News Shorts: ITV Studios Unveils New Group Brand Logo, Mzansi Magic Adds 13 Episode Drama Series Obstruction And Standalone Showtime Streaming Service To Close

ITV got a makeover 

ITVX celebrated its biggest ever month in January with 328m streams, with the service reaching 3.6 billion streams since launch. 

ITV Studios' global footprint spans 60 production labels across 13 countries and its global distribution business sells its catalogue of over 90,000+ hours to broadcasters and platforms around the world.

Jane Stiller, ITV Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Brilliant content and creativity sit at the heart of everything ITV does, and the refreshed Group Brand acts as a more vibrant and contemporary embodiment of this.”

New series on Mzansi Magic 

Mzansi Magic has commissioned a new 13-episode teen drama series, Obstruction, produced by Origin Pictures, that will start on Monday 18 March at 20:00 and revolve around a high school netball player and the challenges she faces to attain her goals.

Obstruction stars Luyanda Zuma as the 17-year-old Zenokuhle, with dreams of making it to the Gauteng provincial netball team. 

She has to contend with various challenges faced by "an extremely talented black female teenager and how she and her peers navigate relationships with their parents, teachers, love interests, enemies, and frenemies".

Showtime going dark

The SHOWTIME streaming service is being discontinued, and SHOWTIME programming is now available through Paramount+ with a subscription to the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan.

Existing SHOWTIME standalone streaming subscribers will continue to have access to the SHOWTIME app and website until they are discontinued on April 30, 2024.

Some subscribers, billed directly by SHOWTIME, are eligible to have their SHOWTIME account information transferred to Paramount+ to start a new subscription to the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan. 

Estimated Guess On The Future Of Disney Channel Africa By 2027 And Beyond, Disney+ Absence In Europe And Africa

During the week, it was reported that Disney Channel and Disney Junior would remain in Africa on MultiChoice's DStv for another three years. As Disney extended the agreement with the pay-TV company which include channels from National Geographic and ESPN.

This comes prior to the closure of Disney Junior in parts of Europe as further content folds under Disney Channel. With Africa and a few other parts of Europe retaining the most linear channels one has to wonder how long it will be till these channels get purged. 

As some readers are aware, Disney had closed several channels across the world including the big 3 in Australia, UK and Ireland and Italy. With general entertainment brands in FOX in most parts of Europe while some retain it as FX or Star in that matter. 

While there may not be any definitive time frame on when Disney Channel will end transmission in Africa. Unlike feeds of Germany or Nordic, the Southern African feed of the brand had been redundant in the last few years this was picked by viewers.

Marvel's Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur which had managed to air on Disney Channel in the United States and the above-mentioned regions became a Disney+ exclusive in Africa. Final seasons of Big Hero 6, The Owl House and Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure were also excluded.

On top of that, Disney Channel had been distant to older seasons of most of their shows like Bunk'd and Raven's Home. There was even a point where all shows aired one season on loop which was somewhat hazardous.

All of this leads me to believe that Disney could be looking to alienate these channels from Africa as seen in other countries. I mean why else would shows move to streaming when others can view it on Disney Channel or better yet why reduce Raven.

I know Disney+ is not viewed in some of the regions which offer these brands. But Disney+ hasn't been profitable in the United States and a few other markets with speculation going around about its abrupt end in part of these regions should the matter not improve. 

As seen with Paramount+, Max and Peacock, the idea of Disney+ being consolidated in parts of these regions wouldn't seem far fetched. Not long ago, MultiChoice had relaunched Showmax housing content from these brands same with Sky in the UK.

While Netflix and Amazon Prime Video were able to sustain themselves in the main market. This wasn't the case in other countries with them either licensing content to other broadcasters if not excluding content from certain countries. 

News Shorts: Da Vinci Acquired Broadcasting Rights To Future Chicken, Praise Petey Removed From Disney+ & Star+ Globally And BET Announces Production Of New Series Queendom

Birds flock to Da Vinci

Multiplatform content co. Wind Sun Sky Entertainment (WSS) has partnered with family streaming outfit Da Vinci to expand the reach of its kids’ eco-initiative Future Chicken around the globe.

Future Chicken is a climate justice initiative for kids (6-10+) created to address the eco-anxiety they are experiencing today by leveraging evidence-based positive storytelling to let children know that there is hope for the planet and that they can make a difference when it comes to their future. In November, Future Chicken launched in multiple formats of content, on Roblox, YouTube and the property’s dedicated website, futurechicken.com.

With young viewers flocking to shortform content, the Future Chicken ‘Ecotainment’ shorts series laid the foundation for launch. A mixed media content offering, Future Chicken shorts feature Potato the Chicken (a.k.a. Future Chicken) and her team of planet protecting friends highlighting to kids the positive things happening to support the future of the environment. With a blend of humor, ingenuity and collaboration, Potato, her egg sidekick Frittata and their friends set out to create a hope-filled future built on caring communities, thriving oceans, greener cities and renewed optimism.

Praise Petey exits Disney+

Last November, it was revealed that the 20th Television animated series, “Praise Petey”, had been cancelled after one season. The show was released on Freeform and Hulu in the United States and was also released as a Star Original on Disney+ around the world.

The series followed Petey, a New York City “it” girl who has it all until her life comes crashing down around her. As luck would have it, a mysterious gift from her father gives her a new lease on life: She’s going to “lean into” modernizing his small-town cult.

However, just over three months after the cancellation of the show, “Praise Petey” has now been removed from Star+ in Latin America and from Disney+ in many countries around the world, including the UK, Canada and Australia.   

Queendom coming to BET 

Dlathu and Mtoba have been announced as part of the cast of BET Africa’s new daily drama, ‘Queendom’.

Following the success of ‘Isono’ and ‘Redemption’, BET Africa is back with a new scripted daily drama which celebrates the strength, resilience and power of women who shape their own destinies.

‘Queendom’ explores themes of cultural heritage, tradition, fate, ancestry, power struggles, identity and survival.

It tells the story of Nthandokayise Mthombeni portrayed by Mtoba, a maverick community leader in Tsakane, who discovers that she is the rightful heir to the throne of Khahlamba Kingdom.

News Shorts: Sky News Named News Channel Of The Year At RTS, BET Announces New Series In Bloom + Release Date And NCIS Spinoff Greenlight By Paramount Plus

Sky scores big in the UK

Sky News has been named News Channel of the Year for the seventh consecutive year at the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards. 

Responding to Sky News winning the award, David Rhodes, Executive Chairman for Sky News Group said:

“It’s been a momentous year for news and I couldn’t be more proud that Sky News has been recognised by winning News Channel of the Year for a phenomenal seventh year in a row. To provide audiences with the full story first, our 800 journalists around the world have told

compelling human-interest stories, held those in power to account, have gone deep into the data and delivered powerful eyewitness reports from around the globe”.

The BBC, which similar to Sky News is based from the UK and made substantial changes to its news output in the last year walked away almost empty-handed. The broadcaster did secure a win for its coverage of the Ukraine conflict and for a BBC Wales investigation into Welsh Rugby.

BET launches new local drama

In Bloom has been produced by MTV Staying Alive Foundation with continued support of Paramount and grant support by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The thought-provoking collection tells unheard stories addressing a range of crucial issues including period poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, HIV self-stigma, family planning and women’s economic empowerment. 

The anthology comes from five female filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, India, the US and Brazil, creatively championing new voices and enabling insightful conversations to dismantle systemic injustices.

In Bloom will also premiere on BET, DStv Channel 129 on March 8 at 20:00 CAT

NCIS spinoff in development 

CBS Studios is expanding its ever growing NCIS franchise by bringing back two fan favorite characters from the mothership series, Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, and Ziva David, portrayed by Cote de Pablo, who will reunite on screen for the first time in 10 years. Paramount+ has given a 10-episode series order to the untitled spinoff headlined by Weatherly and de Pablo and written by John McNamara (Trumbo, The Magicians). All three executive produce.

Nicknamed NCIS: Europe, the new action-packed spinoff, set to start production later this year, will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) as they find themselves on the run across the continent.

NCIS is one of CBS Studios’ most valuable franchises and its expansion has been a goal for the studio. This is one of two new NCIS offshoots greenlighted this year, along with the Young Gibbs prequel series for CBS, NCIS: Origins. It is also the second extension of the NCIS franchise beyond the U.S., following NCIS: Sydney, which has been airing on CBS in the U.S.

DStv Shorts: Big Brother Mzansi Opened To DStv Family And Access For Limited Time, M-Net And Mzansi Magic Debut New Series, White Lies And Queen Modjadji

BBM on Access

Big Brother Mzansi will become available for all DStv Access subscribers  this weekend from Friday, 1 March 2024, until Sunday, 3 March 2024. Viewers can expect exciting arena games, the Saturday Night Party and the Sunday Live Eviction Show

The cameras never stop rolling, giving you an all-access pass to the jaw-dropping events inside the Big Brother Mzansi house, 24/7. But wait, there's more! Brace yourselves as the charming Phila Madlingozi and the fabulous Khosi Thwala join on the fun as celebrity guests this week!

Big Brother Mzansi season 4 is broadcast live 24/7 on DStv Channel 198. Sunday eviction shows are at 18:00 on Mzansi Magic.

More local on DStv 

After its first epic historical series Shaka Ilembe, MultiChoice and M-Net is following it up with Queen Modjadji for Mzansi Magic in a drama inspired by the Balobedu legend of rainmaker Queen Modjadji whose bloodline has ruled Southern Africa's Lobedu clan for centuries.

Produced by Rhythm World Productions and Duma Ndlovu, Queen Modjadji will tell the "story of a matriarchal dynasty, whose ability to transform the clouds and summon the rain has earned the Balobedu royalty a place among the most revered of African dynasties," Mzansi Magic says. 

Prior to this M-Net will be rolling out a new series White Lies with synopsis below:

Journalist Edie Hansen (Dormer) gets caught up in the Cape's ugly underworld after her brother is murdered in the wealthy neighbourhood of Bishopscourt in Cape Town's southern suburbs, a description of the show reads.