Roundups #124: Cartoon Network Unveils New Look Amidst 30th Anniversary, Nurses Returns For Third And Possibly Fourth Season On Telemundo Africa And Jackie Chan Confirms Development Of Rush Hour 4

Cartoon Network gets yet another wardrobe change

Cartoon Network explained their big brand refresh this week. As more eyeballs hit the channel as a result of the larger Warner Bros. Discovery restructuring, the company has to forge a new path ahead. Senior Vice President of creative and design for Cartoon Network, Jacob Escobedo spoke to AdWeek's Mollie Cahillane about the changes. Traditionally, the channel has employed a CMYK color palette, but things are broadening out with this new refresh. In the comments, the sap took aim at those rumors of Cartoon Network's demise and singled out the new direction for the different programming blocks. Warner Bros. Discovery is targeting a wider family audience and girls with some of these decisions. It will be interesting to see how that proceeds. Check out some of the comments down below.

"We decided to peel back all the layers of our branding," Escobedo said. "We were up against a lot of strange press saying Cartoon Network was dying or that it was dead. With this new packaging and the content that we're rolling out in 2023, it shows that we're very much alive and that we're a vibrant, fun brand that has a lot going on."

While trying to expand all our content, it brings new challenges," Escobedo said. "How does Harry Potter fit with Teen Titans? How does this content live together? This split-screen was a fun device for us to mess around with… We're going after a wider audience. We're going after girls, we're going after family, a much broader fanbase."

"We wanted the palette to just feel inclusive," Escobedo said. "Signifying inclusivity."

Regular Nick:
- CBeebies picks up second season to Tish And Tash
- Best & Bester coming soon to Nicktoons
- We Baby Bears currently the only original program on Cartoon Network
- January on Cartoon Network and Boomerang
- January on Disney Channel
- January on Da Vinci Kids

Nurses returning for season 3 immediately after season 2 on Telemundo Africa

Throughout the year, María Clara has been incharge of managing the main plot for Nurses which includes a complicated love story, a failed marriage, raising her two children, and falling in love again--with a younger man. Not to mention her vital work.

As reported a while back the channel acquired rights to the third scheduled for February 13th and quite frankly a fourth season to Nurses. Although, the initial one in Colombia consists solely of three seasons. Various other distributors opted to portion the episodes within seasons.

The season finale of Nurses will be broadcast on January 29 and from what I can recall My Perfect Family will also be ending within the month. The channel hasn't found a replacement yet but will announce close to the time what's happening with the schedule.

Everyday Novelas:
- Prediction: What to expect on Star Life by next year?
- Meet In Love returning for season 2 on Zee World
- Televisa's Fall Into Temptation rolls out in Nigeria
- Prediction: What to expect on Telemundo by next year?
- Prediction: eBolly to rollout on the Openview platform
- Prediction: What to expect on TLNovelas by next year?

Rush Hour 4 has been greenlit

Jackie Chan revealed he is in talks for a “Rush Hour 4.”

The legendary martial arts star made the announcement at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he spoke about his upcoming projects and 60-year film career in front of a a crowd of adoring fans who regularly interrupted the talks to shout out questions, congratulate him on his honorary Oscar and ask him to sing. (He was happy to oblige with a quick burst of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You,” explaining that he learned to sing so that he’d be able to do something for his fans that wouldn’t involve fight moves.)

What has become “the Jackie Chan style” is marked by its combination of action and comedy. He said, “You cannot create any more action because, what? Punching? Kicking? Those kinds of things… boring. So this is why I slowly use comedy with action and all the props around me, and after I cannot use any more, then I do dangerous stunts. High jumps. Believe it or not, this year is my 60th year in the film industry.”

Chan speaks with extraordinary enthusiasm and affability. He’s the king of the humblebrag: detailing how he dominated cinema in Hong Kong, then Japan and finally Hollywood with “Rush Hour,” which, pairing him with Chris Tucker, finally allowed him to use his own frenetic style. He originally thought the movie would flop, but, “I got a phone call. Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker call me from New York. They’re crazy. We were $70 million in the first weekend. For me, I don’t know how to count.” But he adds to cheers: “We’re talking about ‘Rush Hour 4’ right now.”

Chris Tucker: From Lethal Weapon To Django Unchained, We Look At A List Of Lost Movie Roles

Credits: Bradford Evans

Google:
- A look into the life of X-Rated Rocky star Sylvester Stallone
- Malverde: Legend or Myth, a look at other patron saints
- 7 things you didn't know about Tom's Diner
- Inside the enduring mysteries of Elvis Presley's tragic fate
- Michael Jackson's Moonwalker became a childhood horror
- How Scooby-Doo inspired a generation of drug junkies?

In 2006, Chris Tucker was the highest paid actor in Hollywood, receiving a $25 million payday for appearing in Rush Hour 3. He even negotiated a larger salary and top billing over co-star Jackie Chan, who had more credits and had been a movie star for much longer. Most actors tend to capitalize on that kind of success by flooding the marketplace with more movies while they’re still at the height of their popularity. Not Chris Tucker. He’s been very picky with his projects, only starring in two movies in the past 10 years — Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2 — while his peers like Jason Bateman, Justin Timberlake, and Emma Stone have starred in two movies this summer alone. It’s almost as if Chris Tucker could sense the public getting sick of his squealy voice and limited persona.

While the reasons for his retreat from stardom remain unclear, Chris Tucker has been attached to dozens of projects over the years that never made into production. Read on to learn about the classic Peter Sellers character he almost played, the film that would have marked the acting debut of President Bill Clinton, Chris Tucker’s Bollywood remake, and more proposed movies that make Tracy Jordan’s starring vehicles from 30 Rock seem tame. For those wondering why Chris Tucker hasn’t appeared in many movies lately, taking a look at the movies he almost made should turn that curiosity into exuberant joy that none of them came to be.

1. Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
The role: Detective Lee Butters
Who got it: Chris Rock

Busy filming the first Rush Hour at the time, Chris Tucker opted out of this Lethal Weapon sequel, allowing another foul-mouthed stand-up named Chris to take the part. Making Rush Hour, which was in many ways a successor to the Lethal Weapon series, instead of this was a smart move. Rush Hour became Tucker’s biggest hit at the time and turned him into a major star. In Rush Hour, Chris Tucker was front and center, but the Lethal Weapon part was a supporting role on par with his turns in Jackie Brown and The Fifth Element (which I’d say is about the maximum amount of Chris Tucker I can handle in a movie). Although he’d toplined a couple movies beforehand, Rush Hour proved Chris Tucker was a bankable movie star.

2. Any Given Sunday (1999)
The role: Willie Beamen
Who got it: Jamie Foxx

Chris Tucker turned down the role of a major league football player in this Oliver Stone drama. Jamie Foxx, who belonged to Tucker’s class of comedic actors, took the part. Unlike Tucker, he had played high school football, so he had some actual experience to draw upon. Any Given Sunday served as Jamie Foxx’s breakthrough dramatic role and the start of a path that led the actor to his 2005 Oscar win for Ray. Chris Tucker accepting this part may have put a stop to Foxx’s ascent in Hollywood, but it’s hard to imagine Tucker would have used this role as a springboard to the same success. Chris Tucker probably wouldn’t have transitioned into a career as a respected dramatic actor if he’d taken this role, but no one was expecting then-comic actor Jamie Foxx to rise to the occasion either.

3. Next Friday (2000) and 4. Friday After Next (2002)
The role: Smokey
Who got it: Mike Epps (playing a different character)

Tucker turned down the chance to reprise the role of Smokey in the second and third installments in this stoner series, attributing his decision to having become a born-again Christian. Mike Epps was brought in to fill in as Ice Cube’s new sidekick. Although they made more money, these Friday sequels were never as acclaimed or as relevant as the original, and that’s largely due to Tucker’s absence. Chris Tucker’s career was peaking around the time of the Friday sequels; he was still riding high on the success of the first two Rush Hours. Appearing in these silly stoner romps would have been a step down for him both in terms of pay and the popularity of his films.

5. Agent Double-O-Soul (unproduced)

This ill-conceived spy comedy had Chris Tucker attached to star in 1998, with Mariah Carey signed on to make her movie debut as his love interest. In the film, which was written by Antwone Fisher (yes, that Antwone Fisher), Tucker would have played a hip spy with a slew of crazy gadgets, including sunglasses with a built-in gun that is set off by ear-wiggling, an air conditioned trench coat, a talking car, and a “midget sidekick.” Production was scheduled to begin in the fall of 1998, but things never got off the ground. By 2001, Mariah Carey had made her starring film debut in Glitter, a massive bomb, and she dropped out of this project. 2002 saw the release of Undercover Brother , the Eddie Griffin spy comedy that seems a little too similar to Agent Double-O-Soul. Perhaps the emergence of Undercover Brother and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which also featured similar plot elements to Agent Double-O-Soul , put the kibosh on this one. If Agent Double-O-Soul had received the tepid reaction that Undercover Brother or Mariah Carey’s Glitter garnered, then it would have taken some momentum out of Chris Tucker’s career at a time when he was coming off a major hit and it seemed like he was ramping up to be a major force in the entertainment industry.

Google:
- A list of unfinished projects by Chris Farley
- Dwelling into the Poltergeist curse
- The truth about Michael Jackson's Stranger In Moscow
- From Elvis Presley to Hugh Hefner: a look at cancelled biopics
- Razia Sultana: The first woman Sultanate of India
- Charlize Theron's opinion over the Afrikaans language

6. Black Knight (2001)
The role: Jamal Walker
Who got it: Martin Lawrence

Chris Tucker and F. Gary Gray, the director of the original Friday, were attached to this time travel comedy, but they both dropped out due to concerns with the script. In the movie, Martin Lawrence plays an employee at a medieval theme park who is sent back in time to the Middle Ages and spends the next 90 minutes complaining about the lack of indoor plumbing and leering at medieval women. Chris Tucker was best served to stay as far away from this one as possible.

7. Mr. President (unproduced)

Back in 1999, when the idea of a Black U.S. President was an outlandish fantasy fit for a broad Hollywood comedy, Chris Tucker was set to make his directorial debut with Mr. President, in which he was to star as an average guy who is unexpectedly elected to this nation’s highest office, becoming the first Black man to hold the position. The project was racing Chris Rock’s Head of State to production, which featured an identical premise and a similar star in the title role. Rumors of a feud between Tucker and Rock were denied by Tucker, but it’s hard to believe there wasn’t a sense of competition over this. These films were passion projects for the two comedians, as both stars were set to direct their respective first Black president movies. Head of State made it to theaters in 2003, before Mr. President even began filming, but Chris Tucker has insisted that his movie was going to be produced as recently as 2007. Tucker did quite a bit of work to research his role. He visited troops in Virginia, volunteered to promote voter registration, and consulted with Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and Jesse Jackson, the first major Black presidential candidate. By 2008, Barack Obama was elected president in real life, and this movie was scrapped. The most interesting thing about Mr. President , though, is that Chris Tucker once claimed that Bill Clinton wanted to play a supporting role, saying in 2001:
“President Clinton said he wanted to do a cameo. But he doesn’t want to play himself. He wants to play a regular person in the movie.”

I find all of this pretty hard to believe, but these words did come out of Chris Tucker’s mouth. It’s absurd to think of Bill Clinton appearing in a comedy, but him playing a character and not just cameoing as himself is fucking ridiculous. Although Mr. President would have been without a doubt god-awful, I feel like we really missed out on something as a nation here. Mr. President could have seen Bill Clinton becoming the heir to Rodney Dangerfield’s throne and been the start of a promising comedy career.

8. The Pink Panther (2006)
The role: Inspector Jacques Closeau
Who got it: Steve Martin

Producer Ivan Reitman considered Chris Tucker to play Inspector Closseau in this affront to comedy. Tucker was pretty far along in the casting process, having participated in a table reading with Reitman and studio executives, but things didn’t get much further than that. And people complain about Steve Martin tarnishing Peter Sellers’s legacy.

9. Stand-up comedy concert film (unproduced)

In 2001, Chris Tucker announced plans to film a stand-up comedy performance for theatrical release. Tucker’s roots are in stand-up; he was a frequent Def Jam comedian in his early days. The film, though, never materialized, but Chris Tucker has talked it up as recently as 2007, making comparisons to Eddie Murphy’s Raw and Richard Pryor’s Live in Concert . Those are pretty ambitious movies to compare his to, two of the most prolific stand-up films ever made. There’s obviously no way Chris Tucker’s movie would have been able to reach the heights of Murphy or Pryor’s stand-up films. These stand-up comedy concert films seem like kind of an outdated concept, since video of stand-up has been readily available on TV and the Internet for a number of years, and there’s nothing about stand-up that lends itself to the big screen. Although I loved Louis C.K.’s recent film Hilarious , the last stand-up movie that was a big hit was The Original Kings of Comedy over a decade ago. These movies can usually turn a quick profit, especially with a big star like Chris Tucker at the center, as they’re cheap to make when compared to a narrative film. Nevertheless, a Chris Tucker stand-up film just seems unnecessary (especially considering that theatrical stand-up movies seem unnecessary on the whole these days).

10. Knight and Day (2010)
The role: Roy Miller
Who got it: Tom Cruise

Knight and Day was in Development Hell for several years before it made it to theaters, causing audiences to feel like they were in Actual Hell. Originally, Chris Tucker and Eva Mendes were attached to star in the film around 2005 when it was titled Trouble Man. Trouble Man’s a bad name for a movie, almost sounding like a bad Japanese translation, but it pales in comparison to the film’s eventual title, Knight and Day. No one in the movie is named Knight, and it doesn’t feature any knights. It’s a completely nonsensical, unjustified pun.

Insidus Games:
- Garfield 2: Royal Adventure
- Johnny Bravo: Big Babe Adventure
- Nicktoons: Freeze Frame Frenzy
- Donald Duck's Quest 2
- The Muppets! On With The Show
- James Bond Nightfire

11. Tower Heist (set for release later in 2011)

Tower Heist is an upcoming Ben Stiller-Eddie Murphy comedy from “director” Brett Ratner, who “collaborated” with Chris Tucker on the Rush Hour “films.” It’s set for release this fall and revolves around a group of people who band together to rob residents of Trump Tower. This is another one that was stuck in Development Hell for several years. In development since the early 2000s, Tower Heist was originally called Trump Heist and was envisioned as a “black Ocean’s Eleven .” Ratner wanted Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, and Sidney Poitier to play the main characters, but Murphy was the only one who signed on. Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, and Alan Alda ended up joining the cast, which, needless to say, screwed up that whole “black Ocean’s Eleven ” thing. Ratner’s been responsible for Chris Tucker’s three biggest hits (Rush Hour 1, 2, and 3), but it doesn’t seem like this one is going to be as popular as that franchise was.

12. Untitled Chris Tucker-Jackie Chan Reunion Film (unproduced)

Back in 2009, another Chris Tucker-Jackie Chan project was announced that was going to be a separate entity from the Rush Hour series. Little information about the film surfaced, but it now seems to have fallen apart. I know the Rush Hour movies were very popular and largely because of these two stars and their chemistry, but I feel like audiences should have gotten their fill by now. Are people really clamoring for another Tucker-Chan joint? It’s about time we turn our backs on this revolting era in cinematic history. The Rush Hour Years should be behind us by now.

13. Going into drama

In interviews, Chris Tucker has mentioned his lofty ambitions to branch out into drama, saying he’d like to try his hand at movies similar to Forrest Gump and The Color Purple . It sounds like a bad idea to me, but a lot of comedic actors have pulled off this transition gracefully, and it’s not always the ones you’d expect who find that kind of success with it. I don’t think anyone’s begging for Tucker to take a dramatic turn, but he sure does enjoy talking about it a lot:

“I want to do movies about Black history and Black history doesn’t begin in America. We need to go back to Africa. Those stories need to be told. It’s good to do movies that are fun. But sometimes you need to do something to inspire people.”

I don’t know about you, but I was pretty inspired by Money Talks.

14. Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra (unproduced)
The role: George Jacobs

In 2007, Chris Tucker signed on to star in Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra, an adaptation of the memoir by Frank Sinatra’s longtime chauffeur George Jacobs. Jacobs’s book offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at Sinatra’s life and that of the Rat Pack. Brett Ratner was attached to direct, but Ratner and Tucker never got the ball rolling.

15. Gangsta, M.D. (unproduced)

Easily the most absurd project on this list — crazier than titling a movie Agent Double-O-Soul or Bill Clinton deciding to try acting or the idea of Chris Tucker playing Inspector Closseau — is Gangsta, M.D. Based on a hit Bollywood film called Munnabhai M.B.B.S., Gangsta, M.D. was to star Chris Tucker as a street thug who enrolls in medical school to placate his mother. This one was announced in 2006, but Chris Tucker seems to have dropped out of his commitment, just like he’s done with every project in the past decade that didn’t include the phrase “Can you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?” in the script. It’s a shame Gangsta, M.D. never materialized, as it combines so many things I love: Chris Tucker, Bollywood, and gangsters going to medical school. I can just see the poster hanging in Tracy Jordan’s office now. The 30 Rock writers could save a lot of time and effort by just cribbing from abandoned Chris Tucker vehicles to flesh out their cartoonish character’s fake filmography.

16. Django Unchained (set for release in late 2012)
The role: Django
Who got it: Jamie Foxx

Along with Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, and Idris Elba, Chris Tucker was one of the actors in talks for the lead part in Quentin Tarantino’s next movie, Django Unchained. The film is the story of an escaped slave who takes revenge on his former master, all shot in the style of a spaghetti western. Jamie Foxx will be starring alongside a bevy of acclaimed actors that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, and Kevin Costner. Tucker seems like he would have been an odd choice for a film that has a strong chance at being an awards contender, but he has done quality work with Tarantino before in Jackie Brown.

Quentin Tarantino also has that fascination with rediscovering forgotten actors and using them in new and interesting ways. If Chris Tucker were cast, Tarantino could have done for him what he’s done for John Travolta, Robert Forster, and Darryl Hannah. Landing the lead part in Django Unchained would have been a boon to Chris Tucker’s career. He’s turned down and dropped out of a lot of projects over the past several years, but his actions were justified most of the time, as many of the roles that were offered to him sound abysmal to begin with. Unlike most of the films he almost ended up in, Django Unchained seems like it may be destined for Oscar glory, rather than the bargain bin at Wal-Mart.

Poltergeist: A 1980s Classic Became Known As Hollywood's Most "Cursed" Film Following The Untimely Death Of A 12-Year-Old Actress

Not only is Steven Spielberg's Poltergeist regarded as one of the most terrifying horror films of all time, it's also known as the most "cursed" film in Hollywood.

Shrouded in superstition following a handful of mysterious cast deaths, the 1982 film's grim history has followed it through decades – even casting fear over the critically reviled 2015 remake.

The "Poltergeist curse", as it's become known, came about after four of the cast members died of mysterious circumstances – the most shocking being that of Heather O'Rourke – the cherubic 12-year-old childstar who played protagonist Carol Anne in all three Poltergeist films, as well as Heather Pfister in Happy Days.

THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY

Set in a house built on an ancient Native American burial ground, the original Poltergeist trilogy told the terrifying story of the Freeling family and their encounters with the supernatural.

Gifted with a connection to the spiritual world, the youngest daughter, Carol Anne (O'Rourke), was haunted by the malicious spirits buried beneath her home, including that of a sadistic doomsday cult leader named Kane

It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on June 4, 1982 and was a commercial success, grossing $1.13 million in the United States, making it the highest-grossing horror film of 1982 and eighth overall for the year.

The film's special effects – inventive for its era – makes it frequently ranked among the greatest horror films of all time.

BEGINNINGS OF "THE CURSE"

Many believe the "Poltergeist Curse" began the same year the first movie was released.

Actress Dominique Young, who made her film debut in Poltergeist as the elder sister of Carol Anne, died a violent death shortly after its release in 1983.

She was strangled to death by her boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney.

According to a New York Times article, Young was put on life support after the attack but passed away five days later.

Sweeney was later found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, according to a 1983 article from The Freelance Star.

JULIAN BECK

It was the actor who played Carol Anne's most intimidating spirit, doomsday cult leader Kane, who died next.

Julian Beck, who played Kane in Poltergeist II sadly did not live to see the release of the sequel.
He was 60 when he lost a battle with stomach cancer on September 14, 1985, according to The New York Times.

WILL SAMPSON

The third in the spooky string of deaths associated with the film was of the man who portrayed a friendly ghost named Taylor in the second Polergeist film, Will Sampson.

Sampson died on June 3, 1987, aged 53, after of an illness caused by a chronic degenerative condition, according to The Herald Journal.

HEATHER O'ROURKE'S DEATH

It was the unexpected nature of Heather O'Rourke's death which led many to believe the "Poltergeist Curse" was real.

Known for adorable, blue-eyed angelic looks and her creepy delivery of the line; "They're here" in the first film of the series, it was largely O'Rourke's chilling performance that made the film iconic.
At 12 years old, she passed away suddenly.

The actress died in surgery when doctors were attempting to repair an acute bowel obstruction, caused by what was believed to be a long battle with Crohn's disease, the LA Times reported.

The young address was tragically pronounced dead after suffering septic shock, on February 1, 1988.

Roundups #91: The Highly Anticipated Series Love By Chance Is Coming To Star Life, MultiChoice To Rollout Spider-Man Pop-Up Channel In Celebration Of 80th Anniversary And Droomvelore To Make A Comeback On eExtra

Destined Love is finally launching on Star Life

Earlier in the year, it was reported that Star Life had picked up rights to Indian drama Love By Chance (initially referred to as Destined Love, Kabhie Kabhie Ittefaq Se) alongside two other series Bold & Beautiful (Divya Drishti) and Unforseen Love (Mehandi Hai Rachane Wali).

Based on the Bengali drama Khorkuto, Destined Love tells the story of a sophisticated upper class girl who gets married to a scholar who lives with a middle-class joint family who educate her about morals and ethics.

The star cast of the show include Yesha Rughani, Manan Joshi, Delnaaz Irani, Yamini Singh and Nishigandha Wad. It airs from September 18th replacing Unspoken Bonds.

M-Net is bringing on the webslinger

To celebrate Spider-Man’s 60th Anniversary, M-Net Movies will be showing all nine Spider-Man movies from Sony Pictures over the course of 10 days, from Friday 23 September – Sunday 2 October on a dedicated pop-up movie channel (DStv 111), streaming on DStv Now and dangling around on DStv Catch Up. The Spider-Man Pop-Up channel 111 will be available to Premium customers and on Add Movies for Compact Plus, Compact Family and Access customers.

Since his debut as a sidekick in Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Amazing Fantasy #15 anthology comic book in August 1962, Peter Parker has grown from nerdy high school student to troubled college student and from married high school teacher to single freelance photographer – but his mantra that with great power, comes great responsibility has been a constant as he’s used his web-shooters and ‘Spidey senses’ to save the day for six decades.

Starting in 2002 with the most recent instalment in 2021 , the nine films include eight live-action blockbusters and one animated hit: Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), The Amazing Spider-Man (2021), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Channel 111 will also broadcast the 30min documentary – Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home.

Droomverlore coming soon to eExtra

Last year, it was reported that eMedia Investments had acquired rights to the Turkish romcom Droomvelore (Erkenci Kus) starring Can Yaman and with Demet Özdemir's Verdeelde Liefde scheduled to air on eExtra later in the month.

Sanem is a young girl who works at her father's grocery store in hopes to become a famous writer one day. When her parents give her a choice to either get a proper job or an arranged marriage, Sanem gets a job in the advertising agency her sister works in. From there she meets her boss and love interest, Jan.

Droomverlore is rumoured to replace Begeertes once it finishes on eExtra.

MultiChoice To Rollout Exclusive New Streaming Service, Universal+

NBCUniversal and DStv today have announced that the Universal+ video streaming service will be available to DStv subscribers in South Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa next month.

From 14 October 2022, subscribers will be able to access Universal+ via Catch Up on the DStv app or on the Explora Ultra decoder.

The companies said the service offered a huge selection of full boxsets and new shows and movies from popular linear channels Universal TV, E!, DreamWorks, Studio Universal and Telemundo.

“We’re thrilled to launch Universal+ with our long-standing partners DStv, giving their customers a brand-new way to enjoy a vastly expanded catalogue of our best content,” said Lee Raftery, NBCUniversal International Networks and direct-to-consumer managing director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

“As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, we are always looking to offer top entertainment to our DStv customers, and the addition of Universal+ aims to do just that.”

MultiChoice South Africa chief operating officer Simon Camerer said the broadcaster was excited to bring the “best of international content and the widest possible choice of great shows” to satisfy its viewers.

The companies did not specify on which DStv packages Universal+ would be available.

Studio Universal Is Your #1 Alternative To eMovies

Since 2011, Studio Universal owned by NBCUniversal serves as one of the core entertainment channels by the company dedicated to films either based on a genre or an actor kind of like the main channel, Universal and in between those films there's series.

For nearly a decade, Studio Universal has been taking on other existing movie channels part of which on DStv while others in various regions like M-Net Movies, TNT, FilmBox, eMovies and AMC but one thing all these brands have in common is repeats.

Sure they may not repeat the exact same movies as much the other but one thing I kind of disliked about Studio Universal happened to be duplicated e.tv offering as most of their offering was usually seen on the station months prior to their rollout.

 

To top it off, DreamWorks is undergoing a similar procedure with the latest content folded under eToonz as DStv consumers have to start from scratch with most of the content.

Point being made Studio Universal was kind of a push over at the time and even after their duplicate eMovies and eMovies Extra was scrapped from the DStv platform. That tendency still lives on through the Openview platform.

For those who stuck with DStv are probably trying to figure out the best alternative to kung fu KIX or the animation skewed M-Net Movies 3 & 4. The answer to that is simple, Studio Universal.

Sure TNT is there but as mentioned when TCM was phased out this channel would incorporate a bit of nostalgia so if anything it could work as an accessory or an alternative to Studio Universal but wouldn't match the standards found on eMovies.

 

eMovies was that portal from M-Net Movies 1 & 2 catered to low income households as they are able source movies from these channels in under 5 years while as 3 & 4 worked to a similar extent but there was still a lot more that hasn't been explored on those channels.

While M-Net Movies 3 & 4 would give you the latest instalments to Terminator, eMovies offered a selection of Marvel films and while those M-Net channels gave you animation like Uglydolls and My Little Pony: The Movie with eMovies you could get a variety of films from Pixar.

Studio Universal kind of like Universal and DreamWorks all owned by NBCUniversal are pretty much alternatives to these eChannels I mean eMedia supplies a content from their studios and the only downside would be accessibility as Studio Universal caters for the mid masses.

Jackie Chan Will Be Making A Cameo In Action Weekends Alongside Two Former WWE Wrestlers On Studio Universal Africa

ACTION WEEKENDS - “THIS MAY HURT”
Fri-Sun @ 8pm x4 weekends (starting 6th May)
Saturday night’s alright for fighting - as are Friday and Sunday - in May’s knuckle-cracking, bone-crunching, nose-flattening action weekends!

DAMAGE
6th May at 20:00
Wrestling icon ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin stars in this brutal drama set in the tough world of bare-knuckle boxing. Austin plays ex-con John Brickner who, after being released on parole after serving seven years for manslaughter, plans to turn his back on violence. But when the daughter of the man he killed in self-defence needs money for a heart transplant, John is persuaded to enter the hard-hitting world of underground fights. Walton Goggins co-stars as a shady promoter with some secrets of his own.

THE HUNTED
8th May at 20:00
Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro head the cast of this tense drama from William Friedkin, the Oscar- winning director of The French Connection and The Exorcist. Deep in the woods of Oregon, FBI tracker L.T. Bonham (Jones) searches for ex-Delta Force Sgt Aaron Hallam (Del Toro), a former student of Bonham’s who’s gone rogue and started using his survival skills to hunt humans. Bonham and an FBI task force are sent in, but they have no idea just how brutal Hallam is willing to be.

DRUNKEN MASTER II
13th May at 20:00
Jackie Chan brings his show-stopping kung fu skills to this classic action comedy. The sequel to the landmark 1978 original sees Chan starring as the legendary folk hero Wong Fei-hung, who’s torn between respecting his pacifist father and stopping some priceless ancient artefacts from being stolen by a group of disrespectful foreign interlopers. Perhaps the unique style of fighting he’s been studying, ‘drunken boxing,’ will be able to help? Ho-Sung Pak, Lung Ti and Anita Mui also feature amidst some spectacular stunts.

 

THE HUNTER’S PRAYER
22nd May at 20:00
A lone assassin is hired to kill a young woman, but when push comes to shove he’s unable to pull the trigger, setting in motion a tense game of cat and mouse as killer and quarry form an uneasy alliance to stay alive and remain one step ahead of those who originally ordered the hit. As the unlikely duo get to know each other, they hatch a plan of their own: to avenge the murder of the girl’s family. Avatar’s Sam Worthington heads the cast of this explosive thriller.

CRIME AFTER DARK
Mon – Fri @ 9:45pm (starts 9th May)
Sometimes it’s difficult to know who to run to and who to run from... Who are the good guys and who are the bad…?

RIVER RUNS RED
9th May at 21:45
Hard-hitting vigilante thriller starring Taye Diggs, John Cusack and Luke Hemsworth. When the son of respected African-American judge Charles Coleman is murdered during a routine traffic stop and the police officers responsible subsequently walk free, Coleman finds crucial evidence on the dirty cops and teams up with a veteran detective to take the law into his own hands on a mission to deliver his own kind of justice - by any means necessary. George Lopez co-stars.

 

 

DEATH SENTENCE
10th May at 21:45
James Wan, co-creator of the wildly popular Saw and Insidious films, steps away from horror to direct this vigilante thriller. Kevin Bacon is mild-mannered Nick Hume, who lives a seemingly perfect life with his wife Helen (Kelly Preston) and their kids. When Nick’s son is brutally killed in an unprovoked attack, his desire for revenge on the gang responsible soon spirals out of control, with neither side willing to back down. John Goodman and Aisha Tyler co-star.

NEVER DIE ALONE
12th May at 21:45
Rap star DMX, who tragically passed away last year, headlines this noir-tinged crime drama as drug kingpin ‘King David,’ who returns home to the East Coast seeking redemption for past mistakes and to make amends with a fellow drug lord, but instead finds himself in the middle of a violent turf war that is destined to have bloody consequences for all involved. David Arquette also stars as a wannabe journalist who finds himself caught up in the biggest story of his life.

12 ROUNDS 3: LOCKDOWN
13th May at 21:45
WWE wrestler Dean Ambrose (aka Jon Moxley, or Jonathan Good to his family) makes his film debut in the final instalment of the 12 Rounds trilogy, which also stars Roger Cross and Lochlyn Monroe. Returning to work after recovering from a gunshot wound, a police officer uncovers incriminating evidence involving his fellow officers. Hunted by cops who’ll stop at nothing to get away with their crimes, can he survive long enough to reveal the truth?

 

COMEDY AFTER DARK
Mon – Fri @ 9:45pm (starts 23rd May) Some films are better with the lights turned low…!

EPIC MOVIE
24th May at 21:45
The Chronicles of Narnia, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Harry Potter series are just some of the films targeted in this spoof of the epic adventure genre, which sees four orphans (Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Faune Chambers and Jayma Mays) embark on a remarkable journey, where they meet some familiar characters along the way! Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard, Crispin Glover and Carmen Electra are just some of the famous faces putting in an appearance.

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR
25th May at 21:45
Raunchy romantic comedy, starring Emile Hirsch as high school senior Matthew, who’s struggling to afford the tuition fees to get into his ideal college. Life for Matthew suddenly gets a lot more interesting when Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert) moves in next door, but their flirtations get a whole lot more awkward when Danielle’s past as a star of adult films comes to light! Timothy Olyphant co-stars as Danielle’s menacing film producer ex.

 

GUESS WHO
26th May at 21:45
In this contemporary version of the Sidney Poitier classic Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Theresa Jones (Zoe Saldana) is bringing her boyfriend Simon (Ashton Kutcher) home to meet her parents (Bernie Mac and Judith Scott). Theresa is planning to break the news that she and Simon are engaged. There’s just one small problem: she hasn’t thought to mention the fact that Simon is white! And it’s not long before Simon’s attempts to win over her dad start to backfire in spectacular - and hilarious – style.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
27th May at 21:45
Ashton Kutcher is embroiled in yet more romantic mishaps, this time in Las Vegas. He stars as Jack, a laid-back carpenter who embarks on a trip to Vegas after being sacked and meets just-dumped businesswoman Joy (Cameron Diaz). One drunken marriage and a $3 million jackpot later, Jack and Joy sober up and decide to get an equally quick divorce and split the cash. Unfortunately for them, the judge has other ideas and tells them they’ll have to live together for six months before he’ll grant the divorce.

Studio Universal Africa Goes Big On The Four Day Break With A Mix Of Family Favourites And Action Epics - April 2022 Highlights

EPIC EASTER WEEKEND
15th – 18th all day
Studio goes big on the four day break with a mix of family favourites and action epics, including:

MINIONS
15th April at 14:10
Ever wondered where those funny little yellow guys from Despicable Me come from? Wonder no more! From the age of the dinosaurs, through ancient Egypt to the Napoleonic Wars, they have sought a suitably villainous master, and is it really their fault if those masters keep getting accidentally killed? Now, at last, three of their number may be about to find someone suitable to serve! Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton and Allison Janney star.

THE SCORPION KING: BOOK OF SOULS
15th April at 19:10
This is the fifth and final instalment in the Scorpion King series - although there is, perhaps inevitably, a reboot currently in development with the original Scorpion King, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, attached as producer. Book of Souls stars Zach McGowan as the titular demigod, who this time teams up with tough warrior princess Tala (South African model and actress Pearl Thusi) to search for a legendary relic that will allow them to put a stop to the nefarious plans of an evil warlord.

RIDE ALONG
17th April at 20:05
The hilarious duo of Ice Cube and Kevin Hart bring you a flick full of wild police chases. For two years, Ben has been trying to convince James, a veteran police officer, that he is worthy of James’ sister. After being forced to step up his game, Ben applies to the Atlanta City Police Academy. James makes it clear that if Ben really wants his blessing, then he must go on a ‘ride along’ with the police to prove his worth. But Ben doesn’t make it easy for himself as his fiery mouth makes situations worse than before!

THE BOSS BABY
18th April at 14:35
Seven-year-old Tim Templeton is aghast when his parents get a new baby who’s going to distract their attention from him. What’s more unusual is that Tim saw him arrive in a taxi, with a briefcase, wearing a suit and tie! Turns out the baby is a secret weapon in the ongoing war between babies and puppies for adult affection, and Tim agrees to work with the tiny mastermind. Voice talent includes Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow.

 

 

COMEDY AFTER DARK - ‘STUDIO HIGH’
25th – 1st May @ 9:45pm
For one week, Studio is sending you back to school (sorry!) with a mix of comedies and horror comedies (horromedies?), including:

KILLER CHEERLEADER
29th April at 21:45
There’s death amongst the pom-poms in the darkly comic Killer Cheerleader. Dominique Booth stars as new girl in town Darcy, who’s moved in with her wealthy aunt to try and make a fresh start after the untimely death of her mother. Darcy decides to try out for The Amazons, her new high school’s cheerleading team, which is led by Taylor (Kalen Bull). But when Darcy unwittingly humiliates the most popular girl in school, the results are deadly.

THE DUFF
25th April at 21:45
Witty comedy based on the young adult novel by Kody Keplinger, starring Mae Whitman as Bianca Piper, a high school girl who’s horrified to learn she has been labelled the DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - by her more popular classmates. Nursing a crush on Toby (Nick Eversman) and worried her senior year is going to turn into a disaster, Bianca enlists the help of her old friend, jock Wesley (Robbie Amell) to try and reinvent herself. Bella Thorne also stars as Madison, the school’s resident mean girl.

KILLER HIGH
30th April at 21:45
Light-hearted high school horror hijinks, starring Kacey Rohl and Humberly González. It’s a 10-year school reunion in the small town of Wallingham, a once thriving community that’s now a ghost town where thrill-seekers get their kicks wandering around the abandoned school. When one of these urban explorers accidentally brings the old place’s cursed mascot back to terrifying life, it’s not long before this school reunion is turning murderous!

SCHOOL DANCE
26th April at 21:45
Nick Cannon directs and co-writes this musical comedy, starring Bobb'e J Thompson as high school freshman Jason Jackson, who dreams of becoming part of The Ranger$, a popular dance clique, but he can't get over his stage fright. If that wasn’t enough, his dream girl, Anastacia (Kristinia DeBarge) doesn’t even know he exists. What’s a teenage boy to do? Well, if he can get past his battle-axe mother, Anastacia’s gangster brother, and the dance crew’s initiation ceremony, he might just have half a chance!

The Latest Instalment Of American Pie Debuts On Studio Universal Africa And Kidz Club Returns For Another 2 Weeks - March 2022 Highlights

ACTION WEEKENDS - “MARCH MADNESS”
X4 weekends throughout the month, Fri-Sun @ 8pm
We ratchet up the craziness for our Action Weekends in March, featuring demon dolls, psychopathic ghosts… and Vinnie Jones!

UPGRADE
5th March at 20:00
Leigh Whannell, the writer of the Saw and Insidious movies, steps behind the camera to direct this cyberpunk action thriller. Set in a near-future world where technology controls all aspects of people’s lives, Logan Marshall-Green stars as mechanic and self-proclaimed technophobe Grey Trace. A horrific crime leaves Grey paralysed, but tech innovator Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson) offers him a fresh start if he’s willing to be implanted with an experimental computer chip. Inevitably, it comes at a price...

LOCKED DOWN
6th March at 20:00
Vinnie Jones brings his trademark glowering persona to this brutal thriller. Undercover cop Danny Bolan (Tony Schiena) is framed after an investigation goes horribly wrong and ends up in jail. Danny’s aim of keeping his head down and avoiding trouble fails and he’s forced into the prison's underground cage fighting circuit. Determined to get justice, Danny teams up with former MMA champ Irving (Dave Fennoy) to try and clear his name – if he can get out of the cage alive!

BANGKOK DANGEROUS
11th March at 20:00
The Pang Brothers’ remake of their own hit Thai film stars Nicolas Cage as a hitman with a strict code of keeping himself to himself, only staying in remote locations and only interacting with handlers via disposable middlemen. If you guessed where his next job was taking him, well done, and if you also guessed that the aforementioned code was about to come under pressure, treat yourself to a biscuit. How will this ruthless killer cope with a mentor role?

Also read:
- February on TNT, Cartoon Network and Boomerang
- February on Da Vinci Kids
- Nurses coming in February to Telemundo Africa
- Nicktoons upcoming series Big Nate debuts on Paramount+ this February
- Why VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- Xtreme Football League returns in 2023, could SuperSport perhaps get it?
- February on History
- February on Curiosity Channel
- Moon Knight debuts this March on Disney+

THE FRIGHTENERS
13th March at 20:00
Back before Peter Jackson was the man famous for making epics about Beatles and hobbits, he used to make low-budget horror films in New Zealand. How did he get from one to the other? Well, if you take a look at this fascinating transitional film, you’ll get some idea. Michael J. Fox stars as an architect who is able to talk to ghosts, and mainly uses this remarkable ability to scam the living, sending ghosts to bother people he then charges for an exorcism. Except one ghost turns up with something darker in mind! Jeffrey Combs and Jake Busey co-star.

COMEDY AFTER DARK - “FIVE SLICES OF PIE”
Five American Pie Presents movies across one week, Mon-Fri @ 9:45pm Including the brand new Girls’ Rules

AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS: BAND CAMP
7th March at 21:45
If people only know one thing about the original American Pie… well, it’s probably the incident with the pie. But right behind that comes the events reported to have taken place at Band Camp. Here, the films finally pull back the curtain to show us exactly what else was going on there. When Stifler’s little brother Matt (Tad Hilgenbrinck) gets sent to the camp as punishment, he’s curious to learn the truth behind the rumours. But little does he suspect what’s in store…

AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS: BETA HOUSE
9th March at 21:45
The Stifler dynasty are still causing chaos in this spin-off from the classic raunchy comedy series. Freshman Erik (John White) joins the fraternity led by cousin Dwight (Steve Talley), and wouldn’t you know – franchise mainstay Noah Levenstein (Eugene Levy) is an alumnus too! Can Erik prove he deserves to be a member, get a date with attractive Ashley (Meghan Heffern), and keep Beta House from being shut down by snooty arch-enemies Geek House? Win or lose, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of ribald laughs along the way.

AMERICAN PIE: THE BOOK OF LOVE
10th March at 21:45
Tragedy strikes East Great Falls High when a fire damages the school ‘Bible’, a tome full of tips which helped generations of horny teenagers to get some action. Rob (Bug Hall) tries to use what remains but succeeds only in getting into a series of outrageous scrapes. Friends Nathan (Kevin Horton) and Marshall (Brandon Hardesty) manage no better. If they want to make progress, they must find the book’s original authors, including Mr Levenstein (Eugene Levy).

Also read:
- The first batch of drama series coming to M-Net, 1Magic and Showmax
- The last FOX Life available in the United States closes down in March
- Upcoming programming for Telemundo Africa
- February on WildEarth
- List of K-dramas and reality shows TVN will likely air if they return to DStv
- Could ESPN close alongside National Geographic and Disney Channel?
- AEW: Battle Of The Belts launches on TNT
- February on Comedy Central, MTV and BET

AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS: GIRLS' RULES
11th March at 21:45
In recent years, some people have suggested that the American Pie franchise might be a little bit dated, what with its central motif of teenage boys desperately trying to lose their cherries. It’s clearly a criticism to which the producers have paid attention, resulting in this new entry in the series, which instead switches the focus to horny teenage girls trying to get some action. Madison Pettis, Lizzie Broadway, Piper Curda and Danny Trejo (yes, really) star in this raucous saga of vibrating underwear and perverted principals.

KIDZ CLUB
Kidz Club returns from the 21st March for 2 weeks (all day every day). X4 Despicable Me movies + Barbie + more!

BEAN
21st March at 11:45
The first big-screen outing for Rowan Atkinson’s lovable misfit kicks off when his employers, the National Gallery, try to fire him for sleeping on the job, excessive clumsiness and a general tendency to cause chaos. Thwarted, they instead decide to at least get him out of the way, sending him to Los Angeles to escort the transfer of a painting. Which is bad news for the City of Angels, but great news for viewers as he gets into a series of ridiculous scrapes! Burt Reynolds and John Mills also feature.

BARBIE IN PRINCESS POWER
23rd March at 10:25
The world’s favourite doll gets in on the superhero movie boom in this charming film for children. Regular Barbie voice Kelly Sheridan takes the lead, with Barbie in turn playing Kara, who has a regular life (by princess standards) until she’s kissed by a magical butterfly and gains superpowers, soaring through the skies under the alias Super Sparkle. Except soon her jealous cousin Corinne gets in on the action and starts playing the supervillain!

DESPICABLE ME 3
23rd March at 14:50
Reformed villain Gru (Steve Carell) and wife Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) have been working for the Anti- Villain League, but that all comes to an end here as they get the sack after a botched mission! Even his Minions leave poor Gru, but at least he still has his family – and in fact, he turns out to have more family than he knew about, as an invite arrives for the family to go stay with Gru’s rich and glamorous brother Dru (also Carell). This is just the beginning for another madcap set of spy-fi escapades.

MINIONS
24th March at 15:45
Ever wondered where those funny little yellow guys from the Despicable Me films come from? Well, wonder no more! From the age of the dinosaurs, through ancient Egypt to the Napoleonic Wars, they have sought a suitably villainous master. Now, at last, three of their number may be about to find someone suitable to serve. What could possibly go wrong? The impressive cast includes the likes of Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm and Michael Keaton.

Also read:
- Upcoming programming for Cartoonito in Europe, Middle East and Africa
- National Geographic Kids Africa launches in 2022
- NCIS: Los Angeles might be cancelled after 13 seasons
- 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
- Timeless Dizi Channel acquired rights to Bittersoet
- February on The Home Channel
- February on CBS Reality

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).

June 2021 On Studio Universal Africa | Action Weekends: June Claude Van Damme | Dance Movie Takeover | Father's Day Weekend

ACTION WEEKENDS: JUNE CLAUDE VAN DAMME
No apologies, that’s the name of the stunt!
The Muscles from Brussels in double bills every weekend (Fri-Sun) throughout June, from 8pm:

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER
13th June at 20:00
And here’s another of the big JCVD hits, putting him up against fellow nineties action titan Dolph Lundgren. At the film’s heart is the eponymous Universal Soldier programme, a scheme to bring dead soldiers back to life free of memory and conscience, and use them as easily controlled superhuman killing machines. What could possibly go wrong, eh? But when Van Damme finds out what’s been done to him, he goes on the run with a reporter (Ally Walker), determined to reclaim his life. The military has other ideas, and carnage ensues.

IN HELL
25th June at 20:00
After avenging his wife's death, an American in Russia is imprisoned, and becomes mired in the jail's underground fight competitions. Director Ringo Lam’s other work includes City On Fire, known in the West for its influence on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, and he made his first Hollywood film with Van Damme. This reprise of their collaboration once again marries the director and star’s knacks for nerve-wracking tension and untrammelled violence. Lawrence Taylor and Marnie Alton also star.

KICKBOXER
26th June at 20:00
One of the key films in Van Damme’s initial rise to fame, Kickboxer saw him influencing a generation’s playground ideas of ultimate toughness by showing off his real-life martial arts skills. He plays Kurt Sloane, a cornerman driven into the ring himself after a malicious opponent paralyses his fighter brother Eric, the US kickboxing champ. But even be- yond the violence in the ring, he soon finds himself caught up in corruption and conspiracy, with Eric’s life on the line.

DANCE STUDIO UNIVERSAL
A dance movie takeover of the channel for one week, 7th – 13th June Every day, all afternoon, including:

STEP UP
8th June at 16:40
Back in his early days, when Channing Tatum was just an actor instead of a beloved institution, he starred in this engaging dance romance as Tyler Gage, a kid from a disadvantaged background who gets sentenced to community service and ends up helping out at the school his tearaway friends just trashed. Here he meets dancer Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan), and ends up standing in for her partner who’s been put out of commission by a sprained ankle. If the two of them can work together, it could end up changing both their lives – and in more ways than they've bargained for.

BRING IT ON
8th June at 15:00
A cheerleading squad discovers its captain stole their routines from an inner-city school, and must scramble to get new ones together in time to compete at this year's championships. A surprise hit that helped kick off a whole subgenre, Bring It On’s success owes much to its cast and crew – debut director Peyton Reed is now firmly ensconsed in the MCU, with two Ant-Man films under his belt, while the stars include Kirsten Dunst and Buffy’s Eliza Dushku. And if that only serves to whet your appetite, four Bring It On sequels also air on STUDIO this month.

DANCE-OFF
10th June at 13:00
Some films do exactly what they say on the tin, and this is one of them! Two dance crews go toe-to-toe as they compete for a $25,000 prize, but the dazzling choreography does need a teensy bit of plot behind it, so what better than to steal from the best and add a dash of Romeo & Juliet? Brandon (Shane Harper) grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, and when his poor mother had to move away in a hurry, he never got chance to say goodbye to childhood sweetheart Jasmine (Kathryn McCormick). Now, wouldn’t you know it, they face off from the rival teams!

FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND
A Saturday and Sunday dedicated to dads (19th & 20th, starts @ 2:15pm). Two triple-bills, including two channel premieres:

BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT
19th June at 18:05
Ice Cube and Anthony Anderson return in the third installment of the popular Barbershop franchise. But as befits this American institution’s role as a gathering place for communities, they’re joined by an ensemble cast featuring everyone from Eve and Nicki Minaj to Common and Cedric the Entertainer. The film finds Calvin’s Barbershop now home to a women’s section too, meaning it’s serving a wider section of the neighbourhood – and with their area of Chicago increasingly plagued by gang activity, they’ll all need to pull together to share some laughs and life lessons as they solve their problems.

SAN ANDREAS
19th June at 16:05
The Rock is the biggest action hero in the world today, and it doesn’t get much bigger than this, a disaster movie with most of California on the line. He plays Ray Gaines, an LA helicopter rescue pilot whose skills are suddenly in particularly high demand when the Big One finally hits and a 9.1 magnitude earthquake devastates the West Coast. Even after he’s rescued his wife from a skyscraper rendered unstable by the seismic event, there are still looters, fires and the threat of a tsunami to come.

ZOOKEEPER
20th June at 16:30
Kevin James plays Griffin Keyes, a zookeeper who loves his job – but also loves Stephanie (Leslie Bibb), who doesn’t see herself married to a man in this particular trade. So he considers joining his brother’s car dealership instead – a plan the animals in the zoo don’t much like, so they decide to help him turn his love life around! The voice cast features everyone from Jon Favreau as a bear, through Maya Rudolph playing a giraffe, to Stallone as a lion and Nick Nolte the gorilla.

Read Also:
- June on Telemundo Africa
- June on History

- June on Zee World
- June on E! Entertainment

- Zee World launches two new series this June
- Moja Love Is Launching A NEW CHANNEL On DStv?
- June on Universal
- Upcoming developments for FOX, Disney, National Geographic and ESPN
- June on Comedy Central
- June on Telemundo Africa
- June on TLC and Real Time
- June on Discovery Channel and Discovery Family
- June on Investigation Discovery
- June on The Home Channel
- Timeless Love coming soon to TLNovelas
- June on CBS Reality

Streaming: What Will Happen To NBCUniversal Linear Channels Currently Seen On DStv, Starsat And StarTimes?

NBCUniversal International (in Africa) supplies channels such as Universal TV, Studio Universal, DreamWorks Channel, Telemundo and E!

The restructuring of the TV and streaming business of Comcast's NBCUniversal featured prominently on the company's third-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday.

"In essence, we have done away with the concept of creating a piece of work for a specific network," Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said.

NBCU recently rejigged and streamlined key parts of its operations to cut costs and update structures for the digital age. A recently launched TV and Streaming unit, which combined those businesses under Mark Lazarus, was part of a restructuring designed to shift resources and investment from linear to streaming, but also causing job cuts. On Thursday, Roberts explained the move this way: "In essence, we have done away with the concept of creating a piece of work for a specific network."

Management showed a slide saying the move would drive “long-term value.” It showed the old structure as being “fragmented, with individual network executive teams” and optimizing "specific networks and brands.” The new structure "optimizes [the] full portfolio of linear and digital outlets" and is "centralized, with small programming executive teams."

NBCU CEO Jeff Shell during the third-quarter earnings conference call said the costs for the restructuring are hitting over the course of about a year, with a third "in this current quarter" and most of it having hit by midyear 2021, which will lead to "a lot less cost" and position the company for future opportunities. "We are kind of through the execution of most of our restructuring," he said, adding that the changing world and industry, including revenue pressures, mean a need for reform to ensure long-term profitability and health.

Comcast CFO Mike Cavanagh on the call detailed restructuring charges taken this year. He said "COVID-related severance and restructuring charges" year-to-date have reached $239 million. "We expect to incur an additional charge that is approximately double this amount in this year’s fourth quarter as we continue to align the cost structure across all of our businesses," he added. That would mean around $478 million in the quarter and around $717 million for the whole year.

Shell also said the advertising upfront ended up being much smaller than in the past, but "much better" than expected for the company, with pricing slightly higher, instead of the expected decline, and ad volume being down slightly.

Cavanagh on Thursday's call also predicted that the theme parks unit, which posted a third-quarter loss just like in the previous quarter, would break even again some time in 2021 no matter what happens to Universal Studios Hollywood. Roberts said the division has seen "the most pressure" from the coronavirus pandemic and it will take some time to recover, but management remains "very bullish" on theme parks longer-term. He also highlighted that excluding theme parks losses, NBCU's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization would have grown 9 percent in the third quarter.

The topic of premium VOD and theatrical film releases, which has been a key issue on recent Comcast earnings calls, only came up in passing on Thursday. Cavanagh mentioned that NBCU's film team plans to release The Croods: A New Age in theaters and on PVOD in the fourth quarter, while other movies have been pushed to 2021.

Shell previously addressed Universal Pictures' historic agreement with cinema giant AMC Theatres, which will allow the studio's movies to be made available on premium video-on-demand after just 17 days of play in cinemas, including three weekends. The deal, which initially covers AMC's U.S. locations, shatters the traditional theatrical window of nearly three months before studios can make movies available in the home. AMC, the world's largest theater chain, is expected to share in the revenue from PVOD. "Together we can build a new, more attractive business model for us both," Shell said this summer. He also signaled Universal was expecting to reach similar deals with other exhibitors.

Shell also said back then that in recent years it has become "increasingly more difficult" to get the same returns on movies over the first two windows, with the AMC deal helping the studio and the exhibitor on that front.

Conclusion: This affects mostly E! since it was the only channel fitting that description while the rest have just been relying on acquisitions and archived shows. Telemundo in the U.S. is not managed by Comcast while NBCUniversal here manages it so my guess would be that E! and Telemundo will merge into a single channel which would be similar to the defunct FOX Life channel:
1. Since NBCUniversal is on a cancelling spree, E! joined Telemundo on a reruns rampage.
2.1. Telemundo lineup gets weaker on a yearly basis as more repeats begin to fill up the channel. They use to provide 4 hours of fresh content now that's dropped by 3 hours with only an hour repeating during the daytime. By next year, they're very likely going to offer 2 hours of fresh content which is okay since it gives viewers time to watch other stations.
2.2. E! will look more like BET, FOX and Comedy Central which can only provide an hour or more of fresh content per week.
3. E! has been heavily reliant on The Kardashians to boost their airtime now that their chapter is coming to an end what's left for the channel besides Botched! which is likely getting canned or moving to streaming services.

Read Also:
- The End Of Paradise coming soon to Telemundo
- November on Universal