Schedule Update: A Magical Love Story And King Of Hearts Coming Soon To Star Life And Zee One Respectively

King Of Hearts - premieres 1 July on Zee One

Siddharth, a hotelier, takes up the responsibility of repairing the relationship between his independent wife, Roshni, and his enterprising mother-in-law, Durga Devi.

It stars Ravi Dubey, Nia Sharma, Achint Kaur, Indraneil Sengupta, Shiny Doshi, Ahmad Harhash and Mouli Ganguly.

A Magical Love Story - premieres 17 July on Star Life

It tells the story of Aman who lives under the dark shadow of a Jinn while Roshni is blessed with angelic qualities. What turn will Aman and Roshni's lives take when the two entangle in a 'magical' love story?

It stars Vikram Singh Chauhan, Aditi Sharma, Shruti Sharma, Smita Bansal and Garima Vikrant Singh.

Reminder: Get Ready For A Trash-Tastic Adventure With The Hilarious And Action-Packed Garbage Boy And Trash Can Premiering On Cartoon Network Africa On Monday, 17 July @ 16:45 CAT

He's a superhero with no actual superpowers, and his sidekick is a trash can, but that's not going to stop young Tobi from using absolutely anything he finds to set off on a world of amazing adventures in Garbage Boy and Trash Can, the first Cartoon Network superhero animated comedy series to be produced in Africa.

Premiering on Cartoon Network Africa on 17 July at 16:45 CAT, Garbage Boy and Trash Can was commissioned by Cartoon Network Africa following Nigerian animator Ridwan Moshood winning the CN Creative Lab initiative. The series was produced in collaboration with the newly-formed animation production company Pure Garbage, a South African-based company specially launched for the project, which is a partnership between series creator Ridwan Moshood, Mike de Seve, head of US multi–Emmy Award-winning studio Baboon Animation and Nick Wilson, founder of African Animation Network (AAN). Magic Carpet, a leading Nigerian animation studio, co-produced the show, and actors from Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria and the USA voice the characters. This global collaboration marks the first innovative model in animation between talents from Africa, Europe, and the US under Cartoon Network's creative production process – a process intended to train and mentor African talent and produce content of international broadcast quality. 

He may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound or run faster than a speeding locomotive, but Garbage Boy's belief in his superpowers may just be his actual superpower! Where most people see trash, Garbage Boy sees unlimited opportunities for fun and adventure. Whether it's building a bazooka out of some old PVC piping that fires wads of mouldy socks or an electron microscope from broken VCR parts, Garbage Boy believes that everything – even garbage - is worthwhile. Exiled from his home planet, the alien robot, Trash Can, is driven by his sense of duty. He has an infinite intellect, a cyber-noggin filled with galaxies of knowledge and a compact, metallic frame housing an endless number of gadgets. Together, they tackle their major enemies – boredom and Dr Sore Eyes (full name 'Braintomus Bombastus Edgar James Vanessa Sore Eyes, Ph.D.) – although the latter does a pretty good job of thwarting himself as he tries to avenge being shunned by the Academy of Really Real Sciences.

Creator, Director and Art Director Ridwan Moshood found inspiration for the show in the adversity of his childhood. "The inspiration for creating the lead characters came from the derogatory name some bullies used to call me back in junior secondary school. However, I soon realised that this name did not define my identity or limit my potential," he says. "It is this powerful message that I aim to convey to children currently experiencing name-calling and bullying. That's why I decided to create a show centred around the character 'Garbage Boy' who, despite the name, is actually a superhero — a symbol of overcoming adversity and proving that hurtful labels do not determine one's true worth."

The style of Garbage Boy and Trash Can is a homage to the cartoons Moshood watched during his childhood, mainly the Saturday morning shows like Dexter's Laboratory, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Powerpuff Girls, and more. "It is Dexter's Laboratory that greatly influences the artistic style of the show, as it remains my favourite Cartoon Network series. In fact, meeting the creator, Genndy Tartakovsky, is a personal aspiration of mine," he says.

Cartoon Network Africa's Creative Lab began its journey in June 2018 as an initiative designed to bring innovative, local short-form content to the channel and its digital platforms while reinforcing the local relevance of the brand. "The Cartoon Network team was amazed by Ridwan's talent and his vision for the show, even then – and we're delighted to see the final product adding to Cartoon Network's diverse and original content," says Ana González, Editorial Lead: Southern Europe and Africa, Kids Brands, Warner Bros. Discovery. "We are proud to produce and bring on air a pure African story with a fantastic Nigerian comedy hero in Garbage Boy and Trash Can, featuring fresh local animation talent and a truly stellar African voice cast to produce local, inclusive content."

Toonami To Be Replaced By Warner TV Next In France, Channel Might Go Dark In Africa Alongside TNT

Warner Bros. Discovery announces the September 4 launch of Warner TV Next, Toonami's new brand identity. Intended primarily for a target audience of 25/49 year olds, Warner TV Next relies on the successful formula of Toonami, the first of the “new generation” channels.

Warner TV Next builds on the legacy of iconic studio Warner Bros., a studio celebrating its centenary throughout 2023. The Warner brand, synonymous with quality, boldness and innovation comes as a landmark for viewers since it is known by 4 out of 5 French people.

Visually, Warner TV Next affirms its affiliation with a Warner TV, the group's series and cinema channel through a new logo developed in-house.

The brand also deploys modern communication codes with very pop culture packaging and graphic codes, based on the emblematic Warner Bros. logo. Warner TV Next, like Warner TV, is marketed by FranceTV Publicité.

Warner TV Next is strong in programming that brings together all DC Comics fans thanks to the best animated series and films from the DC universe (Batman, Superman, Harley Quinn, Young Justice), Japanese animation (DragonBall Super, My Hero Academia) as well as wrestling with, exclusively, the AEW league. 

Warner TV Next also offers Adult Swim programs, the mark of all audacity, with animated series and fiction for millennials such as Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, Royal Crackers, The Eric André Show or Primal. 

In other developments, Boomerang in the Middle East and North Africa will rebrand to Cartoonito on the same day Warner TV Next is launched. Similar to Cartoonito Africa, both brands will be offering the same content and only recieve a new coat of paint.

Interesting to note, Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the same scenario with TNT when it replaced TCM in 2018 in Africa. Now the channel airs a lot of modern age films some of which haven't been viewed on low tiered film channels and is home to wrestling promotion, AEW.

It currently ranks as the most watched movie channel in the South African market pulling at least 10 million households. As for Toonami, Warner Bros. Discovery has been very discreet in regards to performance and new content which puts it in precarious position.

Unlike France, Toonami was a 24 DC animation channel rehashing anime like Dragonball Super from Cartoon Network alongside other content like Justice League, Green Lantern, Teen Titans and Batman I mean not even Harley Quinn despite its rebrand in 2021.

It wouldn't seem far fetched if some changes awaited the channel and part of this had to with Warner TV. Our theory is that Toonami is dissolved with further content being divided between Cartoon Network, Boing and TNT.

The French team of Toonami also handled the channel in Africa so it's demise is inevitable.

Another brand whose future comes into question is TNT, Warner TV has been phasing out the brand across European territories in the general entertainment aspect. Warner TV could be something Warner Bros. Discovery explores for the market at some point.

Development Alert: Telemundo Will Be Undergoing More Schedule Adjustments In The Coming Weeks Across Africa

During the month, Telemundo had phased out their remaining primetime offering as mentioned Nurses ended a month early and that was the only show that was actually building up most of their schedule as the rest of the lineup was funneled with rebroadcasts.

Although, there's no actual word on when or if primetime will ever resume. Telemundo is expected to make some more rounds to their current offering.

Nurses and Law Of The Heart were slotted for the coming month or at least from what a DStv user saw on the programme guide. In an enquiry to MultiChoice, it was stated that further episodes for both shows could be seen on Universal+ through the DStv app.

Several shows are ending next month such as On The Other Side Of The Wall, Lord Of The Skies and Queen Of The South. I was told new content was meant to rollout on the channel but due to changing regulations it was halted.

Bringing us to our 7 day lineup, this is what the channel will look like in the coming months.

06:10 The End Of Paradise

07:00 The End Of Paradise

07:50 Case Closed

08:40 For Love And Justice

09:30 Almost Yours

10:20 Almost Yours

11:10 For Love And Justice

12:00 Case Closed

12:50 The End Of Paradise

13:40 The End Of Paradise

14:30 Almost Yours

15:20 Almost Yours

16:10 For Love And Justice

17:00 Case Closed

18:00 The End Of Paradise

19:00 The End Of Paradise

20:00 Almost Yours

21:00 Almost Yours

22:00 False Identity

23:00 False Identity

00:00 The End Of Paradise

00:50 The End Of Paradise

01:40 Case Closed

02:30 False Identity

03:20 False Identity

04:10 Almost Yours

05:00 Almost Yours

It's being suggested by sources that Case Closed will likely take up the slots used by For Love And Justice once it ends in August. Nothing is certain but based on the matter with Nurses, Telemundo is probably trying to play it safe by limiting the shows.

Cameroon and Uganda's anti-gay laws also include imprisonment and suspension of TV channels. Telemundo's way of airing old content is probably another way to ease the burden for consumers should they get banned from these regions and possibly not air in Africa.

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.

An Among Us TV Series Is In Development

An “Among Us” animated series is in the works at CBS Studios, Variety has learned exclusively.

The studio, via CBS Eye Animation Productions, has partnered with Innersloth, the independent game studio behind “Among Us,” to develop the series. Owen Dennis will serve as creator and executive producer on the project under his overall deal with CBS Studios.

Per the official logline, the series is based on the premise of the game, namely, “Members of your crew have been replaced by an alien shapeshifter intent on causing confusion, sabotaging the ship, and killing everyone. Root out the ‘Impostor’ or fall victim to its murderous designs.”

Titmouse (“Big Mouth,” “Star Trek: Lower Decks”) will serve as the animation studio for the series. Along with Dennis, Forest Willard, Marcus Bromander, and Carl Neisser of Innersloth will also executive produce along with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, and Ben Kalina of Titmouse. No network or streamer is currently attached, but those conversations are said to be ongoing. CBS Eye Animation Productions produces in association with Innersloth. The show is covered by The Animation Guild rather than the WGA.

“Among Us” first launched in 2018 but saw a massive spike in popularity in 2020. In October of that year, it was number one on Google Play in 66 countries and in the top 100 in every country except for two. It was also number one in iOS in 55 countries. During Q4 2020, the game had nearly 500 million monthly active users, more than 4 billion views on YouTube, and more than 1.22 billion viewing sessions on Twitch.

Dennis is best known for creating the Cartoon Network/Max series “Infinity Train.” The pilot for the show originally debuted on Cartoon Network’s YouTube channel in 2016, with the first full season airing on the network in 2019. A second season followed in 2020 before the show moved to Max (then HBO Max) for Seasons 3 and 4 in 2020 and 2021. A series of ten shorts called “The Train Documentaries” was released in 2019. Prior to “Infinity Train,” Dennis worked on the popular Cartoon Network series “Regular Show” as a writer and storyboard artist.

Dennis is repped by UTA, Industry Entertainment, and Yorn Levine Barnes. Innersloth is repped by Big Pigeon for film and TV.

Development Alert: The Final Episodes Of The Owl House To Rollout In The Coming Months Alongside New Series Kiff On Disney Channel Africa

The Walt Disney Company has been closing several international channels across the world with a few more channels set to close in Asia by the end of 2023. While as remaining linear channels had since then merged with other international territories to form a unified feed.

As cable becomes obsolete each passing second, The Walt Disney Company opts to prioritise Disney+ with the best of Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, National Geographic and leave the remaining linear offering to promote the bulk of content viewed on their streaming platform.

Kiff, an upcoming animated series that was unveiled at the 2021 Annecy International Film Festival forms part of those endeavours by the streamer. It follows an an optimistic squirrel whose best intentions often lead to complete chaos, and her best friend Barry, a sweet and mellow bunny.

It was produced by Titmouse who also worked on Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart on Cartoon Network and Home: The Adventures Of Tip And Oh on DreamWorks.

Kiff is slated to make its international debut on the Disney Channel by August 21st. Prior to that, the fantasy drama The Owl House is set to make its final rounds months prior by July 15th.

When a human girl named Luz stumbles upon a portal to another world, she befriends a rebellious witch named Eda and a warrior named Dragon. She soon discovers her dream of becoming a witch and finds herself welcome in a new family.

The Owl House has received widespread critical acclaim from critics and fans, with many praising it's animation, humor, characters, voice acting, themes, emotional weight, and its LGBTQIA+ representation compared to other Disney media,

Development Alert: Childhood Favourite Arthur Returns To South African Screens For It's Final Rounds Thanks To PBS Kids

The much-loved cartoon Aardvark is returning to South African screens with Season 17 premiering Monday 3 July on DSTV channel 313 at 4pm.

The premier will be a nostalgic moment for many parents who grew up watching ARTHUR and his many friends, and will now be able to introduce the adored character to their own children, continuing the legacy.

The animated series is aimed at viewers aged four to eight, helping foster an interest in reading and writing, encouraging positive social skills, and models age-appropriate strategies problem-solving strategies.

The show chronicles the adventures of ARTHUR (an eight-year-old aardvark) through engaging, emotional stories that explore real issues kids face. The comedy-like series tells stories from a kid's point of view without moralising or talking down. Situations on ARTHUR develop in realistic ways and don't always turn out as Arthur or his friends might expect.

It has also been honoured with numerous awards, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Children's Animated Program.

Since its premiere, the series has been accessible through closed-captioning to viewers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. In addition, ARTHUR made history in 1997 when the series became the first daily program to be described for viewers who are blind or visually impaired.

Magnum Pi Cancelled On NBC

The Jay Hernandez-led reboot of the 1980s procedural will wrap its run with its upcoming 10 episodes on NBC. The news comes as the options on the cast were due to expire June 30, forcing NBC — whose studio sibling Universal TV co-produces the series alongside CBS Studios — to make a decision on either extending those deals or wrapping up the show. The network, which has recently passed on a number of pilots and canceled nearly all of its bubble shows, opted to let the show conclude with its remaining 10 episodes rather than to spend the money to extend the show’s stars as it’s unclear when production will resume amid the ongoing Writers Guild strike.

Magnum P.I. was canceled in May 2022 after four seasons on CBS. The series ranked as one of the highest shows on broadcast television at the time of its cancellation, prompting NBC to step in and save the show from cancellation with a two-season, 20-episode pickup less than two months later.

NBC is calling the 20-episode order a split season, a loophole that allows networks, studios and streamers to avoid giving cast, creators and crew annual salary increases in a practice that has been widely used by basic cable networks and streamers.

Eric Guggenheim serves as showrunner and exec produces alongside Justin Lin, John Davis and John Fox. Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Tim Kang and Amy Hill round out the cast of the series, which streams in-season on Showmax and otherwise on Paramount+.