New Series Alert: Bajillionaires And Amazing Animal Friends Coming Soon To Da Vinci Kids Africa - July 2022 Highlights

PREMIERES AND SPECIALS
Kids Programmes
Baby Animals — NEW SEASON 
7 x 30 mins
From July 10th – Saturdays & Sundays 16:40
Meet the world’s tiniest, cutest baby animals and see how they travel the road from birth to adolescence and adulthood. From building strong family ties to learning how to escape predators, these little creatures explore the world around them all day long.

Bajillionaires — PREMIERE 
20 x 30 mins
From July 11th – Mondays & Tuesdays 16:05
Twelve-year-old Max and his friends run a start-up out of his parents' garage. While brainstorming ideas for new inventions and dreaming about changing the world, the kids face different challenges, learn new things, and explore their friendship!

Amazing Animal Friends — PREMIERE 
6 x 60 mins
From July 16th – Saturdays 17:05
Discover some of the most incredible and unusual animal friendships. From the duck obsessed with a dog in France to the elephant that thinks she is a buffalo in Zimbabwe, we explore what brings these species together and how they form their extraordinary bonds.

 

Ageing Well Suzuki Style — PREMIERE 
1 x 60 mins
Sunday, July 24th – 20:55
David Suzuki, an 83-year-old Canadian, takes us on a journey to learn how to live better and age well. As he travels across Canada, meeting everyday people, Suzuki explores how much ageing depends on genetics and how much it relies on external factors.

Continuing kids programmes include Briko — Fridays 15:45, The Deep — Saturdays 10:30, Baby Animals — Saturdays & Sundays 16:40 and Superhero Sprinter Galore — Every day 08:50 

Monthly Special
International Friendship Day
Saturday, July 30th from 12:00 to 16:35
Everything is more fun with friends! This July we are celebrating International Friendship Day the Da Vinci way. By showcasing some of our best programming featuring dynamic duos and fantastic groups! Go on exciting adventures, overcome obstacles as a team and learn valuable lessons as we find out how we can make the world better, together.
 

12:00 Superhero Sprinter Galore — Accidentally Trapped, New Mayor, Body Swap, Thunder and Lightning and Mega-Triplet 3000
12:25 Addison — The Raucous Racket and The Double Mystery
12:50 Darwin & Newts — Burpee and Keas Balloon Adventure and An Oldie but a Gooey
13:15 Mily Miss Questions — Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, and Respect, The Wall of Equality and Friendship
13:45 Doki — Stuck on Style, Team Doki’s Big Adventure and Fire Team Doki
14:25 Wild Kratts — The Amazing Creature Race and Red Panda Rescue
15:15 Odd Squad — Double Trouble, My Better Half and Assistant’s Creed
15:50 Bajillionaires — Pneumatic Watermelon Squisher and Spray and Go

Early Morning with Da Vinci
Every day from 06:00 to 9:00
06:10 Do You Know?
06:30 Siesta Z
06:45 Mily Miss Questions
06:55 Marvellous Makes
07:00 PinCode
07:20 Darwin & Newts
07:35 Addison
07:50 Doki
08:05 Wild Kratts
08:30 Kosmix
08:40 The Fixies
08:50 Superhero Sprinter Galore

Nickelodeon To Cease Operation In South Korea

Paramount and AMC International have begun reviewing their linear offering and with the ongoing rollout of Paramount+. The CBS channels currently seen across Europe are phasing out CBS brand with CBS Reality said to remain as they're likely working on a name.

Paramount Network has even seen a decline internationally as most Paramount wents to seperate the linear from the streaming which resulted in several closures or replacements for the brand.

During the week, it was also reported that more Asian viewers will lose Nickelodeon by the end of June following its closure in Japan earlier in the year with several shows like Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud House and Danger Force streaming on Paramount+.

 

Nickelodeon had been available to the market for nearly 17 years as part of a joint venture with SBS Medianet and Paramount Networks EMEA. The demise of Nickelodeon means viewers lost out on another major kids brand following Disney Channel's closure last year.

As mentioned, Paramount will be rolling out their streaming service in more regions and although they don't plan to halt all their linear offering just yet. There has been cutbacks part of which include several localised feeds or channels with too much old content.

AMC International Giving Their Channels Weird Names Ahead Of Paramount+ Launch In Africa By 2023

Paramount+ is a streaming service owned by the company of the same name (without +) that is home to brands like Paramount Network, CBS (CBS Drama, CBS Justice and Horror Channel), Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, The Smithsonian Channel, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.

As some consumers are aware Paramount will be rolling out their streaming service by 2023 in the Middle East and Africa and question loomed in regard to the linear offering across the world.

Although the company had no intentions of ending their linear operations that doesn't exclude the possible reduction or restructure to their portfolio as seen in the UK with their CBS channels this past week.

 

AMC International formed a joint venture with the company for CBS Reality, CBS Justice, CBS Drama and Horror Channel since 2012 under the brand Chellomedia and even before and after becoming majority stakeholder the channels had a share of repeats.

After nearly a decade, the CBS channels would be laid to rest by the end of June as Paramount is scrapping the CBS branding since they'll be present on Paramount+ kind of like what they did with the Paramount Network and in doing so comes the new names.

Update: CBS Reality will remain the same for now but there's more to the story as there's a channel that goes by the name Reality in the UK. In other developments, CBS Reality will be getting an additional channel Reality Xtra.

 

Other channels like CBS Justice discontinued and merged onto Legend which serves as a replacement to Horror Channel which in turn becomes a part time channel Horror Xtra with the current CBS Reality getting a sister channel Reality Xtra.

If you've watched MTV, Travel Channel and TLC then you'll be able to realise that the brand names don't match with the offering and that's the case with these new channels.

Apparently, the content in question on these channels will remain the same Reality Xtra will air drama series although the name appears to make it a reruns or edgier version of CBS Reality and imagine they're instilling crime on horror.

Judging by the info available at the moment, its clear that these changes could have been last minute or organised in a short duration.

 

Taking that to account, is it possible another restructure is on the cards and perhaps with alternate names I mean Poland has the AMC brand and if not another name perhaps aligning the content with the brand names.

Last resort would include cord cutting as these channels are very much outdated even onto the new brands and the idea of AMC and Paramount operating less channels at this point doesn't seem far fetched.

If there's a brand I'd have to praise for its uniqueness then its CBS Reality I get this feed doesn't supply original content but the way this channel incorporates less repeats is astounding. Even more interesting is how their former brand name Reality (E)Xtra was revived.

Da Vinci Kids Rebranded Last Year That's Why The Channel Has Been Loading Up On Fresh Content

A new kids’ content initiative rolled out in Asia, delivering learning in multiple formats and promising a positive, safe and ad-free environment for children across the region.

The move is part of a global expansion strategy, follows the consolidation of global educational assets – Da Vinci Media’s Da Vinci Kids and Azoomee – under newly formed holding company, Macademia.

Additional acquisitions are being planned in the continued drive to consolidate the EdTech and edutainment kids’ segments, says Macademia’s co-founder and chief operating officer, Estelle Lloyd.

Lloyd says the company’s mission is to “help parents raise exceptional humans”.

 

Macademia is best known for its selection of STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math) programming, including award-winning TV shows, documentaries and educational games for kids 4 to 12.

“Our mission is to unlock children’s full potential by igniting a passion for discovery and imagination through inspiring videos and games,” Lloyd adds.

A core part of the ambitious new plan, the latest iteration of Da Vinci Kids includes a completely revamped mobile streaming app, a library of educational games, as well as an upsized linear channel. Da Vinci Kids targets 6+ year olds and adults.

Sister platform, Azoomee, targeting kids below six years old, debuted in Asia. Globally, Azoomee is available in 125 countries through its partnership with Huawei, which bundles a one-year pre-paid Azoomee subscription with Huawei tablets.

 

Expanding Da Vinci Kids’ content has been a key focus of the new strategic direction, Lloyd says, adding that topics range from science, technology and nature to history and arts, among others.

Recent video series acquired included "The Fixies", "Darwin & Newts" and "A Week to Beat the World", which is exclusive to Da Vinci Kids. These join titles such as "Operation Ouch", "Science Max", "Pin Code" and "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch".

“Our goal is to provide a variety in content mix and an alternative to the pure entertainment and ratings-driven channels that occupy the vast majority of the kids and documentaries channel landscape,” Lloyd adds.

Linear remains a crucial part of the bundle.

“Da Vinci Kids delivers a content curation strategy focused on range, diversity and quality. We are providing a meaningful viewing experience to kids and families, which we know is very important to parents,” Lloyd says.

 

Between them, Da Vinci Kids and Azoomee are distributed to a global audience of 60m kids and families on 550+ pay-TV and streaming platforms, telcos and OEMs. In addition to Huawei, partners include Vodafone, Telefonica/O2, MultiChoice, Apple, Sky, Roku and Amazon.

Moving forward, Macademia plans to ramp up its investment in original productions and games, building upon segments such as Marvelous Makes (arts and crafts), Search It Up (digital literacy) and Tech Will Save Us (technology).

“As much as we want children to have fun, to be carefree and happy, we also want them to develop into curious and critical thinking people, to open their minds to new ideas,” Lloyd says, adding: “We are going to be there for them.”

Roundups #71: Trolls: The Beat Goes On Coming Soon To DreamWorks Africa, Mzansi Wethu Airs Its First Drama Series Titled Isibopho And eExtra Goes For Two With Ice Adonis And Twice My Son In Law

More eToonz repeats for DStv customers

eToonz left the DStv platform for almost a month and since March various content mostly repeats from the channel are currently viewed on the DreamWorks Channel.

As mentioned through various sources and press statements, Trolls: The Beat Goes On will be added to the channel's portfolio in the coming months.

Queen Poppy, her boyfriend Branch and the other trolls embark on cheerful adventures in the Troll village, where they celebrate several exciting holidays and dance parties.

 

Mzansi Wethu gets some exclusive content

Mzansi Wethu has released the trailer of its first-ever original drama series since the channel debuted. Through Mzansi Magic’s Instagram page the channel has announced that Isibopho will be released and start streaming soon on the channel. The drama series has an all-star cast, and viewers can not wait for it to begin showing.

The drama series will be about a fight for survival and enemies and families bound by blood. People will be fighting for their lives and sneaking around to get the revenge they seek. The story will follow an innocent woman who will be trying to fight off a powerful opponent that she is called a sheep trying to fight dogs.

The drama series will debut at 21:00 from July 10th.

 

More kdramas on eExtra

The Bollywood lineup had manifested throughout eExtra's schedule alongside Turkish. Bad news is Korean is only viewable on the daytime good news is the channel will continue uploading more Korean series.

High Society Scandal will conclude later this month and repeats of A-Lifestyle and Mahadi Lobola take up the timeslot for the rest of the month thereafter a rerun of Ice Adonis takes up the show's timeslot with a second slot added for the new series, Twice My Son In Law.

Lee Jin-sook is a speaker on family happiness. However, she has a sad past. Years ago, she was kicked out of the house by her mother-in-law and was forced to be separated from her newborn daughter. An encounter with Hyeon-tae leads her to not only fall in love but meet her birth daughter.

The series airs at 14:50 from July 4th with Ice Adonis at 14:05.