Development Alert: NBC Renews Law And Order: SVU For Season 26, Law And Order For Season 24, Chicago Fire For Season 13, Chicago PD For Season 12 And Chicago Med For Season 10

Dick Wolf is in for another busy season at NBC. No surprise here, the Peacock network has renewed “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” for the 2024-25 broadcast TV season. Among Dick Wolf scripted series, that leaves just “Law & Order: Organized Crime” on the bubble; a renewal for that show, which has experienced multiple showrunner changes in its short life, is still in discussion.

Among the shows, this will rep the 26th season of “Law & Order: SVU,” the 24th season of “Law & Order,” Season 13 for “Chicago Fire,” the 12th season for “Chicago PD” and the 10th season for “Chicago Med.” All of the renewed series are produced by Universal Studio Group’s Universal Television division, along with Wolf Entertainment, and all shows stream the following day on Peacock. (Wolf’s deal with Universal is currently through 2027.)

Per NBC, “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.” (collectively known as “One Chicago“) are the top three Wednesday shows in total viewers and rank among the top 10 primetime entertainment shows this season. Also, Season 25 of “Law & Order: SVU” is Thursday’s top-rated entertainment show in the 18-49 demo.

Across all platforms, Chicago Fire” is averaging 12.6 million viewers (+86%) and is +236% in the adults 18-49 demo (live+35); “Chicago P.D.” is averaging 12.0 million viewers (+114%) and is +287% in the demo; “Chicago Med” is averaging 10.5 million viewers (+57%) and is +141% in the demo; “Law & Order: SVU” is averaging 11.2 million viewers (+111%) and is +325% in the demo; and “Law & Order” is averaging 7.7 million viewers (+56%) and is +122% in the demo.

Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer on “Law & Order: SVU”; David Graziano, Julie Martin, Mariska Hargitay, Norberto Barba, Kenneth Brown, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski also executive produce. Wolf is also creator and executive producer on “L&O,” with Rick Eid, Pamela Wechsler, Alex Hall, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.

“Chicago Fire” executive producers are Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Andrea Newman, Reza Tabrizi, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski; Dick Wolf, Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, Stephen Hootstein, Eli Talbert, Derek Haas, Arthur Forney, Matt Olmstead, Michael Brandt and Peter Jankowski are executive producers on “Chicago Med”; “Chicago P.D.” executive producers are Dick Wolf, Gwen Sigan, Chad Saxton, Rick Eid, Derek Haas, Gavin Harris, Jason Beghe, Arthur Forney, Peter Jankowski and Michael Brandt.

Development Alert: Baby TV Unifies Its Latin American Signal With Spain And Other Parts Of Europe

Since today, the children's channel, international subscription television channel for babies, Baby TV, has merged its Latin American signal with one from Europe, to specify, Spain. 

Baby TV was launched in Latin America on April 1, 2007 by Fox Networks Group Latin America. On March 20, 2019, the channel became part of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International as a result of The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

The brand at the time obtained a 3-hour morning block on the defunct Fox Life channel, only to return years later as a block on the OnDirecTV signal, this being the only way to view the channel's content in HD.

It is worth mentioning that the changes will not be as palpable, because BabyTV does not handle localized IDs and commercials, or in this case, the same ones are counted, this due to its programming basically intended for fewer 3-year-old children, so the only Notable change is the image quality.

It is also worth noting that the channel was already managed from Europe, offering a signal intended for Latin America due to the age rating indicators.

Credits: ANMTV

First Look At The Cast For e.tv's First Ever Afrikaans Soap, Kelders Van Geheime

THE ABRAHAMS FAMILY

Edmund Abrahams (Duane Williams) is the winemaker on Soebatskloof, and Nenna Abrahams (Vinette Ebrahim) is the retired housekeeper and hospitality manager whom Edmund calls 'mother'.

THE SISTERS HOUSEHOLD

Joey Syster (Cedwyn Joel) is the patriarch of the Syster family, and has lived and worked on Soebatskloof all his life. Sandy (Riana Alfreds) is Joey's daughter, and has taken over Nenna's responsibilities. Sandy's eldest daughter Debbie-Lee (Veronique Jephtas) works with her, while her youngest, Shireen (Vashti Prins) establishes herself as a general practitioner in the Wineland. Phillip Smith (Dean Balie) is the man in Debbie-Lee's life.

THE MARAIS FAMILY

The Marais family has lived on Soebatskloof for decades. Charl Marais Senior (Nic de Jager) is owner of the wine farm, while his second wife Hermien Marais (Sandra Prinsloo) keeps herself busy with sculpture.

In one of many surprising twists, Brümilda van Rensburg also makes a visit to the farm.

Tjoppie Marais (Geon Nel) is Hermien's son from her first marriage. Tjoppie grew up with Charl Senior's children from his first marriage. Charl Marais Junior (David Chevers) lives in London, and Annette Fourie (Ashley de Lange) lives in Australia with her rugby player husband, Du Toit Fourie (Zak Hendrikz). Lynn Fourie (Illse Roos) is Du Toit's "Social Butterfly of the Winelands" mum.

Veronique (Rushney Ferguson), Tjoppie's wife, is the manager of the restaurant on the farm. CJ (Angelo Johnson), the couple's eldest child, is a matriculant this year at Simonsvallei Gymnasium, where Marco (Angelo Bergh), the couple's youngest, is now in Grade 11.

THE HELP 

One need not look to the mountains for help in these regions! Rijk Nel (Marcel van Heerden) is the Marais family's accountant, while Dewald Piedt (Abduragman Adams) is the family's loyal lawyer. Mercy (Tyral-Lee Miggles), Gabby (Karli Heine), Jason (Ben Albertyn), and Armand (Robert Hindley) are the waiters who keep customers happy. Stil Piet (Jurgen McEwan), Nicodemus (Lorenzo Cyster), Napoleon (Ivan Abrahams), and Bismarck (Jason van Wyk) are among the workers on the bustling farm.

The series will air on weekdays at 18:00 starting in May on e.tv

Recap To Last Month: New Channel With The Letter X In Development For DStv, Could A Second TV Channel Be On The Cards?

1Magic was a BET inspired channel operated by M-Net which would serve the freshest local and international content to premium households. The channel was home to shows such as The Real Housewives, Power, 1802: Love Defies Time and Bel-Air.

During the week, several consumers had spotted a notification on both Me and 1Magic where the pay-tv company inform consumers that these channels would sign off by 31 March 2024. Not only will consumers be paying more by April but getting less channels.

M-Net is streamlining its channel offering to provide a more seamless entertainment experience for DStv customers. After a comprehensive analysis of our content strategy, we have made the decision to terminate 1Magic [and Me].

As reported sometime ago, MultiChoice will be giving Showmax an open window to DStv consumers in a standalone channel under the working title Channel X. It would feature a lineup of original productions alongside third party content from other studios. 

This channel will be accessible on Compact Plus in place of 1Magic - a date has yet to be mentioned. With details pertaining to the fate of several programs from Me still underwraps.

If one had to guess, Channel X could also replace Me for Compact and Family consumers. But considering that Channel X will have a lineup of locally produced content there may not be much space to cater for Me leading to a theory of a second TV channel. 

Although MultiChoice has remained very discreet about some behind the scenes developments. The idea of a second TV channel wouldn't seem far fetched as Me also offered a local portfolio such as Reyka and Lioness whose positions have yet to be determined. 

Perhaps with the addition of Channel X, Me could resurface in another form perhaps as a DStv Access type channel probably from a third party brand. This would mean shows like Lioness and Reyka which is on season 2 would restart from season 1.

Press Release: Warner Bros. Discovery To Launch Max In Europe Beginning May 21

Warner Bros. Discovery announced today that Max, its enhanced streaming service, will launch in the first European countries beginning May 21. Max brings together HBO Max’s can’t-miss programming, Discovery’s engaging real-life entertainment and all the world-class action from Eurosport’s premium subscription service to create a complete viewing experience for the whole household with premier TV shows, fresh and iconic movies, unmissable sports, and flagship TV networks in select countries, in a single destination for the first time.

On May 21, Max will become available across the Nordics, Iberia, and Central and Eastern Europe. Launches will follow closely after in Poland, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium*. France and Belgium are the first new countries where WBD has launched its streaming service in over two years. These launches mean Max will be available in 25 countries in Europe and 65 countries and territories worldwide after launching in the U.S. in May 2023, and launching in Latin America and the Caribbean earlier this year.

JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming & Games at Warner Bros. Discovery announcing the rollout of Max at the TV festival Series Mania said: “Max is the streaming home of Warner Bros. Discovery and builds on our long heritage in Europe, bringing together an incredible breadth and depth of culture-defining entertainment from our services and networks, all in one place. The unrivalled content we’ve got on Max from ‘House of the Dragon’ to Olympic Games Paris 2024 and beyond means whatever your mood or the occasion, Max has something great for everyone, every time.”

Content offering

The launch of Max in Europe is marked by the return of the highly anticipated HBO Original “House of the Dragon,” which premiers on Max in Europe on June 17. Max will bring a new streaming experience to Europe with more than double the amount of content currently available on HBO Max. This summer, Max will be the only place to stream every live moment of Olympic Games Paris 2024 in the 25 European countries where Max will be available. Paris 2024 will be included in all subscription plans, ensuring all customers will gain complete access to the biggest sporting event in the world.

Max stands out as distinct amongst streamers by uniquely combining unrivalled breadth and its new and improved app with iconic franchises and a strong product experience. Subscribers will be able to enjoy a wide range of quality entertainment with Warner Bros. movies such as Barbie, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, and Wonka, HBO Originals The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Euphoria, True Detective: Night Country, The Regime, The Sympathizer, The Jinx - Part Two and the upcoming new comedy The Franchise.

A new slate of Max Originals based on popular Warner Bros. Pictures’ entities will be coming to Max including The Penguin and Welcome to Derry (Stephen King’s IT). Films from WB’s extensive library including the Harry Potter franchise, Paddington, The Matrix, The Dark Knight, Joker, and The Lord of the Rings, as well as fan favorites like 90 Day Fiancé, Gold Rush and Fixer Upper from Discovery will also be offered.

A Sports Add-On will bring fans extensive coverage of major international and European sports including every tennis Grand Slam – Australian Open, Roland-Garros, The Championships, Wimbledon and the US Open, cycling’s three Grand Tours – Giro d’Italia, La Vuelta a España, and the Tour de France in addition to the Tour de France Femmes, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and every major winter sports World Championship and World Cup events. Rights vary between countries.

A selection of flagship live linear networks will also be available on Max in some countries in select plans including CNN International in France and Poland, TVN in Poland, TV Norge in Norway, Kanal 5 in Sweden and Eurosport in all countries.

Plans

Max will offer a choice of different plans, plus a Sports Add-On which may be added to any base plan**. Full details about pricing will be announced in the coming weeks and will vary country by country.

Basic with Ads Plan:

• This plan will allow users to enjoy Max at a lower price and will include advertising.

• It will be available first in nine European countries, before expanding to others.

• The first countries where the Basic with Ads plan will be available are Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Romania, Poland, France and Belgium.

• Users will be able to stream content on 2 devices simultaneously. 

• Content will be available in Full HD resolution.

 

Standard Plan:

• Users can stream content on 2 devices simultaneously. 

• Content will be available in Full HD resolution. 

• This plan will allow up to 30 downloads of available content to watch offline.

 

Premium Plan:

• Provides the best consumer experience.

• Users can stream content on up to 4 devices simultaneously. 

• Full HD or 4K resolution and with Dolby Atmos sound (as available).  

• This plan will allow up to 100 downloads of available content to watch offline. (Limits apply)

 

Sports Add-On:

• The Sports Add-On will provide coverage of top sports events including Grand Slam tennis, cycling’s Grand Tours, 24 Hours of Le Mans, the live linear networks Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 and much more.

• Customers should check local listings for rights availability in their countries.

• The Sports Add-On is sold as an add-on to any base plan.

• Users can stream sports content on 2 devices simultaneously (of their available base plan streams).

 

Existing HBO Max subscribers will be able to discover the new experience on Max while keeping their current profiles, and viewing history, continuing their Max journey where they left off. In some cases, depending on device or operating system, the HBO Max app will be automatically updated to the Max app. In other cases, when users open their HBO Max app, they will be prompted to download the new Max app, allowing them to begin exploring the new platform in just a few clicks. discovery+ and Eurosport premium SVOD subscribers will be given details in due course about how to subscribe to Max.

*WBD’s enhanced streaming service will be called HBO Max in the Netherlands and Belgium.

**Channels and live content in Standard and Premium plans, and the Sports Add-On may contain ads. On-demand content in all plans may include sponsorship and product placement.