"Surprise Coincidence": Canal+ Group Had Also Acquired The Former Pay-TV Brand FilmNet From MultiChoice And Johann Rupert's Richemont

FilmNet was a premium pay-tv service that was broadcast in parts of Europe between the 80's and 00's. It was a joint venture between MultiChoice and Johann Rupert's Richemont through Nethold which served as European version of M-Net.

Before Nethold acquired FilmNet by 1996, the brand was owned by Swedish company Esselte Video and Dutch film producer Rob Houwer. NBCUniversal, Nielson Holdings and Paramount Global also served as shareholders under the trademark, ATN.

The fate of FilmNet 

FilmNet struggled to make profit before it was acquired by Nethold who in turn sold their shares in the company to Canal+ Group by 1997. Nethold continued operations for the channels in Greece until they were sold to Nova (Formerly ForthNet) by 2008.

Although the brand no longer exists, FilmNet's remains has been scattered through numerous outlets. There's TV4 Group (Scandinavia), Play More (Belgium), Nova (Greece) and Canal+ Group (Poland and Netherlands).

FilmNet's former owner is in the process of being acquired by Canal+ Group 

Not long ago, MultiChoice had granted the French company Canal+ Group rights to its remaining shares in the company. They are seeking to get approval from local legislation and also looking to merge their operations which extends to 30 million households in Africa.

They are also seeking a B-BBEE partner in compliance with local regulations in the market. Although not official, Africa's Rainbow Capital and CAF President owner Patrice Moshepe is reportedly in talks in join the French broadcaster in the takeover. 

Could Hamster And Gretel Also Have Been Cancelled By Disney Channel?

Hamster & Gretel is an American animated superhero comedy television series created by Phineas and Ferb co-creator Dan Povenmire that premiered on Disney Channel on August 12, 2022. It featured the voices of Michael Cimino, Beck Bennett, Joey King and Matt Jones.

It followed the life of a 16-year-old boy named Kevin must work with his sister Gretel when she and her pet hamster are given superpowers by aliens and become a superhero duo dedicated to protecting their city.

The first premiered on August 12, 2022 on Disney Channel initially commissioned for 20 episodes got 10 additional episodes bringing it to 30. By June 2023, a second season was announced as part of an overall deal with Dan Povenmire and Disney Branded Television. 

During the week, Disney attended Annecy International Animation Film Festival where a lineup of content was unveiled including The Doomies and Kindergarten: The Musical. It was also there where it was revealed the production of a fifth season to Big City Greens.

Disney also announced a third season to Kiff on their social platforms and quietly removed any mentions of the show. Similar to Hailey's On It, speculation is going around that both Kiff and Hamster And Gretel will end after their current seasons. 

Both shows were renewed as part of an overall deal with Disney Branded Television and weren't part of Annecy like Big City Greens. With Dan Povenmire open to doing a crossover between Hamster And Gretel and Phineas And Ferb if a third season is considered. 

According to insiders, the reason Disney Channel has been canceling shows or slowly renewals has to do with the effects of the actor's strikes. The fate of these shows is dependant on their ratings through Disney+ as more households abandon linear TV.

July 2024 On Cartoon Network And Cartoonito Across Africa | New Series Alert: Care Bears Unlock The Magic | Returning Shows Including We Baby Bears | More

Cartoon Network 

• We Baby Bears (New Episodes): Join the Baby Bears Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear on their adventure to find a new home! After wishing upon a shooting star, the Baby Bears box transforms, gaining the ability to take them to different worlds!

• BrickFlicks Week: LEGO based films on Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Justice League.

• Gumball Games: A sports themed stunt featuring episodes of The Amazing World Of Gumball 

Cartoonito 

• Care Bears Unlock The Magic (New Show): When a new adventure takes them to a strange world, the Care Bears have to lean on each other more than ever; through friendship, courage and a little belly badge magic, they continue their mission to spread caring and sharing to the world.

• Bugs Bunny Builders (New Episodes): 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.

• Lamput S4 (New Episodes): A clever orange nutcase, Lamput, escapes from a hidden laboratory, thus sending scientists Slim Doc and Fat Doc in a frenzy as they try hard to capture him. However, Lamput always manages to escape.

• Cartoonito Games: A sports themed stunt featuring episodes of Zig & Sharko, Mr. Bean and Bugs Bunny Builders. 

Should we get more details on a date and time, you'll find them here

BENOIT. Wrestling With The Horror That Destroyed A Family And Crippled A Sport (PDF)

Featuring the Canadian WWE wrestler Chris Benoit. Over a 3 day period ending on June 24, 2007, Benoit killed his wife Nancy, strangled his 7yr. old son, and subsequently hanged himself. The personal and the public remifications; the fallout for "sports entertainment" and sports in general; the role the media has played and whether professional wrestling as we know it will survive the scrutiny of fans and lawmakers alike - in this book four of the industry's most respected commentators weigh in on the horrific murder-suicide that outraged the nation, making wrestling's macho but fake cartoon world all too vulnerable and chillingly real.

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Becoming Batman The Possibility Of A Superhero (PDF)

Battling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it? Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman? Zehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries [...]that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian. A fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable -- though extreme -- level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero.

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