News Shorts: Reno 911 Returns With A Season 7 Across Africa On Comedy Central, SABC Lehae Has Been Uploaded On SABC+ And uMbali To Make Their Linear Debut On e.tv

Fan favourite series returns to Comedy Central

This partially unscripted comedy brings viewers into the squad car as incompetent officers swing into action, answering 911 calls about everything from speeding violations and prostitution to staking out a drug den. Within each episode, viewers catch a "fly on the wall" glimpse of the cops' often politically incorrect opinions, ranging from their personal feelings to professional critiques of their colleagues.

It starred Cedric Yarbrough, Niecy Nash, Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Carlos Alazraqui, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Mary Birdsong, Ian Roberts and Joe Lo Truglio.

Local news in your language on SABC+

Through a brief press release, SABC News was spun off onto a multilingual news channel, SABC Lehae. Resigning exclusively on SABC's DTT, the channel is said to cater for non-DStv or paying consumers which resulted in the abrupt cancellation of SABC News.

Now the channel is currently streaming on SABC+ alongside existing brands such as SABC 1-3, SABC Sport and SABC Education. As mentioned, SABC News is exclusive to DStv meaning that SABC Lehae is now the leading destination for local and global news on the platform.

Mbali is a beautiful township girl with boundless ambition who gets caught on the wrong side of the law

A former teen beauty queen, she has the looks to drive men crazy. But, she is poor and lives in a small backroom in Diepkloof with her mother Phindile, her sister Phumla and daughter Khethiwe.

The family lives off Siya, Mbali’s boyfriend, a criminal who sells Mbali dreams of a lavish life. But when he gets arrested, the family is plunged deep into poverty as their main financial support is lost.

uMbali debuts Thursdays at 10PM from 12 October replacing the second season of Housewives.

Openview Plus Updates: eMedia Investments' eToonz To Get It's First Ever Official Competitor From Ngwato Nkosi Group And e.tv Scraps uBettina Wethu Season 4 As Die Kontrak Returns With A Season 3 On eExtra

DStv to rollout a premium eToonz channel

Last month, MultiChoice and Zee Entertainment Enterprises unveiled a Zulu dubbed Bollywood channel titled Zee Zonke. In some way, it sort of seemed like this was the pay-tv operators way of doing eExtra's Kuiertyd dirty by launching the exact opposite.

Play Room appears to be more enhanced version to the current eToonz channel as it set to carry a number of repeats like Paw Patrol, CoComelon and Akili And Me some of which will be dubbed in local languages and also get a sign language interpreter something not offered to Openview.

Why we consider this the first eToonz competitor? Simple, brands like Cartoon Network and PBS Kids are considered premium channels to some extent as they serve original productions and Play Room offering is limited which is why we pinned these two with each other.

Die Kontrak is back for a season 3

Last year, eMedia Investments revived Die Kontrak (formerly seen on Via) for a second season which had proved to be a resounding success if the show was fortunate enough to get a third season. Similar to Idols and The Voice, musicians are given a chance to own the stage with a winner set to get a recording contract.

Premiering episodes are on eExtra every Sunday at 18:00 with repeats said to be allocated on e.tv in an undisclosed timeslot.

uBettina Wethu has been removed from primetime

Last month, it had been reported that uBettina Wethu would return to e.tv for a fourth season as SABC lost rights to the fashion drama. But as seen in recent weeks, eMedia decided to pull the show off the schedule with its timeslot bombarded with content from eReality.

Several things came to mind and that was the possibility of this recent adjustment being permanent. Since rolling out local dramas in the 20:30 timeslot none of them have managed to immense as much success as Scandal or House Of Zwide.

Theoretically, could it be possible that uBettina Wethu could perhaps debut on a new timeslot perhaps 18:30 as Nikiwe has been struggling to garner much traction with consumers making it a very easy target and also another way to give the upcoming season exposure.

Development Alert: uBettina Wethu Cancelled After 3 Seasons On SABC 1, Revived For A Season 4 On e.tv And VIU

A few months ago, it was learnt by the public broadcaster that 7de Laan would end their 26 year run on SABC 2 with the last episode slated for 26 December 2023. Despite being one of the few shows reel in a million viewers SABC can't afford to keep it on the air.

It was also learnt that the public broadcaster that more shows (including ones as popular as 7de Laan) would get the boot. As seen this various media outlets, uBettina Wethu will be ending it's run on SABC 1 with a fourth season slated for e.tv in the coming week.

Based on the Colombian drama Betty Y Soy, uBettina Wethu followed a naïve rural girl who gets a job working for one of Johannesburg's most eligible bachelors. Determined to take charge of her life, she embraces strategic decision-making, self-discovery, and personal growth.

The series became a rating success on SABC 1 but amidst its debut on e.tv, the viewership began to plunge and following e.tv's induction the show is nowhere to be seen on TAMS top 20 likely due to its telecast on SABC 1 which kind of puts the show in a precarious position.

Seeing as the show would depart on SABC 1 and e.tv had spent most of the year rehashing past episodes. Could the fourth season be its last as not a lot of marketing being poured into this show and most consumers would probably think that e.tv is rehashing it for the rest of 2023.

Now that we know that uBettina Wethu was the next program by the public broadcaster to get the boot. Could Takalani Sesame be next as eMedia Investments had scooped it up for their linear platforms during the year and the public broadcaster is reviewing each asset.

Pending Development: My Girlfriend's Father + Tickets + More Local Productions That Have Yet To Be Seen On eVOD

Below is a list of local productions some of which are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. As advised during the year, eMedia Investments had been forming partnerships with various broadcasters to build some of the content viewed on eVOD and e.tv.

This list consists of titles that are awaiting release:

• My Girlfriend's Father: When a guy from the city finds a new girlfriend, he does not know that the fate of their relationship rests in the hands of a snooty patriarch from a royal family. The film debuts 14 September on eVOD.

• Tickets: Young lovers Crystal and Marlyn can’t keep their hands off each other. He dreams of rapping and she dreams of singing on the big stage. What they both actually want, is just a way out of the Flats. Phyllis, Crystal’s Mom, lives with a heavy secret, the burden of hiding it is driving a wedge between her and her daughter.

• Clean Job: Clean Job is the story of a grief stricken, broken young woman named Kimberly, who grows up to be the ruthless master mind behind a criminal syndicate of desperate, poor women from the township, who disguise themselves as domestic workers, to rob rich people living in the suburbs of Johannesburg.

• Klip Anker Baai: A young woman comes back to South Africa to run her late father's fishing company and save her community from losing their livelihood.

• Proof Of Payment: Set in modern day South Africa, Proof of Payment is the story of Themba, a disadvantaged, yet incredibly intelligent, charismatic, yet unscrupulous young man who has perfected the art of conning unsuspecting victims out of their valuables.

Still in development:

• Umbrella Men 2

Development Alert: Kind Van Die Noodlot And In Die Ysterhand Se Greep Currently Streaming On Showmax, #DisComplicated To Rollout On e.tv

Kind Van Die Noodlot and In Die Ysterhand Se Greep now on Showmax

Last year, kykNET rolled out two international dramas Kind Van Die Noodlot (Belahan Jiwa Kahraman) and In Die Ysterhand Se Greep (Asla Vazgeçmem) through kykNET & Kie. Amidst that period, MultiChoice had an ongoing through a carriage feud with eMedia Investments.

eMedia Investments played a part in their success after rolling out a similar offering in 2018 on eExtra. Since then, over 30 Turkish dramas had been distributed in Afrikaans (4 of which belong to kykNET) and eMedia had rolled out a dedicated channel and OTT platform.

Despite that, MultiChoice is not interested in retaining eExtra alongside their other 3 channels viewed on the Openview platform including eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz.

Although we have yet to see kykNET ramp up its own ePlesier type channel or give these shows much exposure on their linear platforms. MultiChoice has however made Showmax the official streaming portai for shows like Kind Van Die Noodlot and In Die Ysterhand Se Greep.

At the moment, Jy Is My Seun and Verbode Liefde aren't available on the platform.

A rebroadcast of #DisComplicated is coming to e.tv

Since Kuiertyd's inception in 2018, eMedia Investments had been using e.tv as a catch-up service for some of their shows. Of course, there are still a selected number of shows which haven't been seen yet on the platform including Om Elke Draai, Impak and Kruispad.

As seen through an updated programme guide, #DisComplicated which serves as another one of those never before seen shows has been allocated in the 8:30 on e.tv in place of Fenix from 30 August.

For those without a DStv and Openview can follow the story of follows Eda Yıldız longing to become a landscape architect. After losing her parents when she was young, this brilliant student pursued her studies with scholarships. However, she crosses paths with Serkan Bolat an obsessive workaholic who jeopardizes her plans.

New Series Alert: SpongeBob SquarePants + The Thundermans + More Nick Classics Make Their Freemium Debut On The eBranded Channels

During the year, eMedia Investments scooped up various content for their linear platforms particularly from Nickelodeon like Dora The Explorer, The Loud House and The Fairly OddParents. Now eMedia is set to expand their stake on Nickelodeon with the following programs:

e.tv

• SpongeBob SquarePants: A yellow sea sponge named SpongeBob SquarePants, who enjoys being a cook at Krusty Krab, lives in the Pacific Ocean. He embarks on various adventures with his friends at Bikini Bottom. The series airs Mondays to Thursdays at 14:30 from 28 August.

eToonz

• Victorious: Tori Vega, a sixteen-year-old girl, finally gets a chance to prove herself and shine away from her sister's shadow after she gets to attend a well-known high school of performing arts. The series airs Wednesdays at 18:00 from 23 August.

• The Thundermans: Max and Phoebe are the Thunderman twins who belong to a super cool family of superhumans. While Phoebe wants to use her abilities for good, Max is hell-bent on becoming a villain. The series airs Friday at 18:00 from 1 September.

• Game Shakers: Babe and Kenzie create a popular application named Sky Whale. However, rapper Double G threatens to ruin their business because he finds out they have been using his song without permission. The series airs Mondays at 18:00 from 28 August.

Pending/Rumoured

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: After getting exposed to a mutant substance, four turtles become giants and start speaking and walking upright. They are trained by a wise rat, Splinter, in order to defeat an evil man, Shredder.

• Henry Danger: Henry Hart, a thirteen-year-old boy works secretly as Kid Danger, a sidekick to superhero Captain Man. He must protect his own exploits from being discovered by his family and friends.

• School Of Rock: Misadventures of Dewey Finn, a rocker who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school as he teaches his unconventional and overachieving students to play and love rock 'n' roll.

• Sanjay & Craig: The always odd and often gross-out adventures of a young boy named Sanjay Patel and his talking pet snake Craig.

News Shorts: Disney+ Might Be Excluded From Certain African Markets Ahead Of Channel Closures, More Timeslot Changes Coming To eExtra Ahead Of Annekan Die Swa Kry's Debut On e.tv And MultiChoice To Cease Transmission Of The DStv Platform In Malawi

Disney+ is undergoing changes

During the month, it was learnt by Disney's CEO Bob Iger that Disney+ would be reviewing their portfolio in several countries with some limiting the amount of content produced within that region if not shut down alongside most of their linear platforms across the world.

Since Disney+ inception in 2019, there's still various markets in Europe, Africa and Asia without Disney+ and Bob Iger was able to confirm why some of these markets haven't been seen with the streamer. As seen in the last months, they're looking at regions which can make the streamer profitable.

Unfortunately most of Africa doesn't fit that description so various content like Only Murders In The Building, Loki and Solar Opposites will likely be folded under existing brands like Multichoice's Showmax, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as opposed to getting a seperate platform as seen in South Africa.

It is believed by analysts that Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are doing something similar with consumers in other regions.

Winter Son and Annekan Die Swa Kry are doing a switcheroo

Last month, eExtra underwent a schedule change which saw various repeats move to the Power Up leaving the channel to air repeats to past programming alongside other content already viewed on both eReality and eXposed.

In recent developments, e.tv will be allocating a new Turkish drama known in Afrikaans as Annekan Die Swa Kry in place of the first season to Roekeloos Dade. As seen through an updated programme guide, the channel will be moving the 17:00 shows in which this new series resides to Winter Son's timeslot on eExtra at 12:25.

Winter Son airs weekdays on eExtra at 19:00 with repeats 2 and a half hours later at 22:30. The Heir gets burned off to midnights, possible indicator that the channel might be phasing out the Bollywood part of the brand.

MultiChoice to close shop in selected territories

MultiChoice Africa Holdings (MAH) said its decision followed an injunction issued by the High Court in Lilongwe in a matter between MultiChoice Malawi (MCM) and the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) prohibiting an adjustment to the DStv tariffs.

MAH has argued that its local subsidiary is not responsible for setting prices for the service, which are set by the parent company independently. MultiChoice Malawi does not offer DStv to the Malawi public. The local outfit is responsible for the digital-terrestrial GOtv offering, for which it applied and received approval from the regulator for price adjustments.

Having argued repeatedly that the Malawi operation was not responsible for the DStv service, MAH said the subsidiary was incapable of complying with the court order to implement MACRA’s ruling on prices.

Since failure to comply could have “grave consequences for the directors and management of MultiChoice Malawi, including imprisonment”, it said it was withdrawing DStv from the country.

Development Alert: e.tv Rips Yet Another Show Away From Primetime On eExtra, Annekan Die Swa Kry

During the year, eMedia Investments unveiled Roekeloos Dade of which it's Afrikaans title had yet to be revealed at the time. The series was initially slated to air on eExtra in the timeslot currently reserved by Om Elke Draai before it got scooped up by e.tv.

Prior to Om Elke Draai's arrival on eExtra, Annekan Die Swa Kry was initially slated to launch after Roekeloos Dade was nowhere to be seen closer to its launch date. But that never came to pass with eMedia silently rolling out the entire first season on the eVOD streaming service.

eVOD has been viewed as another hub for eMedia's local productions and often it was predictable to know which channel would get what at this point. The Afrikaans series were usually scooped up by eExtra while as e.tv dealt with the original portion of the streaming service.

After two years, the format has been broken with Annekan Die Swa Kry a series you'd expect to be tailored for eExtra's fans will instead make room on e.tv from August 21st after Roekeloos Dade goes on production break a week prior.

e.tv being branded as a freemium channel had started losing its value over the years. First you had Fear Factor and Celebrity Family Feud now it's on eReality then S.W.A.T. and Magnum Pi now on eXposed heck even eToonz is getting some airtime with The Loud House.

The Kuiertyd portion of the brand was something that was left unscathed for almost 4 years now but with eReality ramping up some local content this was bound to happen eventually.

eMedia Investments doesn't view these portions of e.tv as a priority as seen previously and they're also putting a lot of confidence into their other brands. Before you'd have e.tv serving as catch-up to most of their programming now they trust each brand to their own offering.

I guess the real question is what is become of Craze I mean with Takalani Sesame could we getting more curriculum based programming?

As for Roekeloos Dade, the series is expected to make a comeback around the time Winter Son on eExtra comes to a close and as for Annekan Die Swa Kry, here's what we know:

The story revolves around four siblings who lose their parents due to unfortunate circumstances and try to build their lives together. But soon the truth surrounding their parent's death slowly starts to unravel and nothing will remain the same.

It stars Fadik Sevin Atasoy, Celil Nalçakan, Su Burcu Yazgı Coşkun, Yiğit Koçak, Aylin Akpınar, Onur Seyit Yaran, Melis Minkari, Recep Usta and Cihan Şimşek.

News Shorts: e.tv's Struggling Telenovela Nikiwe Gets New Writing Team, Crown Of Tears Makes A Landing On Telenovela Channel Phillipines And Flipping El Moussas Currently Seen On HGTV Resurfaces On TLC Africa

Nikiwe is heading to a new direction

During the year, eMedia Investments debuted two local dramas Smokes And Mirrors and Nikiwe on e.tv, South Africa's most viewed English station and second watched channel on DStv. Unlike Smokes And Mirrors, consumers weren't turned on about the show.

Initially, Smokes And Mirrors was also struggling to garner any traction but overtime it managed to win the heart of audiences but Nikiwe's struggling viewership has led the eMedia team to hire new writers in order to save the show from possible extinction.

The writing team who was lead by Sipho Tshapu got the boot with Bongi Ndaba coming in place to save the struggling telenovela.

Telenovela Channel Phillipines welcomes a popular Televisa series

Appearing on six shows since the channel’s debut in 2011, Victoria have made a lasting impact to TNC viewers who have continued to air their wishes to see more of her.

In Crown of Tears, she is joined by Alejandro Nones (Love To Death), José María Torre Hütt (Luz Clarita), and Mane de la Parra (La Malquerida), and they play a family who go through the ebbs and flows of life as a mother bears the burden of seeing her sons take different paths to their respective destinies. 

Alongside Telenovela Channel Phillipines, Crown Of Tears served as one of the five shows seen on TLNovelas following its debut in Africa. Consumers in Phillipines can catch the drama at 21:00 from August 14.

More Discovery for TLC

During the month, TLC introduced a new entrepreneurial series Me Or The Menu currently seen on Food Network. Despite the existence of Real Time, it looks like Discovery will be taking much longer to allocate some content to the lifestyle channel with the other being Flipping El Moussas.

Following couple Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa during their personal and professional journey together as newlyweds and property experts. In their first year, they tackle a house move, renovation, and trying to get pregnant.

Flipping El Moussas is currently seen on HGTV and for some reason it will be allocated on TLC from September. We assume it having to deal with couples is what led to it's induction same with Me Or The Menu.

Kuiertyd Updates: SterStatus Makes It's Freemium Debut On e.tv, Doodsondes Returns For A Fifth And Sixth Season On eVOD, eExtra's Kuiertyd Being Ripped Away From DStv Platform + More

During the week, eMedia Investments had been creating a lot of buzz some good (and others not so great) and I just thought of wanting you refresh your memory to see what is happening across their platforms. 

e.tv

Since 2022, eMedia Investments had restructured the channel into the leading destination for local entertainment similar to Mzansi Magic and SABC 1 with most of their international content being reverted to eReality and eXposed with "premium movies on the eMovies channels.

As advised only 1 project is currently in development:

• Perfect Picture, a celebrity filtered reality show formerly seen on SABC 1 had been scooped up by eMedia Investments for a second season.

eExtra

Last month, Roekeloos Dade alongside uBettina Wethu exchanged timeslots meaning the Turkish drama would air 30 minutes early while the local series would air an hour later. It only made sense for eExtra to undergo similar changes with their consumers. 

• SterStatus, a fashion show formerly seen on Media24's Afrikaans lifestyle channel becomes the second project to have gotten revived by eMedia Investments following Die Kontrak. 

• From 31 July, Elif will be airing 18:00 followed by Om Elke Draai at 19:00 then Hart Van Goud at 20:00 and Die Put at 21:00. eMedia Investments hadn't provided the full 24 hour schedule should they do we'll gladly provide it but as of now Kuiertyd will look like this

18:00 Elif

19:00 On Elke Draai

20:00 Hart Van Goud.

21:00 Die Put

• The channel rolls out three new international telenovelas (two of which are currently streaming on eVOD): Winter Son, Chrysalis and Ramo. All shows but Elif ends next month as it continues to be Kuiertyd's longest running series.

• From July 4, Die Vreemdeling the first ever Turkish series to be made available on e.tv will broadcast as a double bill at 16:00.

eVOD

* The final two seasons of Doodsondes will launch exclusively on eVOD. Even Die Put has reached its final rounds on the streaming service both of which are slated for eExtra's Kuiertyd.

Other 

During the week, it was learnt by sources that e.tv's 4 channels would be exciting MultiChoice's DStv and after a few hours we managed to recieve word that eToonz, eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra would in fact end its run on the pay-tv platform by the end of July.

As mentioned, further content can be viewed on e.tv and several pay-tv channels on DStv. Of course with e.tv, this comes at a limited basis with some content be it drama related or cinema based taking longer to be viewed on e.tv than on eExtra or eMovies some never seen on the brand.

New Series Alert: eMedia Investments Scoops Up SterStatus From Via For A Fifth Season, To Broadcast On e.tv

The Winter Wonderland gala ball and derby hosted by SterStatus was a spectacular fundraising event held at Alberton High School.

The event featured South African actress Stephanie Baartman, known as Bibi from Getroud et Rugby and now Lettie in Diepe Waters and South African actor and producer David Rees, known for his role as Chris Welmann in 7de Laan.

The recorded events and activities but will air on eTV and Via from July 30th with the message of charity. The 10 dedicated ladies from SterStatus Season Five were the driving forces behind this noble cause.

All the funds raised will go to the Fabulous Girl Foundation, an organisation dedicated to empowering girls, enhancing their self-esteem and promoting education and skill development.

The evening was full of glamour and compassion. The live entertainment was by the band Broke N Free and singer Mirandi Morsner.

Schedule Update: Ouma Sarie And The First Lady Roll Out On e.tv And Novelas E Plus

e.tv hits a new low with Ouma Sarie

After debuting on eExtra last month, eMedia Investments is scooping up the sitcom once again but this time for e.tv probably after what happened to The Goldbergs or the fact that most of their local endeavours are given the e.tv treatment meaning more exposure.

Straight talking no nonsense Ouma Sarie, a stalwart of the Karoo community, is a grandmother everyone should have. Not a day passes without drama, and in her unique way she does and says what she wants - and gets away with it.

Ouma Sarie broadcasts every Saturday at 18:30 on e.tv with the latest episodes broadcast almost a day later on eExtra every Sunday at 19:00.

More Caracol on the tele

During the week, it was learnt by sources that StarTimes acquired rights to the Colombian drama, Living Love. But that's not the only Caracol original to be seen on African screens as The First Lady (Primera Dama) formerly seen on Via and Wazobia TV is now seen on Novelas E Plus.

Paloma is a humble young woman who has a dream that must be fulfilled no matter the consequences: becoming the First Lady of Colombia . But in order to achieve this, she must leave aside the love she feels for Mariano, win the future president Leonardo Santander and, most important, win the trust of his wife, who unknowingly will open the doors of her house to the woman who will end her marriage, completely destroying the life of her family and make her husband become President, so Paloma becomes the First Lady.

The series airs weekdays at 19:00.

Development Alert: The Perfect Picture Moves From SABC 1 To e.tv For A Season 2

The Perfect Picture is a nine-part reality series where ten celebrities with a passion for photography compete against each other to show they have what it takes to step away from the spotlight and move behind the camera! Do they have the best eye for a great picture? The celebs must use their technical and creative skills to show they can take the perfect shot. 

It features Anele Zondo, Cristall Kay, Ivan Roux, Gugu Kathi, Jonathan Boynton-Lee, Lasizwe Dambuza, Luyanda Mzazi, Nomvelo Makhanya and Tshego Koke.

The YouTube original had its entire first season broadcast on SABC 1 and for some reason if not budget cuts and successors like Skeem Saam. the second season will move to e.tv with repeats on eReality. Not that I've heard of the show but this move could give it exposure.

With so much currently seen on SABC 1, it's hard for a program such as The Perfect Picture to consume much viewers I mean Uzalo and Skeem Saam are in the 5 million area while the recent addition Deal Or No Deal SA can pull almost half of that viewership.

The Perfect Picture airs every Sunday from 23 July on e.tv at 5PM and repeats on eReality everyday at 5:30PM.

Openview Plus Shorts: eMedia Investments' eVOD Streaming Service Reaches 800000 Consumers, To Rollout New Content Including Stout And The Phoenix, And Lego Friends: Heartlake Stories Rolls Out On e.tv

eVOD is garnering traction and also new content

eMedia's eVOD video streaming service has reached 800 000 registrations, fuelling South African viewers' transition from linear television to streaming content online.

eMedia says that eVOD - which continues to add eOriginals ranging from drama series to made-for-TV films - has become "a streaming success story, and is seen as one of the fastest growing, subscription-free, streaming platforms in South Africa".

eVOD currently has a growing slate of 24 locally produced eOriginals: Six TV series and 18 films which have all specifically been commissioned for the streamer, with a new locally-produced titled added monthly.

eVOD added a second season of the Splintered Pieces series in April and is set to add Seconds, starring Vusi Kunene, in July. Other productions set to join the lineup include the already mentioned film Tickets alongside two series Stout and The Phoenix.

Synopsis for Stout:

Welcome to Jonah's School for Boys (and girls according to one of the tutors), a school that prides itself on the reformation and rehabilitation of young, troubled (mostly troublesome) boys. Surely nothing sinister goes on behind the walls of this school.

It is a 26 part drama series.

Some details regarding The Phoenix:

The series was being produced by The Milton Empire with Siphosethu Tshapu, writer of e.tv's Nikiwe and Mzansi Magic's Umkhokha The Curse tied to the project. Details of the plot have yet to be released but it stars Yonda Thomas, Zikhona Bali, Dumisani Mbebe and Brenda Ngxoli.

More kiddies entertainment for your television

LEGO® Friends: Heartlake Stories (shown as Heartlake Stories) is a spinoff miniseries based on the LEGO Friends: Girls on a Mission series. These episodes were broadcast only on YouTube, but also have been shown on Netflix.

After three years, the four part mini series is set to make its freemium debut on e.tv on Tuesdays at 14:55 from 11 July.

Recap To Last Year: eXposed Becomes The Premier Destination For The Best International Series

eXposed is a general entertainment channel operated by eMedia Investments that broadcasts a mixture of reality shows, drama series and documentaries. Some of the content available on the channel include The Walking Dead, Flower Of Evil and Empire.

The channel was added as a replacement to eReality and over the past year a supplement to the former international content viewed on e.tv. I mean the channel kind of resembles the main channel in a lot of aspects they offer the best of eReality and eExtra.

Prior to those two channels rollout on Openview, most of their content was seen on e.tv at the time and as these channels became a household name that only left an empty void on the main channel with a portion of their channel bombarded with their repeats.

In the later parts of 2010, e.tv was the Bop TV of our generation featuring shows like Family Feud, Fear Factor, NCIS: Los Angeles and The Resident. Fast forward to 2023, the latter can only be viewed through Openview with selected content distributed by M-Net on DStv.

Most of which isn't on a platform like DStv Access and Easyview. SABC 3 (stylised as S3) is another hub to relive those days with shows like The Good Doctor, Killing Eve and El Capo. Sure these are different programs but it does make a good successor.

If I had to sum up the issue with international on e.tv, MultiChoice and SABC have been in the local game since inception and eMedia Investments is trying to build on that so instead of erasing e.tv's entire existence we have channels like eXposed keeping the magic alive.

Development Alert: Roekeloos Dade And Rebroadcast To uBettina Wethu Are Switching Timeslots

Roekeloos Dade launched on e.tv last month with the VIU original uBettina Wethu currently seen on SABC 1 rolling out months prior. It hasn't even been 6 months yet and e.tv has made yet another adjustment to the offering which would see both shows exchange timeslots.

From Monday 19 June, a rebroadcast of uBettina Wethu airs daily from 6pm which is just an hour later while as Roekeloos Dade a series that isn't a rebroadcast, has less airtime on the channel with some viewers not able to keep up with daily rebroadcasts moves to 5pm.

This comes after The Goldbergs was axed on e.tv after 3 seasons with further content available on eXposed and for DStv consumers on Me. Devi similar to Checkpoint had her timeslot altered at the last minute.

No reason was given for the sudden change but if I had to guess, eMedia Investments was probably trying to get uBettina Wethu closer to the other local offering seen on the channel as seen with rebroadcasts of Isitha: The Enemy with House Of Zwide and Scandal.

Considering that Roekeloos Dade moves up on the channel. Would it be shocking if eMedia Investments were to phase primetime on the slot perhaps to promote the existing offering seen on eVOD and eExtra.

I mean ePlesier already exists and catch-up could as well move to the channel while as e.tv could exist to promote selected shows perhaps simultaneous. I mean there's hardly much to watch on the main channel as portion the channel is basically another eExtra.

Development Alert: e.tv Dumps FOX Original Doodsondes After 2 Seasons, Season 5 & Season 6 To Stream Exclusively On eVOD

Doodsondes (Yasak Elma) is a Turkish drama series produced by FOX which is home to other content to have been seen on Kuiertyd including Dokter Ali (Mucize Doctor), Om Elke Draai (Her Yerde Sen), Daai Crazy Somer (Son Yaz) and #DisComolicated (Sen Çal Kapimi).

It launched by 2020 on eExtra and lasted for only 2 seasons before moving to e.tv for the same duration. Now it had been confirmed by sources that season 5 and 6 are currently in production with the new season anticipated to rollout on eVOD by August 2023.

Similar to the third season of Die Put, Doodsondes would be made available to eExtra before e.tv as the channel handles the Afrikaans portion of eMedia while e.tv often plays second fiddle for the streamer's original portfolio such as Housewives and Splintered Pieces.

Taking to account, Doodsondes consists of 6 seasons meaning the drama will run through 2024/5 on eVOD and eExtra. Although, the show will draw to a close, writers behind the drama had expressed desires for a potential seventh season - nothing official as yet.

Synopsis for the fifth season of Doodsondes:

Six months have passed since the explosion and nothing is the same anymore. As Yildiz's life evolves in a completely different direction, Ender's arrival will help her cope with the problems she is experiencing. Yildiz's next-door neighbor, Kumru, who has just entered her life, falls into everyone's lives like a bomb with her different character.

More Repeats Coming Soon To The Openview Platform??? As Beef! And Dare Lie To Me Were Scheduled To Air On e.tv

Not to be mistaken with eKasi: Our Stories much less eKasi+, eKasi is a programming block on eReality that eMedia Investments use for original productions like Beef! or Pay Back The Money alongside other content like Date My Family or Our Perfect Wedding.

Since 2022, eMedia Investments has been working on building their original slate which led to the decline of international content on e.tv as they want to reshape the channel to better compete with brands like SABC 1 and Mzansi Magic which seen success for such content.

e.tv is shaping up to become another SABC 1 which too has seen a lot of rebroadcasts (such as The Estate) build their lineup or in e.tv's case Kuiertyd and eNCA.

During the month, eMedia Investments reshuffled primetime having shows like Devi and Checkpoint air on Sunday with repeats throughout the week to compliment The Last Word With Shahan Ramkissoon and these changes caught viewers by surprise.

From the looks of the channel's EPG, these changes kind of seemed rushed as they have the ABC comedy, The Goldbergs listed under the channel. For those not viewing on Openview, the international lineup on e.tv was supplemented by eXposed.

Anyways as I'm looking, I noticed e.tv has Beef! and Dare To Lie Me scheduled for 11 June. The only problem is Devi is airing where Beef! would be seen with CrimeWatch in Dare To Lie Me's timeslot. All of this kind of proves my point these changes were rushed.

It's not surprising to see these shows on the channel considering how much airtime is latched onto eExtra's Kuiertyd as well as the local series and films produced by eVOD. It was only a matter of time as this content costs them a lot of money and e.tv gives them exposure.

Considering that the week these series were slated to air has The Goldbergs it's likely to be phased out alongside the sitcom. But if I had to guess, it will probably air in the timeslot used by My Wife Rules which is 1 hour and the individual series 30 minutes.

Everyday Novelas Shorts: Doodsondes Season 5 And Season 6 Confirmed For eExtra, Love To Death To Rollout On Galaxy Television And Land Of Passions To Debut On Telemundo Africa's Passionistas Group In The Coming Months

More Doodsondes coming soon to Openview

During the year, it was announced that the popular FOX series, Doodsondes (Yasak Elma) will be returning for a fifth season later in the year. In a recent interview, it was also revealed that production had begun on season 6 hinting at a back-to-back rollout.

Doodsondes premiered on eExtra in 2019 and after a few seasons it moved to e.tv. The upcoming seasons are currently listed under eExtra but considering the brand is dubbed Turkwood they might as well be referring to e.tv.

Upcoming shows for eExtra include Ramo, Chrysalis and Annekan Die Swa Kry.

Another yet to be seen TLNovelas original is launching on Galaxy TV

Galaxy TV, a private owned television channel situated in Nigeria had acquired rights to Mexican drama Amar A Muerte (Love To Death). It stars Angelique Boyer, Michel Brown, Alejandro Nones, Arturo Barba, Claudia Martín, Macarena Achaga and Henry Zakka.

The heart is deceitful and more often than not we live believing that we have everything around us under control. This is exactly the case of media mogul Leon Carvajal who thinks he has the perfect life but Lady Death proves to him otherwise when he dies and comes back in a different body only to realize everything around him is in rambles.

A classic Telemundo original to debut on the Passionistas Group

Telemundo, a general entertainment channel owned by NBCUniversal that is home to variety of telenovelas in Latin America had rolled out in the African market by 2013. Unlike fellow competitors TLNovelas, the channel has yet to relive the early 2000s.

But due to a poll held sometime ago, this dream is about to become a reality or at least through their Passionistas Group on Facebook as the classic Tierra De Pasiones (Land Of Passions) will begin streaming on the group from July 26th with English subtitles.

It follows the stormy life of the beautiful Valeria San Román who is full of secrets and disappointments, only her indomitable character gives her the strength to face her enemies, and even her own family, and give love a chance with the appearance of Francisco Contreras.

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Roekeloos Dade, Annekan Die Swa Kry And Ramo

Roekeloos Dade (Hayat Sarkisi)
Roberto Kyle as Kerim Cevher
Rene Cloete as Hülya Çamoglu
Melanie Scholtz as Melek
Pierre Nelson as Hüseyin Cevher
Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck as Süheyla Cevher
Anja Taljaard as Filiz
Dee Theart as Nilay
Helena Baard as Bade Cevher
Chante Crainger as Ceylan
Liande Valentyn as Nürgul

Annekan Die Swa Kry (Kardeslerim)
Melissa De Vries as Sengül
Megan Spencer as Nebahat
Richard Van Die Westhuizen as Akif Aktul
Talitta Jameson as Asiye
John Koopman as Ogulcan
Marunzo Thomas as Kadir
Curtley Pitt as Mazlum
Anna Louise Bischoff as Harika
Zaan Du Toit as Suzan
Melissa Myburgh as Melisa
Christian Schoeman as Berk
Hunter Plaatjies as Aybike Eren

Additional voice actors: click here 

Ramo
Hein De Vries as Ramo
Veronique Jephtas as Sibel
Keenan Herman as Alpay
Christian Bennett as Kasak
Anrich Herbst as Yavuz
Craig Adriaanse as Sakik
Jacques Theron as Hale
Grace Pienaar as Neslihan
Abdurgaman Adams as Süleyman
Jill Levenberg as Kerimak
Sanchia Davids as Afet
Hein Poole as Bücür
Rushney Ferguson as Fatos
Basil Appolis as Ismail
Maria Van Die Almeida as Cavidan
Jurgen McEwan as Docak
Nethanel Swartz as Arap
Celeste Matthews as Sebanat
André Samuels as Durdu