Universal TV Vs. BBC Brit: The Home Of Premium Entertainment

Universal and BBC Brit are international general entertainment channel respectively owned by US based company NBCUniversal and UK based company BBC Studios. These happen to be one of the few premium entertainment channels left globally as streaming has taken a toll with how content is viewed.

Universal is an action, adventure and crime based channel which is home to cop dramas such as Chicago PD and NCIS: Los Angeles, medical shows like Transplant and Chicago Med and finally mystery and supernatural dramas like Departure and Fantasy Island.

BBC Brit adapts to a similar form as Universal as they too offer dramas such as EastEnders and William Shakespeare. But the channel doesn't consider itself Universal exclusive as there's other content like The Graham Norton Show, Total Wipeout and Top Gear.

One of the things I think most people won't like about Universal is the amount of rehashed content that various local providers air first-hand. I mean I don't mind a little nostalgia every now and then I mean they got Bones and Rizzoli And Isles but these rebroadcasts get a bit annoying.

When it comes to BBC Brit, I'd say a lot of channels need to be done. I mean it's more like Universal on the repetitive side but imagine watching the same season of Top Gear repeatedly on top of that having 3 shows take up most of the schedule.

Not long ago, BBC First was shelved with BBC Brit having to pull the muscle I mean come on 2 hours of primetime with 2 hours of repeats during the day but Top Gear gets more than that on a daily basis.

If you're looking for top notch entertainment head on down to Universal sure you won't get Graham Norton or Planet Earth but you sure won't have a lineup that is as repetitive as a certain kids brand I prefer leaving unnamed.

BBC Brit is a waste but the channel has its own perks that some have to grasp for the time being I mean there's BritBox or BBC iPlayer but to those without these services have to view the bulk of content on this channel which appears as an absolute disaster.

Review: The Consequences Of 7 Day Viewing On Star Life, Zee World And Telemundo

DStv customers have been complaining about the level of repeats seen across the platform and a few years ago Zee World found a solution which was the 7 day campaign meaning instead of waiting 48 hours for new content you'd only wait 24 hours.

Or in Zee World's case, adding 5 series to the primetime offering every single day including weekends. Sure with load shedding and a busy work schedule you miss out on a day's worth of content but the channel found a way of reducing the volume of repeats.

Before you had to wait at least 6 months to a year for new content but with this strategy you could wait at least 4 months so yeah Zee World did something most DStv channels failed to do throughout their existence.

If anything it inspired a generation of channels such as Telemundo and Star Life to follow in a similar pursuit. Sure this meant less hours of lazy days and more hours of binge watching but as seen in the last months was the pressure put in to retain their status.

Zee World reduced primetime to 6 days meaning almost 48 hours of primetime gone from the schedule. To top it off you have one program viewed in one part of Africa before anywhere else and vice versa as someone thought of causing confusion by dividing feeds.

Someone at Star Life thought it would be good to reduce the hours of some of their shows as they didn't want the affected series to clash with India. I mean hasn't someone here done their homework you have Zee World dividing Twist Of Fate in seasons.

While in India it should have about 2 seasons by now, I mean several brands had already done this if not Zee World's merger of episodes than division. I mean 15-21 minutes is not enough to brief anyone about a show unless it was a sitcom, soapie or a cartoon.

Telemundo doesn't really need to join the ally of Zee World and Star Life. NBCUniversal has been cutting back on original cost spend I think now would be the best time to save up on your options as opposed to throwing it all in the fire and hoping for a miracle.

Sure this new format is getting us more content from the channel on a yearly basis but if they still used the format seen on TLNovelas. It could lead them into having 5 new shows running on a monthly basis and waiting 6 months on more content.

On top of that, it could help build the main feed's catalogue as they wait for more content. On the bright side, Telemundo isn't NBCUniversal centric as you got shows from other regions such as Colombia through RCN Television and Caracol Television.

Despite what me or anyone thinks about the channels, I think these channels are well off when it comes to repeat management. As some channels are only ever able to source out more content on a weekly basis drowning audiences in repeats for 144 hours.

SABC+ Vs. eVOD: The Consequence Of Free-To-View Television

SABC+ and eVOD are both South African based streaming services functioned respectively by the SABC and eMedia Investments. They both offer a limited selection of content part of which can be viewed on their linear counterparts while others remain unseen.

SABC+ is all about celebrating South Africa's rich heritage with offerings such as Generations: The Legacy, Isidingo, Makoti and Noot Vir Noot. Basically a carbon copy of SABC 1-3 and to some extent BBC iPlayer as they bundle various channels and incorporate variety.

They also offer a mixture of international and mostly local content ranging from sports, news, current affairs, reality, wildlife, education, movies and lifestyle.

SABC:
- Reviewing major changes coming soon to the SABC
- TelkomOne's transition into SABC+
- SABC 1 title card registered for Openview
- SABC Children appears to have wrapped production

eVOD at the moment appears to be the more edgier and modern side to the current SABC+ if you take to locals like Housewives, Splintered Pieces, uMbali and An Eye For An Eye alongside others like Chrysalis, Soete Wraak and Die Vertroueling.

Kind of like SABC+, they also a mixture of content ranging from telenovelas, reality, movies, kids shows and doccies.

eMedia Investments:
- MultiChoice and eMedia Investments plan to combat load shedding get a lot of attention
- Ultraview Pride and Ultraview Indian coming soon to Openview
- Could SABC be unveiling another two channels for Openview Ultra?
- Glow TV to stop airing on the Openview platform from next month

The only downside to SABC+ is the lack of first run content basically anything on the platform is viewable elsewhere. As for eVOD, there's not much in terms of reality shows, international dramas and kids shows I mean some content is duplicated in other areas.

In short, eVOD puts themselves in a competitive position if you're browsing for telenovelas and films while as SABC+ excels in other fields such as live TV, sports, wildlife, news, children's programming etc.

10 Turkish Shows eMedia Investments' Kuiertyd, SPI International's Timeless Dizi Channel And M-Net's kykNET & Kie Should Acquire For The Year 2023

In 2018, Kuiertyd launched in South Africa offering a variety of telenovelas which have proven to be favourable for viewers. Four years later, kykNET ramps up a competitive offering for the consumers resulting in double the drama.

Stuck in the middle of this battle is Timeless Dizi Channel owned by SPI International which is a company of Canal+ which has minority stake on MultiChoice.

Heard from sources about 1 or 3 new series coming to South Africa through these brands and instead of divulging further onto those shows I thought of looking at similar shows part of which I've managed to browse.

Based on my recommendations don't be surprised if some of this content pop-up on either one of them. In a random order, we present the 10 Turkish shows eMedia Investments' Kuiertyd, SPI International's Timeless Dizi Channel and M-Net's kykNET should acquire in 2023.

1. Dolunay (Full Moon)

Picked up by StarTimes during the year, the series follows Nazli Pinar a young culinary student who is hired as Ferit's private chef and must deal with his specific rules for preparing his meals. The two initially clash and form a beautiful friendship.  The series stars Can Yaman and Özge Gürel.

Openview Plus:
- uMbali season 2 coming soon to eVOD
- Reviewing major changes coming soon to the SABC
- The Game Of My Destiny a brand new Turkish drama unveiled by Global Agency
- Soete Wraak coming soon to eExtra
- A look at former NBC soap, Passions
- Die Vertroueling coming soon to eExtra

2. Afili Asle (Stellar Love)

Slanderous accusations force Ayse to marry Kerem, a well-known, rich, handsome playboy. Caglar Ertugrul and Burcu Özberk take up the leading roles.

3. Her Yerde Sen (You Are Everywhere)

Demir and Selin stubbornly claim the same house and are forced to live together. The company will become inevitable when someone comes to the company he works for and the other as manager. The series stars Furkan Andic, Aybüke Pusat, Ali Yagci and Aslihan Malbora.

4. Hayat Sarkisi (Song Of Life)

Hulia, a poor girl who pretends to be strong, aims to make enough money to help her sibling pursue her studies and lead a decent life despite all the challenges they face. The series stars Burcu Biricik, Birkan Sokullu, Tayanç Ayaydin and Ecem Özkaya.

5. Fatih Harbiye (In Between)

The main character is a girl who lives in the suburbs of Istanbul. All her thoughts together about how to get out of poverty and miserable life and enter the socialite. Girl walking confidently towards the realization of its objectives, although a man of her class who loves her madly. The series stars Kadir Dogulu and Neslihan Atagül in the leading roles.

6. Fazilet Hanim ve Kizlari (Mrs. Fazilet And Her Daughters)

The story of Fazilet, mother of two Hazan and Ece, eager to gain money, using her younger daughter, Ece,modeling skills. While Hazan pursues a sport coach life, far from her mother ambitions and falls in love with a rich spoiled man. The series stars Nazan Kesal, Deniz Baysal and Caglar Ertugrul.

DStv Flex:
- What to expect this January on Curiosity Channel?
- What to expect this January on The Home Channel?
- Reyka renewed for season 2 on M-Net
- What to expect this January on Qwest TV?
- Reviewing major changes coming soon to the SABC
- What to expect this January on TNT?

7. Hercai (Folklore)

In the center of the story is the fate of a young man named Miran, whose parents died through the fault of a man who became his mortal enemy. In order to avenge their death, Miran decides on classic revenge: he seduces Reyyan to destroy the girl, thereby depriving his enemy of the only creature dear to him; his daughter. The series stars Akin Akinözü, Ebru Sahin, Ayda Aksel and Macit Sonkan.
 
8. Yeni Hayat (A New Life)

Adam is an ex-special forces solider who is hired to work as a bodyguard for Yasmine, Timur's wife. Serkan Çayoglu and Melisa Pamuk take up the lead roles.

9. Söz (The Oath)

Yavuz, a well-trained Turkish soldier, is in Istanbul with his fiance where a terrorist operation takes place. Bahar, who is not a surgeon, tries to save his fiance. After this incident, Yavuz goes back to Karabayir and Bahar follows him all the way to give him something that belongs to him. The series stars Tolga Saritas, Meric Aral and Nihat Altinkaya.

10. Ariza

Ali Riza is a taxi driver preparing to marry his sister Nihan off to his dear friend; Halide Gurkan attends Fuat Ersoylu's magnificent party given on the occasion of his father's birthday and during the party Fuat's son Burak proposes to Halide, who refuses, then leaves the party and gets into Ali Riza's taxi. The series stars Tolga Saritas, Ayça Aysin Turan, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan and Olgun Toker.

Review: Charlize Theron's Opinion Over The Afrikaans Language

During the week, Hollywood star Charlize Theron made some bizarre comments about the Afrikaans language through a podcast. Taking to account that she was too raised in South Africa and moved overseas to have a better life.

The 47 year old actress stated that the language she grew up speaking was fading away and that only 44 people are still speaking the language. Implying that she isn't aware of the bulk of content coming to kykNET or the amount of people releasing books or poems in her native tongue.

Since the news of her offensive comments toward the Afrikaans language spread. She has recieved a ton of backlash while others choose to support her statement. From my perspective, I wouldn't say she's entirely wrong but her choice of words is what sets everyone back.

Afrikaans is the 3rd most spoken language in South Africa and sure schools may have seen a shortage in staff for this particular audience but that doesn't mean it's dying if anything it's reached a new stage in evolution.

Kind of like how you had SMS then Facebook and Twitter popped up both still can be messaging platforms the same case is currently happening with the Afrikaans language.

Sure there's a certain group of people who give the language a side eye not gonna point to race or anything but that's only cause they haven't found a way to enjoy it.

Honestly, I don't even watch Africa Magic the only way I can enjoy it is through tabloids to some extent and the same goes to sports where e-sports is another priority for me and everything else from soccer to wrestling I view through highlights and doccies.

Afrikaans has reached a new stage of evolution and it's popularity excelled following eMedia's and kykNET's investment toward Istanbul and platforms like Jou Afrikaans which is giving viewers another alternative to kykNET.

Its eMovies And eMovies Extra Vs. TNT And CineMagic: Another Openview Vs. DStv Saga

Openview has been dominating the South African market for several years giving companies like MultiChoice a run for their money particularly for those residing on lower bouquets such as DStv Easyview as the once underachieving platform is about to go through some changes.

MultiChoice will be adding two new entertainment channels to the bouquet in the month of November, Magic Showcase and CineMagic which just helps build onto the number of alternatives in South Africa.

Openview offers less channels but they have managed to win a lot of audiences with the selection of sports, local dramas, international series, kids shows and movies. Now it appears as if MultiChoice has begun catching up to the free-to-view platform.

DStv Easyview only offered 1 movie channel TNT which has been having a bit of its ups and downs with the likes of Blade, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Final Destination, Anaconda and so forth. If it was for TNT Original Movies and All Elite Wrestling I don't how far the channel could have gotten.

Point is, TNT was at a disadvantage as Openview provided two movie channels eMovies and eMovies Extra which were able to juggle around a mix of emotions. eMovies had Pokémon, Mama Jack and Oh Schuks while eMovies Extra had Fast And Furious, Transporter and Rush Hour.

With the inclusion of CineMagic, I'm not expecting them to read each other's mind or become the sibling duo as these two fall under different grounds so the only thing that anyone should be excited about is the number of options available.

CineMagic is set to feature a mix of local and international films 18 hours a day leaving TNT to the remaining 6 hours. Although, a schedule hasn't been provided my guess would be the content is based from M-Net Movies and Mzansi Bioskop.

Over to the winners which there's none, you got to look at the benefits to the above brands to reach your conclusion. eMovies is very selective I guess that's what made them favourable on DStv, TNT has got All Elite Wrestling and CineMagic by my hunch has the local productions.

Homegrown Entertainment: Another Openview Vs. DStv Saga

SABC 1-3 and e.tv were basically the only channels you could view the bulk of local content. As they are the first channels you spot when purchasing at a TV outlet and the same to could be said when purchasing a digital terrestrial television platform or in this case, Openview.

Now in 3 million households, Openview continues to further boost their entertainment with the likes of Zee One, France24, eXposed and The Home Channel+ with plans to kind of add more channels on top rolling out a new pay-tv service, Openview+.

But if you look over this above-mentioned list of channels you'd notice that there's not much local content in store not that I watch anything from that field but if you had to look the amount of views SABC 1 gets on a monthly basis you know local is power.

I mean a series like Doodsondes can only pull less than 2 million viewers on e.tv while as a show like Scandal can almost triple that. Not saying one show is better than another but when you reside in a particular region these things are common but it's nice to have alternatives.

Point being made here is that if you didn't have a DStv you basically lose as you don't have anything that can replicate Skeem Saam, 7de Laan or The Estate but what some may not was that MultiChoice had been excluding some of their audiences.

In this case, DStv Easyview a package which some may consider as dead weight for the lake of premium entertainment channels and if we had to compare with Openview you could literally write a book. If there was one thing that these two excel at it was definitely local content.

Just like most of South Africa they were missing out on shows like Being Bonang, My Kitchen Rules SA, Battleground, Isibaya alongside another never ending list of local content. As seen these past years, the bulk of entertainment on Openview had led customers to flee the package.

Also resulting in MultiChoice to drop the fee for Easyview from R39 to R29 on a monthly basis and for years we hadn't got much update and consumers weren't given a lot of new or rather watchable content aside from TNT and Real Time.

Last month, MultiChoice announced plans to prep two entertainment channels particularly for those consumers as they plan to use the platform as an outlet to analogue following similar endeavours to eMedia's Openview.

The first already launched Magic Showcase will offer the above-mentioned shows and the latter CineMagic will offer a mixture of local and international movies 18 hours a day.

Sure it may be a bummer viewers ain't getting 24 hour screening but it's better than nothing and on the bright side eMedia is very much padded with 16-18 hour channels ranging from People's Weather, ePlesier, eToonz, eReality and eXposed.

In some way, there's a reason to get Openview mostly for third party content and finally after so many years Easyview can be used for something other than SABC 1.

Magic Showcase Vs. Novela Magic: List Of Content You'll Probably Miss Out On? + Potential Content Suggestions

MultiChoice and M-Net decided to the halt the distribution of Novela Magic to consumers in South Africa with the channel expected to go off air from 27 November as it will be supplemented by two other channels ahead of time, Magic Showcase and CineMagic.

Novela Magic offered a lot of content from Mzansi Magic which is enough justification to have it removed but the brand existed for multiple brands as well including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic, Zambezi Magic, Pearl Magic and Maningue Magic.

While as Mzansi Magic and kykNET can make up for the chunk of SA content alongside kykNET & Kie, kykNET Lekker and Mzansi Magic. Viewers will basically lose access to content from the above-mentioned brands with Access receiving the most blows.

Africa Magic hosts a ray of linear channels none of which can be viewed on the Access package so it's bye bye to The Johnsons, Zuba and Battleground unless you plan to upgrade to the Family package in order to continue watching these shows or Easyview better yet.

Magic Showcase is a general entertainment channel which will be sourcing out content from Mzansi Magic such as Being Bonang and The Imposter while as supplying content outside of that namely Zuba, Arendsvlei and Legacy.

All this kind of gave me an idea for another channel which is hovered with rebroadcasts and basically a waste to Compact bouquets, Mzansi Wethu.

As much as MultiChoice refuses to acknowledge the fact Mzansi Wethu is basically how Magic Showcase could have been had they made it accessible to more consumers. I know I say this channel sucks a lot but maybe there is a way to keep it onboard.

In July, kykNET introduced their Turkish offering on kykNET & Kie which kind of helped give the channel its own identity as opposed to being viewed as kykNET+. Mzansi Wethu could do something similar but instead of sourcing Turkish they go for African.

Africa Magic Family already supplies Isibaya to their audiences so what's the harm in getting Battleground and Zuba onto Mzansi Wethu as it can help reduce that repeat tier tendancy for those using the Compact bouquet.

MTV Hits Vs. Qwest TV: MultiChoice's Transition From Pop To Jazz

During the week, it was reported that MTV Hits will be the next channel to exit the DStv platform this comes after the close demise of Da Vinci Kids. On top of that, another channel Qwest TV is set to take its place within the following month.

MTV Hits was an international music brand operated by Paramount Global which also supplies channels like BET, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. Qwest TV another foreigner was founded by American producer, musician and multi Grammy Award winner Quincy Jones.

MTV Hits dwells in the world of pop featuring hits from the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Drake. Qwest TV very much like the defunct Soul Music channel on the Openview platform is a jazz infused channel home to the likes of Herbie Hancock, Andersen Paak and Aretha Franklin.

MTV Hits seperated themselves from the rest of the pack's overrepetitive lifestyle but it too came with a lot of repetition. Just like it's predecessor, MTV Music24 all its content played in a particular order and would often restart within the day.

Basically, the channel was less productive which could have been the result to its demise.

Qwest TV seeks to undo the wrong which was set by MTV Hits as the brand on top of being a multimedia platform offers concerts, live performances, countdowns and documentaries. The only setback comes from it being a jazz channel.

MTV Hits was more of a youth based brand as the offering resonates with audiences between the ages of 13-18 or 18-34 years while Qwest TV is for a whole new audience or in this case 25-49+ years. The only thing these two have very much in common at this point is their focus on international shores.

Most people between the age range for MTV Hits are using Spotify or iTunes to stream their favourite tunes but to those who are unable to afford such luxury will now have to direct themselves to the audio section of DStv for a similar offering.

Qwest TV is gearing up for a November debut as MTV Hits gets wiped off the airwaves. MultiChoice hasn't launched Moonbug Kids as promised on the 13th of October.

BBC Brit Vs. BBC UKTV: Recommendations And Major Improvements

Last month, BBC Studios and eMedia Investments unveiled a new free-to-air channel BBC UKTV which comes out of an existing brand which was later adapted to South Africa in order for more consumers to have access to the bouquet of content currently seen on DStv.

BBC UKTV is set to be a mashup of most other channels carried exclusively on DStv as it features reality shows like Top Gear and The Great British Cook Off, drama series like Doctor and Casualty and even a dedicated kids block so what's not to love about the channel.

While others may view it's seperate counterparts as repetitive but this one on the other hand comes with limitations as it means viewers would have to wait a while longer to view certain content. Of course, if there's one thing I guarantee makes it a winner is the quantity on the channel.

BBC UKTV had me thinking about the current linear offering on the DStv platform. As it is BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, CBeebies and BBC World News have been met with a lot of praise from families and kids alike but if there's one thing a lot of consumers would have mixed feelings for its BBC Brit.

BBC Brit has been active since 2015 following the termination of BBC Entertainment and offered several shows like The Graham Norton Show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Wipeout and Top Gear. Following the termination of BBC First, it's the exclusive home to dramas such as EastEnders and Downtown Abbey.

Point being made, BBC Brit was viewed more as a waste to DStv customers before inheriting the BBC First offering and even after welcoming that content viewer's interpretation of the channel hasn't seen much improvement and I mean the reasons are very much justified.

We all know certain channels have that mascot that takes most of the spotlight with BBC Brit it has to be Wipeout and Top Gear and I know these are popular franchises but is it really the version that got anyone excited.

And on to the drama slate, BBC First was able to offer at least 6 hours of entertainment with BBC Brit it's a mere two hours with 1 show getting more of the attention but anyone whose viewing the channel isn't a fan on how the channel chooses to rollout most of their content which is where I'm involving BBC UKTV.

Honestly, I feel it's high time that BBC Studios looks into perhaps merging or making BBC Brit adapt a similar form as it is not a lot of BBC Lifestyle and Earth is available on the channel just selected content unlike the one viewers will be getting from BBC UKTV.

[Missed Opportunity]: Expanding The Reach Of Novela Magic Or Telemundo To DStv Easyview

eExtra was ripped off from the DStv platform for at least a month and was reinstated shortly after alongside eToonz, eMovies and eMovies Extra on the DStv platform following pending investigation by the Competition Tribunal which will take at least 6 months to resolve.

MultiChoice appears to have moved on although they don't put it in writing recent additions like DreamWorks and Movie Room has led me to believe that the pay-tv company has no plans to keep these channels past 6 months or at least a portion of channels.

As outlined by MultiChoice, eMedia Investments bulk of content doesn't fit into their 5 year content strategy for which the brand had stated consumers are viewing more DStv content than actual original programs although 2 appear to fit that description.

On top of that, they had mentioned that they won't be able to launch as much channels as they used to in the past year due to transponder constraints so whenever a new channel comes it usually has to occupy the space taken away from another channel.

In court, MultiChoice stated 3 SABC channels would accommodate for the 4 e.tv channels in the coming future but that's the thing. If anyone is similar with the SABC then you can already imagine how the content would differ.

Instead of Postman Pat you get Words And Numbers and Die Put is supplemented by past episodes of 90 Plein Street and although some of this content can benefit some audiences it's completely different.

The package I'm targeting for this article had to be Easyview cause as seen by several consumers it's one of the least valuable packages in the market with few exceptions being wrestling on TNT alongside the lifestyle and factual entertainment viewed on Real Time.

On top of that, the package isn't fortunate with additions and at times replacements for whenever a channel is removed from the DStv platform which was the case with eMedia's 4 channels of which the package inherited just 2 channels.

When they were unexpectedly scrapped from the DStv platform. Multichoice rather just add 1 channel to supplement for 2 worse is when the channel doesn't cater to a lot of viewers, PBS Kids.

MultiChoice could have done a lot for the package especially since they lost another notable brand in 2020, SABC Encore which was one of the few watchable channels on the platform and although there's plenty of channels for adults than kids as outlined only a few are worth the value.

Novela Magic or Telemundo would have done better to fill the void MultiChoice left for fans of Kuiertyd. Although, they wouldn't be better Elif, Doodsondes or Stiletto Vendetta these channels have something in common character driven content.

Aside from the content, these channels have a high level of repeats although NBCUniversal doesn't see it the channel has fallen in terms of quantity while as Novela Magic repeats from other M-Net local channels would have given them some outlet to view the bulk of local content.

New Series Alert: Powerbirds And Robin Hood Currently Airing On eToonz

eToonz is a fun destination for children aged 2 - 12 where they can discover and spend some time with their favourite characters whether you're playing in muddy puddles with Peppa Pig or fighting Nihloks on Power Rangers. eToonz has got so much to keep the little ones at bay.

For preschoolers Powerbirds follows pet parakeets Ace and Polly that transform into the superhero Powerbirds to save the neighbourhood from animal villains.

 

The show was picked by NBCUniversal back in 2015/6 under the banner Sprout and went through development hell before

For kids Robin Hood is back for more adventures as a teenage Robin of Locksley and his outlaw friends fight back against the tyrannical plots of a young Prince John.

 

The show ran originally ran for 2 seasons before being revived for more seasons in 2021. Reruns of the first 2 seasons have since then been viewable amongst eMedia's brands.

Powerbirds airs daily at 2:30pm while Robin Hood comes an hour later at 3:30pm on eToonz.

Insidus Content Roundups #5: Disney Prepping Roman To The Rescue And More Big City Greens, Earthworm Jim TV Series Is In Development (APK Game Available Inside) And Thomas And Friends: All Engines Go! Coming Soon To Boomerang MENA And Likely Africa - UPDATED

Roman to the Rescue from The Dodo and Group Nine Studios will bow next month on Disney XD and Hulu.

Animal-focused entertainment brand The Dodo is pushing deeper into family-friendly TV programming with the upcoming launch of Roman to the Rescue, a new original live-action series that has been picked up by Disney XD.

Co-produced by The Dodo, Group Nine Studios (Dodo parentco Group Nine Media’s production division) and Nomadica Films, the series tags along with 10-year-old animal rescuer Roman McConn as he teams up with influencers and Disney Channel talent to find forever homes for 17 loveable shelter dogs.

Also read:
- WWE could be put up for sale
- Baby TV could be on the chopping block
- 2022 on HBO Max including Peacemaker and a Batman Christmas special
- Bel-Air streaming this February on Peacock
- Nicktoons upcoming series Big Nate debuting on Paramount+
- 2022 on Paramount+ includes new season of iCarly, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Why Women Kill
- Moon Knight debuts this March on Disney+
- Upcoming programming for Cartoonito in Europe, Middle East and Africa
- TelkomOne reportedly adds two channels: Toonami and Boing

Roman to the Rescue will premiere February 12 on Disney XD and the Disney-owned streamer Hulu on February 16 in the United States.

Big City Greens Plants Fourth Season And Musical Movie Orders At Disney Channel & Disney+

Big City Greens has been renewed for a fourth season ahead of the Season 3 debut on Disney Channel, the show has been described as Disney Channel’s No #1 Hit Animated Series since it’s debut on 2018 beating the likes of DuckTales 2017, Big Hero 6 The Series, Amphibia, The Owl House and The Ghost And Molly McGee.

Big City Greens Season 4 will contain the 100th episode of the series and it has become the fourth original Disney Channel Animated series in making through 4 seasons joining Kim Possible, Phineas And Ferb and Star Vs The Forces Of Evil.

Disney+ has ordered Big City Greens The Movie, a original animated musical film based on the series becoming the 6th animated Disney Channel Original Movie joining Kim Possible: So The Drama, The Proud Family Movie, Leroy and Stitch, Phineas And Ferb The Movie Across The Second Dimension & Tangled Before Ever After.

Also read:
- Kevin 11 series waiting to be get picked up by Cartoon Network and HBO Max
- Why the outdated music brand VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- Could fan made Cartoon Network logo be the future logo for the channel?
- Rio 3 and Ice Age 7 are currently in development for Disney+
- 2022 on Disney+ ahead of launch in South Africa
- Boomerang reportedly closing down across Europe, Middle East and Africa
- Could Galactic: KND be in the works for Cartoon Network and HBO Max?

A new Earthworm Jim animated series is in development

The project hails from Interplay Entertainment Corp., which owns the rights to the “Earthworm Jim” games. Interplay has partnered with APA to bring the project to television.

Like the games, the series would follow the adventures of the titular Jim, a worm in a futuristic robotic suit who fights evildoers. The series will also bring in new characters as they navigate the galaxy, where each planet is home to a race of anthropomorphic animals. Jim’s ultimate quest is to find his true home among the stars: a near-mythical planet called Earth.

The first “Earthworm Jim” game was released on Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo in 1994. You can find the game through the link: click here

Thomas the tank engine sails to Europe

In October 2021, it was announced WarnerMedia EMEA acquired rights to Thomas And Friends: All Engines Go! which serves as a reboot to the Thomas And Friends franchise. As seen in other countries, the beloved tank engine is airing on various Boomerang and Cartoonitos.

WarnerMedia EMEA never specified which brand will air the show amidst the relaunch of Cartoonito and here's the thing. WarnerMedia picked up several preschool content and even specified who gets what but not for this series.

Also read:
- Star Trek: Discovery renewed on Paramount+
- Animated series coming to Cartoon Network, Netflix and a variety of other platforms in 2022
- Jessica's Big Little World and Work It Out Wombat coming soon to Cartoonito and PBS Kids respectively
- Moon Knight debuts this March on Disney+
- As Africa await for their Disney Channels to close in 2024 Latin America starts with Star Life, National Geographic Wild, Disney XD and FX Movies
- Nicktoons upcoming series Big Nate debuts on Paramount+ this February
- Henry Danger movie is in development

Honestly, I believe the show will air on Boomerang presumably in March and thereafter the channel will rebrand into Cartoonito. There's a lot of signs indicating a possible rebrand 1) Dino Ranch debuted last month 2) WarnerMedia picked up several preschool shows for the channel and 3) a lot of programming on the channel can be seen on Cartoonito in Latin America and Italy.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

New Gadgets: Random Posts And Related Posts

We know how some people get irritated by the nearsight of links inbetween a post that's why we begun testing out two new features to help reduce that, Random Posts and Related Posts.

Random Posts can be seen if you switch from the mobile version of our website to desktop (the option can be found below Insidus). As the name implies readers will see links to several articles on our site and it changes everytime a user gets into another link or even reloads the website.

Basically, it doesn't stick to particular articles like Related Posts.

 

 

Related Posts can be seen if you are using the mobile version of our site and entering the post on Insidus. To help readers better understand this tool what it does is source content from the tags seen at the bottom of an article or sidebar on the left through the desktop version of the site.

These two gadgets will replace the "Also read" sections of the post or at least most of it. We know some readers who love Cartoon Network might be interested in what's happening with Nickelodeon so the simple solution would be using the tags as discussed in the related posts paragraph.

Remember

Desktop/web version: Random Posts alongside Popular Posts (now at the bottom of the site)
Mobile version: Related Posts

We also added these gadgets to our gaming blog: Insidus Games.

Roundups #23: More Sonic The Hedgehog Projects Are Currently Underway + Classic APK Game (FIXED LINK)

For the past 28 years, the blue hedgehog has been entertaining audiences across the globe with a range of video games, TV series and not long ago feature films which are dominating the cinema screens. He's journey doesn't stop there as there's more projects underway.

1. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - April 2022 (US)
After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is ready for more freedom, and Tom and Maddie agree to leave him home while they go on vacation. But, no sooner are they gone, when Dr. Robotnik comes back, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to both build and destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

2. Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Just months before Sonic the Hedgehog 2 comes to theaters to continue the live-action series, Paramount announced this week its plans to release a third Sonic the Hedgehog film. The announcement was made during an investor event. Details about the film haven't been released as viewers haven't gotten to the second film yet.

3. Knuckles Prequel
Just like Sonic The Hedgehog 3, there's no details on the upcoming TV show except for the fact that Idris Elba will be reprising his role for the character in this Paramount+ series. The series will likely be based on the feature films of the blue hedgehog.

Also read:
- A list of animated series launching in 2022
- National Geographic Kids launching in Africa later in 2022
- Galactic Kids Next Door (GKND) might be in the works
- Could this fan made logo be Cartoon Network's future logo?
- DreamWorks Channel will be added to MultiChoice's DStv
- Overlord And The Underwoods launches on Nickelodeon plus more content for the channel alongside Nicktoons
- Paramount+ kids kids slate with Nickelodeon
- Cartoonito expected to return to EMEA by mid 2022
- Disney Channel and Junior welcomes back returning shows during the school holidays
- Dive into the Big Blue with Cartoon Network Africa

4. Sonic Frontiers (2022)
The video game that utilizes 3D platforming and action-adventure themes. The game features an open-world level design (or "open-zone" as Sega describes it), which is a first for the Sonic series. The player takes control of Sonic the Hedgehog and must use his signature speed and abilities to explore the lush and expansive biomes of the Starfall Islands.

5. Sonic Prime (TV Series, 2022)
The 24-episode series from Sega, Wild Brain and Man of Action, is due to hit Netflix later this year. Just like Sonic 3 and Knuckles prequel, no further details haven't been revealed.

6. Sonic Origins Collection (2022)
Sega will release a new collection of classic Sonic the Hedgehog games under the name Sonic Origins. The compilation will include the original Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Genesis, as well as sequels Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD.

7. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 - APK Download

Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: SEGA

Dr. Robotnik’s Death Egg has crash-landed on Floating Island, so called because it harnesses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to float in the air. Robotnik needs them to repair the Death Egg, so he tells the guardian of Floating Island, Knuckles the Echidna, that Sonic and Tails are there to steal them. With Knuckles tricked and trying to stop the heroes at every turn, will they be able to stop Robotnik in time?

Download link: click here (fixed)

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).