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Canal+ Group Buys Stake In African TV Production Company Marodi TV
Canal+ Group has acquired a stake in Marodi TV, a Senegalese production company which is a leading purveyor of TV series across ...
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Development Alert: Roekeloos Dade Moves To eExtra For Season 2, Replaces Winter Son This October
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Afrikaans Voice Actors For Winter Son On eExtra
Friday, August 18, 2023
#BoycottingKuiertyd: Was Zee Zonke Meant To Be The Final Nail To The Coffin For eExtra On DStv?
TOLDJA! e.tv's 4 Channels Were Meant To Go Dark On DStv By August But Were Extended, Might To Go Dark By The End Of 2023 If Not Early 2024
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
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
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Could eExtra Be Phasing Out The Bollywood Section Home To Naagin And The Heir?
eExtra is a general entertainment channel managed by eMedia Investments which had garnered popularity for its induction of Kuiertyd which has brought several international productions including Kruispad, Gebroke Harte, Doodsondes, Bittersoet and Impak.
The channel also featured programming from India such as Twist Of Fate, Naagin and The Heir and even Asian dramas such as Ice Adonis, High Society Scandal and Battle Through The Heavens.
For several years, eMedia had been shuffling the channel's line-up after having shows like Family Feud and Fear Factor on eReality and Chicago PD and The Goldbergs on eXposed. Even their current offering has seen a reduction or possible extinction over the years.
Before Kuiertyd, the channel was seen as a portal for international stories seen on Telemundo, Show TV and Globo most of which had been phased out for more Bollywood and Asian programming. Over the past year, even that appears to be the next thing eExtra is looking to limit.
By the end of 2022, eExtra had this section on repeat and now only the Asian part of the channel had resumed primetime while Naagin builds up the rest of the Bollywood offering seeing as Till The End Of Time and The Heir are basically repeats.
From August, this offering is moving to the 1PM timeslot basically the death slot of the channel with repeats at 11PM which too is known for viewership purge. Although there hasn't been much conformation as to the future of Guilty Pleasure.
It is believed by sources that Naagin and Dayan serve as the most viewed offering within this section could explain why it hasn't been filtered out yet with repeats and also it's kind of niche as Zee One and Star Life exempted themselves from such content.
eMedia Investments rolled out a pay-tv offering during the year catering to these consumers. Perhaps that played a big part in eExtra's offering I mean with Star Life and Zee One alongside Zee Family and Star Select consumers would have plenty of content to distract themselves and it would take the attention away from eExtra.
It's kind of uncertain on the plans eMedia have for their Asian offering on whether that could be a gonner as well. Considering that part of this helps eXposed and is sort of one way to alienate them from the rest of the offering it could stick around for a while longer.
In the end, it wouldn't be shocking if ePlesier and eExtra were sort of unified and eMedia just tried licencing content similar to Ouma Sarie and Die Kontrak.
Monday, July 31, 2023
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.
Sunday, July 30, 2023
eExtra's New Schedule Dated July 30th, 2023
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Recap To Last Year: How MultiChoice Went About Phasing Out The eBranded Channels?
Saturday, July 22, 2023
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.
Friday, July 21, 2023
Could eToonz, eExtra, eMovies And eMovies Extra Be The Next Channels To Exit MultiChoice's DStv?
Last year, MultiChoice renewed their partnership with eMedia Investments for eNCA which meant eNuus on kykNET could live on a couple of years. Unfortunately, this new agreement didn't include eToonz, eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra therefore ending it's run on DStv.
At the time, it was learnt that MultiChoice would adding more channels during that financial period including Movie Room and DreamWorks and also extending the reach of existing channels KIX and PBS Kids. They even got kykNET to rollout it's international telenovela slate.
But that's where things get interesting because around the time all this happened. The courts made their ruling and it was advised that MultiChoice retain these channels following pending investigation which created an overflow of content amongst their portfolio.
It was stated by eMedia Investments that they'd love to see their channels remain on DStv despite the tensions the pay-tv company have with Openview. MultiChoice at the opted to move further and refresh their lineup which led to the cancellation of Tellytrack, ITV Networks, Novela Magic and MTV Hits.
Over to the cancellations, it was stated that the channels would remain on DStv for another 6 months but when 6 months had passed. eMedia Investments only responded to say that eToonz, eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra would remain on DStv until further notice.
In an recent enquiry by fans, eMedia Investments' team responded to say that these channels would only be on Openview. Although a date hasn't been provided I presume these channels would be going dark by from August as it would mark 1 year since it was reinstated.
And also eExtra is undergoing timeslot changes around same time, if my hunch is correct it means that consumers would be missing out on the final episodes of Hart Van Goud, Om Elke Draai and Die Put as the latter conclude next month on eExtra with only 2/3 available on e.tv.
As for the other three, the content is spread across DStv for eMovies and eMovies Extra there's Movie Room and TNT, and eToonz with DreamWorks or better yet Nickelodeon. Not that this content isn't on value but taking the platform to account you kind of see these three wouldn't make the cut.
eExtra at some point was guilty as charged but now you can view some fragments of these brands through e.tv and across several DStv channels.
Alongside e.tv channels, other brands whose futures are in question include factual and wildlife brands National Geographic and National Geographic Wild and children's brands Disney Channel and Disney Junior as The Walt Disney Company transitions to a streaming only module moving further content to Disney+.
New Series Alert: The Heartless And Chrysalis Coming Soon To TLNovelas Africa And eExtra Respectively
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
New Series Alert: Winter Son Coming Soon To eExtra
Winter Son revolves around Efe, who was a child who witnesses the death of her father at the hands of a hitman. The boy, who was destined to meet the same fate as his father, is given to a family to be raised when the hitman is unable to carry out the order to execute him.
It starred Sukru Ozyildiz, Asli Enver, Basak Parlak, Hakan Boyav, Senay Gurler, Mahir Gunsiray, Hakan Gercek, Berrak Kus, Gamze Suner, Mehmet Esen, Buse Varol, Emre Bulut, Okan Selvi and Cagdas Onur Ozturk.
Winter Son debuted in Turkey as Kis Gunesi on Show TV between 23 February to 21 June 2016 and was produced by Endemol Shine Turkiye better known for the production of Kuiertyd's first telenovela Gebroke Harte (Paramparça). The drama consisted of 18 episodes each with a 2 hour duration.
eMedia Investments had scooped up rights to the drama series for eExtra which is set to rollout on 9 August replacing Om Elke Draai in its 19:30 timeslot.
In other developments, eExtra is set to rollout another Turkish series in the coming month currently seen on eVOD, Ramo. Joining the lineup but only on eVOD will be the final two seasons of the FOX original Doodsondes accompanying first cancelled series, Die Put.
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.
Development Alert: Ramo Coming Soon To eExtra + Release Date, Die Put Season 4 Currently Streaming On eVOD
Sunday, July 9, 2023
Pending Development: Annekan Die Swa Kry + Ramo + Net 20 Minute + Chrysalis + More Coming Soon To eExtra
Below is a list of shows that we were announced on eVOD one of which were announced in 2022 and have yet to be seen on eExtra. With eMedia Investments trying to limit to rollout of these content on their linear platforms it's safe to say that eExtra has got it's hands full.
New Series
1. Chrysalis: It follows Nalan a beautiful young woman who earns everyone's love at first sight with her warmth. As the only child of the family enlarged hand baby, baby roses, lived in the existence of life and Nalan graduated with honors the best schools, Turkey finds's largest hotel chain, which Koroglu company as an architect at running than himself Sedat Koroglu' with marriage Eve.
2. Ramo: The series tells the extraordinary story of Ramo, inspired by a real person, a man who goes against his superiors…It’s a story that encompasses the deep conflicts of family, justice, revenge, friendship and love. The series stars Murat Yıldırım, Esra Bilgiç, İlker Aksum and Yiğit Özşener.
3. Annekan Die Swa Kry: 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.
4. Net 20 Minute: It tells the story of a mild-mannered history teacher. Ali, who is thrown into a World of action and intrigue when his beloved wife Melek is arrested for the attempted murder of a young man. Ali must abandon his books and find inner strength and courage that he did not know he had in order to free his wife and reclaim his family life.
Returning/Cancelled Series
1. Die Put: Koçovalı Family are faced with the biggest pain of their lives. Because of Yücel's trap, one of Yamaç or İdris Koçovalı had to kill the other. While Akın Koçovalı takes control of Çukur, where nothing will be the same as before, the step of Baykal's daughter Efsun to Çukur will cause the cards to be redistributed. While Efsun's plan, who collaborated with Yücel, Azer, and Timsah, is eagerly awaited, it will be a question mark how Akın will led the neighborhood.
2. 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.
3. Elif: Macide's sister, Kiymet comes after 30 years to revenge her. In the past, her husband abandoned her pregnant and married Macide. Together with her son Mahir, they make evil plans against the Haktanir family.
In other developments, eMedia Investments acquired broadcasting rights to the Turkish romcom Aşk Mantık İntikam of which details regarding its distribution on the platform remains a mystery. Sources mention that the drama is currently slated for 2023.
Saturday, July 8, 2023
New Series Alert: Goodbye, My Princess Coming Soon To eExtra
Goodbye My Princess follows a naive, petulant little princess with an unusual amount of independence, and her perfect life gets turned completely upside-down and her innocence, so to speak, ripped away from her.
Having received overwhelming love and admiration as the 9th Princess, Xiao Feng is forced to leave the life that she has known in order to become the Crown Princess. Her husband, the black-bellied Crown Prince, holds the highest position, second only to one, the Emperor. However, the Eastern Palace is the most dangerous place to be.
Goodbye, My Princess is a 2019 Chinese drama series that was broadcast on the Asian streaming service, Youku and was said to come with a 250 million yuan budget (R528 million). It starred Chen Xingxu, Peng Xiaoran, and Shawn Wei in leading roles.
Based on the novel of the same name, the drama has earned positive reviews since its premiere, due to the outstanding performance of the cast, beautiful costumes and fitting props; as well as high-quality cinematography. It walked away with numerous achievements majority were directed at the series and Peng Xiaoran who served as one of the leading actresses.
Goodbye My Princess airs weekdays at 17:30 from 20 July on eExtra replacing Battle Through The Heavens.
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Helenea Kane Finn's Take On Black Money Love Aka Kara Para Ask
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Development Alert: Doodsondes, Elif And Die Put Cancelled On eExtra And eVOD, To Broadcast Through 2025
Another series which will also be concluding in the Kuiertyd space is Doodsondes. Unlike Elif and Die Put which hail from eExtra, the latter will bid farewell on eMedia Investments' streaming service, eVOD.
As advised, eMedia Investments is only left with 1 season for the above-mentioned (with 2 for Doodsondes) and this will be the first time in 3 years that the 18:30 slot will be used for anything else. Elif has been the only show airing back-to-back while others went on production break.
At the moment, there's no clue on if eMedia Investments would pursue another long format that would surpass Elif but the brand did make Annekan Die Swa Kry available on eVOD after failing to launch it on eExtra as advised in the year with 3 seasons in the pipeline.
Although Doodsondes had concluded during the year in Turkey. It has been learnt by producer Fatih Askoy that he's exploring a seventh season. As of right now, it will end with a 6th season by 2024/5 and it may be a while before a 7th season comes to fruition.
Lastly, Die Put has been airing on a year to year basis unlike Doodsondes which had a 1 year hiatus. As advised, the third season is currently streaming on eVOD with the final season coming later in 2024/5 as seen with Doodsondes.
Elif's fifth and final season is also rolling out later in the coming year and as consumers noticed. It's currently the longest running series to date on Kuiertyd meaning it will likely be carried through 2025 and I wouldn't be shocked if the same awaits Die Put and Doodsondes.
Elif featured the talents of İsabella Damla Güvenılır stars as Elif Emiroğlu, Selin Sezgin stars as Melek Özer (Elif's mother), Volkan Çolpan stars as Kenan Emiroğlu (Elif's father) and Cemre Melis Çınar stars as Arzu Karapınar (Kenan's ex wife, the main villain of the series).
All of which are family members, Die Put featured the talents of Aras Bulut İynemli as Yamaç Koçovalı, Dilan Çiçek Deniz as Sena Koçovalı, Damla Sönmez as Efsun Kent, Erkan Kolçak as Köstendil Salih Koçovalı and Ercan Kesal as İdris Koçovalı.
Lastly Doodsondes featured the talents of Şevval Sam as Ender Çelebi, Eda Ece as Yıldız Yılmaz, Biran Damla Yılmaz as Kumru Yıldırım, Murat Aygen as Doğan Yıldırım, Şebnem Dönmez as Handan Kılıç and Sevda Erginci as Zeynep Yılmaz.