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eMedia's 4 Channels Recieve Another Extension On MultiChoice's DStv, Might Go Dark By August 2024
Since 2022, eMedia Investments and MultiChoice had been undergoing a carriage dispute with the Competition Tribunal. After the p...
Monday, April 15, 2024
Possibly Cancelled??? As Production Is Paused On MTV's Siesta Key After 5 Seasons
Thursday, March 7, 2024
News Shorts: Twilight Animated Series In Development With Daria Spinoff Jodie Cancelled, And Avatar: The Animated Series Renewed On Netflix For Season 2 And Season 3 With Monsters At Work Moving To Disney Channel For Season 2
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Byron Allen Looking To Make MTV, Nickelodeon And Comedy Central "Cost Efficient", How Does This Impact Paramount Global's Linear Channels?
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Rumour: Paramount Global Could Soon Integrate MTV Latin America Within Europe, Middle East, Africa And Asia (EMEAA)
Thursday, December 21, 2023
More Cord Cutting Might Await Brands Like Nicktoons And MTV Base If Merger Between Paramount Global And Warner Bros. Discovery Moves Forward
How The Possible Merger Of Warner Bros. Discovery And Paramount Global Could Dismantle MTV And Comedy Central?
Monday, October 23, 2023
Paramount, Home To MTV And Nickelodeon Reportedly Up For Sale or Merger
Saturday, October 14, 2023
News Shorts: Showmax Debuts Another Original Animated Series Twende, Once Upon A Studio To Rollout On Various e.tv And Disney Platforms And Help I'm In A Secret Relationship Returns For New Episodes On MTV Across Africa
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Foxtel To Close Down MTV In Australia Amidst Streaming Shift
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Paramount Division Run By Chris McCarthy Lays Off 25% Of Domestic Staff; MTV News Among Units Shut Down
In the latest wave of industry layoffs, the recently combined Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios as well as Paramount Media Networks, overseen by the division’s President and CEO Chris McCarthy, is reducing its domestic team by 25% today. McCarthy addressed the cuts, which he called a “very hard but necessary decision”, in a company memo.
According to sources, the basic cable networks were most heavily impacted, with a number of units being shut down as part of consolidation, mostly on the operations side.
Also folding is MTV News, the news production division of MTV, which was launched in the late 1980s. The unit already had undergone significant downsizing over the last six years. MTV News staffers took to social media to share the layoff news.
Among the senior-level executives impacted are Jessica Zalkind, SVP, Talent and Series Development, MTV Networks, and Todd Radnitz, SVP of Original Unscripted Series at MTV Entertainment Group and Paramount+, we hear. East Coast casting is being folded into the West Coast operation.
Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, has been largely spared this time, I hear, after it was hit hard in February when the two studios were combined, with Showtime taking the brunt of the cuts.
“This is a tough yet important strategic realignment of our group,” McCarthy said. “Through the elimination of some units and by streamlining others, we will be able to reduce costs and create a more effective approach to our business as we move forward.”
The new wave of cuts comes on the heels of Paramount Global falling way shy of Wall Street forecasts last week when the company reported a loss of $1.1 billion for Q1, leading to a 25% stock price drop.
Here is McCarthy’s full note:
Team,
As we finalize the integration of SHOWTIME and continue to transform our business for the future, we have set a great foundation for continued success by consolidating our group into two functions:
• Studios – integrating SHOWTIME and MTV Entertainment Studios into one powerful studio team
• Networks – combining nine separate teams into one portfolio group
This combination has resulted in an incredible track record of hits including Yellowstone, 1883, Tulsa King, South Park, The Challenge, Teen Wolf, 1923, Drag Race, Mayor of Kingstown, Your Honor, George & Tammy and Yellowjackets – which, taken together, drove record subscribers across Paramount+ and Showtime and helped Paramount+ lead the industry in new subscriber growth.
However, despite this success in streaming, we continue to feel pressure from broader economic headwinds like many of our peers. To address this, our senior leaders in coordination with HR have been working together over the past few months to determine the optimal organization for the current and future needs of our business.
As a result, we have made the very hard but necessary decision to reduce our domestic team by approximately 25%. This is a tough yet important strategic realignment of our group. Through the elimination of some units and by streamlining others, we will be able to reduce costs and create a more effective approach to our business as we move forward. Today we will notify employees whose positions are being impacted with leaders communicating the news directly to those teams/or individuals. These meetings will be followed by individual 1:1s with our HR partners.
I realize these decisions will be very hard for everyone, most of all, those who will be leaving. It’s not something we take lightly. We have some of the most passionate and dedicated team members, who bring their full selves to drive our brands and business forward. This is why it’s so difficult to say goodbye to our friends and colleagues. To those impacted, we deeply appreciate the passion and creativity you have brought every day. I want to thank you for your many contributions.
Our leadership team and HR partners are committed to ensuring this process is done with empathy and respect.
Sincerely,
Chris
Saturday, May 6, 2023
Rumour: Paramount Global To Be Closing More MTV Feeds Internationally
Paramount Global has been active across the market for almost a year. Prior to the time it was known as ViacomCBS, they have been various adjustments and now that we've managed to wrap up 2022 we can finally see the extent and the justification to all that.
For those who watch MTV and Nickelodeon (or in this case Nick Jr.) may have noticed some a number of changes. For starters, MTV became a music channel once more with a bit of Catfish and Ridiculousness while as the preschool hotspot Nick Jr. has learnt a number of new languages.
As mentioned sometime ago, Paramount is cutting back on costs for their linear offering and these two were a result of that. My guess has to do with Paramount+ I presume they want to get as much fresh content onboard to attract potential clients.
Although there has yet to be confirmation of a closure, I wouldn't be surprised if we got to that position already Nickelodeon has been scrapped in most of Asia and i have seen various MTV channels mostly irrelevant close in various parts of Europe.
According to sources, Paramount might be looking into closing down MTV in the coming future (2023/4). Not sure whether this would affect their music portion but I don't see why it should as it's more like what NBCUniversal got with Peacock and it's linear offerings - variations.
As mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if it were true especially with various local feeds merging which was the case for Disney XD before closing down. In the end, I do feel shows like Ridiculousness would make a perfect fit on Comedy Central and BET.
Compared to MTV, these two function in a way that doesn't collide with Paramount+ I mean one has The Nanny And Modern Family on repeat while the other offers All Of Us and plays second fiddle with The Neighborhood and Martin.
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Paramount Is Moving Around A Number Of Its Unscripted Shows From VH1 To MTV
VH1 series including Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Couples Retreat and Caught In The Act: Unfaithful are moving to MTV.
The company said it was looking to find new audiences for these shows, which are all being produced by Lashan Browning’s Antoinette Media, which Paramount recently invested in. The move comes as it is exploring a sale of BET Media Group, which now includes VH1, meaning that it will keep a number of its biggest titles on its other network.
The biggest move involves Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, which is going in to its 11th season. It premiered on VH1 in 2012.
Season 11, which will air this summer, is being rebooted and will follow a more “docu approach to storytelling” as it documents the lives of women who have built their empires in Atlanta.
The series is now produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and Antoinette Media, which the company recently invested in and is exec produced by Sitarah Pendelton and Jubba Seyyid for MTV Entertainment Studios and Lashan Browning, Donna Edge-Rachell, Paris Bauldwin, Daniel Wiener, Alissa Horowitz, Mimi Adams, Gavin Lee Jones, and John Crenny for Antoinette Media.
“On the heels of launching Antoinette Media with Lashan Browning, we’re thrilled to continue fueling our robust unscripted slate of hits on MTV and introduce new audiences to the cultural phenomenon Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta as well as fan favorites like Couples Retreat and Caught in the Act: Unfaithful,” said Nina L. Diaz, Chief Creative Officer and President of Content, Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios.
Kicking off the block later in the year is Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta “Run it Back”, a clip-show, where cast members of the reality show rewatch moments from the first season of Atlanta and share behind the scenes stories.
It will be followed by MTV Couples Retreat, which has previously run for two seasons as VH1 Couples Retreat. The series follows couples attending a retreat, who are putting all of their chips on the table in Vegas, and they will be forced out of their comfort zones to rediscover each other with the help of unconventional, high-octane guest experts. This includes ziplining through the Vegas Strip, survivalist training in the wilderness with an expert ninja survivalist, trapezing with former Cirque du Soleil performers, to herding cattle and untamed bulls.
MTV Couples Retreat is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and Antoinette Media and exec produced by Sitarah Pendelton- Eaglin and Jubba Seyyid for MTV Entertainment Studios and Lashan Browning, Donna Edge-Rachell, Paris Bauldwin, Daniel Wiener, Mimi Adams, Michael Carrozza, Gavin Lee Jones, Alissa Horowitz, and Michelle Kongkasuwan for Antoinette Media.
Finally, also launching in the year is the second season of Caught in the Act: Unfaithful, which also debuted on VH1. The show follows host Tami Roman as she continues to help suspicious lovers catch their cheating partners in the act. Once the investigation is complete, the suspicious lover can choose to team up with their partner’s other lover or take them both down in an undercover ambush.
Caught in the Act: Unfaithful is executive produced by Sitarah Pendelton-Eaglin, Jennifer Aguirre, and Executive in Charge of production Liz Kim for MTV. Lashan Browning, Donna Edge-Rachell, Alissa Horowitz, Daniel Wiener, Maricarmen Lopez, and Rich Allen are executive producers for Antoinette Media. Tami Roman also serves as consulting producer.
Monday, February 20, 2023
Paramount+ Updates: Sylvester Stallone To Make His Reality TV Debut, Paramount+ Removes Several Content From The Platform Following Showtime Merger And Paramount+ To Rollout In South Africa Later In The Year
Sylvester's Stallone’s Family To Star In Docuseries For Paramount+
Sylvester Stallone is expanding his footprint at Paramount+. The streamer has picked up The Family Stallone, a new docuseries featuring the star of Tulsa King, along with his real-life wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone and their daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.
The eight-part series will premiere exclusively on the service later in the year. In the new series, Paramount+ promises to “offer a seat at the table of one of Hollywood’s most famous families” by showing how the Oscar-winning actor is simply Dad at home.
The Family Stallone is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, with Benjamin Hurvitz, Jessica Zalkind and Nadim Amiry as executive producers. Julie Pizzi, Farnaz Farjam and Jonathan Singer serve as executive producers for Bunim-Murray Productions, with Lauren Goldstein, Valana Hunn, Chris Ray and Jason Williams as co-executive producers.
Video Entertainment:
- Rumour: SuperSport Schools to get a dedicated channel on the DStv platform
- Disney Junior and Disney+ to debut new Star Wars series in May
- Paramount+ set to merge with Showtime
- eVOD has yet to offer linear channels as promised in 2021
The Warner Bros. effect reigns on another company
During the month, Paramount+ became the latest streaming service to remove original titles from its platform. The streamer has removed a raft of titles including Real World: Homecoming.
Other titles include Jordan Peele’s reboot of The Twilight Zone, which ran for two seasons between 2019 and 2020, Peter Sarsgaard-fronted true-crime drama Interrogation, Michael Chiklis’ Coyote, comedy series No Activity, Kate Beckinsale’s dark comedy Guilty Party and animated series The Harper House.
It comes days after sister company Showtime, which is in the process of being rebranded and merged with Paramount+, removed a slew of titles including Kidding, Super Pumped, On Becoming A God In Central Florida and American Rust.
It joins with streamers such as HBO Max, which removed titles such as FBoy Island and Westworld.
Paramount+ might miss their early debut in South Africa
Paramount+ will join the existing streaming services already present in South Africa, all battling to grow their market share and to scale their subscribers bases like Disney+, Netflix SA, Amazon Prime Video, MultiChoice's Showmax, Apple TV+, eMedia's eVOD, SABC+, VIU and Britbox.
The South African launch of Paramount+ will be as a stand-alone app and through connected TV sets, but will very likely also be in partnership with the MultiChoice Group, which has existing deals to carry Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as apps on its DStv Explora Ultra decoder.
Paramount, already has so-called "hard bundle" deals in place with pay-TV operators like Comcast's Sky in the United Kingdom carrying Paramount+, and Sky Showtime as a joint venture in Europe with Comcast and Vivendi's Canal+.
Paramount+ made several consumers sign up through email for more updates on the streamer in South Africa and as we're close to the end of the first quarter of 2023. There hasn't been any updates not even a glimpse of what we already know about the platform.
Video Entertainment:
- BBC to close linear channels and focus on digital future
- HBO Max no longer produces live-action programs for kids and family
- Triggerfish working with Disney+ on a Star Wars project
- Virtual reality opportunities for African filmmakers
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Comedy Central, MTV, Qwest TV And M-Net's Magic Showcase: Here's What We've Heard So Far About These DStv Channels
Earlier in the month, MultiChoice launched a new preschool channel Moonbug Kids home to YouTube sensations Blippi and CoComelon. They also plan to launch a new jazz infused channel Qwest TV by Quincy Jones by the end of the year.
BET which was exclusive to consumers on the Compact, Compact+ and Premium package has been added to consumers on the Family and Access packages. Now we got word from Paramount that more of their channels will find their way to more households.
To top it off, MultiChoice will be rolling out another new channel Magic Showcase ahead of the launch of Qwest TV. Here's a look at the 4 channels:
1. Comedy Central
Channels: 122
Current packages: Premium and Compact+
Additional packages: Compact from 1st November
Home to shows such as The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, viewers will also get access to The Carbonaro Effect, Impractical Jokers, Just For Laughs and Two And A Half Men.
2. MTV
Channels: 130
Current packages: Premium, Compact+ and Compact
Additional packages: Family from 1st November
Home to shows such as Ridiculousness, Catfish, The Challenge, Ex On The Beach, Teen Moms and Geordie Shore alongside award shows like the MTV EMAs and VMAs.
3. Magic Showcase *NEW*
Channels: 143
Packages: Premium, Compact+, CompactEasyview from 1st November
Basically another Real Time which gives certain DStv customers access to dramas such as Legacy, Rionaand The Imposter alongside reality shows such as The Marriage Counsellor, Being Bonang and Survivor SA.
4. Qwest TV *NEW*
Channels: 330
Packages: Premium, Compact+ and Compact by December 2022
A jazz infused channel home to legends such as Billie Holiday, Esperanza Spalding, Sun Ra, Kamasi Washington, Bill Evans and Flying Lotus. It also features documentaries, interviews, concerts and archived material.
Alternatives For The Deceased DStv Channel, MTV Hits
MultiChoice and Paramount decided to call it quits for the underperforming pop brand, MTV Hits with the channel set to go off air by 31 October 2022. Neither brand is willing to acknowledge the brands existence as the pay-tv brand gears the launch of the jazz infused channel, Qwest TV.
Qwest TV as mentioned is a jazz infused channel by none other than Grammy awarded musician Quincy Jones featuring content that resonates with fans of R&B, Soul and Gospel. Basically geared to a new audience and MultiChoice's way of making up for MTV Hits.
As advised a while ago, MTV Hits won't be supplemented by another channel with similar roots so we looked up a batch of alternatives. Not saying it will be the same or any better but it's better than nothing basically.
Here are some of the alternatives we were able to find for MTV Hits:
1. TRACE Urban
We are very much aware that most music channels on DStv are reaching to MTV Base's standards and tragically this channel fell prey to all that. If it's any consolation, there's still plenty of international to go around although I wouldn't say it appears as frequently as MTV Hits.
2. SoundCity
Yep, the Nigerian based music channel does offer a variety of international hits and yes it's reasons for functioning like MTV Base is justified. But viewers should turn their attention to a weeknight slot usually 9pm as they often to international countdowns and add City Divas to the mix on Sunday mornings.
3. DMX
We are aware all channels aren't dedicated to the talents of Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande so we were able to list some of the channels where you can listen to a variety of pop hits: Adult Contemporary, Today's Hits, Y2K Hits.
4. Social Media
These are one of the many ways I've managed to keep up with most music trends these days. I dwell on sources such as Pop Crave, Billboard and Rap-Up if I ever want to keep tabs on current favorites and explore new artists.
5. Streaming services
For those who can afford to binge an entire season of Grey's Anatomy then this is for you, the world of iTunes, Apple Music, JOOX and Spotify is in your hands and I hear SoundCloud is where several rising stars like Doja Cat promote their music.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
DStv Updates: Comedy Central And MTV To Be Made Available To More DStv Customers And Rumoured Developments For Nickelodeon And The Upcoming Pan-African Channel, Magic Showcase
Comedy Central to be made available to DStv Compact with MTV added to DStv Family from 1st November
Last month, MultiChoice hosted an open window for BET to their DStv Family and Access customers and it wasn't until October that it had been announced that the channel would be made available to consumers full-time. Now more of Paramount's channels are set to reach more DStv customers.
Comedy Central which is home to The Daily Show which was only seen on DStv Premium and Compact+ will now be made available to Compact and the Compact exclusive channel MTV will be available to consumers on the Family package.
It means DStv Compact customers will now have to access to Trevor Noah before he leaves his post alongside endless repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Two And A Half Men and Friends with Family customers being introduced to Ridiculousness, Ex On The Beach and Teen Moms.
While this may as well be good news to some customers. It kind of makes you wonder what could become of Premium and Compact+ now that there's less exclusivity amongst packages and this news will just make more consumers downgrade or cancel their subscription.
With MultiChoice attempting to rollout an unbundled package it wouldn't be shocking if they were to merge these packages or replace it with DStv Flex as those packages alongside Compact haven't seen much success in the recent financial year.
Now that Comedy Central, BET and MTV reach more DStv customers it means MultiChoice and Paramount are leaving Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. to die out like Nicktoons and MTV Base is doing alright wouldn't make much difference to me.
Rumoured developments for both Nickelodeon and Magic Showcase
According to sources, Nickelodeon which is currently available on DStv Premium and Compact+ in South Africa was said to be added to DStv Compact, Family and Access as seen in various regions but this might be due to the recent developments with Nicktoons.
Nicktoons has been on autopilot for several months as Paramount hasn't tried updating the schedule with more content and seem to be adding more content which ended or are on the verge of ending on Nickelodeon with SpongeBob and The Casagrandes carrying the channel.
The Casagrandes could be a supplement for The Loud House seeing as it has been deemed offensive as other regions usually have their most popular shows on during the day as seen with Cartoon Network and from the looks of it ALVINNN!!! is one of them.
Magic Showcase is said to be a Pan-African entertainment channel
Reported here first, MultiChoice and M-Net will be sourcing out more content from their archives for yet another channel as if viewer's aren't seeing plenty of rebroadcasts on Mzansi Wethu and Novela Magic but cable is dead at this point so why bother.
Magic Showcase is gearing to launch by November 1st but MultiChoice had already delayed launches of Moonbug Kids and INX Prime so here's hoping that there's a bit of accuracy coming forward with this brand.
The channel is said to be available to all customers but catered to DStv Access for Legacy and Survivor SA and mostly Easyview getting the full pie as they don't have any means to view the bulk of local entertainment such as Being Bonang and The Imposter.
As for the channel number, nothing has been mentioned but my guess would be channel 159/169.
Monday, October 24, 2022
Paramount Africa's Future Is Up In The Air As Several Of Their Websites Have Shut Down
For several months, Nicktoons has become a waste featuring mostly SpongeBob SquarePants and The Casagrandes with the Nick Jr. block adopting to a similar format with Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol. Basically, it appears as if Paramount is ready to call it quits.
But that's not the only thing that seems bizarre about Paramount as several brands ranging from Comedy Central, MTV, BET and Nickelodeon all once operated a regional site which gives you details about some of the content seen on the channel and was usually a place fans would engage.
Now just like Nicktoons, Paramount Africa's websites appears to have been discontinued as several consumers are redirected to a European based website.
Sure Paramount in Africa is managed by the folks in those regions but there is so much of a variation on which the company seems to have cut down with MTV and Nick Jr. But the brands in question had a lot of variation during their run.
Comedy Central, MTV Base and Nickelodeon have all been redirected to the Netherlands. Take into account, there's a slight variation aside from content there's the matter of language of which not a lot of viewers are very much familiar with.
Even the media sales website had been listed as spam or a rejected website which could be another indicator that Paramount is distancing their focus away from their linear channels and more to Paramount+.
Interesting to note, My5 a UK based streaming service is managing the once available BET Africa website. This is the brand that took away the linear feed to the channel within that region which kind of raises questions over Paramount's linear offering.
Although there's no definite release date, several Nickelodeon feeds (including Nicktoons and Nick Jr.) had been renewed through at least 2027 which is likely where Paramount MIGHT start pulling the cord on some if not all their linear channels.
I mean Asia did lose a Nickelodeon while as Latin America lost a Nicktoons perhaps a couple of feeds could join before that time but with the recent developments I wouldn't be all that shocked if Paramount followed their competitors in moving their content to streaming.
Links
Comedy Central: click here
MTV and MTV Base: click here
BET: click here
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Another Channel Bites The Dust, DStv Customers To Bid Farewell To MTV Hits After A Year
Last month, MultiChoice unveiled two new channels at their showcase, Moonbug Kids home to the YouTube sensation CoComelon which is scheduled to rollout later in the week and Qwest TV founded by Quincy Jones which is likely to rollout by November.
Earlier in the month, Da Vinci Kids was on the verge of extinction as MultiChoice opted not to renew their agreement with Macademia for their channel and after receiving positive feedback about the channel's content from consumers those planned were abandoned.
The channel was only able to comment once the issue had been resolved:
We're happy to inform consumers that DStv have now agreed to continue to broadcast the Da Vinci. We remain deeply committed to our challenge of making the world a smarter and kinder place, and to give African children the opportunity to explore and learn 21st Century Skills
Point being made, after the recent scare from the pay-tv brand it was believed that Qwest TV could be used to take the spot of another channel. As Broadcast Media Africa stated, MultiChoice will be adding new channels but most would come at the time another goes off air.
During the carriage battle with eMedia Investments, a spokesperson at MultiChoice was able to confirm that the pay-tv brand was facing transponder constraints with limited space for more channels opted to just try and reinvent their offering.
MTV Hits is set to join other channels which went off air during the year including Lifetime, Tellytrack, Russia Today and ITV Networks. With the channel that only has 19 days of activity before going dark on the platform - 31 October 2022.
MultiChoice had a ray of channels with the shortest lifespan e.g. VOOV now MTV Hits is currently the channel with the shortest lifespan on the platform in this decade.
MTV Hits was added as a replacement to MTV Music24 whose feed was killed off by Paramount Global as they review offering globally alongside VH1 Classic. This was the only channel to not have a local push now viewers have to rely on DMX to catch further international hits.
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Roundups #98: JimJam Acquired Broadcasting Rights To Mumfie, Brotherhood Brethren Resurfaces On Novela Magic And New Series Queer Of Jozi Launching Soon On MTV Africa
Mumfie Travels The Globe With New Sales
Mumfie is on the move. After debuting earlier this year in France and Italy, Zodiak’s preschool series about a lovable elephant is now branching out from that starting point, thanks to a raft of new sales brokered by distributor Banijay Kids and Family.
The CG-animated series (78 x seven minutes) has been picked up by ITVBe in the UK; Cartoonito (Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, South Korea); AMC Network International’s preschool channel JimJam (CEE, MENA, Portugal); SVT (Sweden); and ejunior (UAE).
Based on the ’90s series Magic Adventures of Mumfie that was created by Britt Allcroft (Thomas & Friends), Mumfie tells the story of a friendly, optimistic elephant and his best friends—a flying pig named Pinkey and a color-changing jellyfish named Jelly Bean—as they find adventure in daily life.
More entertainment coming to Novela Magic
Action drama Brotherhood Brethren was one of the Nigerian series from Africa Magic that hit television screens in 2019. Also on Showmax, the show has been met with lots of enthusiasm from fans online.
Brotherhood Brethren tells the story of two adopted brothers – Dobara aka Bara (Etim Effiong) and Dagogo aka Dags Kurukeme (Frankincense Eche-Ben). Through Bara, we’re introduced to the men and women of the elite crime-fighting squad, Special Crimes Unit (SCU), and the challenges they face in their quest to rid the city of crime, particularly the notorious Aja Isale Eko gang.
Brethren is produced by ace Nigerian filmmaker, Femi Odugbemi, the brain behind several other successful shows such as Battleground and Tinsel, both on Showmax. Odugbemi has always been known for his penchant to mix veterans and talented newcomers in his cast, and Brethren is no different.
The series premieres 28th September on Novela Magic
The queer community getting more love
MTV, an international reality channel owned by Paramount home to various shows like Catfish, Teen Moms and Ridiculousness alongside award shows and live events is set to introduce a queer centred series, Queers Of Jozi.
Larger than life personalities and the faces of fashion, take on the City Of Gold. Relationships intertwined with drama and tantrums in the ever-evolving life of a Queer.
The series premieres on the 24th October on MTV
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Roundups #93: Moley To Hit Screens Across China, Floribama Shore Has Been Cancelled By MTV After 4 Seasons And The Nun 2 To Be Released In Theatres By 2023
Moley is getting some love
Global kids and family content distributor, Jetpack Distribution, announces it has closed a sub-distribution deal with Chinese distributor Jetsen Huashi, to bring the hit animated series Moley to screens across The Mainland People’s Republic of China.
Jetsen Huashi has acquired the linear, digital and video-on-demand (VOD) rights to distribute the animated series Moley, to all the main TV and digital platforms across China. It will be broadcast in Chinese Mandarin and English languages.
Jetpack has also inked a deal with Polish public service broadcaster TVP, who have taken the rights to the series and the 30 minute special Master Moley: By Royal Invitation.
MTV cancels yet another show
The Floribama Shore is closed for the foreseeable future: MTV has decided not to move forward with a fifth season of the reality series, at least for now, according to sources, who adds that “the future of the series is being evaluated” by the network.
An offshoot of MTV’s reality juggernaut Jersey Shore, Floribama Shore debuted in 2017 and followed eight friends who live together in a summer house on the Florida Panhandle. The action moved to St. Pete Beach, Florida in Season 3, and then to Montana and Lake Havasu for Season 4, which wrapped up in December. Jersey Shore mastermind SallyAnn Salsano served as executive producer. All eight core cast members remained with the show for all four seasons, except for Kortni Gilson, who left after Season 3.
MTV has rolled out a new series in the Shore franchise, though, debuting Buckhead Shore in June, with a new cast of friends partying it up in a lake house in coastal Georgia. Meanwhile, the original Jersey Shore cast is still fist-pumping on the sequel series Family Vacation, which returned with new episodes in June as well.
The Nun sequel gets a release date
Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema will conjure The Nun 2 in 2023. Set within The Conjuring universe and produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, 2018's The Nun saw novice nun Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun: Valak (Bonnie Aarons). The supernatural villain — who is condemned to Hell two decades later by clairvoyant paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) in the Wan-directed The Conjuring 2 — will now return on September 8, 2023, as Warner Bros. shuffles its 2022 and 2023 release calendar.
The media first reported the news Wednesday that The Nun 2 will open over Labor Day weekend 2023, the same year New Line horrors Evil Dead Rise and Stephen King's Salem's Lot will release in theaters. Those dates come as DC's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, directed by Wan, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods move later into next year.
Michael Chaves, who directed the Conjuring spinoff The Curse of La Llorona and last year's The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, is taking over from The Nun director Corin Hardy on the sequel. Akela Cooper, writer of Wan's Malignant, is penning the sequel from the Aquaman team of Wan and Safran.