AMC International Launched AMC Crime And AMC Break In Spain And Portugal

Later in April, AMC International announced the terminations of Crime + Investigation and BLAZE with both brands now known as AMC Crime and AMC Break in Spain and Portugal as part of readjustment to strengthen the AMC brand.

Of course, AMC International doesn't mention whether or not these changes will have an affect to the linear offering in other regions. Particularly with CBS Reality and CBS Justice which are part of a joint venture with Paramount.

 

Paramount has been trying to build their branding and it wouldn't be shocking if AMC International were trying to have another wack at that idea with these channels.

AMC Break is a mashup of E! and Motor Trend/Ignition offering a selection of sports themed content such as documentaries on high level athletes like Serena Williams and Muhammad Ali with automobile programs like Top Gear.

 

Just like CBS Justice, AMC Crime focuses on themes of criminal investigation, forensic and topics in the true crime genre with a series on Madeline McCann where they reveal new evidence that can hopefully track the victim's whereabouts.

AMC Break and AMC Crime will be AMC International's second attempt in bolstering their offering which has been viewed as old-fashioned and way past its prime amongst several consumers who were fed up with the endless repeats of Judge Judy or Lizard Lick Towing.

The Tragic Story Of Charles Manson Jr.

The name of infamous cult leader Charles Manson casts a long shadow on those close to him. No one knows this fact better than Manson's grandson Jason Freeman.  In an interview with CNN back in 2012, he spoke about what it was like growing up under a "family curse" that was started by his grandfather and the Manson Family. Manson had often claimed that he had no idea how many children he had fathered but it has been confirmed that he had at least three boys.

His eldest son, Charles Manson Jr., was born in 1956 when the criminal mastermind became a first-time father with his first wife Rosalie Jean Willis. He was, however, not the most present father and left the family home when his son was still very young.

As Manson Jr. got older, he struggled to come to terms with the heinous crimes his infamous father had committed. This made such an impact on him that he unofficially changed his name to Jay White so that other's would not associate him with his father.

 

Freeman, who is a 6-foot-2 kickboxer and cage fighter, told CNN in the interview: "I'm coming out." He also said that he was doing it because he wanted the real Manson family members to stop hiding. Freeman also said that he wanted to understand his roots and himself better.

He knew when he was very young that Charles Manson was his grandfather but it did not mean anything to him until one day, in his 8th-grade history class. Freeman said: "Our teacher was talking about Charles Manson and I'm looking around like, are there people staring at me?"  

He was then banned from talking about his cult leader grandfather to his school friends to prevent them from teasing or taunting him. This made him always feel different from the other children and even inside his own home the talk of his grandfather was not allowed. Freeman was also not allowed to talk to his grandmother, Rosalie, about her husband, whom she married in 1955. It was definitely a skeleton in the closet through most of his life.

 

More than anything in this world, Freeman wanted to connect with an absent father whom he only knew through a rare letter that was sent to him. He believes that Manson Jr. changed his name to Jay White just so that he could stay away from his father and to not blemish his son's childhood the same way his childhood had been. Freeman told CNN in 2012: "He just couldn't let it go. He couldn't live it down. He couldn't live down who his father was."

White, who was unlucky enough to get the name Charles Manson Jr., took his own life on June 29, 1993, on a lonely stretch of highway in Burlington, Colorado, which is a little to the west of the Kansas state line. The death certificate seems to give a few hints as to why he chose the particular spot and what it was that finally pushed him to commit suicide. The document has also indicated that the suicide happened at around 10:15 am from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head" at "exit 438 on Interstate 70".

 

Freeman, who is an avid wrestler, fighter, and tattoo lover, works on oil rigs in western Pennsylvania to provide for his family. He is generally a tough guy but always gets very emotional when it comes to the father he never met. This is the case especially when it comes to what he went through as a child. He reportedly fought back tears when asked what he would like his father to know and said: "I want him to know that he missed out on a lot."

Freeman specifically says that he wished his father was there to meet his grandchildren and see the life that his son has managed to build for himself. He concludes the interview by saying: "I see my kids, you know, and that's kinda where I get shook up. I would hate to see them grow up without a father. That's important. Very important."

Roundups #53: eReality Documents The Life Of Charles Manson, People's Weather Hosts An Annual Event In Bloemfontein, StarSat Stirs Up Controversy With The Launch Of RT Global And Returning Comer Zee Bollymovies

Inside The Manson Cult lands on eReality

eReality, South Africa's most popular reality channel offering a mixture of local through eKasi and international content continues indulging in some of the bizarre stories with a tale of Charles Manson.

A famous musician now criminal who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders. In 1971, Manson was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, including the film actress Sharon Tate. The prosecution contended that, while Manson never directly ordered the murders, his ideology constituted an overt act of conspiracy.

Be sure not to miss out on 20 May as part of crime after dark on eReality.

 

The Bloem Show is coming to a TV near you

The Central Agricultural Society facilitate profitable show opportunities of a high standard which serve to trade, agricultural and entertainment needs of the community between April and May.

They serve 8 sections including arts and home, commerce, horses, cattles and several others. The Bloem Show airs this weekend on People's Weather inbetween the following times:

- 8:00 - 10:00
- 12:00 - 14:00
- 16:00 - 18:00

 

Zee Bollymovies has returned but with a shocking twist

StarTimes has been incredibly slow on launching new channels on top of replacing the hundreds removed over the years. Good news is they've finally added channels but one comes with extra baggage.

Zee Bollymovies (formerly on DStv) features a wide variety of Bollywood movies dubbed in English including action, romance, family, thriller/suspense, comedy and more. It covers new and classic movies, suitable for families of different ages to watch together, 24 hours a day.

 

RT Global creates news with an edge for viewers who want to Question More. RT Global covers stories overlooked by the mainstream media, provides alternative perspectives in current affairs, and acquaints international audiences with a Russian viewpoint on a major global events.

As usual, StarTimes quietly adds new channels with this time being Zee Bollymovies on channel 559 to their Super Package while RT Global launches on channel 260.

Roundups #52: Cartoon Network Expand Original Animation Slate With ‘Driftwood,’ And ‘Invincible Fight Girl’, SpongeBob SquarePants Launched A Children's Bible And Disney+ Expand Their Preschool Lineup With Disney Junior

HBO Max and Cartoon Network Studios have announced two new animated kids and family commissions

Driftwood – Created and executive produced by Victor Courtright (Aquaman: King of Atlantis), the feature is billed as a “an original animated space opera with big laughs, heart and adventure for the entire family.” The series follows the journey of a mouse-like creature named Clover who must defeat the villainous overlord Thorn to save her home from a toxic fuel source. Along the way, Clover finds allies in Marigold and Caspia, and together the three defend the forest on the edge of infinity.

Invincible Fight Girl – From first-time executive producer-creator Juston Gordon-Montgomery (DC Super Hero Girls), Invincible Fight Girl is an action-comedy set in a world where where wrestling is more than just sports entertainment; it’s a way of life. The show follows Andy, a young girl with dreams of becoming the greatest-ever wrestler. With the help of cynical retired wrestler Aunt P, Andy adopts the moniker “Fight Girl” and begins training. Further support comes from Mikey, an aspiring wrestling analyst, and Craig, a schemer who is always looking for an angle.

 

SpongeBob SquarePants lost media enters the surface

When SpongeBob SquarePants was pitched to Nickelodeon by Stephen Hillenburg, a series of pages were created. This shows off Sponge Boy, Patrick, Squidward, and all the key elements of Bikini Bottom that would make up SpongeBob SquarePants.

The SpongeBob SquarePants pitch bible has been lost media ever since Stephen Hillenburg made it. Pages have come out every once in a while, but the full document hasn't been seen by the public until last year. In it, we get lost SpongeBob episodes and scenes, a surprise romance with Sandy Cheeks, different designs for The Chum Bucket and The Krusty Krab, and so much more!

Click Here To Get The Bible

Disney Junior and Disney+ fill their stockings for another 2 years

Hey A.J., based on the books by Martellus Bennett, is produced by LA-based Surfing Giant Studios in association with Disney Junior. The series features seven-year-old girl A.J., who uses her imagination to find excitement in ordinary activities. Bennett, Jeff “Swampy” Marsh and Michael Hodges will serve as EPs.

 

The kidscaster is also teaming up with Dublin-based Brown Bag Films on Robogobo. The series follows a group of adopted pets who become superheroes with the help of robo-suits from a kid inventor named Jax. Robogobo is being developed for TV by Matt Hoverman, who is also a co-EP and story editor, while creator Chris Gilligan also serves as an EP and supervising director.

LA-based Oddbot Entertainment will bring Broadway to the classroom with Kindergarten: The Musical, a co-pro with Disney Junior. The series enters the world of five-year-old Birdy who tackles everyday challenges by expressing her emotions through musical numbers. Creators Michelle Lewis and Charlton Pettus will serve as EPs along with ​​Tom Warburton, Kay Hanley, and Dan Petty. Co-EP Laurie Israel is also attached as story editor.

 

The kidcaster is also co-producing SuperKitties with New York and London-based Silvergate Media to tell the story of four superhero kittens who take on bad guys and hope to make Kittydale a “pawesome” place. Creator Paula Rosenthal will serve as EP with Kirk Van Wormer attached as co-EP.

Two short-form series Me & Mickey and Winnie the Pooh (working title) were also announced. While the former will feature Mickey Mouse in a vlog-inspired format, the latter is described as a musical series starring Winnie the Pooh and his friends.

Crime & Investigation Ceased Transmission In Spain And Portugal

Crime & Investigation owned by A+E Networks a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company, Sky UK and Hearst Corporation is home to true crime programming like On The Case With Paula Zahn, Homicide Hunters and Green Eyed Killers.

A month ago, A+E Networks UK which is in charge of History and soon-to-be-defunct Lifetime in Europe pulled the plug on Crime+Investigation for viewers in Spain and Portugal for AMC Crime while the brand remains onboard in Africa through VIU for the time being.

 

 

Crime & Investigation was once available on DStv until MultiChoice got into a fist fight with A+E Networks which would have also led to the early termination of Lifetime and History before they were able to settle their differences.

As mentioned, Lifetime will be going off air soon and it led me to the theory that A+E Networks might be planning to halt their linear operations with most of their content likely being made available to Discovery+.

 

 

Compared to Lifetime and History, Crime & Investigation hardly had original content except for the ones they've licenced exclusively through other studios making it a much easier target.

If they chose to remove Crime & Investigation so soon they realised local providers had a set of alternatives to cope with the loss. On DStv, you have CBS Justice and Investigation Discovery for Crime & Investigation while Lifetime has E! and TLC.