tell the Bride goes global. With countries everywhere now making their own unique versions, we pick the best of the bunch from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.

Grand Designs
Series 13
From Sunday 31 July at 17:00
Designer and author Kevin McCloud meets people who want something a little different out of their homes – so they decide to build them themselves!

This series, Kevin follows a project to renovate and extend a classic 1920s cinema in Thorne, South Yorkshire.

With little knowledge of restoration, Gwyn and Kate boldly set about turning the dilapidated building into a family home using masses of concrete, after taking advice from an Later, Jonathan Broom and his wife Deborah have put everything on hold while he pursues his dream of building a miniature Hollywood Hills-style mansion.

Junior Bake Off
Series 2 (15 episodes)
From Monday 4 July at 11:00
Return of the programme in which enthusiastic young cooks take part in a culinary competition to determine which of them is Britain's best junior baker. In the first heat, four contestants follow a tricky recipe for biscotti and lemonade, and create showstopping racing-themed cakes, before judges Mary Berry and James Martin pick one to go through to the semi-final. 

Later, with a place in the semi-finals at stake, the bakers are tested on their know-how in the Technical Challenge, where they will try to master Mary Berry's recipe for marble cake. They must then make a splash in the Showstopper Challenges as they rustle up and present a selection of impressive under-the-sea-themed biscuits.

Kevin McCloud's Man Made Home
Series 2
From Sunday 3 July 17:00
Kevin McCloud returns with a new Man Made challenge. This time he's attempting to build his own beach getaway on the English coast, testing a basic hypothesis - is simple better?

Having successfully crafted an amazing cabin in the woods, Kevin McCloud now wants to build his very own beach getaway in Somerset. He starts by making a deck from a shipwreck.

Next, Kevin builds a sun lounge for his beach hut, his own hammock to lie in and some lobster traps made out of old shopping trolleys to go fishing with.

The Resort
Series 3
From Sunday 17 July at 22:00
The show following the antics of six young people and their reps at the Spanish resort returns, with three lads from Weston-super-Mare and three girls from Liverpool staying at the Lively Hotel. 

New girl Ali is worried she might not have what it takes to be a rep, and there may be romance in the air for the holiday-makers. Buckinghamshire trio Ollie, Toby and Jake and Preston-based students Holly and Lauren check into the Lively Hotel; wasting no time in getting to know the reps better. 
Meanwhile, new girl Ali struggles to settle into her new lifestyle, resulting in a bitter war of words with head rep Imogen.