Recap To The Decade: Disney Channel Resurfaced In The UK Prior To The Channel's 40th Anniversary

Disney Channel was ripped away from from the UK by the end of September 2020 alongside Disney Junior and Disney XD. This coincide with the channels termination in Africa alongside FOX Life with most feeds of Disney XD shuttered before the end of that financial year.

Unlike most Disney feeds across the world, Disney Channel was discontinued in the UK due to carriage disputes with cable providers. At the time, it was also stated that they plan extend distribution agreements for Disney channels in markets where Disney+ is also available.

Of course that may no longer be a priority as Disney is looking to sell their linear platforms in the U.S. which kind of proves several analysts theories about the brand moving away from cable TV so it's likely that more markets particularly in Europe will be joining the Disney Channels in the UK

Disney Channel was a teen centric channel featuring live-action productions like Hannah Montana, Jessie, Descendants and High School Musical alongside animation like Phineas And Ferb, Gravity Falls, Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir and Kim Possible. 

It's popularity led to the creation of preschool brand Disney Junior and male oriented Disney XD. Brands which initially leveraged selected content from the main channel and after seeing a popularity boost included first run programming and films.

Since 2020, Disney has been closing several channels across the world with more territories set to join the UK Disney Channels by end of the current financial year - 31 March 2024. Unlike other parts of the world, the UK Disney Channels have shown some sign of life.

Although they don't exist on linear platforms, Disney Channel's YouTube page remains active featuring clips (if not full episodes) of past productions from their linear counterpart. Compared to other feeds, it's currently unknown whether or if Disney will be looking to close that area soon.

What To Expect On TNT Across Africa In September 2023?

BEYOND THE ILLUSION

Living in South Africa can feel a bit like a movie sometimes, with bizarre plot twists and surprise guest appearances – but our ‘Beyond the Illusion’ movie blocks each Saturday this month take that to another level! Transcend reality, delve into deception and explore a world where nothing is truly ever as it seems. Whether it’s Christian Bale as John Connor taking on T-800 in Terminator Salvation, Jim Carrey living a reality show in The Truman Show, or Arnold Schwarzenegger forced into a battle for his life in the classic The Running Man, this is altered reality on a whole new level.

TUNE IN DETAILS (channel premieres)

Saturday, 2 September         

18:05   –    Terminator Salvation (2009)

20:00   –    The Running Man (1987)

Saturday, 9 September

18:05   –    Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

20:00   –    The Truman Show (1998)

Saturday, 16 September

17:50   –    Last Action Hero (2016)

20:00   –    Minority Report (2002)

Saturday, 23 September

17:55   –    The 6th Day (2000)

20:00   –    Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)

CELEBRATE HERITAGE DAY

In South Africa, we celebrate our heritage with a public holiday – and this year, we get a bonus Monday break too! TNT has you covered with a fantastic comedy film lineup that takes you from the ridiculous to the absurd via the madcap and the strange. It’s the perfect blend of family fun for a well-deserved – and respected – holiday break.

TUNE IN DETAILS (channel premieres)

Sunday, 24 September

13:30   –    Mr Deeds (2002)

15:05   –    Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)           

16:40   –    The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)

18:20   –    Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)

20:00   –    Meet the Parents (2000)

Monday, 25 September

13:50   –    Surf Ninjas (1993)

15:20   –    Yes Man (2008)  

17:05   –    3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)

18:40   –    Click (2006)

20:30   –    A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

DJIMON HOUNSOU FAN DAY

We celebrate the amazing talent of Africa’s Djimon Hounsou this month with a dedicated ‘fan day’ featuring some of his best-known work. The Beninese-born actor won acclaim in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad in 1997, and he’s continued to captivate fans for the last quarter of a century in star turns in films like the ones we’ve lined up on 17 September. Watch out for two channel premieres in Biker Boyz and The Legend of Tarzan!

TUNE IN DETAILS (channel premieres)

Sunday, 17 September

13:40   –    King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

15:50   –    Blood Diamond (2006)

18:10   –    Biker Boyz (2003)

20:00   –    The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Pending Development: My Girlfriend's Father + Tickets + More Local Productions That Have Yet To Be Seen On eVOD

Below is a list of local productions some of which are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. As advised during the year, eMedia Investments had been forming partnerships with various broadcasters to build some of the content viewed on eVOD and e.tv.

This list consists of titles that are awaiting release:

• My Girlfriend's Father: When a guy from the city finds a new girlfriend, he does not know that the fate of their relationship rests in the hands of a snooty patriarch from a royal family. The film debuts 14 September on eVOD.

• Tickets: Young lovers Crystal and Marlyn can’t keep their hands off each other. He dreams of rapping and she dreams of singing on the big stage. What they both actually want, is just a way out of the Flats. Phyllis, Crystal’s Mom, lives with a heavy secret, the burden of hiding it is driving a wedge between her and her daughter.

• Clean Job: Clean Job is the story of a grief stricken, broken young woman named Kimberly, who grows up to be the ruthless master mind behind a criminal syndicate of desperate, poor women from the township, who disguise themselves as domestic workers, to rob rich people living in the suburbs of Johannesburg.

• Klip Anker Baai: A young woman comes back to South Africa to run her late father's fishing company and save her community from losing their livelihood.

• Proof Of Payment: Set in modern day South Africa, Proof of Payment is the story of Themba, a disadvantaged, yet incredibly intelligent, charismatic, yet unscrupulous young man who has perfected the art of conning unsuspecting victims out of their valuables.

Still in development:

• Umbrella Men 2

News Shorts: School Is In Session With Woza Matrics Now On Mzansi Wethu, kykNET & Kie To Debut 5 Namibian Based Films And Glow TV Rumoured Relaunch On The Openview Platform Debunked

Mzansi Wethu enters the classroom

WOZA Matrics is a programme designed to help matrics catch up on their studies and to assist Matrics nationwide with learning materials and study tools via classes broadcast on TV channels, online platforms and radio.

Some of the platforms include DBE TV (on Openview) from 08:00 until 10:00 and 13:00 to 15:00 everyday. The programme will also be available on the DStv Catch Up function on DSTV Now.

As seen this past week, MultiChoice extended the reach of the program to Mzansi Wethu. For a while now, consumers on the platform had to sought out free-to-view platforms with a similar offering on Mindset's Liberty Learn.

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Namibia is taking over kykNET next month

NBC and MultiChoice partnered up to source out various short films within the region also known as Project Mukorob giving Nambians a platform to share their unique stories and to contribute to the cultural richness of the country.

All films will air on NBC from December 2023 to May 2025.

Five films will be telecast through KykNET and Kie on Sundays at 20:00, starting with "The Funeral" on September 3rd, followed by "Bokwagter" on September 10th, "The Goal" on September 17th, "Wish for Death" on September 24th, and Instant Love on October 1st.

Prime TV IS NOT COMING TO OPENVIEW

During the week, it was reported that eMedia Investments would be adding/relaunch another Bollywood centred brand to the Openview platform, Prime TV (aka Glow TV). This was after a user had spotted the Wikipedia page for Glow TV now known as Prime TV for some apparent reason.

Neither Glow TV or Nismedia were available to comment on the latest development but eMedia Investments debunked news of another Bollywood channel and proclaiming it #FakeNews. Although the news was proven false, viewers are eagerly awaiting the possible return of the channel.

Earlier in the year, Glow TV was phased out from linear platforms and Nismedia was looking to take legal action against eMedia Investments - still no word on how that's going or if it's still on the cards. Since then selected content like The Get Real Talk Show With Denver Naicker had migrated to People's Weather.

As for the news of Prime TV, the idea was probably conceived after consumers on Openview had learnt that MultiChoice would be allocating a third Bollywood channel Zee Zonke to low tiered bouquets. Similar to eExtra's Kuiertyd, the content is dubbed in local languages.

Development Alert: Disney's Saturdays Coming This October To Disney Channel Across Africa, Phineas And Ferb And New Raven's Home Added To The Channel's Fall Lineup

Disney to rollout their first sitcom of 2023

Saturdays follows Paris Johnson, a 14-year-old girl forms the "We-B-Girlz" skate crew with her best friends: Simone and Ari. Together, they are determined to create the hottest skate routines in their local roller rink "Saturdays" and are working to become famous in Chicago, Illinois.

The coming of age comedy stars Danielle Jalade, Daria Johns, Peyton Z. Basnight, Jermaine Harris, Tim Johnson Jr., Golden Brooks, and Omar Gooding.

As mentioned in the headline, Disney Channel has been going through a dry spell with their live-action slate as the channel is saturated with animation (yay) alongside various Disney+ titles we assume the channel could be a gonner as the channel cuts back on programming.

Saturdays airs weekdays at 16:00 from 9 October and the recently added Kiff moves down to almost 2 hours which is 18:05 as Raven's Home forms as a double bill at 16:25 followed by Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir at 17:15.

Weirdly enough, Saturdays will become a double bill later in that month meaning expect more doubles on the Disney Channel.

Another rebroadcast enters the Disney Channel

Phineas And Ferb follows the adventures of stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, who are between eight and ten years old. They live in the fictional city of Danville in an unspecified tri-state area, as they seek ways to occupy their time during their "104 days of summer vacation ". 

Since it's debut, Phineas And Ferb remains as one channel's most successful shows. It conceived several films, spinoffs and merchandise and it was also one of the few shows (alongside Lab Rats and Walk The Prank) to be on Disney XD before the channel's departure.

Interesting to note, Phineas And Ferb resurfaced almost around the same month Disney XD was axed which was 1 September in 8:20 timeslot and three years later it will retain their timeslot a month later being 1 October - kinda weird really about this latest entry.