Goblins Of Litter | Before Courage | Courage The Cowardly Dog | Cartoon Network

Before Courage was a scrapped prequel revival series to the Cartoon Network series, Courage the Cowardly Dog initially made for release on the Boomerang channel. Although development for the series' pilot began in late 2018, it was later shelved due to the management team at Cartoon Network prioritizing their focus to other properties.

In October 2018, Dilworth commented on a Facebook post that he was in negotiations with Boomerang for a prequel to the series. Later that month, Dilworth announced on Facebook that development on a "potential prequel" to Courage for Boomerang was expected to begin.[1] However, in May 2020, when asked about the project, Dilworth responded that it had been "transformed into another thing". Albeit not confirmed, it could be presumed that he may have referred to the Scooby Doo crossover, Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog.

In June 2021, Dilworth revealed that the project was on turnaround as Cartoon Network's management is prioritizing their focus on other projects. In January 2022, Dilworth revealed that the project has already been dropped and fell through for the same reason.

In February 2024, Dilworth posted the animatic pilot for the series, titled "Goblins of Litter", onto his YouTube channel.

When WWE Will Start Streaming Exclusively On Netflix And Exit SuperSport, DStv And GOtv Across Africa?

Last month, it was reported US streaming giant Netflix that it had acquired the broadcasting rights for WWE shows and specials in the US, Canada, Latin America and other international markets. With growing fears looming around DStv, MultiChoice had issued a statement.

"WWE events, including RAW, Smackdown, NXT, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble will continue being available on SuperSport".  "As Africa's premium sports broadcaster, we're pleased to continue entertaining our viewers with the best in international wrestling".

In November 2022, MultiChoice and the WWE announced a major broadcast partnership and said in a statement that it will see Showmax becoming the new home of WWE Network in Africa. Only the streaming portion never to pass as seen with the linear offering on DStv.

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, with more territories to be confirmed soon and others added overtime. Raw will be exiting linear television since it's inception 31 years ago.

Although Netflix won't get access to WWE's extensive line-up of shows when it streams in selected territories by 2025 due to an existing agreement with MultiChoice. They may be able to snatch the rights from the pay-tv company once it expires in 2027.

This means Netflix can only become the official home of the WWE Network in Africa two years after it launched elsewhere meaning by late 2027 or early 2028. Raw, SmackDown and various other content from WWE would have exited linear television after 26/7 years in Africa.

What If The M-Net Series Trademark Were Revived Perhaps In Place Of M-Net 101?

With MultiChoice and M-Net set to axe secondary networks M-Net Essentials (Me) and 1Magic in the coming weeks. It kind of leads one to wonder if the main M-Net channel which had been exclusive to premium consumers since it's inception will get purged.

Unlike Me and 1Magic, M-Net hadn't undergone any rebranding, name change or drastic reshuffling to programming if anything it has seen a decline in audiences. Similar to the United States were brands like HBO and NBC had lost at least 10% of their audience yearly.

M-Net has hit rough patch so much so that neither them or MultiChoice are ever public about the viewing numbers of their programs. When 1Magic debuted, their lowest rated show V-Entertainment had at least 10,000 viewers so M-Net would need to have something around that range.

Not that the channel has become irrelevant, but it's basically how SABC would view SABC 3 - niche. It's still dominant in the field it caters for or at least on linear platforms offering latest seasons to shows alongside films.

But with the downfall of the secondary networks and decline in viewership on M-Net, MultiChoice should consider unifying these brands under one name. I get that Me still had that M-Net trademark but by styling it's more like SABC 3 (S3) making it more alienated.

A brand that comes to mind would be M-Net Series, one of M-Net's most iconic trademarks was basically M-Net Movies but for drama series and reality shows. M-Net has been causing conflict with its premium movie channels airing select content before them.

M-Net Series would help reduce the rift between M-Net and M-Net Movies and if anything could help M-Net lure in viewers. M-Net (better yet M-Net Series 1) could add just add series like RuPaul's Drag Race and Power Book 4 Force in the timeslots allocated to movies.

The other two channels would serve as secondary brands rehashing content viewed on M-Net Series 1 and similar to 1Magic recieve first run programs. The second channel would tailor toward reality and lifestyle and the last would revive the M-Net City/Edge concept.

From my understanding, this concept was used several years back as M-Net Series Showcase, Reality and Zone. Only one out of the three garnered relevance but was partially due to the other two being folded under premium alongside the downsizing of content.

Again, I don't think the M-Net Series concept failed but how MultiChoice executed it was what led to its downfall. If anything, VUZU was more like how one would interpret M-Net Series Reality while Showcase was more like a rival brand to M-Net with content sharing between channels.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Almost Got A Third Season

Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated is often regarded as the best iteration of Scooby-Doo and we all assumed based on how the show ended that it ended on the writer's terms but it turns out that wasn't exactly true.

According to an interview on ScoobyAddicts.Com, Mitch Watson who was the head developers of the season mentioned that they were working on a third season of Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated at one point. They did want to produce a third season seeing as it was a hit overseas before getting cancelled.

The third season would have revolved around the gang driving off to the Harland Alison College and solving other mysteries along the way. Various monsters from previous iterations of franchise would make a comeback and there was also going to be a new mystery surrounding the college.

Unfortunately, two seasons was it and they were going to do a third season at one point. Honestly speaking, it was probably for the best as they had this one plot that consumed over two seasons and wanted to prolong the show with the third season which might have not been well recieved.

There comes a point where network executives want to prolong the franchise that it ends up seeing a drop in quality. It would come to a point where fans would want it to end and that's where Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated would have probably ended up if a third season existed.

If anything, it would have probably been better to make the third season a separate show from Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated.

The Meaning Behind One Of Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits, "Billie Jeans"

Written by Jackson himself and produced alongside Grammy-award winner Quincy Jones, “Billie Jean” tackles the “groupie culture” Michael and his brothers experienced while on tour as the Jackson 5.

The song went on to reach the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jackson’s fastest rising single since “ABC” and “Say You’ll Be There” in 1970.

Meaning Behind the Lyrics

While the meaning behind the famous story of an obsessed woman stalking the “King of Pop,” calling him out as the father of her son, has floated around since the song’s release, Jackson continually denied the story before his death in 2009. Instead, he says “Billie Jean” is more of a character representing the many groupies he and his brothers were “plagued” with over the years.

In his 1988 autobiography, Moonwalk, Jackson says, “There never was a real Billie Jean. The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone’s child when it wasn’t true.”

Billie Jean is not my lover

She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one

But the kid is not my son

She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son

Jackson’s biographer told a different story in his 1991 book, The Magic and the Madness. In it, he says that Billie Jean was inspired by real letters the singer received in 1981 from a woman claiming he was the father of her twins. Despite no reaction from Jackson, the woman continually sent letters before eventually escalating to sending a gun and a murder threat – talk about a die-hard fan.

But who can stand when she’s in demand

Her schemes and plans

‘Cause we danced on the floor in the round

So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice

Breaking the MTV Color Barrier

The accompanying video for the song is often credited with breaking the color barrier on MTV. While a clip from reggae band Musical Youth for “Pass The Dutchie” was the first video from a Black act to make waves on the network, they were largely considered a novelty, with no member being older than 16.

After the oh-so-’80s video for “Billie Jean” debuted and was well-received, more Black artists began appearing on the network soon after—most notably Prince.

MTV was widely accused of racism during the era after Rick James’ funky hit “Super Freak” was rejected. With the added barrier of record companies not investing in videos for Black artists, thinking MTV wouldn’t play them, many Black musicians struggled to gain air time.

All of that went out the window with “Billie Jean,” as Jackson paved the way for more Black artists to be featured on the taste-making network.

“Compared to Michael, MTV staples like REO Speedwagon and Journey suddenly looked even more boring,” Rob Tannenbaum, co-author of I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution said. “When Michael’s videos created higher ratings for MTV, network executives claimed they’d ‘learned a lesson’ and tentatively embraced the softer side of black pop music, especially Lionel Richie.”

Moonwalk

Jackson’s 1983 Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever performance, marked the first time “Billie Jean” was performed live. The performance also marked the first time Jackson appeared to walk on air in his, now signature, moonwalk. The unsuspected move wowed the audience and lead to its use in almost all future performances. Adding to the image-making performance, it was also the first time Jackson donned his ubiquitous one-handed glove.

Thriller

While disco was steadily dying, Jackson moved in a new musical direction, opting for a mix of pop, rock, and funk on his sixth studio album, Thriller. He also moved towards darker themes in his music, like the paranoia and obsession motifs in “Billie Jean.”

Thriller was Jackson’s first number one on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs and Tapes chart, where he spent 37 non-consecutive weeks at the top sport.

Along with “Billie Jean,” seven other singles from the album reached the top ten including “The Girl Is Mine,” “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” “Human Nature,” “P.Y.T,” and “Thriller.”

After his performance at Motown 25, sales for the album skyrocketed, selling one million copies worldwide per week. By the end of 1983, 32 million copies of Thriller were sold, making it the best-selling album of all time.

Credits: Alex Hopper

How The Possible Merger Of Warner Bros. Discovery And Paramount Global Could Dismantle MTV And Comedy Central?

MTV and Comedy Central are general entertainment brands operated by Paramount Global that distribute a variety of content ranging from reality shows, sitcoms, films and animation. They have garnered traction for productions like Ridiculousness and South Park.

As seen in the last decade, their linear counterparts had been reduced to waste. If you tune into MTV, the youth oriented brand airs Ridiculousness for most of the day which serves as the Teen Titans GO! of the network while Comedy Central is slumped over shows like The Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men.

During the week, it was reported that Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery were exploring a potential merger. For now, Warner Bros. Discovery can't look at merging with another entity until April 2024 and talks are said to be in the early stages so it's not known whether they'll go through with the plan.

Ideally, if a merger were to happen MTV could be dismantled or revert back to being a music oriented brand and take up the identities of the current MTV Base and MTV Hits channels across Europe. Award shows and live performances could remain intact on this restructured brand.

Warner Bros. Discovery doesn't offer a music brand or at least not on cable or streaming and MTV would be one way to sort of expand on that. They operate a number of TV channels most of which could be purged if not sold if this merger moves forward.

Then shows like Catfish: The TV Show and Ridiculousness could fold under HBO adult centred line-up while The Challenge could compliment Discovery's existing portfolio. TLC could inherit Ex On The Beach, Jersey Shore, Love And Hip-Hop and Teen Moms.

Comedy Central had become the Adult Swim of Paramount Global with South Park laying out most of the punches. All of this could as well be folded under Adult Swim and Cartoon Network with live-action residing on HBO leaving the linear component to serve only reruns to sitcoms.

HBO could even give the brand a dedicated block and use it as a trademark for sitcoms produced under their brand.

Gravity Falls | Pilot | Disney Channel

Sometime in 2010, animator Alex Hirsch began work on a pitch pilot for what would soon become the hit Disney mystery series Gravity Falls. Created in Adobe Flash, the pilot ran for 12 minutes and was essentially a cut-down version of the first official episode, "Tourist Trapped."

In a Reddit IAMA conducted by Alex Hirsch, when asked if the unaired pilot would ever be released, he replied that it "would be like showing you awkward photos from my high school prom", and that he wouldn't want it to be seen. Additionally, the pilot used licensed songs that Hirsch didn't have the right to use commercially, meaning that there may have been legal problems with releasing it, on DVD or otherwise.

Despite that, on July 25th, 2016, Alex revealed that if the puzzle that was a part of the unofficial Cipher Hunt was completed, then he would release the pilot online. It was completed about a week later,[3] and on August 3rd, 2016, it was released on The Mystery of Gravity Falls' website under the username of RETURNBACKWARDS and the password of TOTHEPASTAGAINTHREE. It was also uploaded to YouTube with little to no difficulty or conflict (albeit private).

The Rise And Fall Of Von Dutch: How The Brand Name Became A Curse?

Hulu’s docuseries The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For dives deep into the wild story behind the brand Von Dutch, beginning with its inception in the ‘90s and following through its chaotic and messy downward spiral. Popularized in the mid-2000s, the company was and is best known for its trucker hats, though celebrities including Paris Hilton, Jay-Z, and Britney Spears were spotted in everything from Von Dutch bags to T-shirts during its heyday. Von Dutch’s success was short-lived, though: infighting over the creative vision for the brand caused internal tension at the company, and public interest dropped off by the 2010s. Here’s what you need to know about the Y2K apparel line and its demise ahead of the Hulu show.

Who Is Von Dutch?

Unbeknownst to most of the celebrities and athletes who wore the brand, the Von Dutch name and concept came from the work of Kenneth “Kenny” Robert Howard — a mechanic and car detailer who, in the 1950s, started making art under the name “Von Dutch.” Howard’s work involved painting hot rods with pinstripes, flames, and eyeballs, helping to set the stage for the subcultural movement know as Kustom Kulture. (More recent discussions of Howard have highlighted his racist and Nazi-sympathizing beliefs.)

However, Howard died in 1992, meaning he wasn’t even alive when the Von Dutch brand took off.

Who Founded Von Dutch?

After Howard’s death, several people sought to capitalize on his name and legacy. “It was basically this grab by a lot of people that claim that they came up with the idea or went through the proper steps to own something that you never really should be able to own in the first place,” Andrew Renzi, the director of The Curse of Von Dutch, told the New York Times.

One of those people was Los Angeles art collector Ed Boswell, who’s often cited as the founder of Von Dutch and appears in the docuseries to assert his stake in its success. However, the company did not begin in earnest until 1996, when Howard’s daughter sold the rights to the Von Dutch name to Michael Cassel, a former drug dealer who’d just finished a four-year prison sentence, and his mentee Robert “Bobby” Vaughn. It’s generally Cassel and Vaughn who receive credit for taking Howard’s signature and making it the logo for the Von Dutch clothing line people know today.

Many of the clothing items that Von Dutch was known for were historically associated with a working class lifestyle. But the simple addition of the Von Dutch logo transformed the trucker hat from something worn by actual truck drivers into a trendy accessory sported by the rich and famous — a tension that the stars known for popularizing the brand were likely unaware of.

“There’s implicit power dynamics in the appropriation of garments like this because you can pick and choose what garments you’re wearing, but leave behind the labor and legacy of people who originally wore these garments in the context that they wore them in,” fashion historian Emma McClendon told the New York Times.

Why Is Von Dutch Bad?

Beyond Howard’s racist and anti-semitic roots, the Hulu series attributes Von Dutch’s decline to a number of factors, suggesting that the company may have been a money-laundering scheme and also hinting that the brand did business with someone connected to drug cartels.

But it’s certain that things really began to spin out of control in 2005, when Von Dutch co-founder Bobby Vaughn shot and killed a friend who he alleged attacked him with a broken bottle. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, and though he was acquitted after a jury ruled Rivas’ death was justifiable homicide, the controversy marked the beginning of the end for the brand.

Who Owns Von Dutch Now?

In 2000, Cassel and Vaughn were in need of funding and decided to bring in Danish entrepreneur Tonny Sorenson, who invested in the company and took over as CEO. Sorenson hired French fashion designer Christian Audigier to help expand the brand’s reach, but Cassel and Vaughn didn’t like Audigier’s direction and worried that they were “selling out.” By the time Audigier left Von Dutch in 2004, their signature trucker hats were reportedly generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue. However, the success of Von Dutch started to wane in the later aughts, and Sorenson sold the brand to French footwear company Groupe Royer in 2009.

What Happened To Von Dutch?

Though Von Dutch never officially stopped production, public interest in the brand dropped off for nearly a decade. In 2019, the company hired Ed Goldman as the acting general manager of Von Dutch North America in order to help revive the brand and reach a new generation. With ‘90s and 2000s nostalgia at an all-time high, it certainly seems like the ideal moment for Von Dutch to attempt a comeback — and it could be working. Celebrities including Megan Thee Stallion and Saweetie have been spotted wearing Von Dutch apparel, and the brand recently collaborated with Young Thug on a streetwear collection.

Credits: Justice Namaste, Bustle

Recap To Last Month: Insidus Plus Is Now Offline With Regular Nick: Games To Follow On New Year's Eve

As mentioned, Insidus Plus and Regular Nick: Games will go offline from 31 December 2023 with further content now residing on Insidus. Currently working on filing up the void for these brands particularly Regular Nick: Games which has now reverted back to Insidus Games.

Reverting the name back was one way we could limit the conflict with our current offering Regular Nick which is reserved for kids and families. Insidus Games has a page of its own known as Cartoon Games which isn't ad-free - not like that portion was reversed for reading.

But it's only the page that comes with ads, through Entertainment Zone which is what Insidus Plus reserved has a watered down version of the offering (no ads) alongside other content which include a range of documents, YouTube videos and the best of Insidus.

Unlike Insidus Games, we reduced the Plus brand name even further now it will be a way to promote selected content from existing brands like Everyday Novelas, Video Entertainment, Sports Entertainment and Regular Nick. Initially, it would have been retired to its entirety.

Besides that, Insidus Plus was always an Insidus 2 platform where it would leverage existing content and build up the line-up for some of our brands. Or at least that's how it was viewed initially so not much expansion or replacing to go around there as seen with Insidus Games.

For those browsing the Cartoon Games page would notice there's only 5 options and it shuffles when a page is reloaded. As soon as we do manage to build the offering we will crank up the numbers. For now, Insidus Collection is available on the menu bar and we took the liberty of adding a script "for more... content" which will redirect you to your destination.

Insidus Collection will feature various content we will look to promote on the site with more content still awaiting clearance. If you click on the platform you'll notice a folder known as Insidus Library now this is what we promoted on Insidus Plus but didn't feel garnered much traction like Insidus Games.

To those who think Insidus Library will be boring trust me it's more like Regular Nick: Games or at least what we're aiming for we have bibles from SpongeBob SquarePants and Adventure Time and even Marvel documents from the webslinger himself Spider-Man.

Trust me when I say 2024 will be revolved on filing the blanks of the two affected brands and also we are expanding our horizons at the same time without jeopardizing the reputation of Insidus.

Important Notice: Insidus 2.0 Is Coming Soon

From 31 December 2023, Regular Nick: Games and Insidus Plus will cease to exist as the latter will be refolded under Insidus. We are looking to promote content that not only attract our local readers but those staying abroad. This is something we've been looking to do for a while now and we thank our readers for supporting these brands.

Here's some Q&A's

1. When will Regular Nick: Games and Insidus Plus shut down?

From 31 December 2023, the site could remain active for another three months.

2. What will happen to the content on Regular Nick: Games and Insidus Plus?

We are backing up content from Insidus Plus and will roll them out shortly as for Regular Nick: Games we are looking to reboot this area. For those worried about losing out on content, just to let you know we will be rolling out Insidus Collection which will feature various content from both brands including unreleased.

3. What will happen to the pages of Regular Nick: Games and Insidus Plus through Insidus Lite?

Replacements are currently in development for both of course they may start out as lightweight but we will make Insidus Collection available to fill that gap as we promote numerous archived material.

4. Are Regular Nick: Games and Insidus Plus being discontinued due to poor reception?

No, numerous brands had been doing consolidation and we felt it was about time we did some consolidating of our own. Regular Nick: Games and Insidus Plus will continue to be our greatest creation and them finding a new home on Insidus would equal to more reach especially with SEO.

5. What to expect on Insidus come 2024?

As mentioned, we are looking to offer the best of Regular Nick: Games and Insidus Plus without jeopardizing the content currently distributed on Insidus. The remainder of 2023 and onwards will be used to build up the offering from these brands.

A lot of excitement comes out from revisiting this journey and we are looking to introduce more new stuff.

Was Showmax PRO Successful In Africa?

Showmax PRO was a digital version to the current SuperSport brand distributed on DStv. It featured a range of sporting promotions including English Premier League (EPL), La Liga, World Challenge League, Serie A and Moto GP.

Unfortunately due to the revamping of the streaming service, it was announced that Showmax PRO would cease operation by the end of November with consumers getting a reduced sports offering or being redirected to DStv Stream Compact+ bouquet at the very same price.

It was also revealed Showmax would shut down internationally as MultiChoice puts more emphasis in the African market. The newly launched streamer will be a joint venture with Comcast's NBCUniversal and Sky which will see various content and software upgrades to the platform.

As some consumers are aware, Showmax joins the number of streaming services that have occurred losses including Disney+, Paramount+ and Peacock. They've never disclosed how many consumers use their streaming service much less the PRO section of the platform.

The demise of Showmax PRO may have been a matter of sustainability for which the entire streaming service is not. Should this change, MultiChoice could prioritise sports on the revamped Showmax for now it's being dominated by English Premier League.

Rude Removal | Dexter's Laboratory | Cartoon Network

 

"Rude Removal" is a cartoon episode originally produced in 1997 for the animated television series Dexter's Laboratory for Cartoon Network. It was intended to air as part of the second season, but was left unaired due to the characters swearing even though the swear words were censored. 

My Opinion Regarding The Demise Of Boomerang And Rise Of Cartoonito

During the year, Boomerang was folded under Cartoonito after it rolled out on the channel as a programming block in 2022. It featured various shows like CoComelon, Thomas And Friends and Dino Ranch and expanded to include Batwheels, Interstellar Ella and Bugs Bunny Builders.

As seen through my research on the Latin American market, Boomerang retains a stake in Cartoonito particularly for figures such as Scooby-Doo, Tom And Jerry and Looney Tunes. Of course, the Boomerang DNA has slowly subsided on the channel.

So yeah, I kind of get why parents and children across Africa would be very fearful about the future of Boomerang. This was a channel that was home to classical figures outside of Warner Bros. such as Garfield and The Addams Family and overtime evolved to include shows like Grizzy And The Lemmings and Zig and Sharko.

But this is a rebrand and as such various measures should be implemented, to me them keeping a small fraction of Boomerang was probably a way to phase off the channel to its entirety and also another way to keep existing viewers while as welcome newer audiences to Cartoonito.

I could be angry about this rebrand but hey similar to how some viewers say Cartoon Network died over the years the same could have been said about Boomerang. At one point, it was almost like Boing thereafter it got another identity therefore tarnishing the name.

Cartoonito as a whole kind of makes sense right now as it keeps the original DNA Boomerang intact and it's one better way to kind of align the brands. I know some are angry about Looney Tunes Cartoons but hey I noticed better treatment on the channel than Cartoon Network international.

In short, I don't think Cartoonito is that bad of a channel especially if there's still viewers out there willing to watch CoComelon and Thomas And Friends. It's productive and imaginative unlike some other kids channels I know of but won't mention right now.

Dr. Phil To Launch Primetime TV Channel In The US By Early 2024

Following the end of his long-running daytime syndicated talk show, Dr. Phil McGraw is launching Merit Street Media, a new news and entertainment cable TV network. It will be anchored by Dr. Phil Primetime, which will premiere Feb. 26, 2024 and will air nightly at 8 PM ET.

No details have been revealed yet about the new network’s distribution. It is expected to have nationwide carriage, which would be no small feat in the current challenging business environment of declining linear ratings and cord-cutting.

Merit Street will be based in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where a new state-of-the-art broadcast center, spanning over 5 acres, is completing construction. Dozens of longtime Dr. Phil staffers have relocated their families to Texas to continue working alongside McGraw.

In the coming months, Merit Street will announce its full primetime lineup; the network is expected to initially offer multiple hours of original daily programming, including live news broadcasts.

Dr. Phil Primetime will stay close to the format of McGraw’s daytime show, with him continuing to offer no-nonsense advice in addition to conducting interviews with headline makers.

“I absolutely love talking to real people about real problems. People who aren’t just complaining but are actively looking for real solutions to better their lives,” McGraw said. “It all begins and ends with real people dealing with these issues for real, using common sense, fact-based information, and action plans to create results.

In the months since Dr. Phil ended its run after 21 seasons, McGraw has continued to receive requests from viewers seeking advice.

“As always, the audience will dictate our content because they are our content, and I want my viewer’s help in building Merit Street,” McGraw said. “I continue my pledge to help individuals, couples, and families have the tough conversations, face the hard realities, and get real answers for the most positive and effective outcome.”

The new show also is expected to feature some of McGraw’s conservative views on family values, immigration and education curriculum which he shared in the final years of his daytime talker. He hinted at that in his official comments about the launch Merit Street.

In the coming months, Merit Street will announce its full primetime lineup; the network is expected to initially offer multiple hours of original daily programming, including live news broadcasts.

Dr. Phil Primetime will stay close to the format of McGraw’s daytime show, with him continuing to offer no-nonsense advice in addition to conducting interviews with headline makers.

“I absolutely love talking to real people about real problems. People who aren’t just complaining but are actively looking for real solutions to better their lives,” McGraw said. “It all begins and ends with real people dealing with these issues for real, using common sense, fact-based information, and action plans to create results.

In the months since Dr. Phil ended its run after 21 seasons, McGraw has continued to receive requests from viewers seeking advice.

“As always, the audience will dictate our content because they are our content, and I want my viewer’s help in building Merit Street,” McGraw said. “I continue my pledge to help individuals, couples, and families have the tough conversations, face the hard realities, and get real answers for the most positive and effective outcome.”

The new show also is expected to feature some of McGraw’s conservative views on family values, immigration and education curriculum which he shared in the final years of his daytime talker. He hinted at that in his official comments about the launch Merit Street.

“American families and our core values are under attack,” he said. “I love this country, and I believe family is the backbone of our society. Together we are going to stand strong and fight for the very soul and sanity of America and get things that matter back on track.”

Additionally, the name of the new network, Merit Street Media, refers to McGraw’s publicly stated respect for the meritocracy on which the U.S. was built.

Veteran news and programming executive, Joel Cheatwood, known for his work at WCBS, CNN, and Fox News, will serve as Chief Operating Officer for MSM. Other staffing announcements will be made in the next few months.

#BoycottingTeenAfricaTV: Can Teen Africa TV Fill Up The Void Left By Da Vinci Kids On Both DStv And GOtv?

During the week, it was reported that Da Vinci Kids exited both DStv and GOtv platforms in some parts of Africa by August as the channel continues to be broadcast on StarSat. Prior to that, MultiChoice added Teen Africa TV as a new youth oriented channel on the platforms.

Teen Africa TV is Africa's first dedicated TV channel for teenagers and their families featuring locally produced shows such as the Nigerian adaptation to the UK game show The Voice Kids, live tween show Teen Breakfast Live and lifestyle shows Fashionista and Culture Connect.

Da Vinci Kids was a factual based children's channel which like carried animated shows like Wild Kratts, Mily Miss Questions and Pincode alongside live-action shows like Operation Ouch, Horrible Histories and Odd Squad. It was described as the Curiosity Channel of children's television.

The minor setback with Teen Africa TV would be the programming despite catering for the same demographic none of the content match to that of History, BBC Earth or National Geographic but to that of Africa Magic and Ebonylife seeing as other youth channels don't offer local content.

In short, if you wish to view the content from Da Vinci Kids then you need StarSat and a similar offering can be found on as mentioned National Geographic and BBC Earth. Teen Africa TV is just a random channel which basically competes against itself.

'Friends' Star Matthew Perry Dead At 54...After Apparent Drowning

More details are surfacing about the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perry's death...as sources tell us he actually died at his own house after some physical activity this morning.

We're told Matthew came home sometime in the AM after a 2-hour round of pickleball, and that he sent his assistant out on errand shortly thereafter. We're told when the assistant returned about 2 hours later, he discovered Matthew unresponsive...and called 911.

Unclear if what Matthew was doing before his passing played any role in his death at this point -- the investigation into his death is underway.

Law enforcement sources tell us the actor was found Saturday at an L.A.-area home ... where we're told he appears to have drowned. Our sources say first-responders rushed over on a call for cardiac arrest. It's unclear where exactly on the grounds this happened.

Our sources say he was found in a jacuzzi at the home ... and we're told there were no drugs found at the scene. We're also told there is no foul play involved.

Perry is most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit '90s sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons ... and with him in all 234 episodes. His character was a fan fave, as was performance -- mannerisms and lines of which have gone on to be recreated and spoofed by fans all over the world. One comes to mind, in particular ... "Could (blank) BE more .."

While 'Friends' was his biggest claim to fame ... MP had starred/guest starred in countless other TV shows over the years -- such as 'Boys Will Be Boys,' 'Growing Pains,' 'Silver Spoons,' 'Charles in Charge,' 'Sydney,' 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' 'Home Free,' 'Ally McBeal,' 'The West Wing,' 'Scrubs,' 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,' 'Go On,' 'The Odd Couple' and more.

He had also acted in a handful of memorable films (mostly comedy) ... like 'Fools Rush In,' 'The Whole Nine Yards,' 'Three to Tango,' 'The Kid,' '17 Again,' 'Getting In,' and many others. He's been off the scene more recently ... not having acted since a TV mini series in 2017.

While his onscreen persona was affable and upbeat, Matthew suffered mightily behind the scenes -- notably, from his addiction to drugs and alcohol ... pain killers, specifically. He was hooked on Vicodin for years -- even while on 'Friends' -- and had been in and out of rehab.

Matthew opened up about this painful chapter of his life in a memoir he put out last year -- where he detailed the struggles he had ... including his clear weight-loss/gain on the show.

During his press run for his book ... Matthew did a number of interviews where he got incredibly emotional -- including one with Diane Sawyer, where he detailed his story.

While Perry appeared to be clean and sober a year ago, the year prior -- when he and the other cast members were plugging the 'Friends' reunion show -- drew concern from fans ... as they felt he appeared unwell, at times slurring his words and looking a bit out of it.

On top of his substance use ... Matthew also dealt with health issues, some of which were serious and required hospitalizations. One such incident stemmed from a gastrointestinal perforation -- which forced him to undergo emergency surgery ... but he luckily recovered.

Matthew never married, but he was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz a couple years ago...which came to an end after only 6 months. Before that, he'd been linked to Lizzy Caplan.

Recap To The Year: Showmax Is Now Producing Original Animated Series (And Movies), Might Launch It Elsewhere

During the year, Showmax launched its first ever original animated series, Jay Jay The Chosen One. Inspired by the football legend Jay-Jay Okocha, it follows Austin, an 11-year-old football-loving school boy, blessed by animals with their abilities, becomes

the superhero Jay Jay, who tackles poachers and guides his school football team to victory.

At the time, it was stated that the streamer was looking to do short term series and depending on how the content performs they would look into rolling out more animation projects. So there entered the South African comedy Twende as the streamer's second attempt at animation.

The show follows a pangolin — an endangered species which is the slowest on the savannah and the most-trafficked type of animal in the world — who makes up for his natural lack of speed by driving a motorcycle taxi. A pilot was screened at Annecy back in 2021 and MultiChoice Studios handles international sales.

“Our long-term goal is to build the animation industry on our continent and to give our children characters and stories that reflect, educate and inspire them, and content they can enjoy with their parents,” says Phahle. “Ultimately we believe that if we do this well enough, the stories will also find audiences outside of Africa.”

Last month, Indigenous Film Distribution unveiled Headspace, the exciting new animation sci-fi feature from Johannesburg’s Luma Animation. The film starts with a freak accident, where Max, Sophie and Gus of the Space Protection Force, and their microscopic spaceship The SPF50, take up residence inside 14-year-old Norman’s brain. 

#BoycottingPlayRoom: Could Play Room Fill Up The Void Left By Da Vinci Kids When It Exits Both DStv And Possible GOtv In November?

During the day, it was reported that Da Vinci Kids would be exiting both DStv and GOtv platforms in November as the channel continues to be broadcast on StarSat. Prior to the termination, MultiChoice would be adding another kids channel to their platforms, Play Room.

Play Room is basically "an eToonz for Africa" featuring animated shows like CoComelon, Paw Patrol and Jabu's Jungle alongside live-action shows like Play Room Live and Game Shakers. It is operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group who manage Newzroom Afrika and Movie Room.

Da Vinci Kids was a factual based children's channel which like carried animated shows like Wild Kratts, Mily Miss Questions and Pincode alongside live-action shows like Operation Ouch, Horrible Histories and Odd Squad. It was described as the Curiosity Channel of children's television.

The minor setback with Play Room would be the programming despite catering for the same demographic none of the content match to that of History, BBC Earth or National Geographic but to the likes of brands like Cartoon Network, Disney Junior and JimJam.

In short, if you wish to view the content from Da Vinci Kids then you need StarSat and a similar offering can be found on as mentioned National Geographic and BBC Earth. Play Room competes with brands like Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and as mentioned Cartoon Network.

Lost Media: Gibby, Lost iCarly Spinoff Pilot Full Episode Is Now On YouTube

Gibby gets a gig at a recreational center where he winds up as a mentor to four offbeat middle-school students.

How SABC Could Save 7de Laan From Complete Extinction

During the year, it was reported that the public broadcaster had axed 7de Laan after 24 years with the last episode set to be broadcast on Day Of Goodwill (26 December). Since news of its cancellation surfaced the SABC has faced severe backlash from fans.

As a petition is being drawn up for SABC at change.org to reconsider, several fans are looking to strike at Campus Square Auckland Park in Johannesburg this coming Thursday which is where the show had been filmed.

The public broadcaster view their current financial state as one of the reasons 7de Laan is being booted and another having to deal with the fact that the viewership of the Afrikaans soap has dropped in the past years with etv's Afrikaans offering at 5pm able to double it's audience.

It's unlikely that 7de Laan's viewership will get better overnight with Sentech cancelling several analogue feeds for their channels and also Eskom's blackouts. Striking is probably the only way consumers will ever get across to the public broadcaster and if possible find an outcome.

Despite having more viewers than M-Net and Mzansi Magic, SABC has seen their ratings drop in recent years with SABC 3 taking the most punches following the cancellation/removals of Days Of Our Lives and Isidingo SABC 2 likely to suffer the same fate with 7de Laan.

7de Laan ranks as the most watched Afrikaans soap and second watched soap on SABC 2 behind Muvhango. Overall, most of the public broadcaster's local productions can't surpass the viewership of Uzalo, Generations: The Legacy, Skeem Saam and Muvhango.

The only way SABC 2's viewership would probably remain intact would be if the public broadcaster was looking to replace 7de Laan with a follow-up show similar to Generations: The Legacy or if some if not majority of the cast were to be seen on the replacement soap.