New Series Alert: Harvey Street Kids And Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts Coming Soon To DreamWorks Channel Across Africa

After streaming on Netflix and Showmax years prior, Harvey Street Kids and Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts both of which are produced by DreamWorks Animation are slated to air on the DreamWorks Channel across Africa in the coming months. 

Harvey Girls Forever!, originally titled Harvey Street Kids in its first season, is an animated comedy television series produced by Brendan Hay and Aliki Theofilopoulos for DreamWorks Animation Television, and is based on comic book characters from Harvey Comics.

From long kickball games through the many flavors of ice cream to an impressive climbing tree, most days on Harvey Street feel like a weekend. Energetic Audrey, intelligent Dot and kindhearted Lotta are BFFs and the street's guardians. They try to keep Harvey Street great and start their wacky afternoon adventures.

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is an animated television series created by Radford Sechrist and developed by Bill Wolkoff, adapted from Rad's 2015 webcomic Kipo. The series is produced by American company DreamWorks Animation Television and animated by South Korean studio Mir.

It follows a teenage girl named Kipo Oak, who is searching for her father Lio after being forced to flee from her burrow by a "mega monkey", a colossal, mutated spider monkey. And must explore the post-apocalyptic surface world ruled by mutated animals to find him. 

Ahead Of South Africa, Canal+ Exploring A Possible Listing In The UK

Media conglomerate Vivendi SE’s Canal+ is exploring a potential listing on the London Stock Exchange, according to people familiar with the matter.

The French company, controlled by billionaire Vincent Bolloré, is working with advisers including BNP Paribas SA to work on the spinoff of the broadcaster, the people said. A listing could take place as soon as the end of this year, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. The spinoff comes as Vivendi is looking to speed up its long-awaited breakup plan which has been in the works since last year, the people said.

Deliberations are ongoing, and no final decisions on timing and venue have been made, the people said. Other listing venues, such as Amsterdam, could still be considered, they added. Representatives for BNP Paribas and Vivendi declined to comment, while a representative for Canal+ didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Shares of Vivendi surged as much as 6.3% and touched the highest level since June 2022, after the Bloomberg News report.

Vivendi has said it is studying a plan to split into four listed units to extract better value from its assets — which span from pay-TV to advertising, music and publishing — and to boost its share price. The proposal would create standalone listings for Havas and Vivendi’s publishing arm, besides Canal+. The French company listed its most valuable business — Universal Music Group NV — in 2021 in Amsterdam. The stock has since risen 9%, valuing it at about €50 billion ($54 billion), which is bigger than Vivendi’s €11 billion market value.

Canal+ has evolved from a French TV channel to a studio that creates entertainment content and a distributor of third-party channels and platforms such as Bein Sports, Netflix and Disney+, according to its website. It has 26.4 million subscribers in more than 50 countries. Its revenues rose 4.3% to €1.5 billion in the first quarter, accounting for about 36% of Vivendi’s total revenue.

London is a more attractive listing destination for Canal+ as the broadcaster becomes more international. The company has been expanding in new markets, with investments in Swedish player Viaplay Group AB and Hong Kong-based streamer Viu, which focuses on Asia and the Middle East. It has proposed to acquire South Africa’s MultiChoice Group, the continent’s biggest pay-TV company.

For London, a major listing will be a much-needed victory after a drought of initial public offerings for years having lost major names like chip designer Arm Holdings Plc to New York, and listed firms such as CRH Plc also seeking to tap the deeper investor pool across the Atlantic. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority on Thursday announced new rules for listings to try to attract more issuers to the city.

Another One Bites The Dust As e.tv's SCANDAL! Becomes The First Soapie In South Africa To Air Seven Days A Week

After Zee World, Star Life and Telemundo opted for 7 day viewing these endeavors are now expanding to local shores with Scandal! also slated to air on weekends at 19:30. With Saturday that was taken up by the now axed Black Tax with Checkpoint on at 17:30.

eMedia Investments doesn't mention why Scandal! suddenly airing in these timeslots but if we had to guess Skeem Saam. Even after SABC 1 changed its timeslot the soap still has more viewers on top of that House Of Zwide and Isitha: The Enemy is edging it out.

Will this decision benefit e.tv's viewers in the long run who knows really and should this work in their favor could Isitha: The Enemy and House Of Zwide undergo a similar fate its possible. But questions amount to who will be tuning in by then.

Press release below 

The channel made the announcement on Wednesday, 10 July, stating that the new schedule will begin on Saturday, 13 July at 7.30pm.

"e.tv is proud to announce a groundbreaking moment in South African TV history with the expansion of its beloved soapie Scandal! to a seven-days-a-week broadcast schedule," the statement read.

"Beginning this weekend, on July 13 and 14, viewers can now enjoy the gripping drama of Scandal! every day, cementing its status as a cornerstone of e.tv's programming line-up."

The show promises to introduce new storylines that will keep viewers glued to their screens, including paternity and pregnancy drama, trouble in paradise for Nhlamulo and Vuvu, and personal growth and challenges for Dintle as she uncovers a shocking revelation about a new character.

Development Alert: MultiChoice Using Ginx TV's Frequencies For Another DStv Channel

After MultiChoice shuttered the UK based gaming channel Ginx TV by the end of March with no replacement alongside M-Net's Me and 1Magic. The brand went on to launch a subscription service in South Africa at an overpriced monthly rate of R56.

Now further tests are being conducted on another TV channel known to us as Ginx TV. For those aren't aware, Ginx TV was distributed by SuperSport for consumers in Africa alongside WWE and Racing240 as they manage the sporting portion of DStv.

From technical aspects and in WWE's the programming are all managed by SuperSport unlike SoundCity as that is handled by Consolidated Media Group. With that in mind, the physical counterpart of Ginx TV is being bombarded with rugby. 

Some of the games listed include the opening rounds of Toyota Cheetahs vs. NovaVit Griffons for the Currie Cup: Premier Division alongside International Rugby's 1st Tests for South Africa vs. Ireland.

If one had to guess, this is likely another pop-up channel similar to that of SuperScreen. After SABC scrapped their sublicensing agreement with SuperSport for these matches this could be the MultiChoice's way of making up to DStv customers.

Get Ready To Dive Deep With Discovery Shark Week 2024 – Featuring South African Shark Experts!

The wait is over! Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, the longest-running and most anticipated TV event in history, returns to South Africa on Monday, 15 July, on Discovery Channel Africa (DStv channel 121). Hosted by the one and only John Cena, this year promises groundbreaking discoveries, thrilling encounters, and a spotlight on South Africa's very own shark experts.

 

Local Heroes Making Waves:

This Shark Week, we journey alongside South African heroes who are not just making waves, but also dedicating their lives to shark conservation and research, showcasing their unwavering dedication and inspiring commitment.

 

Join Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa’s Black Mermaid in Monster Hammerheads: Species X, premiering Tuesday, 16 July at 18:10 CAT, as she dives with Dr Austin Gallagher in the Turks and Caicos, investigating a potentially new species of aggressive Hammerhead sharks. Zandile also joins Dr Gallagher’s team in Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier on Sunday, 21 July at 17:15 CAT where they study massive great whites in New Zealand.

"Joining Monster Hammerheads: Species X was an incredible opportunity to combine my passion for freediving and showcasing the beauty and diversity of sharks," says Zandile, South Africa’s first Black female freediving instructor and founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation. "I hope to inspire others, especially young girls from underrepresented communities, to connect with the ocean and become advocates for its protection."

 

In 6000-LB. Shark, premiering on Saturday, 20 July at 18:10 CAT, Leigh de Necker, Marine Biologist, teams up with Tom "The Blowfish" Hird to track down massive Great White Sharks off the coast of New Zealand, using cutting-edge science to weigh them and analyse their diet.

"Filming 6,000-LB Shark for Discovery Shark Week 2024 in New Zealand was truly one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life," says Leigh. "To witness these magnificent creatures in their element, surrounded by five, six, even seven at a time, was awe-inspiring. These weren't just any sharks; we're talking chunky animals between 3.5 and 5.5 meters in size! My marine biologist brain was in overdrive! Why were there so many sharks? Why were some so large? What were they feeding on? Could any be our South African sharks? This experience has deepened my fascination with these incredible creatures and fuelled my passion for their conservation."

 

Witness groundbreaking research in Great White Danger Zone on Monday, 15 July, at 17:15 CAT, as Dr Alison Towner, Shark Scientist, and her team investigate a new Great White hotspot off the South African coast, uncovering unusual behaviours in these apex predators.

"Southern African white sharks are currently a subject of intense mystery. Human activities and killer whale predation have drastically shifted their habitat use in this region. Great White Danger Zone investigates how white sharks are adapting to these changes at the southern tip of Africa,” commented Dr Alison. “It also provided an opportunity for me to collaborate again with Dr Oliver Jewell from the University of Western Australia, with whom I spent over 800 hours tracking white sharks around Gansbaai, in the Western Cape, in the decade before these ecological shifts occurred. This work underscores the urgent need for resources to support white shark research in this region, as these displacements redefine our global understanding of coastal ecosystems, particularly when apex predators vanish."

 

Celebrating 20 Years of Shark Conservation:

In 1991, South Africa became the first country to protect great white sharks. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Shark Spotters are a pioneering organisation dedicated to shark conservation, research, and education in South Africa. Their innovative and sustainable approach to reducing human-shark conflict has gained global attention and evolved to uncover key insights into the movements and behaviour of white sharks alongside researchers, including Dr Alison Towner.

 

“As Shark Spotters celebrates its twentieth year, we recognise the excitement and wonder that sharks inspire in people, especially during Discovery Channel's Shark Week," says Sarah Waries, CEO of Shark Spotters. "Our work aims to ensure the sustainable coexistence of people and sharks in our oceans, conserve these important animals, protect the marine environment, and create responsible ocean users. We look forward to sharing this with the world during Shark Week."

 

Don't Miss a Moment of the Action:

In addition to the programmes featuring local South African shark experts, the highly anticipated annual week-long celebration of sharks will include the next chapter of the hit show Belly of the Beast, which offers a fascinating look at a Great White shark feeding frenzy, and Deadliest Bite, which delves deep into how a shark’s jaws and teeth deliver lethal attacks! Shark Week starts Monday, 15 July, on Discovery Channel Africa (DStv channel 121).