News Shorts: Fireman Renewed For Season 16 On JimJam And e.tv, History Channel Unveils It's Early 2024 Lineup Across Africa And A Magical Love Story Takes Up Primetime On Star Life (Divya Drishti Cancelled)

Fireman Sam renewed for 16th season

New international distribution deals have also been secured for previous seasons of both shows, which are based on Mattel brands, with the greenlights and distribution deals part of a multi-year co-development, production, distribution and licensing agreement between Mattel and WildBrain.

Fireman Sam will return in a new 26 x 10-minute season, which is scheduled to begin delivery in spring 2024. The new season is currently in production at WildBrain’s Vancouver animation studio.

Showmax secured Fireman Sam for S11-15 plus Heroes of the Storm and Alien Alert specials with e.tv securing the first two seasons while JimJam a pay-tv channel only picked up one season to the program.

History unveils its January lineup

Brand New Episodes HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES WITH LAURENCE FISHBURNE S4

6 January 

Saturdays 20h15 

The second instalment of season 4 of History’s Greatest Mysteries With Laurence Fishburne, cont nues to examine the top theories surrounding the world’s most confounding unsolved mysteries. In these episodes Fishburne turns the microscope on what secrets Stonehenge might hold and another archaeological enigma, the ‘Nazca Lines’ which are 2,000-year-old geoglyphs in the Peruvian desert. Fishburne, together with top historians, authors, scient sts, and researchers, invest gates enigmas such as Cleopatra’s missing tomb and the lost gold of WWII. Repeat: Sundays 19h25

Brand New & Exclusive SECRETS IN THE ICE S3

16 January 

Tuesdays 19h25 

Secrets In The Ice S3 goes to the most remote, cold, and inhospitable places on the planet to reveal great mysteries that were once frozen in t me. Merging CGI re-creat ons, advanced scanning technology and scient fi c research, the series invest gates many curiosit es that have been lost for millennia, or never seen before. Secrets In The Ice explores how and why they ended up in the most desolate and distant corners of the planet, and contemplate what may st ll be concealed in the frozen depths. Repeat: Next Day 11h45

Brand New & Exclusive CURSE OF OAK ISLAND S11

26 January 

Fridays 20h15 

The hit series The Curse of Oak Island returns for season 11, with the Lagina brothers’ boldest plans yet to solve the 228-year-old treasure mystery. Cont nued dig eff orts take place within the infamous Money Pit, Lot 5 and beyond while stunning discoveries cont nue to be unearthed on Oak Island. Addit onally, the team’s research leads them to embark on a journey overseas that will off er new and shocking evidence that could fi nally connect the Knights Templar to the centuries long tale. Is this the year that marks the end of the world’s longest treasure hunt? Repeats: Mondays 12h35

Star Life cutting back on shows

Star Life is an international entertainment channel operated by Disney Star which is home to variety of English dubbed Bollywood series and movies. The channel currently offers 13 TV series which is somewhat around the range of its premium counterpart, StarPlus.

Last month, it was announced that Star Life would be rolling out its third supernatural drama Divya Drishti in place of Night Of Doom in its conflicted primetime schedule serving as one of the few 45 minute offerings on the channel as the latter is padded with 21 minute shows.

As seen through an updated EPG, the current rebroadcast of A Magical Love Story will also be airing at 23:00 once Night Of Doom ends on 13 November. Theoretically, it is believed that Divya Drishti could commence in 2024 perhaps in place of Mismatched.

Interesting to note, A Magical Love Story will be ending soon so maybe Mismatched moves to 23:00 as Divya Drishti takes up the 22:00 timeslot.

New Series Alert: Skerpioen Coming Soon To kykNET & Kie

kykNET & Kie, a general entertainment channel operated by M-Net on MultiChoice's DStv that is home to variety of made for TV films and series all of which are Afrikaans will be rolling out their next international drama in the coming weeks titled, Skerpioen (Akerp).

The series follows the struggle of two women who are fighting today with what happened in the past. The fight between two women will be on the screen in the series. Furthermore, the concepts of love, betrayal, and motherhood will lock the audience to the screens.

Skerpioen was broadcast on Star TV from December 11, 2020 to June 17, 2021 with a total of 26 episodes each with a two duration. Produced by Inter Medya, it starred Demet Akbağ, Evrim Alasya, Yusuf Çim, Bekir Aksoy, Taha Baran Özbek, Aslı Melisa Uzun and Müge Su Şahin.

It will rollout across Africa on kykNET & Kie from Mondays to Thursdays at 20:00 CAT replacing Verbode Liefde once it ends on 28 November with the new series to follow on 29 November.

The series broadcaster Star TV is home to various shows already viewed in South Africa on eExtra's Kuiertyd and kykNET including Droomvelore (Erkenci Kus), Die Vertroueling (Marasli), Deur Dik En Dun (Istanbullu Gelin) and Kind Van Die Noodlot (Kaderimin Yazildigi Gün).

Recap To The Year: Checkered Past, A Forgotten Chapter In Cartoon Network's History

Checkered Past is a weeknight programming block currently viewed on Cartoon Network. I regard it as the international counterpart of Boing and Boomerang as the block features classic series like Ed Edd'n Eddy, Johnny Bravo, The From Adventures Of Billy And Mandy and Samurai Jack.

Since its inception from last month, Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't spoken about duplicating the offering in other countries. Can't really say I'm surprised as this content has it's own channel and some parts of Europe don't really acknowledge this part of Cartoon Network.

But I on the other would have loved to see more variety on Cartoon Network with or without Checkered Past. I feel Warner Bros. Discovery in these regions are just modernising as children still watch television in these regions unlike the US where adults dominate TV.

Something I've seen in some parts of Europe would be restrictions to shows like Samurai Jack and The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy. While the main feed can still be seen airing these shows others have gone as far as banning them for depicting violence or horror.

But hey it's kind of weird how this entertainment can have its own channel in some of these regions and be catered to the same demographic as Cartoon Network. Instead of falling under Adult Swim as viewers to have viewed had grown overtime with some exploring other interests.

For those in the mood for 90s and early 00s Cartoon Network, there's always Boing and Boomerang but majority of content can be streamed these days on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Showmax in case you find yourself in a situation where you reside in a region without Max then always VPN.

Recap To Last Year: OUTtv Standalone Streaming Service Is On The Horizon In South Africa

Last year, it was reported that a standalone streamer for the OUTtv brand would be made available in South Africa. This comes after its expansion to the US, UK and Australia of course various details about the yet to be launched streamer has yet to be announced.

During the year, eMedia Investments rolled out OUTtv as one of their first pay-tv channels on Openview Ultra alongside FUSE, Zee Family and Star Select. After MultiChoice opted not to add the gay TV channel as a permanent addition further content was viewable on Showmax.

Similar to Paramount+ and Max, consumers are still awaiting details from OUTtv about the streamer's rollout in the region. With some theories over its delayed launch having to do with existing agreements with eMedia Investments and MultiChoice over their content.

Another theory that also came to mind was sustainability, Paramount+ hasn't been profitable even after rolling out in parts of Europe and Peacock which serves as another streamer opted for partnerships with various local broadcasters in order to stay afloat.

An OUTtv streaming service might not really be sustainable in South Africa considering that a majority of households or in eMedia's case low income struggle to access premium services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BritBox, Showmax and Netflix.

If anything, OUTtv might look into getting local partnerships for the yet to be launched streamer. One of the theories that would come to mind would be another collaboration with eMedia Investments which would see several content from the channel stream under eVOD.

OUTtv exists as an add-on through Openview and a similar outcome might await eVOD. There's a portion of consumers that view content from this channel as "offensive" and others that might look to divest from the streamer should content from the brand get added to eVOD.

What To Expect On History Channel Across Africa In December 2023?

Brand New & Exclusive FOOTPRINTS OF CIVILISATION

2 December 

Saturdays at 19h25 

In our technologically advanced modern age, it’s easy to forget the enormous debt we owe the ancient world. The concept of democracy was developed by the Ancient Greeks, everything we know about space began with the Babylonians, and the roots of the binary system that drives today’s computers can be found in Ancient Egypt. The legacies left behind by the civilizations which developed around the Mediterranean, as long as 5000 years ago, have become the foundations of much of what we take for granted today. 

Repeat: Sunday 18h35

Brand New & Exclusive BEYOND SKINWALKER RANCH S1

22 December 

Weekdays at 21h05 

Skinwalker Ranch is now widely considered to be ground zero for UAP (or UFO) activity and high strangeness. Since 2020, Dr. Travis Taylor along with Erik Bard, and their investigative team, have been working around the clock to collect, analyse and decode as much data as possible associated with the phenomenon occurring at the site. Their experiments have yielded amazing results, but not enough to fully unlock the secret of the ranch. So, for the first time ever they’ve decided to expand their search for answers. In an effort to gain a broader perspective and build larger data sets, the Skinwalker team is adding two team members and taking the offensive by pursuing evidence of similar phenomena found at analogous sites around the US. No longer content to sit, waiting to be targeted...it’s time to go Beyond Skinwalker Ranch. 

Repeat: Next day 10h15

Brand New & Exclusive EMPIRE BUILDERS S2

24 December 

Sundays at 20h15 

Empire Builders is an epic series that brings to life some of the ‘Great Empires’. Each episode visits the most significant sites that have defined their achievements and legacy; 100 historic sites in all, discovering how they were built, for what purpose, and what they reveal about each empire’s rise and fall. Combining CGI and dramatic reconstructions with insights from history experts, Empire Builders reveals the story of extraordinary empires that are still shaping the way we live our lives today. Stories include the Ancient Greeks, the Inca, the Pacific, China, Netherlands and Mexico. 

Repeats: Saturday 21h05

Brand New & Exclusive ANCIENT EMPIRES

26 December 

Tuesdays at 19h25 

Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra were three of the most iconic, powerful and brilliant leaders in ancient history. Their lives and legacies still shape our world today. Their names are well known, but their stories have never been told like this before. To survive and succeed they had to be unique, strategic, ruthless and charming. The story of their epic lives reveals just what it takes to rule over an Ancient Empire. 

Repeat: Next Day 11h45

BIBLE SECRETS REVEALED

3 December 

Sundays at 12h55 

Bible Secrets Revealed explores the mysteries and reveals the hidden facts about the most read book in human history. This six-episode series features stunning on-location photography, compelling re-enactments and insightful interviews with scholars, archaeologists and religious leaders - offering an eye-opening journey into the pages of the word of God.

PART 1: THE LAWS OF GOD

Sunday at 12h55

PART 2: THE LAWS OF MAN

Sunday at 13h45

24 December Sunday at 12h55 

This two-part special examines the three different – and sometimes contradictory – biblical accounts of Moses on the Mount, and then looks at each of the 10 Commandments in historical context.

“Part 1: The Laws of God” looks at adultery, perjury, murder, theft , graven images, Sabbath laws and coveting. What did they men then? Do they mean anything today? Also examined are the other 603 commandments prescribed by Moses that took a backseat to the more famous first 10. What was in these commandments and why have they been largely forgotten?

“Part 2: The Laws of Man” investigates that both Exodus and Deuteronomy tell us that Moses brought down these commandments in the form of two tablets. The first commandments deal with God and the second set of commandments, sometimes called the ‘Laws of Man’, provided society with the means of living with one another. We take a close look at these last commandments and see how they’ve translated into our modern legal system.

Brand New CRUCIFIXION

31 December 

Sunday at 12h55 

Since the Romans chose this as their method to execute Jesus Christ, most people wrongly associate crucifixion as a strictly sacred or religious symbol. In fact, crucifixions didn’t start with the Romans. About 500 years earlier, the first documented account of crucifixion occurred when the Persian King Darius crucified 3,000 political opponents in Babylon. This two-hour special examines how crucifixion has travelled across history, empires, cultures...and is even still in use today.