Roundups #112: Monster High Renewed For Second Season, A Ninth Instalment To Harry Potter Might Be On The Cards And Pirates Of The Caribbean Reboot Practically Dead

Nickelodeon welcomes back a returning show

Fangtastic! Monster High has been renewed for a second season at Nickelodeon. The decision comes just weeks after the first season premiered on the network. That first season has yet to wrap, but now the network is expressing strong faith in the series by giving a go-ahead for another year at the titular high school. This is a good sign for the Mattel toy franchise (upon which the series is based), which recently relaunched its line of iconic toys, giving a revamped look to its beloved characters.

Season 1 introduced us to the teenage kids of some famous monsters as they begin a new school season at the eponymous school. At the center are the quartet of ghouls, Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, Frankie Stein, and Deuce Gorgon, who in addition to their academics, are seen developing their social and personal lives by learning to discover who they are and embracing their unique identity, while surmounting every obstacle to stand out as fierce and fearless beasts.

According to a report, the second season will look to further develop each of these characters and explore their background while "expanding on the theme of friendship." While season one contained 26 episodes, the sophomore season will include 20 episodes.

Source: Collider

The Wizarding World won't be around for at least until couple of years

After the failure of the Fantastic Beasts film series, Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly looking to move forward with a movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The Wizarding World has experienced its own ups and downs through the years, but its momentum slowed down after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ended Daniel Radcliffe's on-screen adventure as the titular wizard in 2011.

Although the Fantastic Beasts movies did return to Hogwarts and even feature Albus Dumbledore in a significant role, some fans pointed out that it didn't have the same magic that the Harry Potter films translated on-screen despite it managing to expand its world and history.

Source: TheDirect

Disney silently cancels Pirates Of The Caribbean

Disney has pulled the plug on its Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff led by Margot Robbie.

“We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led—not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story—which we thought would’ve been really cool, but I guess they don’t want to do it,” Robbie said in a an interview.

“We are developing two Pirates scripts—one with her, one without,” sources told the paper at the time.

Even though her Pirates spinoff fell through, Robbie has plenty on her plate. She will be promoting her upcoming film Babylon from Whiplash, La La Land and First Man director Damian Chazelle. She’ll also soon start filming an Ocean’s Eleven prequel, and of course, coming next summer is the much talked about Barbie movie.

Source: Complex

Prediction: Mindset Learn To Be Taken Over By The SABC, Rebrands Into SABC School

Prediction: A statement of what you think will happen in future

Mindset is a curriculum based learning channel which caters to Grade 10-12 and includes content from Grade 1-3. Following the demise of Mindset Pop, it kind of caters to Grade 4-9 but just like a certain brand most of their audience aren't home during those times.

Basically, Mindset is meant to help learners improve on their maths, numeracy, science, literacy and accounting. It's basically free at this point as it is managed by a nonprofit organisation and such usually just try to make sure a difference in the economy.

For which this brand was fortunate enough to do for the past decade but you just wished that more areas would be covered. Of course there's a few exceptions such as Creative Arts, Life Orientation and Business Studies as one is general and the other reading.

Anyways, the public broadcaster announced the exit of Telkom to the streaming market for the recently launched SABC+. The brand supplies SABC 1-3, News, Sport and Education alongside selected archived content was locked away in their archives.

Prior to its launch, they were only a linear company which experienced success with SABC 1 and SABC Sport. So much so that the SABC had proposed spinning off one of the two as the other follows a number sequence so yeah.

SABC Education also garnered much relevance even before a 24/7 service was released so why not give it a linear channel. Initially, the channel was meant to to be a partnership with the Department Of Education which currently operates within the Openview platform.

Implying that the 24/7 channel, could have turned out differently and wouldn't entirely be an SABC Encore based channel but sort of a mashup with Mindset which just gives me an idea for another brand, SABC School.

Based of SABC Learning and in partnership with Mindset Learn, the channel will continue to align itself with the current curriculum with Geleza Nathi replacing the Grade 12 lessons and also reruns of Matric Reloaded and Takalani Sesame forming part of the channel.

Prediction: Parliament TV To Be Taken Over By The SABC, Rebrands Into SABC Parliament

Prediction: A statement of what you think will happen in future

Earlier in the week, it was announced TelkomOne would be taken over by the SABC's new streaming service, SABC+ then an idea came to mind about one of their DTT plans so we dive on further to them and explain it a bit better through another brand, Parliament TV.

Parliament TV is a provincial channel which airs on channel 408 through the DStv platform and operates more like a news hub but usually for gatherings and other important events which in a way can be kind of boring but you get the gist of it.

A few years ago, the public broadcaster unveiled 5 new channels of which two which fortunate to materialize with one of the latters being SABC Parliament going through development hell.

Not that it isn't a thing as test had been conducted on it a while back and from what was stated by the public broadcaster. The channel would need some form of funding on top of an outlet where they could try to expand and what better way than through Parliament TV.

Parliament TV is available to consumers on the DStv platform on an exclusive basis and the change to SABC Parliament means the channel alongside SABC News join the bulk of entertainment to be confined with the pay-tv company.

SABC Launches Its Streaming Service SABC+, Includes SABC News Channel

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has launched its long-anticipated OTT platform, SABC +.

The SABC + streaming app will provide the best that the SABC has to offer including 19 radio stations and 3 free-to-air television channels SABC 1, SABC 2, SABC 3, as well as the SABC Sports Channel and the SABC’s 24-hour news channel. In addition, the app will feature a variety of local and international content, to extend the Corporation’s mission to inform, educate and entertain citizen, everywhere, anytime.

“SABC + signals a new digital era for the SABC and a key accomplishment in addressing universal access for all citizens” states Mr Madoda Mxakwe, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the SABC. “ SABC + app also presents a growth path to enhancing our value offering to clients and customers to build a strong foundation for future financial sustainability of the SABC”, concluded Mxakwe.

In partnership with the global consumer electronics and home appliances market leader, Hisense, the Corporation will distribute the SABC + app through the Hisense VIDAA Smart TVs and mobile devices in time for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on 20 November 2022. Together, these two powerhouses will bring 28 matches of the FIFA World Cup and the official FIFA World Cup show daily, for FREE.

The SABC is proud to partner with a technology company such as Hisense to enable us to fulfil our public mandate, whilst utilising innovation to provide cutting edge content to the public.

New Series Alert: Daai Crazy Somer Coming Soon To e.tv

e.tv, South Africa's most watched English channel home to shows such as Scandal, House Of Zwide, The Black Door and Imbewu will start off 2023 with adrenaline pumping action as they acquired to rights to the Turkish drama Daai Crazy Somer (Son Yaz).

Idealist Public Prosecutor Selim receives an offer he cannot refuse from organized crime leader Selcuk Taskin, whom he sent to prison. Selcuk will testify in the prosecutor's case, but in return, he asks the prosecutor to protect his son.

Alperen Duymaz stars as Akgün Gökalp Taskin, Ali Atay stars as Selim Kara, Hafsanur Sancaktutan stars as Yagmur Kara, Arif Piskin stars as Selcuk Taskin and Sezer Koç and Emel Yaman.

Daai Crazy Somer joins a list of FOX shows to have aired on eMedia's stable including #DisComplicated, Doodsondes and Dokter Ali.

Don't miss out on the premiere from January 6th on e.tv replacing Doodsondes.