From Kuiertyd To Guilty Pleasures: eExtra Revives Timeless Dizi Channel, tvN And Eurochannel After Being Ousted From DStv

eExtra is a South African general entertainment channel operated by eMedia Investments. Since its inception in 2017, the channel has become exclusive home of international stories viewed in Asia, Turkey, India and now Europe.

Following its departure from Latin America, eExtra has slowly alienated its lineup from other channels viewed on DStv. It usually offers between 6-8 primetime shows which is more than what any of its other competitors offer on the platform e.g. Telemundo. 

Since 2022, eMedia Investments had been going through a carriage dispute with MultiChoice for eExtra alongside eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz. These channels have gone under numerous extensions with the final ending by July 2024.

eExtra's purge from DStv would not only lead to less programming but also a decline in revenue and possible content cuts. Although this channel would remain on Openview and in a separate agreement with Starsat consumption will decline.

Out of all 4 channels, eExtra has the least amount of repeats and also the most amount of local airtime. It's third party offering consists of purged offerings from thee DStv platform such as Timeless Dizi Channel (Turkey), tvN (Asia) and Eurochannel (Europe).

Timeless Dizi Channel was a general entertainment channel home to various content produced in Turkey. MultiChoice opted to only make it a pop-up channel and unlike most brands on the list several content had resurfaced on DStv.

The brand is known for shows like Kind Van Die Noodlot (Asla Vazgeçmem), Voëlvry (Kuzgun) and Kurt En Shura (Kurt Ve Shura).

tvN was also added as a pop-up channel by March 2021 and MultiChoice opted not to make it permanent. Since then, CJ ENM has been trying to revive the channel on another platform but was only successful in select shows on eMedia Investments' linear channels.

The brand is known for shows like Cheese In The Trap, Tails Of The Nine Tailed and Tomorrow With You.

Eurochannel was more of an underrated channel offering short form content various European countries including Germany, Denmark, Romania and Poland. This channel was exclusive to DStv Stream by 2015 and unlike Ginx eSports TV wasn't carried full-time.

The brand is known for shows like Soos Nag En Dag (Kukačky) and Sommerdahl Moorde (Dan

Sommerdahl - Todliche Idylle).

New Series Alert: Umakoti Oyintandokazi Coming This Month To Zee Zonke

Zee Zonke is a Zulu dubbed entertainment channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises which is home to various Bollywood series from Zee Studios. Launching on DStv in August 2023, it serves as the popular addition to consumers. 

Not long ago, it was reported that Zee World a sister channel to Zee Zonke alongside Zee One would be debuting new content in the month. Now, Zee Zonke will be welcoming its first ever new series from Zee Telegu titled Umakoti Oyintandokazi (No.1 Kodalu).

The story revolves between two women, Vagdhevi and Saraswathi. Vagdhevi is a business entrepreneur, who is looking for an educated girl for her son Rahul. Saraswathi is an illiterate woman with a kind and good heart. After a series of consequences, Rahul marries Sarasu.

It starred Madhumitha H as Saraswath, Jai Dhanush as Rahul, Sudha Chandran as Vagdhevi, Anshu Reddy as Preethi, Suresh as Arun Babu and Kranthi as Teja.

Umakoti Oyintandokazi debuted on Zee Telegu from 9 December 2019 to 9 July 2022 with 735 episodes filmed each with a 22 minute duration. A remake known as Vidhya No. 1 was filmed for the Zee Tamil station from 27 December 2021 to 25 February 2024.

The series will daily at 21:00 on Zee Zonke from 23 April replacing Imfihlo.

New Series Alert: Love Through New Eyes Coming This Month To Zee World

During the past week, it was reported that Zee One would be debuting a Telegu led drama, A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee. Now it's being reported that Zee World will be rolling out a new Marathi based drama Love Through New Eyes (Yeu Kashi Tashi Me Nandayla).

The story revolves around a middle-class girl, Avani, who gets hired for a job in Mumbai. Her mother Nalu asks her to stay with her mother's childhood friend, Shaku, to reduce the time needed to reach her new workplace. During their visit, Sweetu is introduced to Shaku's son Omkar. 

It starred Anvita Phaltankar as Avani Vasant Salvi, Shalva Kinjawadekar as Onkar Khanvilkar, Kishori Ambiye as Shakuntala Khanvilkar, Aditi Sarangdhar as Malvika Khanvilkar and Milind Joshi as Mr. Khanvilkar. 

Produced by Tejendra Neswankar under the banner of Trrump Carrd Production. Love Through New Eyes debuted on Zee Marathi from 4 January 2021 to 19 March 2022 with 378 episodes had been filmed for the series each with a 22 minute duration. 

Love Through New Eyes airs daily at 22:00 for Zee World consumers in Southern Africa from 23 April. Other feeds will be presented with Sister Wives alongside a fourth season of Unfortunate Love.

Development Alert: My Secret To Make African Debut On TLNovelas + Release Date

During the year, TLNovelas had hit a repetitive slot as seen with rival broadcaster Telemundo as not much new content had been reported except for Thinking Of You. Now the channel is gearing up rollout its next show by June titled My Secret (Mí Secreto).

Synopsis for My Secret:

Valeria is forced to take the identity of her best friend Natalia, whom she believes to be dead, in order to avoid going to jail for a crime she did not commit. As she assumes her new reality, Valeria suffers constantly from the fear of being discovered.

It starred Diego Klein as Mateo Miranda, Macarena García as Valeria Bernal, Karyme Lozano as Daniela Estrada, Arturo Peniche as Ernesto Lascuráin and Isidora Vives as Natalia Ugarte Moncada. 

Based on the 1974 telenovela Ha llegado Una Intrusa, My Secret debuted on Mexican broadcaster Las Estrellas from 12 September 2022 to 24 February 2023. 120 episodes had been filmed each with a duration of 45 minutes. 

My Secret will start 10 June on TLNovelas replacing Thinking Of You. Prior to this, a rebroadcast of Timeless Love launches on the channel in place of Shadows From The Past which had been delayed.

Development Alert: Razia Sultan To Make It's Freemium Debut On eExtra

After making its debut on Zee World in 2022, eMedia Investments has picked up rights to Bollywood periodical drama series, Razia Sultan. The &TV drama is set to debut on eExtra from weekdays at 15:25 on 19 April replacing Naagin.

Based on the real life figure of the same name, Razia Sultan is a historical drama that charts the rise of a remarkable real-life figure, the first woman to ever rule the Delhi Sultanate. It has the typical court intrigue you can expect from "Game of Thrones" type series.

It starred Pankhuri Awasthy Rode as Razia Sultan, Rohit Purohit as Ikhtiyar ud-din Malik Altunia, Saurabh Pandey as Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut, Khalida Turi as Qutub Begum and Mohit Abrol as Nasiruddin Mahmud.

During its run on &TV, the series was met with positive reception for its storyline with Awasthy Rode gaining the most praise for her craftsmanship in the role. The broadcaster &TV is known for shows like Begusarai, Gangaa and Jodha & Akbar.

In other developments, eExtra will be rolling out a brand new show from Denmark titled, Sommerdahl Moorde. 

Afrikaans Shorts: KykNET NOU Gets A Brand New Look, SABC 3 Unveil Character Details For Turkish Drama "Innocence" (Masumiyet) And A Rebroadcast Of Om Elke Draai And Hart Van Goud Launches On e.tv

KykNET NOU gets a makeover 

On Monday 1 April, your favourite music channel – kykNET NOU! (DStv channel 146) – gets a brand-new look. So, sit back, tune in, enjoy the public holiday and let us know what you think of the new look and feel.

kykNET NOU! also has a new music block starting on 1 April: Klankbaan will play iconic music videos from movie and TV series. Everything from “Ballade vir ’n enkeling” to “Binnelanders” is on the menu. Come and watch and hum or sing along.

Time slots:

Monday: 20:00 – 20:30

Wednesday: 15:00 – 15:30

Thursday: 22:00 – 22:30

Friday: 12:00 – 12:30

Saturday: 17:00 – 17:30

First look at the characters of SABC 3's new Turkish drama 

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e.tv is loading up on eExtra scraps

In the coming weeks, eExtra will be rolling out a new weeknight series Sommerdahl Moorde alongside local sitcom, Die Fakulteit. This comes after Doodsondes returned to eExtra after being burned off to e.tv and eVOD for two separate seasons.

With e.tv serving as eExtra's sloppy seconds will be adding Om Elke Draai to its lineup alongside Hart Van Goud after broadcasting on Kuiertyd's catchup block on e.tv will be back for a second time. 

Om Elke Draai is a modern love story series between Demir and Selin, who become housemates after each bought half of the same house. Demir is a successful architect who buys his childhood home, while Selin is a hardworking young woman who sees the house as her first property.

The series airs Mondays to Fridays at 08:30 from 12 April.

Hart van Goud's storyline focuses on Nehir, who uses her beauty to trick men into falling in love with her. Zehir is her accomplice. She pretends to be her mother, helps conceal her tracks, and ensures her victims are non-suspicious. Will their heinous plan get exposed?

The series airs Mondays to Thursdays at 23:00 from 17 April.

New Series Alert: A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee, A Telegu Based Series Debuts On Zee One This Month

Last month, it was reported that Star Life will be rolling out two new shows in the coming weeks, Beyond Life and Evil Affairs. Now Zee One is also looking to debut show in the month with a new Telegu drama, A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee (Rajeswari Vilas Coffee Club).

A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee depicts the story of Rajeshwari, a compassionate cook aspiring to keep her mother’s hotel thriving, challenges Rudra, an elite chef when he decides to usurp her hotel to grow his premium food business.

It starred Likitha as Rajeshwari, Rudra Nelakanta as Akarsh, Vishwamohan as Viswanatham, Sheelasingh as Kamakshi and Prasad as Subbarao. 

Produced by Indian broadcaster Zee Telegu, A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee debuted sometime in 2022 with 398 episodes having being filmed so far. It serves as an ongoing drama at the moment as seen with other Zee TV series like Twist Of Fate and Radha Mohan.

A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee will replace My New Mother In Law on Zee One from 7 April. Prior to this, the pay-tv version of the channel Zee World will rollout a new female led drama Sister Wives not to be mistaken with the reality show from TLC. 

News Shorts: Alice's Wonderland Bakery Cancelled On Disney Junior After Two Seasons And The Iron Heart To Rollout On Novela E Plus Alongside A Rebroadcast Of Betty In New York On Telemundo

Disney axes another program 

Back in 2022, Disney announced a brand new animated series for preschoolers and their families called “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” that was inspired by the beloved world of “Alice in Wonderland.” The series debuted in 2022, with a second season renewal coming shortly after its premiere.

Centred on Alice, the great-granddaughter of the original heroine and a budding young baker at the enchanted Wonderland Bakery, each episode features two 11-minute stories about Alice’s recipe adventures with her best pals—Fergie, a white rabbit; Hattie, her madcap friend; and Rosa, the Princess of Hearts.

Disney has announced via the Disney Junior Instagram account, that the series finale of “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” is going to air on the Disney Junior channel in the United States on April 15th 2024, indicating that the show is now coming to an end.

The Iron Heart debuts on Novela E Plus

Apollo Adelantar is an undercover agent who goes on a dangerous mission to bring down a crime ring name Altare unaware of his trusted friend when his two of his trusted allies becomes a enemy. Fueled by a bitter and painful past, Apollo and his allies face grueling tasks that will challenge his resolve and strength.

It starred Richard Gutierrez as Apollo "Pol" Adelantar, Kyle Echarri as young Apollo, Albert Martinez as Engr. Priam dela Torre, Dimples Romana as Selene Larisa and Sue Ramirez as Venus Z. Magbanua.

The series will air daily on Novela E Plus at 18:50 from 6 April.

Telemundo loads up on repeats

Based on the 1999 Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea, the romantic comedy Betty In New York followed Beatriz Aurora Rincon Lozano as she embarks on a new journey in New York when she takes on a job as a secretary at V&M Fashion.

The series will air daily on Telemundo at 18:00 from 13 April.

Recap To Last Month: Purged Programming From Former DStv Channel NWTV Launches On Soweto TV

A few months ago, MultiChoice had axed two provincial channels on the DStv platform, One Freestate Televisual and NWTV. After residing on the platform for less than 3 months, MultiChoice had silently axed the channels without any prior notice.

Since then, One Freestate Televisual remained on StarSat with the TV channel that had attempted to negotiate a new agreement with MultiChoice. NWTV on the other hand is not viewable anywhere in Africa thus concluding its run as a linear channel.

MultiChoice in these endeavors had removed seven additional channels: 1Magic, Me, People's Weather, Emmanuel TV, B4U Movies, Ginx eSports TV and Deutsche Welle. Since then only select shows from a minority from these brands were available for viewing. 

As seen through the programme guide, Soweto TV scooped up rights to one of the few programs from NWTV, The Girl. It followed a young girl named Belky who grew up in a jungle after being abducted had escaped years later and united with her family. 

The problem pertaining to The Girl's return on TV screens would be the broadcaster, Soweto TV. NWTV was catered to multiple countries within Southern Africa while Soweto TV is only situated in South Africa therefore alienating an audience from programming. 

The Girl airs daily at 08:30 and 17:30 on Soweto TV. 

From Old Favourites Like Moesha And Wura To Originals Like Tracking Thabo Bester And Red Ink: List Of Confirmed Shows For DStv's Newest Addition, 1Max

Not long ago, it was revealed that 1Max was the name of the TV channel set to replace 1Magic and Me on DStv. It is currently unknown if 1Max will also be included on Compact and Family as tests are also being conducted on 1Magic's channel number.

1Max from what we could figure based on the logo is a Showmax tailored channel. Unlike 1Magic which was catered to Southern Africa with a separate feed in West Africa, 1Max seems to be following its streaming counterpart and unifying this lineup.

The West African telenovela Wura after launching on the Africa Magic channels in 2022 will rollout on 1Max. Based on the 1Magic telenovela The River, Wura follows an iron lady who doesn’t care whose ox is gored in her path to get what she wants.

This will be followed by the Afrikaans romcom Troukoors (Wedding Fever) after debuting on KykNET in 2021. Starring an all elite cast, It followed a wedding planner who surrounded by friends and family is on a journey toward self discovery. 

There's also going to be some flash from the past shows from 1Magic such as One On One and Moesha which will form part of a classic sitcom block. Joining this lineup will be Me favourites such as 6th installment of The Good Doctor alongside Yellowstone. 

In hindsight, 1Max is basically 1Magic with a new coat of paint and additional content. Initially structured to offer an independent lineup from M-Net through 1Magic will also serve as an open window to shows exclusive and already seen on DStv Premium.

If we had to guess, MultiChoice will probably be putting more buzz on Tracking Thabo Bester, Red Ink and Sport Wives.

Tracking Thabo Bester is a four part miniseries based on the lives of the titular character alongside medical doctor Nandipha Magudumana. It debuted on Showmax last month and had the most views compared to any other doccie.

Red Ink is a eight-part thriller tells the story of a journalist turned publicist, Lucy Khambule, who is approached by an imprisoned serial killer to tell his story. Followed by Sports Wives, a reality show that follows the lives to wives of South Africa's sporting greats.

New Series Alert: Evil Affairs And Beyond Love Coming This April To Star Life

With Divya-Drishti's journey set to come to a close in April, Star Life was originally scheduled to air a repeat broadcast of The Evil Eye in its weeknight timeslot at 22:00 with Game Of Love taking up the 23:00 timeslot for the supernatural drama.

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. 

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.

Press Release: Come Back To Me Premieres This April On Telemundo Across Africa

NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-To-Consumer today announced the South African premiere of the new series, Come Back to Me, premiering on Monday 8 April at 22:00 (CAT), exclusively on Telemundo. Starring William Levy (Resident Evil, Addicted), Samadhi Zendejas (Falsa Identidad, Rosario Tijeras), Kimberly Dos Ramos (El Rostro de la Venganza, La Desalmada), Ximena Herrera (El Señor de los Cielos, Buscando a Frida) and Ferdinando Valencia (El Nombre del Amor, La Verdadera Bonita) Come Back to Me is a drama full of romantic entanglements in which a mother's unconditional love for her son becomes the common thread that drives the story.

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.

New Series Alert: Sommerdahl Moorde, eExtra's First Series From Denmark And Germany Debuts In April

Following the rollout of Soos Nag En Dag, eExtra's Kuiertyd continues to expand their local portfolio in more international territories with the addition of mystery drama Sommerdahl Moorde. It is also known as The Summerdahl Murders or Dan Sommerdahl - Todliche Idylle.

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.

First Look At The Cast For e.tv's First Ever Afrikaans Soap, Kelders Van Geheime

THE ABRAHAMS FAMILY

Edmund Abrahams (Duane Williams) is the winemaker on Soebatskloof, and Nenna Abrahams (Vinette Ebrahim) is the retired housekeeper and hospitality manager whom Edmund calls 'mother'.

THE SISTERS HOUSEHOLD

Joey Syster (Cedwyn Joel) is the patriarch of the Syster family, and has lived and worked on Soebatskloof all his life. Sandy (Riana Alfreds) is Joey's daughter, and has taken over Nenna's responsibilities. Sandy's eldest daughter Debbie-Lee (Veronique Jephtas) works with her, while her youngest, Shireen (Vashti Prins) establishes herself as a general practitioner in the Wineland. Phillip Smith (Dean Balie) is the man in Debbie-Lee's life.

THE MARAIS FAMILY

The Marais family has lived on Soebatskloof for decades. Charl Marais Senior (Nic de Jager) is owner of the wine farm, while his second wife Hermien Marais (Sandra Prinsloo) keeps herself busy with sculpture.

In one of many surprising twists, Brümilda van Rensburg also makes a visit to the farm.

Tjoppie Marais (Geon Nel) is Hermien's son from her first marriage. Tjoppie grew up with Charl Senior's children from his first marriage. Charl Marais Junior (David Chevers) lives in London, and Annette Fourie (Ashley de Lange) lives in Australia with her rugby player husband, Du Toit Fourie (Zak Hendrikz). Lynn Fourie (Illse Roos) is Du Toit's "Social Butterfly of the Winelands" mum.

Veronique (Rushney Ferguson), Tjoppie's wife, is the manager of the restaurant on the farm. CJ (Angelo Johnson), the couple's eldest child, is a matriculant this year at Simonsvallei Gymnasium, where Marco (Angelo Bergh), the couple's youngest, is now in Grade 11.

THE HELP 

One need not look to the mountains for help in these regions! Rijk Nel (Marcel van Heerden) is the Marais family's accountant, while Dewald Piedt (Abduragman Adams) is the family's loyal lawyer. Mercy (Tyral-Lee Miggles), Gabby (Karli Heine), Jason (Ben Albertyn), and Armand (Robert Hindley) are the waiters who keep customers happy. Stil Piet (Jurgen McEwan), Nicodemus (Lorenzo Cyster), Napoleon (Ivan Abrahams), and Bismarck (Jason van Wyk) are among the workers on the bustling farm.

The series will air on weekdays at 18:00 starting in May on e.tv

News Shorts: A Rebroadcast Of Game Of Love Launches On Star Life, WWE Channel Extends Its Reach To DStv Ahead Of WrestleMania And Vodacom Will No Longer Offer Facebook Free Mode

Game Of Love returns to Star Life

The series celebrates the extended relations particular with Indian family set up while it follows the lives of three brothers as they navigate through life, career, family and falling in love. The show first follows the bond between the brothers and then shifts to the bonds they share with their significant others.

Game Of Love (Ishqbaaz) will start on 25 March replacing The Inseparables.

WWE Channel extends reach to DStv Access

With the school holidays around the corner, SuperSport will be opening up the WWE Channel to DStv Access from 28 March to 8 April as fans gear up for WrestleMania. Consumers will be able to browse various content such as This Is Awesome and WWE 24.

Prior to this, MultiChoice will be removing M-Net's Me And 1Magic channels alongside Ginx eSports TV on the DStv platform by the end of March.

Vodacom ends free mode on Facebook 

During the week, several Facebook users were alarmed after reports had surfaced that the free version to their service would end on 31 March 2024. With some confusing it for Meta when in reality Vodacom is ending its basic Free Flex campaign.

From 1st April, anyone who wishes to continue using their service would need to allocate airtime in order to get 15mb of Facebook data. Such endeavors had already been seen with other networks such as MTN.

New Series Alert: Isiphetho: Destiny And Kelders Van Geheime Coming Soon To e.tv

During the month, it was reported that e.tv had begun work on a rival offering for the cancelled Afrikaans soap, 7de Laan. At the time, eMedia Investments unveiled another new Afrikaans program Die Fakulteit which is set to rollout on eExtra by April.

Kelders Van Geheime is the name of the next Afrikaans project eMedia Investments had unveiled to consumers this week. It was produced by Kfilms and Penguin Films who have done several writing jobs for 7de Laan, Arendsvlei and Binnelanders.

According to Penguin Films, this Cape Town based telenovela is a story for everyone. The focus of the show is on the farming community and the nature of wine farming. The first season will consist of 260 episodes which airs Monday to Fridays.

Kelders Van Geheime is gearing up for an early May debut likely 6 May replacing Ouma Sarie. This is what we were told from other sources and as for the cast eMedia Investments remains silent but promises a several familiar faces known to audiences. 

Prior to this, e.tv will debut a new telenovela on the channel next month titled Isiphetho: Destiny. It was produced by The Black Door and Isitha: The Enemy's very own Black Brain Pictures. It will star Mbalenhle Mavimbela, Kope “Tswyza” Makgae and Tsholofelo Maseko.

It follows a group of four friends return to the community of Mzimhlophe in Soweto where they reunite to start an innovative restaurant. They're bound by a life changing secret from their teenage years and want to rewrite their futures and start afresh.

Isiphetho: Destiny will debut on e.tv from Monday 15 April at 18:30 replacing eKasi: Our Stories/uBettina Wethu. Prior to the rollout, e.tv will compliment this offering with a new miniseries titled Re-Imagine Destiny. 

News Shorts: Warner TV To Rollout As A Free-To-Air Channel In The Czech Republic, Come Back To Me To Rollout On Telemundo Across Africa And Historical Drama We Were The Lucky Ones To Stream On Disney+ In April

Warner TV expands to other parts of Europe

The Czech Republic will have a brand new free-to-air TV channel next month as Warner TV launches on 2 April. It will be managed as part of the local Czech linear Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio.

Vaclav Palecek, Distribution and Business Development at Warner Bros. Discovery in the Czech Republic & Slovakia, said: “Starting April, Czech viewers will be able to enjoy the wide range of content, including movies and series, on Warner TV. We are close to launching our first free-to-air channel in the market and we will bring a great content library on-air for all the viewers, from classical films to popular series.”

In the Czech Republic, Warner Bros. Discovery operates 18 pay TV linear channels (Discovery, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, Eurosport 4K, HGTV, TLC, Travel Channel, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, CNN, Food Network, Animal Planet, HBO & HBO 2 & HBO 3, Cinemax & Cinemax 2) and the HBO Max streaming platform.

William Levy returns to Telemundo 

For its 2023 upfronts earlier last year, Telemundo announced William Levy was joining its star roster line-up in the new original romantic series Come Back To Me (Vuelve a Mi). It is set to launch April 8 at 22:00 replacing Game Of Lies.

In Vuelve a Mí, Levy is Santiago, whose love interest is actress Samadhi Zendejas, in her first leading role as Nuria.

The drama, set in Ciudad de Juárez and Ciudad de México, follows Nuria, a woman of humble means, who begins a relationship with Braulio (Ferdinando Valencia) without knowing 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 Nuria's son Andrés. And when she least expects it, Santiago (Levy) enters her life to become the great love of her life and the pillar that keeps her hope alive.

New Hulu original launching soon

Disney has announced that the upcoming original series, “We Were The Lucky Ones”, will be coming to Disney+ globally on April 17th 2024.

Based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling novel, the television adaptation of “We Were the Lucky Ones” is a limited series inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and reunite. “We Were the Lucky Ones” demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive. The series is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.

The series stars Joey King, Logan Lerman, Hadas Yaron, Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Amit Rahav, Sam Woolf, Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt, Eva Feiler, Lior Ashkenazi, and Robin Weigert.

Development Alert: Can You See Me To Make Freemium Debut On Zee One With Trinayani Making Its Pay-TV Debut On Zee World

Zee World is pay-tv channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that offers a variety of English Dubbed Bollywood series and movies. Since 2021, Zee One was added as a lightweight version to the network serving reruns while building a unique lineup.

As reported through several platforms, Can You See Me will be airing on Zee One from 31 March with Trinayani airing on Zee World in Southern Africa in April alongside Sister Wives.

Synopsis for Can You See Me

Inspired by Casper Scare School, the comedy-drama Can You See Me (Bhootu) revolves around a friendly girl ghost named Bhootu who always tries to help others, often causing light mischief and mayhem in the process.

Broadcast on Zee World in 2022, it starred Arshiya Mukherjee as Bhutu Majumder, Subrata Guha Roy as Johor Dalal and Animesh Bhaduri as Deepen Majumder.

Synopsis for Trinayani

Trinayani tells the story of a girl named who can foresee anything bad or harmful that is happening to others. Since whatever she forewarns the villagers about comes true, they accuse her of having an inauspicious tongue.

Broadcast on Zee One in 2023, it starred Shruti Das as Trinayani Basu, Gourab Roy Chowdhury as Driptobroto Basu, Jasmine Roy as Jasmine and Debjani Chattopadhyay as Sanjukta Basu.

It’s A Brand-New Season Of Learning And Unlearning For The Mseleku Siblings As Mzansi Magic Brings The Premiere Of Izingane zeS’thembu S2

‘Sticking together through thick and thin because friends have choices, siblings don’t!’ That is the theme of Izingane zeS’thembu S2 coming to Mzansi Magic on Sunday 5 May for another entertaining yet thought-provoking season. 

Mzansi Magic viewers were introduced to the next generation of the Mseleku’s who shared a glimpse of how it is growing up in a setting yesithembu (polygamy). In this second season, the Mseleku eldest children continue their journey of transitioning to young adults and forging stronger bonds. 

Last season viewers saw Mpumelelo, the second eldest, trying to walk in his father's footsteps by ‘juggling’ two women – Vuyokazi & Tirelo - whom he said would be part of his isithembu arrangement and both of whom ended the season expectant in more ways than one. 

He has been claiming readiness for marriage, for more girlfriends and more wives – but the question is, looking at his current family dynamics – can he see the cracks? This is the season the Mseleku father and son duo will be challenged, and their views put to the test– how honest is Bab’ Mseleku about polygamy and its demands and responsibilities? Is Mpumelelo mimicking his Dad's life without the right resources or is he just ‘delulu’? 

Mpilo Mseleku, who is turning 21 years is forced to come out of her shell this season and will be unable to play dumb anymore! Viewers will see more of her at school and how she deals with relationships outside of her siblings. Plus, with her turning 21, there are certain cultural expectations she will be confronted with. Is she ready?

Last season Lwandle gave viewers snippets of who he is and this time, he takes the lead and unveils his true character – he is the star of the show and refuses to be under anyone's shadow! Viewers will get to explore him outside of Mpumelelo as well as his romantic side as he sets out on a journey to finding love.

Abongwe, who is considered ‘The Glue’ of the siblings continues to be adamant that they all need to be closer. This season she reveals a bit more about her sexuality as she has regained a lot of confidence during her time in Johannesburg. She owns who she is and believes it’s time her family tags along.

Not forgetting Mpumelelo’s girlfriends and baby mamas Vuyokazi and Tirelo. That was all drama and problem upon problem for the trio. How will they cope with each other, and the decisions undertaken by Mpumelelo because mans has been talking a different game to what they both expected?

It’s a whole lot of questions that need answers going into Izingane zeS’thembu S2! Will there be resolve that sees these siblings come together and also manage to triumphantly work out their individual challenges? Get all the answers on your home of local from Sunday 5 May at 7 pm on Mzansi Magic DStv Channel 161.