Development Alert: BBC's Rastamouse Is Coming To Play Room This December, Play Room Reloaded Takes Up Weekdays On The Channel

Play Room (stylised as Playroom) is a children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group which offers fun and learning with popular animated shows dubbed in Zulu alongside live-action shows will be rolling out the first new program in less than a month, Rastamouse.

The stop-motion animated series features an all-mouse reggae band, Rastamouse and Da Easy Crew, who play music at the 'Nuff Song Studio' when they're not solving mysteries for the President of Mouseland. All the characters speak with a Jamaican accent.

Rastamouse debuted on CBeebies from 31 January 2011 to 15 June 2015 spawning 3 seasons with 104 episodes produced each with a duration of 11 minutes. The series was nominated for the British Academy Children's Award for Pre-School Animation twice, in 2011 and 2012.

It will replace CoComelon: Animal Time on weekdays at 09:00 from 5 December with repeats at 11:15 on Play Room.

Prior to that time, Play Room Live might be going on production break and if we had to guess it most likely has to do with the festive season meaning new episodes might resume by 2024 if not earlier. By 5 December, Play Room Reloaded airs on weekdays at 15:00 and repeats at 21:00.

The channel hasn't been around for less than a month so we presume either a rebroadcast to Play Room Live will return right after Play Room Reloaded or weirdly enough new episodes to Play Room Live as the first season consists of 40 episodes and only 20 had aired.

Drafted: What To Expect On Cartoon Network And Cartoonito Across Africa In December 2023?

Cartoon Network

Ninjago: Dragon's Rising

Two teenagers from different worlds use their Ninja powers to defend dragons from villains who want to harvest the dragons' life forces.

Pokémon: Sun And Moon Ultra Adventures

This season takes place in the Alola region and follows the continuing adventures of Ash; his classmates Lillie, Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, and Sophocles; Ash's rival, Gladion; and antagonists James, Jessie and Meowth of Team Rocket. 

Other attractions: Prince Ivandoe Festive Special

Cartoonito

Tom And Jerry In Snowman's Land

Through the use of magic, Jerry's nephew Tuffy makes a snow mouse named Larry who comes to life. In an attempt to keep Larry from melting, Tuffy and Jerry rush him to the fabled Snowman's Village. However, Tom and the devious Dr. Doublevay have their own plans for Larry's magic.

Interstellar Ella

In the year 3021, on a space station somewhere between Mars and Jupiter in the Milky Way, eight-year-old Ella Ryder sets out with her friends on exciting adventures of discovery.

Bugs Bunny Builders

Bugs, Lola, Daffy, Porky and Tweety use their amazing vehicles to take on the looniest construction builds while learning valuable lessons -- they never give up, because The Looney Builders always get the job done.

Bugs Bunny Builders Looneyburg Lights

The Looney Builders prepare to host a big holiday lights festival in Looneyburg Park when an unexpected snowstorm sadly prevents Looneyburgers from attending and enjoying themselves.

Batwheels Holiday On Ice

Frustrated by the Batwheels' holiday distractions, Batwing decides to go solo to thwart Mr. Freeze's evil Christmas-time plot, but Batwing soon realizes how hard it is to stop Mr. Freeze on her own.

Other attractions: Cartoonito World Tour

Paramount Executives Could Be Exploring Selling Off Parts of the Media Company

New developments suggest Paramount might be considering exploring more media and acquisition deals.

Last week, the media company filed an 8-K form with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission that said top executives like CEO Bob Bakish, CFO Naveen Chopra, and executive vice president Christa D’Alimonte could get severance if they’re let go within two years “following the consummation of a change in control.”

On Monday, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) completed its purchase of Paramount’s Mixed Martial Arts company, Bellator. The deal was announced after Paramount said it was shuttering its Showtime sports division at the end of the year.

This year, “significant buyer interest” has seen Paramount’s stock to climb, according to Yahoo!Finance. Due to its smaller size, Paramount has historically been viewed as a potential acquisition target.

Paramount, like a majority of streaming services, has been struggling over the last few years. The loss of high viewership amid the pandemic in 2020, rising inflation rates, and increasing competition from other streamers has forced media companies to pare down workforce numbers, anticipate financial losses, and raise service prices.

The media company has taken a number of steps to keep itself afloat including relieving itself of “non-core assets.” For example, Paramount completed its sale of publishing company Simon & Schuster to investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts last month. Rumors also suggest Showtime and BET Media Group could be for sale in the future.

Last month — before the actors strike resolved — Bakish said Paramount would continue to license content beyond its own channels, Advanced Television reported. As an example, Paramount unveiled a multi-year deal with Greek pay-TV service Cosmote TV.

Bakish said content licensing provides “a robust supply of content from diverse creatives to entertain consumers” and anticipates that Paramount will begin to recoup streaming losses next year.

Moshe Ndiki’s Heart-Warming Journey Into Fatherhood Premieres This January On Mzansi Magic

Rediscover charismatic TV personality Moshe Ndiki as he embarks on an exciting and transformational chapter of his life in the reality series Life with Moshe, a 13-part reality series premiering on Sunday 28 January 2024 at 19h30 on Mzansi Magic.

 

Moshe's story goes beyond the ordinary. As a black, gay man choosing the path of surrogacy to start his family, his decision challenges the dilemma of modern parenting pitted against traditional customs. With the surrogate well into their pregnancy, Moshe's life is on the brink of an emotional transformation.

From the joys of expecting twin boys to the complicated balance of his demanding showbiz career and deeply rooted family ties, Life with Moshe promises to deliver hope, joy and determination.

  

"Moshe's energy, charisma, and infectious optimism light up the screen," says Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net. "Viewers will not only witness the highs and lows of his journey but also be able to resonate with the universal themes of love, family, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams."

What makes Moshe's story truly unique is the mystery that surrounds it: How does this form of parenting work? And how will traditional lineage and ancestral connection customs play out in this scenario?

 

Moshe's dedication as he navigates therapy and seeks guidance from his ever-supportive mother will move you. His interactions with close friends who stand by him through thick and thin will inspire you.

 

Don't miss the heartfelt moments, laughter, and tears as they all unfold on Life with Moshe, premiering on Sunday 28 January 2024 at 19h30 on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161).

Noggin Will Cut The Ribbon On Its Nogginville World Next Month

Nickelodeon’s Noggin streaming app is looking to make learning more personal and help kids build real-life skills with its new game world Nogginville, which launches in early December. 

In Nogginville, kids can explore different locales from the Nick universe, play mini-games and meet their favorite characters. It’s launching with 15 different learning games (shopping for groceries and doing basic math to calculate the total, for example), Nick Jr. characters and avatars, branded locations and videos (some of which will be interactive). And the plan is to eventually expand the offering with additional branded locations and characters, including more Nick IPs and also potentially third-party brands, says Noggin EVP Kristen Kane. 

The key goal behind Nogginville is to provide a more personalized learning experience that kids can control themselves, says Kane. Noggin has to compete with numerous kids edutainment SVODs also in the market, plus it has to stand out from other streaming services that carry Nick and Nick Jr. content, like Paramount+ and Pluto. As the platform scales, focusing on interactive content, and offering a personalized, walled-garden experience have been identified as important differentiators. 

Nogginville’s game world proposition is also similar to hot platforms like Roblox and Minecraft, where kids can explore and guide their own play. But it’s built with an audience of two- to seven-year-olds in mind, which is why it’s a single-player experience that only exists within the app. 

Noggin currently has more than 1,000 educational games, videos and books in its library, and it also streams Nickelodeon series such Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues, Noggin originals like Noggin Knows, and third-party acquisitions including JoJo and Gran Gran (BBC Studios Kids & Family/A Productions) and Little Bear (Nelvana). 

Noggin has had success in the past with “dollhouse games” in which kids roleplay real-world skills, such as Peppa Pig: Shopkeeper. But Nogginville takes this immersive practice-makes-perfect experience a significant step further. “We like to call it a little world that helps kids prepare for the big one,” says Kane.