Reminder: New Series Blue Ridge To Premiere On Universal TV On 4 November 2024

Universal TV has today announced the territory premiere of the highly anticipated procedural crime drama, Blue Ridge. The 6-part series premieres on Monday, 4 November at 20:00 (CAT), exclusively on Universal TV. New episodes will be airing weekly until 9 December.

 

Based on the popular film, Blue Ridge is a multi-season crime drama set in the lush and forbidding mountains of North Carolina. Ex-Green Beret Justin Wise is a modern Western hero living in an Appalachian town that time - and justice - have forgotten. Eager to reunite with his ex-wife Elle and daughter Maddie, Justin followed them back to Elle's hometown, where his previous law enforcement experience got him elected Sheriff. But his hopes for a quiet life are dashed as he finds himself constantly forced into keeping this picturesque community from exploding into violence.

 

Blue Ridge seems like a small, sleepy town, but is actually a place where long-simmering feuds can suddenly boil over into mayhem, and where criminals believe they can hide their misdeeds from the eyes of the law. With everything to lose, Justin teams up with a duo of loyal but untested deputies in the persistent struggle to keep Blue Ridge - and the people Justin loves most - safe from harm.

 

This series marks the first time Hollywood star Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do! Texas Rising, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) has taken on a leading role in a television series. He reprises his character from the original film Blue Ridge.

Johnathon Schaech is joined by a stellar cast in Season 1, including Sarah Lancaster (Chuck, Everwood, Christmas in the Smokies) as Elli Wise, A Martinez (Longmire, The Cowboys, Dark Winds) as Connor McGrath, Taegen Burns (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, The Right Stuff, Imaginary) as Maddie Wise, Tom Proctor (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Justified, Guardians of the Galaxy) as Jeremiah Wade, Avianna Mynhier (The Walking Dead) as Deputy Maxx Covington, and Greg Perrow (The Warrant, Festival of Trees) as Deputy RP.

 

The series will also feature surprise guest stars including Bruce Boxleitner, Max Martini, Ethan Embry, Mike O’Hearn, Erin Cahill, Lev Cameron, and Jessica McKay.

 

Blue Ridge premieres on Universal TV on 4 November at 20:00, with new episodes airing every Monday until 9 December.

Universal TV is available on DStv Channel 117 across Africa.

Universal TV Currently Has No Plans To Acquire Chicago Fire Months After M-Net's Me Had Closed On DStv

Universal TV is a general entertainment channel operated by Showmax owner NBCUniversal on DStv alongside Telemundo, DreamWorks and Studio Universal. It is home to shows such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Chicago Med, Magnum Pi, The Equalizer and Hudson & Rex.

Months after, MultiChoice and M-Net had shuttered Me and 1Magic with the offering retaining its presence to premium households. DStv consumers had to rely on the likes of Universal TV for scripted entertainment with reality shows on MTV and E!.

Unlike MTV, a portion of Universal TV's offering do reside from M-Net and this includes the likes of Chicago PD and as mentioned Chicago Med with the addition of Chicago Fire it would complete the trilogy. 

In an enquiry to NBCUniversal over the inclusion of Chicago Fire to Universal TV:

I checked with the team who fed back that currently, there are no plans to air Chicago Fire on Universal TV, but we’ll let you know if this changes further ahead.

Universal TV was very much behind when acquiring Chicago PD and Med for consumers in Africa that even e.tv was even ahead with them being behind M-Net by like 2 seasons. If Chicago Fire ever becomes a priority for Universal TV in future expect similar treatment.

For those unfamiliar to Universal TV, it is basically a lightweight version of Sky Witness in the UK except in the UK it is more M-Net infused as there's Chicago Fire and even The Cleaning Lady. Universal TV is more skewed toward crime, medical and cop based shows.

Reminder: The Second Season Of High-Stakes Medical Drama, SkyMed, Premieres Exclusively On Universal TV In Africa On 1 April

NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-to-Consumer today announced the territory premiere of the second season of high-stakes medical drama, SkyMed, on Universal TV in Africa. The young medics and pilots flying air ambulances return for more life, death, and drama in the skies of remote Northern Canada. The new season will air every Monday at 20:00 CAT from April 1, exclusively on Universal TV in Africa, with episodes available on Universal+ immediately thereafter.

SkyMed’s second season promises new hookups, heartbreaks, and challenges on the job as the medevac service expands into new territory, throwing the flight crew into intense new emergencies at work and in their personal lives.

The series was inspired by creator Julie Puckrin’s sister and brother-in-law who met flying air ambulances. Returning to SkyMed is Natasha Calis (The Possession, The Firm) as Nurse Hayley Roberts, Morgan Holmstrom (Day of the Dead, I Still See You) as no-nonsense Nurse Crystal Highway, Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew, October Faction) as First Officer Chopper, “Ace” Aason Nadjiwon (Step Up All In, Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce) as golden boy pilot Captain Austen Bodie, Mercedes Morris (Between, Slasher) as First Officer Lexi Martine, Thomas Elms (I Still See You, Timeless) as icy-cool pilot Captain Nowak, and Kheon Clarke (The Magicians, Supermans & Lois) as Nurse Tristan Green. Braeden Clarke (Impulse, Run Woman Run) reprises his recurring role as Crystal’s charming on-again-off-again love interest, Jeremy Wood, Emilia McCarthy (Zombies) returns as Madison and Aaron Ashmore (Ginny & Georgia, Veronica Mars, The Thaw) returns as Wheezer, the wise-cracking big brother that everyone looks up to.

Cast joining the second season includes Sydney Kuhne (Ginny & Georgia) as fiery new flight medic Stef, Ryan Ali (The Hummingbird Project) as handsome young pilot Reese, and Nadine Whiteman-Roden (Faith Heist) as Dr. Yana Noah.

SkyMed is produced by Piazza Entertainment in association with CBC, Canada’s national public broadcaster, and CBS Studios. The series is created by Julie Puckrin, who also serves as executive producer along with Vanessa Piazza and Gillian Hormel. Outside of Canada, SkyMed is distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Season 2 of SkyMed premieres on April 1 at 20:00 CAT, exclusively on Universal TV in Africa, with new episodes every Monday. The episodes will also be available on Universal+.

Development Alert: NBC Renews Law And Order: SVU For Season 26, Law And Order For Season 24, Chicago Fire For Season 13, Chicago PD For Season 12 And Chicago Med For Season 10

Dick Wolf is in for another busy season at NBC. No surprise here, the Peacock network has renewed “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” for the 2024-25 broadcast TV season. Among Dick Wolf scripted series, that leaves just “Law & Order: Organized Crime” on the bubble; a renewal for that show, which has experienced multiple showrunner changes in its short life, is still in discussion.

Among the shows, this will rep the 26th season of “Law & Order: SVU,” the 24th season of “Law & Order,” Season 13 for “Chicago Fire,” the 12th season for “Chicago PD” and the 10th season for “Chicago Med.” All of the renewed series are produced by Universal Studio Group’s Universal Television division, along with Wolf Entertainment, and all shows stream the following day on Peacock. (Wolf’s deal with Universal is currently through 2027.)

Per NBC, “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.” (collectively known as “One Chicago“) are the top three Wednesday shows in total viewers and rank among the top 10 primetime entertainment shows this season. Also, Season 25 of “Law & Order: SVU” is Thursday’s top-rated entertainment show in the 18-49 demo.

Across all platforms, Chicago Fire” is averaging 12.6 million viewers (+86%) and is +236% in the adults 18-49 demo (live+35); “Chicago P.D.” is averaging 12.0 million viewers (+114%) and is +287% in the demo; “Chicago Med” is averaging 10.5 million viewers (+57%) and is +141% in the demo; “Law & Order: SVU” is averaging 11.2 million viewers (+111%) and is +325% in the demo; and “Law & Order” is averaging 7.7 million viewers (+56%) and is +122% in the demo.

Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer on “Law & Order: SVU”; David Graziano, Julie Martin, Mariska Hargitay, Norberto Barba, Kenneth Brown, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski also executive produce. Wolf is also creator and executive producer on “L&O,” with Rick Eid, Pamela Wechsler, Alex Hall, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.

“Chicago Fire” executive producers are Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Andrea Newman, Reza Tabrizi, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski; Dick Wolf, Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, Stephen Hootstein, Eli Talbert, Derek Haas, Arthur Forney, Matt Olmstead, Michael Brandt and Peter Jankowski are executive producers on “Chicago Med”; “Chicago P.D.” executive producers are Dick Wolf, Gwen Sigan, Chad Saxton, Rick Eid, Derek Haas, Gavin Harris, Jason Beghe, Arthur Forney, Peter Jankowski and Michael Brandt.

News Shorts: The Equalizer Returns With A Third Season On Universal TV Across Africa, New Original Film The Greatest Hits Unveiled For Disney+ And Zokie Of Planet Ruby To Rollout On International Nickelodeon Channels In May

The Equalizer returns to Universal TV this month 

The Equalizer is set to return for its highly anticipated third season, exclusively on Universal TV. The show stars Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, Lorraine Toussaint as Viola “Aunt Vi” Marsette, Tory Kittles as Detective Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg as Harry Keshegian, Liza Lapira as Melody “Mel” Bayani, and Laya DeLeon Hayes as Delilah. The new season consists of 18, one-hour episodes airing every Friday at 20:00 (CAT) from 29 March 2024 on Universal TV (DStv 117). Episodes will be available on demand through Universal+ immediately thereafter.

Season 3 picks up after the tumultuous and nerve-wracking season 2 finale that saw Robyn McCall get abducted in front of her daughter Delilah and Aunt Vi. As someone who has worked hard to keep her family and work life separate, she will have to face a whole new set of challenges when she escapes her captors. Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy, Vikings) guest stars as Colton Fisk, one of the CIA’s most decorated agents, an ex-CIA union chief in the Middle East during the 1990s. Empowered with a Tier 5 security clearance (the highest possible) he was part of the intelligence team that took out Bin Laden, and for many years he ran “The Farm” (the CIA training base in Virginia). The addition of Logue follows Robyn’s mentor Bishop being killed by her longtime nemesis Mason Quinn (Chris Vance). Similarly to Bishop, Colton is a powerful and connected agent who navigates in the shadows. His connection to Robyn is as yet unknown…

The Greatest Hits to stream on Disney+

Harriet finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While she relives the past through romantic memories of her former boyfriend, her time travelling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present. As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders – even if she could change the past, should she?

The film stars Lucy Boynton as Harriet, a woman who discovers that certain songs transports her back in time where she relives a past romance, leaving her wondering if she should try to prevent the accident which resulted in the death of her boyfriend two years ago, or move on with her relationship in present day. 

It arrives on Disney+ from April 12.

Zokie and Ruby are coming to Nickelodeon 

In Zokie of Planet Ruby, quirky 10-year-old vlogger Ruby discovers her only video channel follower is a tail-zapping space alien from the planet Pudge named Zokie Sparkleby, and they quickly become best friends. Along with their friend Earl, a talking con-man squirrel, Ruby teaches Zokie about her version of Earth, while Zokie learns to control his unpredictable powers.

The buddy comedy series was produced and owned by Nelvana Enterprises in Canada was greenlit back in 2019 under the working title, Zokie Sparkleton and Zokie Sparkleby. Oddly enough, the first season was made available to stream on Amazon Prime Video by the end of December with no prior announcement. 

Now the series is gearing up for linear debut on Nickelodeon channels globally (excluding the US) from May 6.t

News Shorts: Sky News Named News Channel Of The Year At RTS, BET Announces New Series In Bloom + Release Date And NCIS Spinoff Greenlight By Paramount Plus

Sky scores big in the UK

Sky News has been named News Channel of the Year for the seventh consecutive year at the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards. 

Responding to Sky News winning the award, David Rhodes, Executive Chairman for Sky News Group said:

“It’s been a momentous year for news and I couldn’t be more proud that Sky News has been recognised by winning News Channel of the Year for a phenomenal seventh year in a row. To provide audiences with the full story first, our 800 journalists around the world have told

compelling human-interest stories, held those in power to account, have gone deep into the data and delivered powerful eyewitness reports from around the globe”.

The BBC, which similar to Sky News is based from the UK and made substantial changes to its news output in the last year walked away almost empty-handed. The broadcaster did secure a win for its coverage of the Ukraine conflict and for a BBC Wales investigation into Welsh Rugby.

BET launches new local drama

In Bloom has been produced by MTV Staying Alive Foundation with continued support of Paramount and grant support by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The thought-provoking collection tells unheard stories addressing a range of crucial issues including period poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, HIV self-stigma, family planning and women’s economic empowerment. 

The anthology comes from five female filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, India, the US and Brazil, creatively championing new voices and enabling insightful conversations to dismantle systemic injustices.

In Bloom will also premiere on BET, DStv Channel 129 on March 8 at 20:00 CAT

NCIS spinoff in development 

CBS Studios is expanding its ever growing NCIS franchise by bringing back two fan favorite characters from the mothership series, Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, and Ziva David, portrayed by Cote de Pablo, who will reunite on screen for the first time in 10 years. Paramount+ has given a 10-episode series order to the untitled spinoff headlined by Weatherly and de Pablo and written by John McNamara (Trumbo, The Magicians). All three executive produce.

Nicknamed NCIS: Europe, the new action-packed spinoff, set to start production later this year, will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) as they find themselves on the run across the continent.

NCIS is one of CBS Studios’ most valuable franchises and its expansion has been a goal for the studio. This is one of two new NCIS offshoots greenlighted this year, along with the Young Gibbs prequel series for CBS, NCIS: Origins. It is also the second extension of the NCIS franchise beyond the U.S., following NCIS: Sydney, which has been airing on CBS in the U.S.

Recap To Last Month: Could MultiChoice Be Looking To Replace M-Net's Me With Universal TV?

Last month, it was reported that M-Net's Me and 1Magic would exit MultiChoice's DStv by early February. This was after several consumers had recieved a notification from MultiChoice about the closures with the pay-tv company that had since then gone rogue.

The termination would have come a few weeks before MultiChoice officially launched the rebranded Showmax service. It would form as part of a joint venture with Comcast's NBCUniversal which would bring Peacock's best in class technology and content to the streamer.

NBCUniversal also supplies linear channels such as Universal TV, Studio Universal, E! Entertainment, DreamWorks and Telemundo on DStv. As seen last month, MultiChoice wasn't looking to replace Me leaving viewers to wonder what fate awaited shows like Survivor and The Good Doctor.

M-Net is currently exclusive to premium subscribers and Me was the only means of accessing the content. This lead to further speculation that MultiChoice was looking to prioritise on Universal TV basically another streamlined attempt with select content from Me on there.

The idea didn't seem far fetched as NBCUniversal has minority stake in Showmax and another having to do with the rollout of DStv Glass in partnership with MultiChoice.

Unlike 1Magic, MultiChoice in an ongoing conversation was only able to confirm the closure of Me through their SA department. MultiChoice Africa was able to confirm both closures and highlighting that a replacement "specifically for 1Magic" was in development.

There was no guarantee at this point if content from 1Magic or Me would surface on this channel. But considering that the closures affected consumers of Me it was expected that MultiChoice will make this brand accessible to consumers on the Compact and Family bouquet.

As of right now, both channels continue to operate on the DStv platform with Showmax repeats like Adulting and Outlaws dominating 1Magic and Me airing remaining shows in the form of weekday marathons with other primetime shows airing as double bills.

Could Universal TV And Mzansi Magic Be The Final Outcome Of M-Net Essentials (ME) And 1Magic??? As The River Draws To A Close And Showmax 2.0. Rolls Out

During the day, it was reported that MultiChoice will be removing 1Magic and M-Net Essentials (Me) both of which were supplied by M-Net in the coming weeks. DStv customers have already recieved inboxes confirming the termination of these channels.

M-Net's Me and 1Magic will be exiting DStv from February 2nd and MultiChoice doesn't appear to be looking to commission another channel in place. This is through an ongoing enquiry where a representative only confirms the channel but no substitution.

When VUZU and M-Net City merged to form Me, MultiChoice highlighted that in their response to several DStv consumers in 2021 and fast forward to the new year the pay-tv company is hush hush. It wouldn't seem far fetched if none of these channels were replaced.

Where does that leave further shows from 1Magic?

When 1Magic launched in 2018, M-Net was basically ripping several local shows away from Mzansi Magic and making them available exclusively on the channel. They even had a line-up of international shows like The $100,000 Pyramid and Gossip Girl whose future will be on M-Net's linear offering and Showmax.

Funny thing about this was The River was also scheduled to close around the same date as 1Magic, February 2nd. As several fans predicted, 1Magic built it's whole existence around 1 show and couldn't survive in the long run.

Where does that leave further shows from Me?

Me was a mashup of the former M-Net City and VUZU which was basically M-Net Series. A catch-up channel tailored for lower bouquets like Compact and Family and with its termination consumers need to wonder if the whole acquisition and revamping of Showmax had a part in the cancellation.

Despite Me getting poor reception from several DStv consumers, would it seem far fetched if MultiChoice probably wanted to prioritise Universal TV as it had garnered popularity following the demise of M-Net City and both channels reside within the same packages.

Universal TV is operated by NBCUniversal that manage channels like Studio Universal, DreamWorks and Telemundo. They even have a 30% stake on the soon-to-be-revamped Showmax streaming service.

What Happened To The Hallmark Channel On DStv?

Hallmark Channel was a family based entertainment channel featuring a set of miniseries such as McBride and Mystery Woman, movies alongside reality and acquired series like Walker Texas Ranger, Home Improvement and The Brady Bunch.

The channel hadn't been profitable during the time it was managed by Crown Media Holdings as they made several losses during 1998 to 1999. They recorded a $35.5 million in 1998 on revenue of $23.7 million, and in 1999 it lost $56.7 million on revenue of $31.9 million.

After several years of struggle, the channel made a breakthrough in 2005 recording their highest peak in viewership. It was also the year Hallmark's international operations was put up for sale receiving so many weak offerings they were fortunate to find a buyer.

Out of all the weak offers, Sparrowhawk Media purchased the brand for a total of $242 million which too was weak but the most they've gotten amongst bids. Around that time, NBCUniversal assisted in channel distribution.

In 2007, Sparrowhawk Media was later purchased by NBCUniversal had plans to launch a further set of channels including Universal TV, KidsCo, Diva, Syfy, Studio Universal and 13th Street Universal while as operating 18 Hallmark channels.

In 2011, Universal Networks International's rights to the Hallmark Channel brand ended; the networks were either shut down, or rebranded as one of the channels mentioned above.

Hallmark Channel can only be found in the United States and despite not having much power over the brand. They do own the space once reserved for the brand so Hallmark Channel can't do much globally without NBCUniversal's authorisation.

Source: Insidus Plus