Welcome Demand Africa, The Home Of African Storytelling From Your Favourite Broadcasters

SABC, e.tv and MultiChoice have been the forefront of local entertainment for over a decade. Despite new entrants like Netflix and Disney+, these brands continue to remain relevant in the industry for soaps like House Of Zwide, Scandal, Generations and Gamora.

The best part about all this is you can view it on any device with apps like VIU (SABC), eVOD (e.tv) and Showmax (DStv) but as seen overseas not everyone can afford to access the large bulk of services available so they only divert attention to fewer services but with Demand Africa that's all about to change.

Demand Africa offers 24-7 access to the largest curated collection of Pan-African TV shows, series, soaps, movies and lifestyle entertainment direct from the continent. Demand Africa goes to Nollywood and beyond to offer a deeper connection to the continent.

 

 

Some of the content available on the platform particularly from South Africa include 5Connect, Date My Family, Isidingo, Isono and Durban Gen.

For those who haven't heard about Demand Africa might be able to familiarise themselves with The Africa Channel owned by Zimbabwe's James Makawa which serves an international distributor to content seen across Africa.

Demand Africa can be found on the App Store and new customers get a 7 day free trial thereafter you have to pay $6.99 and before anyone panics on how to cover the expenses try Payoneer which serves as a competitor to PayPal or explore the other payment alternatives available on the app.

Alternatives To e.tv's Defunct International Offering At 20:30

Since April 2022, e.tv halted distribution of weeknight international series at 20:30 in an attempt to bolster their streaming endeavours with the likes of Disney+, Netflix and Showmax all following a similar pattern.

While e.tv's new offering has seen somewhat of success, there's still various consumers that feel excluded from this shakeup having no means opted to create some distance with the channel and explore the number of alternatives out there.

It's obvious the streamers mentioned above would make a suitable candidate to this offering but as some households struggle to get the necessary means it's best to just look at alternatives that despite being phased out are still reachable to this day.

 

I managed to find a list of alternatives which I thought of dividing between pay and free as there's some that are willing to the freshest shows at a cheaper price or wait a while longer to view some of this content.

Now a look at the pay-tv alternatives

1. M-Net is a premium entertainment channel home to the very best and latest international series. While e.tv used to give you 3-5 year old repeats to their offering with M-Net you can several of their upcoming projects like Chicago Fire, Seal Team, New Amsterdam and NCIS: Los Angeles.

The biggest downfall to the brand is obvious pricing which is almost close to a R1000 monthly on DStv Premium that brings in item number 2.

2. Me is catch-up channel to M-Net infused with a bit of 1Magic. The only issue with the channel is the rollout of some of the content formerly and currently on e.tv. You have Queen Sugar airing on Sundays and stuff like Chicago PD can air as early as 17:00 while e.tv used to give you that 3 hours later. But again it can be useful and make e.tv feel like they're repeating their shows 2 or 3 years later.

Best part this is all available for as little as R309p/m on DStv Family formerly R420 on DStv Compact when it was M-Net City.

3. Universal, if you've viewed e.tv's 20:30 slot that's basically what the channel is about. You had variations like Rizzoli and Isles, Bones and Leverage Redemption but the lot winds up being e.tv's lineup. You have the latest seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles and The Librarians and you find them catching up with the Chicago franchise and S.W.A.T.

In the end, Universal has more value with e.tv opting to cancel these shows from their lineup and is far better than option number 2 and valued at the same amount as them.

 

Now a look at the free-to-view alternatives

1. SABC 3, stylised as S3 is currently a must have for those on pay platforms following the loss of several premium International channels like Sundance TV and FOX. Viewers on those platforms like to browse shows like Kim's Convenience, Killing Eve and Narcos. Although most of it is repeats they're not following the same pattern as e.tv as the content can be outdated or probably never before seen on the pay alternatives. The disadvantage is that viewers would probably want Chicago PD and all S3 would do is air NCIS.

The channel is accessible anywhere just don't use an aerial as those will be thrown in the recycle bin.

2. eXposed

Although the lineup of shows are dead, eXposed is the reruns graveyard to the international offering. You find stuff like Empire, Shades Of Blue, Hawaii Five-O and even Blackish. Compared to all others this could be the new home of 20:30 or the reincarnate.

Downfall of Xposed is the resumes at 8am not everyone will be around to binge whatever content comes onto the channel which is why one would need the extra 7 hours. The channel is available on Openview.

Roundups #68: The Smurfs To Get An Animated Musical, Sylvester Stallone Stars In Drug Fused Crime Drama Tulsa King And The Real Housewives Are Coming To Cape Town

Paramount+ and Nickelodeon tagged on another project

Chris Miller is set to direct Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation’s untitled Smurfs musical movie. The announcement will be made during the Paramount and Nick presentation at Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

South Park‘s Pam is writing the LAFIG Belgium and IMPS production which is set for release on Dec. 20, 2024.

 

 

More Paramount+ for viewers

Sylvester Stallone is making the jump to streaming. Paramount+ has released the first teaser for “Tulsa King,” the new crime drama from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, featuring Stallone in the central role.

Stallone, in the first regular TV role of his career, plays Dwight Manfredi, a New York Mafia head who finally gets out of jail after a 25-year sentence. Upon his release, he’s unceremoniously relocated by his boss to Tulsa, Okla. to establish criminal operations there. Stuck in a new location with zero existing connections and with no support from his Mafia family, Manfredi slowly builds a crew of unlikely allies to establish his own criminal empire.

 

“Tulsa King” premieres with its first two episodes Nov. 13, followed by weekly episode drops.

The Real Housewives is expanding to Cape Town

 

It began over 16 years ago in the affluent Californian enclave of Orange County, and since then, The Real Housewives franchise has gone on to achieve global success with 21 series internationally.

Locally, we've been introduced to wealthy wives and their lavish lifestyles in the RHOD (Real Housewives of Durban) and the RHOJ (Real Housewives of Johannesburg).

So it's really no surprise that The Real Housewives of Cape Town would follow.

From 10 July on Mzansi Magic fans of the show will be introduced to the seven 'housewives' who front the Cape Town series.

eToonz Repeat Is Coming To DStv With The Latest Season On Openview

Last month, eToonz launched the DreamWorks original series Archibald's Next Big Thing which served to be the last new program on the channel for DStv customers leaving the outdated DreamWorks Channel to pick up its own slack from rival stations.

 

As seen on e.tv, some of the content from this station as well as other defunct brands on DStv including eMovies, eMovies Extra and eExtra eventually surface on the main station as repeats.

Good news for eToonz fans on DStv is that the first instalment to Archibald will make way to e.tv from June 27th at 15:20.

 

Tony Hale produces and voices the lead character Archibald Strutter, a positive chicken who often goes astray from home, but eventually always finds his way back home. Other characters tagging along the ride are his siblings Sage, Loy and Finly, and best friend Bea.

Since its departure from the DStv platform, eToonz has already begun airing the second instalment to Archibald's Next Big Thing with the extension 'Is Here!' which consists of 4 seasons that will be divided into two seasons.

New Series ‘The Doomies,’ ‘Dragon Striker’ Lead Packed Disney TV Slate

Disney Television Animation, Disney Junior, and Disney EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) hosted their annual Annecy Festival studio presentation on Wednesday, giving a detailed look at what the tv divisions of the mouse factory have planned for tv and streaming in the coming months.

During the presentation, three new series were announced as well as news of several returning shows. Standouts among the day’s reveals included new series Dragon Striker, produced by Cyber Group Studios and La Chouette Compagnie, and The Doomies from I Lost My Body studio Xilam Animation.

According to Orion Ross, VP of animation, Disney EMEA, “The Doomies and Dragon Striker are the first part of a new slate of animated originals we’re developing in EMEA for global family audiences on Disney Channel and Disney+. These ambitious, premium series will introduce the work of leading creators from our region to the world, and we are both honored and inspired to be working with this new generation of storytellers.”

 

 

Below, a breakdown of the titles featured during Wednesday’s presentation, all of which will appear on Disney+ and other Disney platforms:

NEW SERIES

Dragon Striker

The series, created and produced by Sylvain Dos Santos, will be directed by Charles Lefebvre from screenplays by writer Paul McKeown. Cyber Group Studios and La Chouette Compagnie produce for Disney EMEA.

Synopsis: When the world’s most popular sport combines with magic, awesomeness escalates quicker than a dragon-powered strike! In this action-packed adventure full of comedy and high-stakes sports drama, elite players have a magical signature move they can use on the pitch. 12-year-old Key is a farm boy fanboy who can only dream of entering the famous school where the greatest players train before joining the big leagues—until he discovers he has his own ultra-powerful spell and may even be the legendary Dragon Striker. Key joins a team of hapless underdogs who band together to take on the school champions while fighting to prevent an ancient evil from resurfacing.

 

 

The Doomies

The series is co-created by Andrès Fernandez – who will direct – and Pozla (aka Rémi Zaarour), and written by Henry Gifford. Xilam Animation produces for Disney EMEA, with Marc du Pontavice acting as producer.

The first season will be comprised of 22 half-hours.

Synopsis: When best friends Bobby and Romy mistakenly open a gateway to another world, they turn their sleepy coastal town into a hotspot for terrifying creatures of doom. Roped into an epic supernatural mystery, they will cross paths with the so-called “Chosen One” and do battle with both literal and inner monsters. The Doomies is a spooky comedy that combines thrills, chills, and surprises with character-driven comedy from an odd couple of ordinary teens engulfed by extraordinary circumstances. Its fast-paced humor and high-stakes action take place in a quirky French town in the heart of Brittany, imagined with moody flair and graphic style.

Zombies: The Re-Animated Series

Disney Television Animation produces the series. Aliki Theofilopoulos, Jack Ferraiolo, Gary Marsh, David Light, and Joseph Raso are executive producing.

Synopsis: Every day is a surprise at Seabrook High—whether you’re a cheerleader, a zombie, a werewolf or even a vampire! ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series invites us into the daily lives of Zed, Addison, Eliza, Willa and the entire Seabrook crew. This gang may have figured out each other, but they haven’t quite figured out how to survive high school. Get ready for more musical fun and new friends as Seabrook becomes the #1 destination for all kinds of mythical monsters looking for a fresh start. And this means some pretty wild adventures—from the cafeteria to the football field—because sometimes the scariest thing you have to face is high school.

 

 

SERIES RENEWALS

Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life

Xilam Animation returns to animate the second season of this Disney EMEA show. Jean Cayrol (Floopaloo, Paprika), Fred Martin (A Kind of Magic, Oggy Oggy), and Kahlil Ben Nahmane (Zig and Sharko, Oggy Next Gen) direct, with Nicole Paglia as head writer.

The second season expands on the original order of 39 seven-minute shorts with a new order of 54 shorts.

Synopsis: Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life stars Disney’s much-loved chipmunk underdogs in a non-verbal, classic-style comedy, following the ups and downs of two little creatures living life in the big city. Combining the traditions of slapstick cartoons with contemporary, comedic character-driven narratives, season two introduces huge new adventures for the two tiny troublemakers. Nervous worrier Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale are joined in their perpetual pursuit of acorns by Donald, Pluto, Butch and other iconic Disney characters as they face down bullies, great and small.

Monsters At Work

Melissa Kurtz produces for Disney Television Animation with Kevin Deters as executive producer and Stevie Wermers as supervising director.
Season two synopsis: In season two, new doors of opportunity unexpectedly open at rival energy company FearCo and Tylor’s co-workers at Monsters Inc. begin to question where his loyalties truly lie. As his Laugh Floor partnership with Val is pushed to the brink, Tylor must discover where he really belongs.

Marvel’s Spidey And His Amazing Friends

 

 

Disney Junior and Marvel Studios produce in association with Atomic Cartoons produce, with Harrison Wilcox as executive producer, Bart Jennett as co-executive producer, Steve Grover as supervising producer, and Becca Topol as co-producer and story editor.

Season two synopsis: The first full-length Marvel series for preschoolers, Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends follows the adventures of Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and Miles Morales as they team up with Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Black Panther to defeat foes like Rhino, Doc Ock, and Green Goblin and learn that teamwork is the best way to save the day. Season two premieres this fall and sees the addition of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, Retpil, Black Cat, Sandman, and Electro.
Mickey Mouse Funhouse

Phil Weinstein is supervising director and executive producer for Disney Television Animation, with Thomas Hart serving as co-executive producer and supervising story editor, and Steve Walby as producer.
The whimsical animated series Mickey Mouse Funhouse introduces preschoolers’ first pal, Mickey Mouse, and his friends—Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto—to Funny, an enchanted talking playhouse who takes the Sensational Six on adventures of all types to unique worlds that inspire the imagination. Designed to inspire kids to expand their creative play, encourage wish fulfillment and impart lessons of friendship and ingenuity, each episode features two 11-minute stories separated by a midway stretch break. A 22-minute special, Mickey Mouse Funhouse: Pirate Adventure, is also set to premiere this August and features legendary pirate Captain Salty Bones as he invites Mickey, Minnie, and friends to join the biggest treasure hunt ever and see if they can become true pirates.

OTHER NEWS
Disney also announced that it has ordered 10 additional episodes of each of these previously-announced upcoming titles: Hamster & Gretel, Kiff, Hailey’s On It, and Primos. This will boost the first seasons for each of these titles to 30 episodes.

During the Annecy presentation, Disney also shared sneak peeks at Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and the upcoming documentary Mickey: The Story of a Mouse.

The studio also went through the current Disney Junior slate, including Eureka!, Firebuds, SuperKitties, Kindergarten: The Musical, Hey A.J.,  and RoboGobo. Disney Television Animation’s current lineup was also spotlighted, including Big City Greens, The Owl House, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

And finally, the studio talked about the importance of international partnerships with studios across the EMEA region on several key titles including Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, Ghost Force, The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, and Viking Skool.