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.

PBS KIDS Greenlights Its First Series Built Around Autistic Characters

PBS KIDS has commissioned Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures to produce Carl the Collector, its first series featuring a cast of characters who are on the autism spectrum.

Set for a fall 2024 premiere, this 2D-animated concept for four- to eight-year-olds was created by New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Zachariah OHora (My Cousin Momo).

Carl the Collector centers around an autistic raccoon who is smart and energetic, but who struggles with anxiety in new situations and when things don’t go according to plan. He has a huge collection of things (from the perfect fake mustache for a disguise, to a soft plushie when a friend is in need) to help him solve whatever problems his friends, who are both on and off the spectrum, are facing.

The PBS greenlight is for 40 x 22-minute episodes (each one tells two 11-minute stories). Canadian studio Yowza! Animation (Green Eggs and Ham) will handle the animation, Spiffy Pictures co-founder Adam Rudman (Donkey Hodie ) is working on scripts as head writer, and OHora will executive produce.

Advisors on board include Dr. Geraldine Oades-Sese, a licensed child psychologist and kids book author; and Stephen Shore, an autistic professor of special education at New York’s Adelphi University. “Carl the Collector will become a great tool for both autistic and non-autistic people to gain insight on autism,” says Shore.

New Channel Alert (Rumour): Soweto TV's Ladies In Heels And Faith Cooking To Resurface On Upcoming DStv Channel

During the day, MultiChoice had begun work on another TV channel using the test cards of a untitled movie channel likely from M-Net Movies. Currently there's only four shows that had been registered: Faith Cooking, Dingo Untamed, Ladies In Heels and Kasie Vibes.

From what we can make here this is not the full 24 hour lineup as the schedule runs through Sunday and thereafter not much is seen by then. Similar to Zambezi Reloaded, it's currently unknown whether this would will eventually surface on their platform by the looks of the EPG.

But from what two of the shows on the list Ladies In Heels and Faith Cooking entails, this could be an additional channel for Soweto TV. I mean why not Tshwane TV and GauTV are both managed by Zallywood Inc. so why not give Soweto TV a sibling of its own.

Although this section of DStv is very much discarded, Soweto TV was ranked as the leading community stations when it started out in 2008. It was also an eye grabber to various international shows like Maury, Curb Your Enthusiasm and even Steve Harvey.

In other developments, MultiChoice will be rolling 1FSTV to the DStv platform in the coming weeks. It doesn't seem like very much of a coincidence that they'd roll yet another community channel in the decade to sort of compliment the existing offering.

Development Alert: Jessica's Big Little World Cancelled After 20 Episodes On Cartoonito, Could Batwheels And Bugs Bunny Builders Follow?

During the week, it was reported that Warner Bros. Discovery had halted further production of original preschool programming. This comes after the company had opted not to move forward with Max originals Scooby-Doo And The Mystery Pups and Tom And Jerry Time.

According to a staff member of Craig Of The Creek, Jessica's Big Little World will conclude after 20 Episodes ahead of its international debut on Cartoon Network and Cartoonito as Warner Bros. Discovery no longer wants to produce content for preschoolers.

The series follows the titular character as she navigates her way through a world where everything seems much bigger than she is; inspired by the grown-ups around her, she persists in conquering monumental children's tasks.

It had also been implied/speculated that Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders would also conclude in the same manner. This comes after Batwheels one of Max's leading preschool shows on the streamer was renewed for second season which could potentially be scrapped.

Batwheels not moving forward with a second season wouldn't seem far fetched. This wouldn't be the first show from Warner Bros. Discovery to gotten front row seats only to get culled off as another show Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart went on hiatus for 2 years before cancellation.

Theoretically, it is believed that Cartoonito's remaining shows will be folded under Cartoon Network ahead of their demise. Internationally, the brand has garnered traction with several shows currently in the works including Silly Sundays and Spookies.

Rumour: Warner Bros. Discovery Will No Longer Be Producing Original Programming For Preschoolers, International Cartoonito Remains Safe

Last year, WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. formalised their merger which lead to the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery which saw properties such as HBO, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Cartoonito, TLC, Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery and HGTV fold under one hub.

Of course, this merger had also stirred up controversy as the current CEO of the brand David Zaslav had axed various productions from the Warner part of the brand including Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart and Batman: Caped Crusader on Cartoon Network and Cartoonito's entire catalogue of original shows.

Cartoonito was introduced in 2021 as rival to Disney Junior and Nick Jr. with Warner Bros. Discovery planning to conceive 50 preschool programs by 2023. So far only Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders were introduced alongside the recently launched Jessica's Big Little World.

According to sources on Reddit, Jessica's Big Little World will end after its current season as Warner Bros. Discovery will no longer be producing original preschool programs and this follows last year's move which saw them scrap further production of live-action kids and family shows.

This news doesn't come as a surprise considering the amount of exposure Cartoonito is given on Cartoon Network. Although Warner Bros. Discovery had never disclosed the ratings for the block, Cartoonito's airtime has declined from last year initially 6 hours dropped to 1.5 hours part of which may to do with the purge.

In Africa, Warner Bros. Discovery content from its kids multiplex dominates the Top 20 shows across all kids’ channels. More than 105 000 children watch CoComelon with almost 90 000 watching Interstellar Ella on average. Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders rank as the #5 and #6th most watched shows in thez a market.

All of which might not have any impact pertaining to the future of these shows. If it's any consolation, Cartoonito will most likely continue to broadcast in most parts of Europe seeing as it was structured as a family channel which is probably the most safest thing for the brand right now.

Prior to this development, Max acquired rights to Hop (from Marc Brown, creator of Arthur) and Barney's World based from the Barney And Friends franchise. It's likely that Cartoonito will continue (without original programming) or get scrapped before any of this is released.