All your favourite characters are back, in this latest edition to the wacky SpongeBob mobile series.
National Geographic Ventures Deep Into The Underworld With Third Season Of Award-Winning Series Trafficked With Mariana Van Zeller, Premiering Thursday 9 February
This February, multiple award-winning investigative journalist and correspondent Mariana van Zeller plunges deeper into the illicit shadow economy in the much-anticipated third installment of National Geographic’s Emmy-nominated docu-series Trafficked With Mariana Van Zeller, premiering on Thursdays at 21:00 from 9 February 2023 on National Geographic (DStv 181, Starsat 220).
A recipient of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and the duPont Award, Mariana has made it her life mission to explore the inner workings of the global underworld’s most dangerous, illegitimate markets. In each episode, she infiltrates a different trafficking network to investigate the reasons behind the illegal trade of black-market organs, LSD, ghost guns, cyber pirates, MDMA, gangs, terrorist oil, crypto scams, fight clubs and black-market babies. She meets with both the traffickers and the victims to better understand the world’s growing multi trillion-dollar shadow economy.
This season, Mariana’s investigations are shaped more than ever by the political, economic and social global landscape as she travels to Ukraine, where the war with Russia has upended the surrogacy industry; embeds herself within a ring of crypto scammers, right on the cusp of an industry crash; and exposes how 3D-printed ghost guns are being funneled into dangerous hands. Afforded National Geographic’s trademark inside access, Mariana’s plights take her thousands of miles across the globe, from Nigeria to Thailand and Belize, eventually bringing her closer than ever to home. Viewers are given a 360-degree view of the trafficking world from the perspective of the smugglers, law enforcement and those caught in the crossfires.
“Almost half of the world’s economy is dominated by black and gray markets. This shadow economy has an impact on every single one of us. And yet, we know very little about this dark and secretive side of the world,” says Mariana. “With Trafficked, we’re trying to change that. And in this season, the stories and issues we investigate feel even more relevant and urgent than ever before.”
Trafficked With Mariana Van Zeller has been nominated for five News and Documentary Emmys, including Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary, Outstanding Writing: Documentary for “Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs,” Outstanding Writing: Documentary for “Romance Scams” and Outstanding Promotional Announcement in 2022 and Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary in 2021. The series received a Critics Choice Real TV Award nomination for Best Crime/Justice Show for two consecutive years in a row in 2021 and 2022. The series was a 2021 Gracie Award winner for Best Reporter/Correspondent – Mariana van Zeller.
DStv Flex:
- NCIS: Los Angeles cancelled after 14 seasons on M-Net
- Brand new seasons of your favourite shows coming to History
- February on The Home Channel
- February on HONEY
Episodes Include the following:
Black Market Organs
Around the world, hundreds of people die every day for lack of available organs. That statistic has fueled a shady underworld of transplant tourism, a trade that connects desperate patients from the world’s wealthiest countries with desperate donors facing their own brutal realities. It’s a global trade worth roughly 1.5 billion dollars. But how exactly does it work?
LSD
LSD is making a comeback because of the growing faith in its healing power. Underground therapy is booming as the drug is used to treat abuse, depression and traumas of all kinds. And yet, LSD remains 100 percent illegal, which is why the handful of chemists responsible for the world’s supply protect a deeply guarded secret. Van Zeller is on a mission to locate a chemist and understand the secrets kept by the community.
Ghost Guns
Ghost guns are quickly becoming the weapon of choice for criminal organizations nationwide. Built from kits that anyone can buy online without a background check, these ghost guns lack serial numbers, rendering them untraceable. Van Zeller sets out to expose how a largely unregulated industry has blossomed into a bustling underground market that funnels weapons into very dangerous hands.
Terrorist Oil
Van Zeller embarks on a 3,000-mile journey from Africa to the Middle East to uncover the ways in which illicit oil is fueling terrorist groups around the globe. Her investigation delves into how “black gold” is stolen, smuggled and is finding its way into the hands of America’s most dangerous enemies.
MDMA
An alarming message from her son’s middle school about MDMA sparks van Zeller into high gear. She traces the supply chain of “the love drug” within the Los Angeles clubs back to its booming epicenter in the Netherlands, where a mob-infested underworld has recently murdered a well-known journalist. Is it possible that MDMA consumption in the U.S. is helping to turn the Netherlands into a narco-state?
Black Market Babies
Ukraine was the epicenter of the billion-dollar global surrogacy business until its war with Russia upended the controversial industry. Now, nearly a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, other countries are stepping in to fill the void. But that’s not necessarily a good thing. In this episode, van Zeller investigates how the dream of starting a family incites a burgeoning babies-for-cash underworld market.
Cyber Pirates
Cyber crimes like credit card scams, identity theft and ransomware are among the fastest-growing shadow economies in the U.S., making data a more valuable commodity than even gold, guns and drugs. In this episode, van Zeller explores how our personal and financial information is stolen, sold and distributed by a dark network of hackers and thieves with the goal of exposing a system of global proportions.
Gangs
Violent crime is soaring in Los Angeles to levels not seen in 30 years. To understand the realities and the rivalries feeding this gruesome trend, van Zeller spends time with two of America’s most notorious street gangs — the Bloods and the Crips. Surprisingly, her journey leads her from some of LA’s roughest neighborhoods to the tiny Central American country of Belize.
Crypto Scams
Cryptocurrencies have gone mainstream, minting billionaires around the globe. But this get-rich-quick fever, paired with a lack of government oversight and regulation, has created the perfect opportunity for scammers. In this episode, van Zeller embeds within a crew of crypto “rug-pull” scammers, who show her how they make millions of dollars in mere weeks.
Fight Clubs
Van Zeller probes the growing popularity of bare-knuckle fighting. On a journey that takes her from the blood-shedding mecca of Thailand to underground fights throughout the U.S., she explores the allure of these violent, sanguine bouts and how they’re inflaming a larger push to bring bare-knuckle fighting to the mainstream.
Trafficked With Mariana Van Zeller is produced for National Geographic by Muck Media. From Muck Media, Executive Producers are Mariana van Zeller, Darren Foster and Jeff Plunkett, who also serves as Showrunner. From National Geographic, Bengt Anderson and Sean D. Johnson are Executive Producers.
DStv:
- Cape Town TV unveils fresh new look
- MultiChoice might be adding two new catch-up channels
- BBC to close linear channels and move to an internet only digital future
- What Consumers Should Be Concerned About Regarding SABC's Yet To Be Launched Channels On DStv?
Comcast, Parent Company Of NBCUniversal To Rollout Fourth Kids Brand In The UK, Sky Kids
Sky, a division of Comcast and in some way the UK version of NBCUniversal announced the rollout of Sky Kids bringing the total number of kids to 4 from February 2023.
As you may recall, NBCUniversal is responsible for conceiving the other 3 brands. DreamWorks being the eldest has been dominating the cinema circuit, Universal Kids the middle man is going through troubled times and the last Peacock Kids is still in daycare.
Sky Kids, the pay-tv children's channel sets out to be fourth edition to the trio exclusively in the UK. Home to ad-free 24-hour programming, the new channel will showcase quality Sky Originals and big names that kids love and parents can trust.
Some of the content announced include originals such as My Friend Misty, Ready, Eddie, Go!, Dino Club and The Very Small Creatures alongside other content like TrollsTopia, Where’s Wally, Madagascar a Little Wild, and Clifford The Big Red Dog.
Insidus Games:
- Bugs Bunny & Lola Bunny: Operation Carrot Patch
- Buzz Lightyear Star Command
- Fix It Fun! Bob The Builder
- Daffy Duck: Fowl Play
Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content at Sky said:
“We’re so excited to announce the launch of our brand-new linear channel. Millions of our customers already love watching our huge range of Original shows on-demand but families with younger kids have told us that watching on linear channels is an important part of their day; so, we’ve listened and expanded our Sky Kids offering at no extra cost.
“The new channel will have a whole breadth of brand new and much-loved shows for kids and families to enjoy and we can’t wait to reveal the full fantastic line-up of shows.”
Regular Nick:
- The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj to rollout on Nicktoons in Africa
- Two current shows from Boomerang rolling out on the Cartoonito block across Africa
- Moonbug Kids To Distribute New STEAM Focused Series, Ocean Explorers
- New Bear Grylls series is coming soon to Da Vinci Kids
Five Unmissable Films Coming To The Joburg Film Festival
The Joburg Film Festival (JFF) kicks off across Jo’burg on 31 January, showcasing some of the finest films from over 35 countries across the globe, including 20 African premieres and 27 South African premieres, until 5 February. Here are just five highlights from the JFF schedule.
Utama
In Utama, an elderly Quechua couple live a tranquil life in the arid Bolivian highlands. While Virginio takes their small herd of llamas out to graze, Sisa keeps house and walks for miles to fetch precious water. When an uncommonly long drought threatens everything they know, they must decide whether to stay and maintain their traditional way of life or admit defeat and move in with family members in the city.
Silence in the Dust
After being diagnosed with advanced staged pneumoconiosis from working in a quartz powder factory in Guangdong, Dazhang returns to his hometown and shares the suffering with his entire family.
2022 Special Jury Prize & Taiwan International Documentary Festival Visionary Award-winning Silence in the Dust is directed by Li Wei.
Shimoni
Shimoni examines the life of a teacher who is sent back to the village where he was raised after being releasde from prison. He’s forced to re-jig his life in a community that he left behind, doing manual jobs that are alien to him.
Music is my Life
Music is My Life provides an engaging account of the life of Joseph Shabalala and his rise to international fame with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, including the group’s contributions to Paul Simon’s Graceland, which, despite breaking defying the cultural boycott, went on to become one of South Africa’s most-loved albums.
The Cloud & The Man
Shot in soulful black and white, The Cloud and the Man explores Manik’s uneventful life. His father passes away one day and he is served a month’s notice to vacate the rented house. Just when the world around him starts to fall apart, Manik meets someone that would change his life for good – a cloud. A unique love story unfolds, propelling Manik on a rollercoaster journey of faith, betrayal, belief & warmth.
What To Expect On DreamWorks Africa In February 2023?
NEW EPISODES:
THE EPIC TALES OF CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS
Based on the epic novels by Dav Pilkey, DreamWorks "The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants" follows the adventures of George Beard and Harold Hutchins, two best friends who’ve bonded through their love of pranking, comic books and being the thorns in Principal Krupp's side. Their fun gets them mixed up in adventures crazier than their comic books, which is when they call on their greatest creation: Captain Underpants!
From Monday 6th of February 2023
Weekdays at 6.30am, 5.30pm, 9.30pm, Weekends at 10.30am, 5.30pm, 9pm
NEW EPISODES:
GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE
Take a vine-swinging ride with George - the undisputed King of the Jungle! A super- strong super-friend with boundless energy and lots of heart, George is no stranger to crash landings. In his jungle playground, every day is a new adventure full of mishaps, mayhem, monkey business and...trees!
From Monday 6th of February 2023
Weekdays at 2.30pm
Insidus Games:
- Bugs Bunny & Lola Bunny: Operation Carrot Patch
- Buzz Lightyear Star Command
- Fix It Fun! Bob The Builder
- Daffy Duck: Fowl Play
MOVIES
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
Saturday 4th, Sunday 5th, Friday 10th February
Through a series of misunderstandings, Alvin, Simon and Theodore come to believe that Dave is going to propose to his new girlfriend in New York City...and dump them. They have three days to get to him and stop the proposal, saving themselves not only from losing Dave but possibly from gaining a terrible stepbrother.
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole:
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th February
Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father’s epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, wants to join the mythic band of winged warriors who has saved all from the evil.
The Emoji Movie
Saturday 18th, Sunday 19th, Friday 24th February
Take an adventure in the secret world inside your smartphone to Textopolis, a bustling city where all your favorite emojis live. In this world, each emoji has only one facial expression – except for Gene, who is bursting with multiple expressions. Determined to become “normal”, Gene enlists the help of his handy best friend Hi-5 and the notorious code breaker emoji Jailbreak. Together, these unlikely heroes embark on an epic “app- venture” through the apps on the phone, each its own wild and fun world, to find the code that will fix Gene!
Regular Nick:
- The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj to rollout on Nicktoons in Africa
- Two current shows from Boomerang rolling out on the Cartoonito block across Africa
- Moonbug Kids To Distribute New STEAM Focused Series, Ocean Explorers
- New Bear Grylls series is coming soon to Da Vinci Kids
VALENTINES STUNT
14th of February
At 4pm and 8pm
Madly Madagascar
Your favourite Madagascar pals go on a wonderful adventure. Alex's favourite holiday, Valentine's Day, brings hilarious surprises and excitement for the entire gang. Get ready to fall in love.
The Adventures of Puss In Boots - Mermaid
To prove he’s a ladies’ man, Puss rescues a mermaid from a thief who instantly falls in love with Voice Guest: Maria Bamfordas him…and becomes his worst nightmare.
Dawn of The Croods – It Crushes / Rebel without a Paws
The world's first family is back and funnier than ever in this all- new family sitcom! School, slumber parties and elections are some of the hilarious wonders of the modern life The Croods are discovering!
The Peabody and Sherman Show – Favour for Christine / Lady Godiva
Peabody, the smartest dog in the world, and his boy Sherman host a zany late-night comedy show broadcast from their swanky penthouse in front of a live studio audience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)