Durban Gen To End In January 2023

The show is produced by Stained Glass production and it is filmed in Durban. According to entertainment commentator Phil Mphela, eTV has decided to pull the plug on the show. Mphela reports that it will continue to air until January 2023. Fans also don't seem shocked as it hasn't been performing well.

Over the past few months, the show has tried to introduce new faces to save it. Media personality Lasizwe Dambuza recently landed a stint on the show. Although the news received mixed reactions, after watching his appearance fans were left in awe of his acting skills. The Mseleku's - Thobile and Musa, also made an appearance on the show and Vusi Nova.

 

Things had been getting messier and messier for the show. Thulane Shange booted off the show last year. The telenovela also decided to show Lihle Dhlomo who played the role of Doctor Precious Dlamini the door, Sifiso Sibiya who played Bab' Gumedewas was also fired.

In July 2021, viewers also had to bid farewell to yet another popular character on the medical series. This after a moving episode that saw the death of MaCele , played by Monica Thuli Zulu. MaCele died of a heart attack because her husband told her that they had spent all of the family savings.

Meanwhile, a few weeks prior to that, viewers also had to say goodbye to Dr. Ndabezinhle Luthili played by Lerato Nxumalo. Lerato said she will never forget the human qualities Dr. Luthuli possessed.

 

In a post on her Instagram account she wrote, “Although I’m leaving I’ll never forget the human qualities Ndabezinhle has taught me, that it’s okay to be vulnerable, kind, compassionate, and flawed. To my colleagues thank you for being crazy, yall made every day on set so much fun. I’m sorry for bullying yall into making Tiktoks with me.” She expressed her gratitude to the show, her colleagues and friends for the journey, for giving her the opportunity.

A couple of months ago, Daily Sun reported that Uzalo actor Simphiwe Majozi was scouted by the producers of the show to save it.

 

"The production is trying to attract TV fans. They have taken Simphiwe Majozi, who plays Sbu on Uzalo. They believe he has charisma and the potential of attracting TV fans to the show. We all know people love Simphiwe and his funny side, so maybe he will serve the purpose," said the source. But, the plan has clearly failed as the show has been canned.

Development Hell: The Lost Stuart Little Reboot

Stuart Little is 1945 American children's novel by Charlotte Web writer, E.B. White. It was his first children's book which went on to be widely recognized as children's literature with illustrations handled by Garth Williams, an artist who worked on several children's books.

From 1999-2005, the novel was adapted into two live-action and computer animated films with the third solely focused on animation. The first two films recieved praise for its humor and visual effects while the last one killed all aspects the first two worked hard to conceive.

 

 

Since 2015, a remake has been discussed with no updates available for the past couple of years. According to entail, it will revolve mainly on the books and not that of the 1999 film.

Just like Disney's Pocahontas, even Stuart Little recieved some re-editing throughout the books. Take for instance, Stuart who worked as a teacher to make a living in order to search for the family bird Margalo who was likely eaten by a friend of Snowbell.

 

Anyways, the talk is not on the book but the remake questions amount to how original this movie will turn out to the book cause if anything I wouldn't be shocked if they tried to modernize the whole franchise and add stuff like k-pop or WAP items that didn't exist in his timeline.

 

According to Giant Freakin Robot, Marvel's very own Star Lord (played by Chris Pratt) might be in talks to star as the little guy in the long awaited remake. He will be voicing the video game character Super Mario in the movie of the same name even has a project for Garfield The Cat.

If this is true, then it would be the first time in almost a decade since we've gotten actual news from the little mouse.

History's Future Is Up In The Air As It Remains On DStv

History is a factual and reality based entertainment channel operated by A+E Networks (a joint venture between Sky and Hearst Corporation) home to historical infused programs like Mountain Men, Missing In Alaska, American Pickers and Pawn Stars.

As of June 2022, the channel will be the remaining survivor from A+E Networks across Africa as Lifetime will phased out not only in Africa like the former brand Crime + Investigation but the whole of Europe likely in an attempt to streamline.

 

A+E Networks has been a little disorganised with their channels often providing upcoming attractions with different dates or ghosting a brand before its demise I mean with the many owners this was to be expected.

Could History be off its meds?

Just like Lifetime, even History hasn't updated their look following its rollout in December 2021 and with them being owned by the mouse brand in most markets I mean the idea of History being phased or possibly auctioned doesn't seem far fetched.

 

The Walt Disney Company will be closing 100 international channels in the near future with most in Europe and Africa. The media has highlighted several major brands but we've seen a brand like Baby TV get scrapped. Could Lifetime, History and C+I also form those 100 channels?

What if The Walt Disney Company's plan is to stop offering linear stations in general you know the Netflix approach as they're giving them a run for their money and A+E Networks is mixed up in it all.

 

They don't manage the channels in Europe which opens up the door of possibility for History. Unlike Lifetime, the brand is still active in the UK as Sky History perhaps that could be the future for the channel across Europe.

Just like SuperSport's WWE Channel, Sky is in charge of content selection and the airtime meaning they could just supplement another brand should it be phased out unless that possibility is out the door like Lifetime.

Development Hell: Countdown To The List Of Bollywood Channels Coming Soon

Just going a through a list of concepts which was discussed, rumoured, delayed or potentially scrapped. Some of Bollywood channels currently seen on DStv and Openview were derived from several other concepts.

But I'm not here to discuss that but share a list of other channels and it goes as follows:

 

1. eBella/eBolly
The defunct channel was said to make a comeback as a replacement to one of the current Indian channels on Openview. The channel was said to offer Bollywood films something you hardly get on eMovies and other entertainment.

2. &TV
&TV is a Hindi language entertainment channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises home to shows viewers would have come across on Zee TV such as Begusarai, The Heir and on eVOD Dayan, Destructive Beauty. The reasons for its absence has to do with Zee TV as they licence content from the brand and with both being operated by the same company the two are in sink.

The only known regions to provide it a standalone is the US and Asia.

 

3. Star Maa
Star Maa is a Telegu entertainment channel operated by Star India which broadcasts dramas, reality shows and movies. The channel was said to launch on DStv Indian.

4. Untitled Zee World repeats channel 1
Around the time Zee Bollynova launched on the defunct Kwesé TV and before Zee One existed. Rumour had it that MultiChoice was looking to add a reruns channel for their #1 Bollywood entertainment channel which could have been scrapped for Zee Alem.

5. Star Gold
Star Gold is the brand name Star India gives to their movie channels. This was part of list of possible movie channels on DStv but the channel be viewed on StarSat.

6. Untitled Zee World repeats channel 2
Close to the launch of Zee Alem in Ethiopia, Zee Entertainment Enterprises revealed in an interview that they were open to launching some regional channels. The second repeats channel was said to cater for Zulu, Swahili and Hausa viewers.

 

7. Life OK/Utsav
Disney+ is scheduled to launch in South Africa in the coming month and Star branding has been replaced with Utsav in most parts of Europe where the African feed operates. The question boiled down to the potential brand name for Star Life and its programming.

8. Zee Naija
Unlike most other Zee channels, this brand wouldn't cater entirely to repeats as there was a bunch of local content being planned such as Dance Nigeria Dance, Deceptive Measures and The Passion For Love.

 

9. Untitled Star Life movie channel
Unlike Star Gold, the movie channel would have been dubbed in English and would give the main channel sometime to source out other programming.

10. Bollytunes & Zee Music
Remember that TV show that had no purpose to Zee World as the program aired between shows well it was said to have its own channel one for English audiences another for Indian subscribers on DStv.

11. Untitled eMovies channel
eMedia Investments was rumoured to launch a Bollywood pop-up channel for movies before the pandemic hit and there's been no updates in that regard except that the possibility of a third movie channel.

 

12. Zindagi
Zindagi was the name of a brand Zee Entertainment Enterprises gave to their regional offering. What this channel did was air regional content kind of like the African adaptation of Mehek but it could have been scrapped as the brand is not active.

13. Zee Zest
Zee Zest is a Hindi entertainment channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises and compared to all other channels on the list this one airs lifestyle and reality shows. It was said to launch on DStv Indian when it was known as Living Foodz.

 

14. Zee World and Zee One's replacements
The parent company of the channels are minority owners of the brands and rumour had it that the brands would include more content from Sony Pictures India as well as adapt to Sony branding.

15. Zee News (likely scrapped)
Zee News is a Hindi news channel operated by Essel Group that is also in charge of another news station on DStv, WION.

16. Zee Oldies
A channel for older dramas in the 90s to early 00s

Potential Future: Lifetime Might Relaunch In Africa And The Rest Of Europe On Discovery+

Lifetime was terminated in the UK last year as A+E Networks partnered up with Warner Bros. Discovery to distribute the channel's entire catalogue on Discovery+ and a year prior to the United States.

The channel is set to go off air by the end of May in Africa and the rest of Europe meaning viewers will lose out on shows like On The Case With Paula Zahn, Storage Wars, Marriage At First Sight, Dance Moms and Surviving R. Kelly.

 

Also joining that list of terminations is the brands streaming service, Lifetime Play leaving HISTORY and Crime + Investigation as the only linear channels operated by A+E Networks.

The parent company doesn't state the actual reason for the termination but if I had to guess it probably has something to do with the distribution agreement A+E Networks made with Warner Bros. Discovery for Lifetime in the UK.

Not a lot of people know this but the A+E Networks channels in the Africa, Poland and the rest of MENA are all handled by the UK which has been streamlining their entertainment with the rise of other streamers like Disney+ and HBO Max.

 

So the idea of this deal possibly including the rest of Europe doesn't seem far fetched. Compared to History and C+I, Lifetime has been struggling to gain traction and some would deem it a worthy competitor to TLC's wedding bonanza.

The channel alongside History and Crime + Investigation are handled by major brands The Walt Disney Company (excluding Europe), Sky (UK) and Hearst Corporation (globally) but from what I've seen with several linear channels that have this many owners its hard finding success so Lifetime's fate was predictable.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if The Walt Disney Company sold their shares its not like the content is on Disney+ if it was they'd be no need to run to a competitor to gain some relevancy.

Warner Bros. Discovery would make an ideal buyer Lifetime would merge with TLC for their remarkable similarities, Crime + Investigation with ID as there's not much original content going there leaving History as the only survivor from A+E Networks.