News Shorts: WaterBear Extends Its To Da Vinci With A Slate Of New Content, Danger Force To End With 3 Seasons On Nickelodeon And OUTtv Greenlights New Reality Series Looking For A Third

Waterbear Network on Da Vinci

WaterBear Network, the eco-streamer. has announced a partnership with Da Vinci, the home of inspiring and educational TV for families and children. Effective immediately, WaterBear Original content will take the spotlight on Da Vinci’s FAST Channel, reaching audiences in the US, UK and Ireland.

This 12-month collaboration revolves around the theme of ‘Positive Solutions for our Changing World’, delving into narratives of sustainability, community action, conservation, and wildlife preservation. The programme lineup features WaterBear’s original documentaries and films, including Extract Destroy Repeat, an animation that delves into the depths of deep-sea mining, The Whale Who Saved Me, a story recounting whale biologist Nan Hauser’s extraordinary encounter, and Wildlife Warriors, an exploration of the lives of female conservationists.

The launch on this flagship channel, home to the popular Becoming Xtraordinary series with Bear Grylls, further cements WaterBear Network’s commitment to offering unlimited access to purpose-driven content to a growing ecosystem of consumers.

Danger Force cancelled on Nickelodeon

During the NFL NickMas Game, it was revealed by one of the commentators that Danger Force would end with after 3 seasons. With the remaining episodes to the current slated for January 2024 in the USA thus bringing the end of Schneiderverse on Nickelodeon.

Although, Danger Force had been scrapped on Nickelodeon the Dangerverse is currently in production of a Henry Danger film for Paramount+ with Jace Norman set to reprise his role. It is being developed under Nickelodeon and Norman's production company, Starlight.

In other developments, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the upcoming film for The Casagrandes. With the animated series ending on a cliffhanger, it had been confirmed that film would serve as the season finale of course Nickelodeon is depriving linear audiences from seeing it.

Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard to host a new series

The LGBTQ+ network has ordered has the eight-part dating competition series, which is from Daddy TV, the producing team behind Stormy Daniels series For The Love of DILFs. Production will begin next summer and is slated for release in late 2024 on OUTtv.

Set in a modern villa, Looking For a Third will feature one gay couple and one lesbian couple, each searching for a third partner to add to their relationship among a group of singles.

Pollard, a seminal figure in Black reality TV, will host and is an executive producer. She was first seen in Flavor of Love back in 2006 on VH1 before landing her own spin-off, I Love New York. She also made a popular appearance on Big Brother in the UK, where she was at the center of an iconic moment in which she mistakenly told fellow housemates David Gest had died.

News Shorts: People's Weather Extends The Reach Of WildEarth To DStv Easyview And Openview Consumers With Dr. Mark And Siyaya Come Wild With Us Added To The Line-up And More Rebroadcasts Of Court Program Case Closed Surfaces On Telemundo Across Africa

WildEarth makes a landing on Openview

A few months ago, MultiChoice extended the reach of WildEarth to DStv Access after being made exclusive to Family consumers going up when it launched in 2020. It broadcasts live and interactive virtual safaris from some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations.

SafariLIVE serves as one of their flagship shows (or blocks) after being broadcast on National Geographic and SABC 3. It had reported earlier in the month that People's Weather will air a live broadcast from 5AM to 8AM daily thus extending its reach to the Openview platform.

People's Weather adds two kids shows to the line-up

Siyaya - Come Wild With Us follows fast-paced adventures to fascinating places in and around South Africa's national parks with a zany professor who always takes a group of children exploring through each destination. Currently viewed on Mindset Learn and SABC 2, It airs daily at 16:00.

Dr. Mark is Africa's first wildlife show for kids which follows a qualified wildlife vet, spend each episode educating kids about a different animal relevant to the African continent. It airs daily at 16:30 right after the above-mentioned program.

Telemundo hits a new low

During the week, it was learnt that the anthology series Decisions would make a comeback to Telemundo in the new year to viewer's dismay. Now, the channel is set to allocate more airtime to Case Closed which will come in place of 100 Days To Fall In Love.

Basically, Cennet: The Power Of Destiny will be the only primetime show for 15 days into the new year. That is until Game Of Lies debuts in the timeslot of Decisions and Lord Of The Skies and interesting enough Cennet ends in Valentine's Day almost as if this was planned.

News Shorts: Impact Wrestling To Revert Back To The TNA Trademark In Hard To Kill, Second Chances Rumoured To Debut On Zee World In The Coming Days And uBettina Wethu Season 4 To Replace Nikiwe After It Ends

TNA is making a comeback

We are told the company has quietly polled long-term fans of the promotion earlier this year and learned that many of them stated they preferred the TNA name. Fans who have chanted "TNA" since the promotion returned to the road have also been a factor in the company thinking about making the change and then finally flipping the switch back.

There was a lot of TNA nostalgia several years ago when the promotion brought back the TNA title with Moose as titleholder with the original plan for the company to revive TNA as a separate TV series and possibly promotion out of a TNA reunion PPV but the COVID-19 pandemic stalled those plans before they were dropped. Instead of two different promotions and TV series, instead TNA has returned as the name of the company.

The plan is for Impact to close out the remainder of the year and then transition over to the TNA name in January with the Hard to Kill PPV in Las Vegas being the first official TNA show.  

Second Chances coming to Zee World

Yash (Shreyas Talpade), a rich and esteemed business tycoon, yearns for real love. While he falls in love with Neha (Prarthana Behere), the journey ahead is not going to be an easy one for him. Will he be able to win Neha’s heart?

Second Chances (Mazhi Tuzhi Reshimgath) debuted on Zee One earlier in the year and according to sources the series is rumoured to launch on Zee World across Southern Africa from 29 December but there has been no mention of the show by the channel yet.

uBettina Wethu takes the front seat

During the month, it was revealed that Nikiwe would be axed by early 2024 after it struggled to garner traction following its debut earlier in the year. eMedia Investments in not so shocking news had enlisted the fourth season of uBettina Wethu on e.tv's line-up.

After phasing out the 18:00 timeslot drama timeslot for locally produced reality shows on eReality. It lead consumers to wonder what fate awaited uBettina Wethu and as predicted sometime ago it would take up Nikiwe's timeslot.

In Season 4 we will see Betty, her comrades, and kin in a whole new light as they realise new goals and fix old wounds. Betty has lost direction, so she sets off to realign and march forward determined to win - without the distraction of personal relationships - her downfall in the past. 

Development Alert: eMedia Investments Might Be Looking To Rebrand eVOD To eVOD Stream

eVOD is a South African based streaming service operated by eMedia Investments that offers Lou

Iocally produced and inyern home to e.tv and eExtra. It competes against existing platforms like Disney's Disney+, MultiChoice's Showmax, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

During the year, MultiChoice opted to rebrand the DStv app to DStv Stream as a means to sort of divide it from the linear counterpart and Showmax. Now it appears as if eMedia Investments is looking to do the same as several posters featuring the eVOD Stream logo has been shared across their platforms.

Similar to how Apple TV+, SABC+ and Paramount+ took the plus from Disney+ playbook. eMedia Investments seems to have taken a similar turn with MultiChoice's DStv Stream not only with the name but colour as well.

eVOD Stream is available with a red logo in some areas but a majority are featured with the blue. I get some would point to eNCA but DStv incorporated this colour since it's inception while eMedia had to browse several designs before finding their place with the red logo.

Although nothing has been said about the possible new name, let's not forget about how Openview got a facelift from the HD. There was no marketing done over the rebrand and removal of HD from the name and I wouldn't be shocked if the same outcome awaited eVOD Stream.

My estimated guess is that the eVOD Stream trademark will rollout sometime in 2024. Various content from the streamer is seen using this logo including Blink Kant Bo, Christmas Without Gogo and the upcoming Die Agentskap.

Recap To The Month: eMedia Investments Produced A Short Film On Smoke & Mirrors Titled KwaNgonyama: The Movie Slated To Air On eMovies And eMovies Extra

During the week, it was learnt by news outlets that e.tv would be axing Nikiwe after its current season. After debuting earlier in the year in place of Durban Gen, the series was struggling to garner any traction as it lost 500,000 viewers just a month after its debut.

e.tv failed to properly publicise the series which played a part in its downfall and in recent years this has become a norm for most local broadcasters as the channel appears to downsizing it's efforts towards their content.

Smoke & Mirrors was also unveiled earlier in the year as a replacement for Imbewu and unlike Nikiwe had become a ratings success with consumers. As it served as the 4th most watched show on e.tv while Nikiwe struggled to maintain its position within the top 20 viewership.

They produced a short film titled KwaNgonyama: The Movie that is slated to air on eMovies and eMovies Extra and also stream on eVOD. But eMedia Investments doesn't seem to care that much about marketing the content which is watched by millions of households.

Press statement on the film

A close-up look into the life of Caesar Ngonyama

This December Smoke & Mirrors takes us to the Eastern Cape in the region of Kwa Bhaca. Caesar heads back to confront a threatening situation, his home is under attack. There, we get to meet the character of Bhele, the man responsible for his father’s death.

As a personal war erupts in the Eastern Cape, bullets start flying and bodies drop. With the assistance of Ngcuka, Caesar affirms his position as the alpha of his world. But why did he become the man that he is? To give us valuable insight into the complex life of Caesar, a short film was produced to air on

eMovies and eMovies Extra, while Caesar’s storyline unfolds on e.tv.

Smoke & Mirrors airs weeknights at 9PM

Battle Of The Oldies: SABC 2 Revisits The 90s With The Afrikaans Sitcom Vetkoekpaleis (Replacing 7de Laan) And eExtra's Kuiertyd Is Travelling To A Much Distant Time With Ballade Vir 'n Enkeling

7de Laan is being replaced by a rerun

During the day, it was learnt by news outlets that SABC had an outstanding debt with Danie Odendaal Productions for the last remaining episodes of 7de Laan so unless they try to try to pay the remaining amount. Danie Odendaal Productions will hold the remaining episodes.

SABC 2 will be forced to end it by yesterday and not 26 December as planned. My hunch if the money isn't allocated soon they could air a past episode(s) temporarily another would be by the grace of an intellectual being pay the outstanding amount on their behalf.

What is set to replace 7de Laan once it comes to an end?

It's simple, SABC will be digging up their archives further bolstering the amount of repeats on their channels with Vetkoek Paleis. A classic 90s sitcom follows Frikkadel Delport who starts a take-away business when he is retrenched. In the process of finding his feet in his new venture, he appoints two staff members without really meaning to.

The implications: 7de Laan had a huge following and due to the cancellation a majority of consumers are likely to flee the channel and divert their attention to rival broadcasters. Not saying that Vetkoekpaleis isn't better alternative but SABC 2 barely did reruns to the sitcom. 

The only other platform to had offered it on one occasion was the defunct brand, SABC Encore. Majority of households can't afford to pay a majority of monthly expenses and that includes DStv and this is where most of SABC 2's viewers were situated at the moment.

Kuiertyd is entering the golden era 

eExtra, a general entertainment channel operated by eMedia Investments that is home to telenovelas from India, Asia and Turkey might be undergoing some schedule adjustments in the coming year. This has to pertain to their only weekend primetime offering, Soete Wraak.

In an updated EPG, Ballade Vir 'n Enkeling is listed in the timeslot currently reserved by Soete Wraak on the 14th January 2024. From the programme guide implies this could be the 1980s drama another would be the 2015 film that was made accessible on eExtra.

Ballade Vir 'n Enkeling airs from 20:00 to 22:30 and the idea of eExtra airing another local drama particularly for Kuiertyd audiences wouldn't seem far fetched. They had acquired rights to the comedy drama Ouma Sarie which is also viewable on e.tv.

Synopsis for Ballade Vir'n Enkeling: 

When well-known writer Jacques Rynhardt disappears, it is up to a journalist to unravel the mystery. To do that, she needs to go back to his childhood and get to know Jacques for who he was.

Everyday Novelas Shorts: Skeem Saam Undergoing Timeslot Changes On SABC 1, Ratings Flop Nikiwe To End With 1 Season On e.tv, eExtra And Star Life To Hit A New Low With Respective Rebroadcast Of Weaving A Tale Of Love And The Evil Eye

Skeem Saam is being repositioned

Entertainment commentator, Mlu reports that the SABC1 soapie, Skeem Saam will be changed from 18:30 slot to 19:30 from 2024.

The soapie will be competing with e.tv’s most-watched soapie Scandal!, and Mzansi Magic’s latest telenovela, My Brother’s Keeper.

Viewers of the youth soapie are concerned the show will lose viewers as Scandal! owns the timeslot with an average of 5 million viewers per month and continuously changes storylines.

A fan-favourite is coming back to Star Life

The Evil Eye follows Mohana, a 250-year-old Daayan, lives off of humans' life-force to stay young. However, when she sets her evil eye on the Rathod family, trouble and misfortune follow them everywhere. It dwells on family, drama, romance, supernatural and horror.

It will broadcast on 18 December replacing Mismatched.

Nikiwe is getting canned on e.tv

"The show launched in April 2023 and filled the 18:30 slot. Unfortunately, the show has not continued to deliver anticipated ratings. The channel continually reviews programmes and storylines to ensure we give our viewers the best local entertainment. Further information regarding the replacement show will be shared soon."

It lost 500,000 viewers just a month after its debut.

Nikiwe which will end sometime in early 2024 on e.tv and its streaming service eVOD also starred Muzi Mthabela, Clementine Mosimane, Kenneth Nkosi and Israel Matseke Zulu.

eExtra is cutting down on new programs

A few months ago, eExtra in a bizarre twist added a primetime repeat of Annekan Die Swa Kry at 17:05 which comes 5 minute after it airs on e.tv. Now it will be airing a rebroadcast to one of their most recent shows Weaving A Tale Of Love from Wednesday 20 December.

The last time this happened was with the Zee TV line-up viewed on weekday afternoons and this lasted about a year before adding new episodes of Surrender In Love and Twist Of Fate. Now the channel appears to be following a similar route with the Asian line-up.

SABC+ Undergoes A Major Restructure Which Sees Only TV And Radio Channels Accessible On The Platform, Archived And Third Party Programming Axed

Following SABC's acquisition of the TelkomOne streaming service from Telkom which had since then folded under SABC+. The streaming service has been struggling to garner any traction as seen with local players such as eMedia Investments' eVOD and MultiChoice's Showmax.

The SABC turned to high data prices as the cause for the little consumer consumption. Another reason would be marketing as the broadcaster hasn't invested in any exclusive content for the streamer as the latter has been viewed on their linear platforms with some third parties from Curiosity and Da Vinci.

A few months ago, SABC had removed their shows from MultiChoice's DStv Catch-up service with further content meant to reside within SABC+. 

From 1st December, SABC restructured their streaming service so much so that it doesn't look like a competitor to a majority of existing streaming services available in the market but to only DStv Stream which serves as a wireless version to the current linear platform.

It only features SABC 1-3, SABC Education, SABC Sport, SABC News and SABC Lehae alongside the 19 radio stations. There's currently no catch-up not even a section to view third party shows from Curiosity or an archived section for past SABC productions unless they plan to include that at a later stage.

During the year, they had licensed selected content to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and VIU. Theoretically, it could be possible that they'll licence content to competitors as a means to keep SABC+ sustainable if not abandon the whole streaming regime.

It is very possible that the latter could resurface or get supplemented but that would probably be possible if SABC+ is able to see any growth consumer wise. Otherwise it's current state will look like a watershed version to the existing DStv Stream service.

News Shorts: People's Weather Loads Up On New Documentary Guardians Of The Forest, Divya-Drishti Gets A New Release Date On Star Life And Warner Bros. Discovery Scraps Tooncast And TCM From Brazil By The End Of 2023

People's Weather is travelling to Zambia

People's Weather, an environmental and wildlife channel currently viewed on DStv and Openview had announced the launch of a new documentary Guardian Of The Forest from Tuesday 5 December.

Explore how the magnificent Luangwa Valley in Zambia is working to protect its forests, biodiversity and livelihoods. With investable carbon offsets, the Luangwa Valley is making Africa shine by helping save the planet by reducing emissions through the proper management of forests, surrounding communities and their interaction with nature. 

Star Life is giving the run-around

During the month, Star Life was initially slated to launch the supernatural drama Divya Drishti but to many viewers surprise the current rebroadcast to A Magical Love Story would take up its timeslot daily at 23:00 with repeats still at 17:00.

Through an updated EPG, Divya Drishti is anticipated to replace Mismatched at 22:00 from Sunday 24 December - exactly as I anticipated. Of course, we take "premiere dates" on both Zee World and Star Life with a grain of salt and rather focus on the program in general.

Sky boots two WB channels

Through a viewer in Brazil, it was announced TCM and Tooncast would be exiting Sky on 31 December 2023. It's currently unknown whether this affects Latin America but prior to the termination consumers across Europe would be losing Discovery Turbo Xtra and Discovery Science.

Tooncast was a Latin American adaptation to the current Boomerang and Boing channels seen globally as the channel would leverage content viewed on Cartoon Network while TCM was viewed as a retro movie channel home to films from the 60s to 00s.

Before TCM's exit in Brazil the channel was shuttered across the UK and if one had to guess the reason for these terminations. Warner Bros. Discovery is probably removing non-performing channels as they've seen a decline in relevance from advertisers and viewers.

Recap To The Week: Disney's ESPN 1 Currently Seen On DStv And StarSat Is Set To Take On SABC Sport

During the day, it was reported that MultiChoice and Disney would be adding the US sports channel ESPN 1 to its R129 per month DStv Access package. It was previously only available on the R449-a-month Compact package or higher which concide with the addition of NWTV.

Since Openview's inception, it served as a rival brand to DStv's existing offering with general entertainment channels like eReality and eSeries, lifestyle brands like People's Weather and The Home Channel+ and Bollywood entertainment from Star Life and Zee One.

They had also garnered popularity from SABC Sport which serves as one of the top 10 most watched channels on the Openview platform.

In previous years, Access served as somewhat of an underling to the freemium platform as it lacked a worthy advisory to the current offering. Despite offering more channels there wasn't noteworthy content on the bouquet and in recent years MultiChoice had started to catch-up with eMedia Investments.

Zee Zonke was added back in August as the first Zulu dubbed telenovela channel and also Access consumers first Bollywood channel with the likes of Star Life and eExtra's Kuiertyd partially contributing to Openview's success and from December ESPN 1 will be added to the bouquet.

ESPN 1 features live football from the English Football League (EFL), Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie and Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as local sports like West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations and featured boxing tournaments and events.

It will basically take on SABC Sport which too had been dominant on football particularly with Bundesliga, Cosafa Women’s Championship and Liverpool Football Club with other content like Racing Today (from 4Racing TV), Max Power and Retro Boxing.

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Wie Laaste Lag

Nadia Beuke as Esra

Johan Joobert as Ilan

Donovan Pietersen as Cinar

Claudia Jones as Çagla 

Eloise Cupido as Menekse

Rowlen Ethelbert von Gericke as Ekrem

Henrietta Gryffenberg as Zümrut

Mila Guy as Elif

Karin Retief as Reyhan

Kevin Smith as Yalçin

Sue Tyler as Feraye

Bernice Du Toit as Zeynep

Gustav Gerdener as Musa

Bertha La Roux as Neriman

Source: Die Afrikaans Voice Page and Insidus Plus

Recap To Last Year: OUTtv Standalone Streaming Service Is On The Horizon In South Africa

Last year, it was reported that a standalone streamer for the OUTtv brand would be made available in South Africa. This comes after its expansion to the US, UK and Australia of course various details about the yet to be launched streamer has yet to be announced.

During the year, eMedia Investments rolled out OUTtv as one of their first pay-tv channels on Openview Ultra alongside FUSE, Zee Family and Star Select. After MultiChoice opted not to add the gay TV channel as a permanent addition further content was viewable on Showmax.

Similar to Paramount+ and Max, consumers are still awaiting details from OUTtv about the streamer's rollout in the region. With some theories over its delayed launch having to do with existing agreements with eMedia Investments and MultiChoice over their content.

Another theory that also came to mind was sustainability, Paramount+ hasn't been profitable even after rolling out in parts of Europe and Peacock which serves as another streamer opted for partnerships with various local broadcasters in order to stay afloat.

An OUTtv streaming service might not really be sustainable in South Africa considering that a majority of households or in eMedia's case low income struggle to access premium services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BritBox, Showmax and Netflix.

If anything, OUTtv might look into getting local partnerships for the yet to be launched streamer. One of the theories that would come to mind would be another collaboration with eMedia Investments which would see several content from the channel stream under eVOD.

OUTtv exists as an add-on through Openview and a similar outcome might await eVOD. There's a portion of consumers that view content from this channel as "offensive" and others that might look to divest from the streamer should content from the brand get added to eVOD.

News Shorts: Saturdays Cancelled After One Season On Disney Channel, Telemundo Temporarily Suspends Production Of Original Programming, Redemption Makes It's Freemium Debut On e.tv

Saturdays are about to be retired

 

Earlier this year, Disney launched a brand new single-cam, coming-of-age comedy series called “Saturdays” on the Disney Channel and Disney+. The show takes place on the best day of the week...Saturday! The series revolves around 14-year-old Paris Johnson and her best friends Simone and Ari, who hone their roller-skating skills on the cool parquet floor of Saturdays, a local skating rink in Chicago. Together they form the We-B-Girlz skate crew and are determined to show and prove they have the hottest skate routines on the planet!

Unfortunately, according to TVLine, the show has been cancelled because while, Disney Branded Television was high on the show, it is now focusing on building out its multicam strategy. Disney is also focusing more on shows that are based on Disney-owned IP, and will be focused on creating global tentpole programming.

Telemundo is going on autopilot

Based in the United States, Telemundo is a Spanish language television channel distributed internationally by NBCUniversal. It is home to number of original productions including My Heart Beats For Lola, Betty In New York, Fearless Heart and Aurora.

Due to declining number of TV households, Telemundo joins the lineup of premium TV channels to have lost their viewers on year end for platforms like Netflix and Disney+ and this included NBC, HBO, The CW, TNT, ABC, National Geographic, Freeform and Disney Channel.

This has resulted in the shortage of original productions as Telemundo delays production on an untitled Danilo Carrera series. Prior to that one of their current actors William Levy (Vuelve A Mí) had mentioned having numerous projects from the network taken away from him.

Internationally, the channel had to licence content from numerous studios including Colombian dramas The Chosen Granddaughter and Ana's Revenge from RCN and Caracol Television and Turkish series Cennet: The Power Of Destiny from ATV.

Redemption is coming to e.tv

Prior to the series debut on BET, it was very much announced that Redemption would be made available to e.tv. Following the cancellation of the family drama during the year, we got word that the series will air on weeknights at 20:00 from 19 November.

Set in a mega church, centres on the Zikode family. After the disappearance of Pastor Simon Zikhode (Themba Ndaba), his daughter Faith (Kwanele Mthethwa), who is on the cusp of an international music career, drops everything to come to her family's rescue.

The cast includes Tina Jaxa, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, Seputla Sebogodi, Yonda Thomas, Pearl Modiadie, Sparky Xulu, Nkone Mamejta and Toka Mtabane.

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.

News Shorts: The Final Season Of Chrysalis Is Currently Streaming On eVOD, Boing To Be Added On StarSat Platforms Across South Africa Soon, Queen Of The South Rumoured To Return With A Third Season On Telemundo Across Africa By 2024

Chrysalis S3 is on eVOD

Learning that Cana is pregnant, Nalan brought her to the mansion to confront Sedat, but she still could not learn the truth. Determined to take her revenge on Rafet, Pervin told Rafet about Gülcihan and Cavit's past. Pera, on the other hand, left Muzo on the wedding day with a note she left.

It starred Burcu Biricik as Nalan, Selma Ergeç as Selen, Enis Arıkan as Muzo, Feyyaz Şerifoğlu as Sedat, Nur Sürer as Feride, Şerif Erol as Adil, Hande Ataizi as Cana and Tuğrul Tülek as Levent.

The first 7 episodes are currently streaming on eVOD with more episodes to rollout weekly. Season 2 is set to debut sometime in 2024 on eExtra likely after Roekeloos Dade.

Boing is coming to South Africa

During the week, Warner Bros. Discovery and StarTimes unveiled 4 new channels for consumers, Investigation Discovery, TLC and Discovery Channel, with Boing missing from the pay-tv company's line-up for consumers in Southern Africa.

In a response from PR, it was revealed that they are currently in the process of seeking approval from ICASA for the acquisition of broadcasting rights for Boing. Only then we'll they issue a formal announcement until the channel the channel will rollout in the rest of Africa.

Boing is a children's channel which takes up the DNA of Nicktoons by featuring various archived material and content viewed on Cartoon Network and Cartoonito. Some shows to have been seen on the channel include Ben 10 (2005), Dexter's Laboratory and Adventure Time.

Kate Del Castillo is back on Telemundo

After four years in prison in the United States for the deaths of three DEA agents, Teresa Mendoza escapes but will have to face a world full of conspiracy, risking her life in order to clear her name and reunite with her daughter Sofía.

It starred Kate del Castillo as Teresa Mendoza, Pêpê Rapazote as Pablo Landero, Antonio Gil as Oleg Yosikov, Isabella Sierra as Sofía Dantes and Alejandro Calva as César Güemes "Batman".

Queen Of The South S3 is rumoured to replace Lord Of The Skies daily at 22:00 from Monday 1st January.

'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.

News Shorts: CBS Reality Gives Up Producing Polish Programs In 2024, eMedia Investments Rebrands The Ultraview Pride Bouquet To EDGE And Desert Radio To Rollout On The DStv Platform

CBS Reality is cutting back on Polish programs

The documentary channel CBS Reality (AMC Networks International) resigned from the production of Polish programs. – With our viewers and partners in mind, we are constantly exploring opportunities to develop our programming strategy. We are currently not planning any new own productions for 2024, the channel's press office told us. 

We broadcast and will continue to broadcast a number of true crime programs from CBS Justice, including British own productions such as: "Crown Evidence", "Living in Crime: Jackie Malton" or "Living in Crime: Donal MacIntyre". 

Moreover, it was recalled that the CBS Reality channel also broadcasts foreign series on other topics, such as "Dirty Houses" or "Maniacal Hoarders". The last Polish productions were shown by the station in 2022. It was a two-part documentary "Always on Duty" and a five-episode series "Crime Without a Body". 

According to Nielsen Media, in the first half of the year, CBS Reality had an average of 0.07 percent. share in the general group 4+ (no changes) and 0.05 percent in the commercial group 16-59 (down from 0.09% in the first half of 2022).

Still proud, with a new Edge

Reflecting the dynamic and inclusive nature of the content and programming on the channels found on the Edge Bouquet symbolizes a forward-thinking approach, pushing boundaries and embracing a variety of perspectives. The Edge Bouquet is our way of broadening our scope while staying true to our commitment to quality entertainment and representation.

The Edge Bouquet features two channels: OUTtv and Fuse.

Accompanying the revamped bouquet will be OUTtv first ever South African programme, The G-List. a captivating reality series that delves into the lives of three dynamic queer individuals navigating the vibrant world of South African entertainment and media – Kyle Clark, a charismatic media mogul and brand influencer; Mthaux, a bold, non-binary fashionista challenging norms; and Lula Odiba, a vivacious YFM DJ blazing a trail for women in broadcast.

Openview launched a satellite-first in SA with an added Pay TV option earlier this year. Viewers can experience a new world of curated premium entertainment using the same decoder, simply opting in for additional bouquets of content for a monthly subscription, whilst retaining and enjoying the free Openview content on their decoder.

This revolutionary new ‘freemium’ service is giving audiences viewing power by giving them the choice of free or paid content, at their discretion. Unlike other services, Openview allows viewers to find exclusive niche content, conveniently in one place, opting-in for stand-alone bouquets that satisfy their desires.

A Nambian based station is heading to the DStv platform

A cutting edge radio station broadcasting live from Windhoek ,Namibia. Desert radio is part of the Namibian Newspaper.

Desert FM is a popular radio station located in the vibrant and diverse country of Namibia. The station is known for its exceptional programming that caters to a broad range of musical tastes and preferences. With a diverse selection of genres ranging from adult contemporary, jazz, soul, pop, RnB, indie rock, gospel, amapiano, and house, Desert FM has something to offer for everyone.

Desert FM is a true gem of the Namibian radio scene. The station has become a household name, renowned for its exceptional music selection, in-depth interviews, and engaging personalities. Its programming is crafted to cater to both the young and old, with carefully curated playlists that are designed to keep listeners entertained throughout the day.

The station's adult contemporary programming is a perfect fit for the busy urbanites who love to unwind and relax to some mellow and soulful tunes. Desert FM's jazz programming is second to none, with a selection of classic and contemporary jazz that will delight even the most discerning listeners. Soul music fans will also find their groove on the station with an exciting blend of contemporary and classic soul that will leave them wanting more.

New Series Alert: OUTtv Launches First Ever South African Programme, The G-List

LGBTQ+ television and streaming service OUTtv has commissioned its first South African original series, reality format The G-List.

Produced by The Red Pill Productions, the unscripted series follows three of the city’s gay influencers, Kyle Clarke, DJ Lula Odiba and Mthaux, as they explore topics such as identity, love, friendship and fame.

The G-list will be released on OUTtv’s broadcast and streaming services worldwide and on Openview’s Ultraview service by the end of October..

Philip Webb, chief operating officer of OUTtv, said: “South Africa is an emerging market for us and also home to an incredibly rich, dynamic and culturally vibrant queer community which we are excited to be showcasing through The G-List.”

Dale Jacobs, production lead for The Red Pill Productions, added: “We will challenge preconceived notions, celebrate diversity and uplift the power of self-expression, creating a global platform for amplifying LGBTQ+ voices in South Africa.”

Why 7de Laan Might Not Be Replaced With Another Afrikaans Soap On SABC 2?

A few months ago, the public broadcaster decided to part ways with 7de Laan after a 23 year run. It had since then left angry and disgruntled SABC viewers wondering how they'll spend the family nights as a petition had gone around in the hopes to save one of the broadcaster's golden classics.

Filming for the series ends in the coming weeks with the last episode set on Day Of Goodwill (26 December) leaving several crew members unemployed with others resurfacing on e.tv and kykNET. 

According to sources, the public broadcaster doesn't have a replacement put in place meaning similar to Isidingo consumers might have to wait before any word on a new soap. It had also been implied that it being "Afrikaans" hasn't sustained itself with SABC 2's current audience.

7de Laan is the best and most watch Afrikaans soapie in South Africa. 7de Laan has not just entertained but also...

Posted by 7delaan MyNou - Amptelik on Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Meaning 7de Laan will likely get replaced with another local drama similar to Muvhango as opposed to getting a timeslot or channel tailored to Afrikaans as seen with eExtra's Kuiertyd and kykNET. This could lead to a drop in viewership not only for 18:30 but the rest of SABC 2.

SABC 3 at one point had the edge over e.tv with shows like Top Billing and Isidingo. Now it's just a corps of its former glory, telecasting local shows from SABC 1 with international shows like Killing Eve pull less than 200000 viewers while Days Of Our Lives could triple it's viewers.

The fall of Afrikaans TV

Prior to the cancellation of 7de Laan, StarSat cancelled the only kykNET alternative in the market OnseTV and MyTV. This was due to low viewership as the brand looks to invest locally by dubbing various international dramas from Bollywood and Asia to local languages.

Could SABC 2 be going a similar route?

SABC 2 at one point was tailored to only Afrikaans before the airtime was halved to incorporate other South African languages. The cancellation of 7de Laan would further diminish the airtime as not everyone has access to shows like Binnelanders and Suidooster on kykNET.

Recap To The Month: MultiChoice Blocks Openview And StarSat From Viewing Rugby And Cricket

During the month, eMedia Investments' took legal action against MultiChoice for blocking them from broadcasting the Rugby World Cup on Openview accusing them of being anti-competitive. MultiChoice lodged a counterclaim accusing them of free-riding.

Had the SABC not looked into licencing these matches it would have been exclusive to DStv Premium. If eMedia had won the case, they'd be required by MultiChoice to licence these matches or better yet assist the public broadcaster in obtaining them.

SABC has been going financial constraints that they relied on sponsors to get these matches. MultiChoice aware of their situation had looked to ease the burden by charging SABC less money which came at the price of restricting consumers outside DStv from viewing them.

Similar to eMedia Investments, even StarSat couldn't licenced rights to any matches from SuperSport and don't seem to be taking legal action or trying to get the funds to broadcast these matches through a reply from a viewer.

MultiChoice view these platforms as competitors and as such restrict them from their content. Should eMedia Investments or StarSat not bother to negotiate with SuperSport to get these matches it would drive away consumers and lead them to rival platforms.