Insidus: Entertainment Inside Us

October 2021 On Curiosity Channel Africa | Super Science Mondays | History Lover Tuesdays | Wildlife Wednesdays | Curious Thursdays | Travel & Adventure Fridays | Human Story Saturdays

SUPER SCIENCE MONDAYS

COSMIC ENCOUNTERS
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 25 October 2021
CAT: 20:00

Episodes: 1x 60 mins
“Cosmic Encounters,” tells one of mankind’s oldest dreams: to explore what is beyond our planet. This documentary has been filmed in space by the astronauts of the International Space Station. It is a tribute to the many scientists who made the dream of conquering space come true.

HISTORY LOVER TUESDAYS

DOOMSDAY –WORLD WAR 1
Brand New Series – premieres 05 October 2021
CAT: 20:00
Episodes: 3 x 60 mins (stacked back-to-back premieres)
The First World War –carnage on a scale never-before seen.

THE INVASION: THE OUTBREAK OF WWII Brand New Series – premieres 12 October 2021
CAT: 20:00
Episodes: 2 x 60 mins (stacked back-to-back premieres)
On 1 September 1939, Hitler started the most fatal war in world history.

D-DAY: WINGS OF VICTORY
Brand New Documentary Special – premieres 12 October 2021
CAT: 22:00
Episodes: 1x 60 mins
Could the Allies have won the war without aviation? Discover what went on behind the scenes of the historic, ambitious aerial battle that raged over Normandy.

WILDLIFE WEDNESDAYS

THE BEASTS OF HALLOWEEN
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 27 October 2021
CAT: 20:00
Episodes: 1x 60 mins
All over the world, the 31st of October has a special significance: Halloween. Thanks to superstition and tradition, many animal species have become symbolic of the scary and supernatural.

CURIOUS THURSDAYS

MURDER SHE SOLVED
Brand New Series – premieres 07 October 2021
CAT: 21:00
Episodes: 8x 60 mins – ends 25 November 2021
This documentary series follows female crime investigators as they take on some of Canada's highest-profile cases.

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE FRIDAYS

GORDON RAMSAY
Brand New Series – premieres 08 October 2021 CAT: 19:00
Episodes: 20 x 30mins (stacked back-to-back premieres) – ends 10 December 2021
Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course is the ultimate cooking lesson from the ultimate chef.

TRAVEL MAN
Brand New Season – premieres 01 October 2021 CAT: 20:00
Episodes: 5x 30mins (stacked back-to-back premieres) – ends 15 Oct
Travel Man is Richard Ayoade’s chance to show us where we’re going wrong by having the most culturally efficient holiday possible.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, PARTS UNKNOWN
Brand New Episodes – premieres 01 October 2021
CAT: 21:00
Episodes: 4x 60mins – ends 22 October 2021
Anthony Bourdain travels the world uncovering lesser-known places and exploring their cultures and cuisine.

HUMAN STORY SATURDAYS

HOW TO ADVENTURE
Brand New Series - premieres 09 October 2021 CAT: 23:00
Episodes: 10 x 30 mins (stacked back-to-back premieres) – ends 06 November 2021
After circumnavigating Africa by bicycle and rowing from Africa to America, Riaan Manser is one of the most accomplished adventurers.

4TH and FOREVER ALCOA
Brand New Episode - premieres 02 October 2021
CAT: 23:00
Episodes: 1x 60
In the shadows of the Smoky Mountains lives a football dynasty. Alcoa High School is southern Appalachia's true football powerhouse.

October 2021 On Da Vinci Kids Africa | 3 New Animated Series Including Doki | Continuing Shows | Halloween Specials | Everyday With Da Vinci

Kids Programmes
Electricity with Smorph – DA VINCI KIDS ORIGINAL
10x5 mins
From October 3rd – Sundays 09:15
Join Smorph to discover and master new technology skills with each adventure he takes. Learn more about electricity and electronic components, and find out what helps Smorph to solve the kind of real world problems that people face everyday.

Mily Miss Question – NEW SEASON
52x10 mins
From October 16th – Every day 08:45
Growing up with her little sister Lola and her big brother Luc, nine-year-old Mily is trying to make sense of the world. Why does she feel so jealous of her sister? What does it mean to be happy? In this show we watch Mily explore the answers to her life questions.

Doki – NEW
52x15 mins
From October 16th – Saturdays 09:00
Seven-year-old Doki and his best friends are ‘Team Doki’ and they’ll travel the globe and beyond, to find answers to their questions about science, nature and the world we live in. Wherever they go, it’s sure to be a funny and fascinating learning expedition!

Jolly Jesters – NEW
26x3 mins
From October 1st
This mischevious theatre troop will take you on a fun and adventurous journey through the daily life of the Middle Ages. Science, arts, culture, and of course chivalry too: they will leave no stone unturned.

Continuing Kids Programmes
Xploration DIY SCI – NEW EPISODES
Fridays 16:00
Walking on eggs, building your own ping pong ball launcher, and turning soda bottles into rockets: DIY SCI teaches you how. The fun and educational series is hosted by YouTube star Steve Spangler and features jaw-dropping science experiments viewers can do at home.

Addison – NEW EPISODES
Every day 08:15
Funny, adventurous and playful, in each episode, seven-year-old Addison and her friends are trying to figure out what’s behind the latest neighbourhood mystery. They never give up, always stick together and are not afraid of anything.

Monthly Special
Spooky Sunday
Sunday, October 31st from 12:50 to 18:00
Consists of Halloween themed episodes for the following shows:
Siesta Z
Electricity with Smorph
Addison
Totally Rubbish
Xploration DIY SCI
Science Max
Did I Mention Invention?
Marvellous Makes
Odd Squad
Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch
Horrible Histories

Early Morning with Da Vinci
Every day from 06:00
06:00 Do You Know?
06:30 Siesta Z
06:45 The Treehouse Stories
06:50 Marvellous Makes Lab
07:00 PinCode
07:30 The Fixies
07:45 Darwin & Newts
08:15 Addison
08:30 Kosmix
08:45 Mily Miss Questions

Canal+ Acquired Majority Stake In SPI International And Also Increased Their Stake In MultiChoice

CANAL+ ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN SPI INTERNATIONAL

Canal+ will acquire a 70 per cent majority stake in SPI International while keeping the current management team and operational structure in place.

SPI International, a global media company operating 42 TV channels and multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide, is now joining forces with Canal+ Group.

Canal+ Group is a global pay-TV operator and major player in free-to-air television in France. Canal+ has a wide international footprint with a presence in 40 countries in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia.

In a joint statement, Loni Farhi & Berk Uziyel, said: “It is very exciting news and the start of a new era for SPI International. Canal+ and SPI share a common vision for continuous growth and a strong international presence. We have been strategic partners for years, where we have built a great tradition of collaborations and achieving mutual goals. Now we will have the chance to join forces under one roof. SPI will further accelerate its growth with Canal+ while leveraging natural synergies. SPI International has an amazingly talented team that has produced incredible growth in the last decade. Now, with this great team and with much enthusiasm, we are delighted to become part of the Canal+ family. Our joined forces will strengthen the existing entertainment products and expand the distribution of our compelling content to far larger audiences.”

For Maxime Saada, CEO of CANAL+ Group, added:
“The acquisition of SPI International is part of the strategy we have been implementing for several years. Canal+ currently has 22 million subscribers in over 40 countries, including 15 in Europe. We have set ourselves the goal of reaching a minimum of 30 million subscribers by 2025, and SPI INTERNATIONAL will certainly be a key asset in achieving this ambition.”

Jacques du Puy, CEO of Canal+ International said:
“We are very pleased to welcome SPI to our group.
This acquisition marks a new strategic step for the development of our European contents. It will be a great opportunity to develop new synergies and businesses for our activities, especially in the Polish market and in the Central and Eastern European countries where Canal+ operates through M7 brands.”

The completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant regulatory authorities in the territories concerned (including in particular the authorities responsible for antitrust and merger control).

MultiChoice now 15% owned by Canal+

French broadcaster Canal+ Group has increased its stake in MultiChoice from 12% to over 15%, Reuters reports.

Vivendi-owned Canal+ significantly raised its holding in Africa’s largest pay-TV last year, causing speculation that it could be looking to take over MultiChoice.

MultiChoice reportedly said it was keeping an open mind about its relationship with the company.

“The group’s policy is not to comment on its individual shareholders nor on its interactions with them,” MultiChoice said in an earlier statement.

“The company remains committed to acting in the best interests of all shareholders and to create sustainable long-term shareholder value.”

Groupe Canal+ SA is a French film and TV studio and distributor which owns the Canal+ French TV channels.

These channels span movies, sports, series, and news and have produced popular films such as The Straight Story, Mulholland Dr, and Inland Empire. Groupe Canal+ has been expanding into Africa, including the acquisition of Nigerian production company ROK Studios.

Vivendi previously tried to acquire MultiChoice Africa, but the multi-million-dollar offer was rejected.

The company is now stocking up on MultiChoice shares, which industry players speculate may indicate that Canal+ is planning to acquire MultiChoice.

MultiChoice is Africa’s leading entertainment company and operates four platforms – DStv, GOtv, Showmax, and DStv Now.

It has approximately 14 million subscribers across 50 countries, with a particularly dominant position in South Africa.

MultiChoice serves Canal+ SA’s African ambitions perfectly and explains why it is investing in the company.

MultiChoice said that it had filed the required notice with the Takeover Regulation Panel in South Africa.

The Takeover Regulation Panel, which reports to the Minister of Trade and Industry, oversees the country’s takeover regulations.

Its mandate is to regulate mergers and acquisitions and protect minority shareholders by ensuring that such shareholders will have access to important information during transactions.

Sony Pictures Networks India And Zee Entertainment Enterprises Are Set To Merge

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) announced that they have entered into an exclusive, non-binding Term Sheet to combine both companies’ linear networks, digital assets, production operations and program libraries. The non-binding Term Sheet provides an exclusive negotiation period of 90 days during which ZEEL and SPNI will conduct mutual diligence and negotiate definitive, binding agreements. The combined company would be a publicly listed company in India and be better positioned to lead the consumer transition from traditional pay TV into the digital future.

The merger of ZEEL and SPNI would bring together two leading Indian media network businesses, benefitting consumers throughout India across content genres, from film to sports. The combined company is expected to benefit all stakeholders given strong synergies between ZEEL and SPNI.

Under the terms of the non-binding Term Sheet, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent company of SPNI, would invest growth capital so that SPNI has a cash balance of approximately USD $1.575 billion at closing for use to enhance the combined company’s digital platforms across technology and content, ability to bid for broadcasting rights in the fast-growing sports landscape and pursue other growth opportunities. Sony Pictures Entertainment would hold a majority stake in the combined company. Current ZEEL Managing Director & CEO Punit Goenka is to lead the combined company.

About Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI):
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, Japan. SPNI has several channels in Africa including Sony Entertainment Television (SET and SET HD), one of India's leading Hindi general entertainment television channels; MAX, India's premium Hindi movies and special events channel, the digital entertainment.
SPNI reaches out to over 700 million viewers in India and is available in 167 countries.

About ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.:
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is a media & entertainment powerhouse offering entertainment content to diverse audiences. With a presence in over 173 countries and a reach of more than 1.3 billion people around the globe, ZEEL is among the largest global content companies across genres, languages, and platforms. The company operates brands such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema and Zee World.

Reminder: New Amsterdam Coming Soon To e.tv

3 years after its debut in the United States, e.tv which is currently South Africa's most watched English channel acquired broadcasting rights to the first season of the popular medical drama, New Amsterdam.

New Amsterdam follows Dr. Max Goodwin as he becomes the medical director of one of the United States' oldest public hospitals, aiming to reform the neglected facility by tearing up its bureaucracy to provide exceptional care to patients. The series stars Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist).

As mentioned earlier, e.tv is 3 years behind the United States and also on M-Net which is available on DStv in South Africa.

Season 1 airs weekdays at 20:30 from 4 October.

New Amsterdam isn't the only program said to air on the channel. Other programs for the channel include FBI, The Neighborhood, S.W.A.T. and Blue Bloods.