New Series Alert: UKube Ngangazi Coming This September To Zee Zonke

The story revolves around Srivalli, a simple girl full of life and energy, so positive in her outlook that she tries to find the good aspect in everything that happens in life. In fact, even after being considered unlucky by her family, she wishes to marry a charming and understanding man who shares her personality traits.

In a twist of fate she meets Samrat, an egoist and a chauvinist who doesn’t respect women. In fact, even his mother Bhavani fears her son a lot. However, it is this unusual union of two starkly different personalities that is bound to create conflict and drama, and it will be interesting to see what happens as they decide to get married!

It starred Yashwanth as Samrat, Chaitra Sakkari as Srivalli, Nirosha Radha as Bhavani, Vara Prasad as Raghupathi, Vijay Durga as Avanthika, Siddu as Goutham, Pratyusha Ponnapalli as Kamala, Sree Piya as Nandu, Sravan as Lavangam and Archana as Meenakshi.

The series premiered on Zee Telegu from May 2023 as Devathalaara Deevinchandi and has since then accumulated 444 half hour episodes. The broadcaster is home to shows like Umakoti Oyintandokazi and Uthandolwani both of which are currently airing on Zee Zonke.

Now Zee Zonke is looking to add its third show from the broadcaster under the name UKube Ngangazi from 5 September. It's sister channels are also looking to add new content with Ringside Rebel and Amulya's Wedding on Zee World with 36 Reasons and The Pain Of Loving You on Zee One.

Other Reasons SABC, e.tv And DStv Continue To Lose Viewers

During the year, the Broadcast Research Council (BRC) had conducted a survey where it was revealed that the number of households watching TV decreased from 15.9 million to 13.9 million. Although it was also outlined that the number of households in SA increased from 17.3 million to 18.3 million.

Understanding how SABC and e.tv is losing viewers, let's take a look at SABC+ and eVOD when those platforms were rolled out there was so much hype about how many downloads it accumulated. Although, actual consumer numbers are currently unknown for these platforms. 

Consumers instead of watching Annekan Die Swa Kry would probably be watching Binnelanders on KykNET&Kie as they could always catch-up on this week's episodes on eVOD. Another again, more consumers are opting for OTT so they rather use their cellular devices for this content. 

When Droomvelore last aired on e.tv the show was able to accumulate 1.8 million and when Annekan Die Swa Kry came this fell to a whopping 1.5 million. One of those reasons eMedia Investments is trying to scrap government plans to halt analogue signals with SABC looking to rollout its STBs.

Despite launching rival platforms to Netflix, neither company is making much revenue with MultiChoice anticipated to become the first in the region with Showmax. Let's remember, Showmax was launched back in 2015 and eMedia and SABC came with their rival offering 7+ years later.

Late entries are struggling to maintain their services are grow revenue wise hence the "free" service which gives them more exposure to these audiences. 

Although MultiChoice is seeing a much brighter future with Showmax the consumer base on DStv continues to deteriorate. This is due to inflation, increased competition from not only streaming but cable providers as well and lastly the dismantling of premium channels. 

What MultiChoice could have done to fight off inflation and retain DStv consumers would be rolling out an unbundled version of the DStv packages. This would see consumers paying for M-Net, National Geographic and Cartoon Network with the option to add sports into the mix.

The sad reality about DStv is that they are losing credibility as most content aside from news and sports is accessible nowadays. If one needs music there's always Spotify in my opinion and YouTube introduced viewers to Cocomelon and all MultiChoice can do is milk it dry.

Then the other is similar to free-to-air operators, consumers are just changing their viewing habits. Some are probably tired of viewing the same shenanigans from Uzalo and Muvhango and would rather browse TikTok or use their Xbox as there's more entertainment there.

New Series Alert: Amulya’s Wedding And Ringside Rebel Coming This September To Zee World

Not long ago, it was reported Zee One would be adding the Marathi based series 36 Reasons to their lineup in the month of September. With Zee World that will also be unveiling new content within that time frame for consumers in Southern Africa titled Amulya’s Wedding and Ringside Rebel. 

Synopsis for Amulya’s Wedding 

Amulya’s Wedding, is a series that explores the complexities of love and relationships. Amulya, a strong-willed and independent young woman, crosses paths with Vedanth, a wealthy and successful businessman, in a series of unexpected and often challenging circumstances.  

As misunderstandings and clashes arise, the two find themselves drawn to each other despite their differences. This drama delves into their evolving relationship, the dynamics within their families, and the obstacles they face on their journey toward love and understanding.

The series premiered on Zee Kannada as Gattimela from March 2019 to January 2024 with over 1000 episodes having being filmed. It starred Rakshith Gowda as Vedanth Vasishtha, Nisha Ravikrishnan as Amulya Vedanth Vasishtha and Sudha Narasimharaju as Parimala Manjunath.

Synopsis for Ringside Rebel

Ringside Rebel is a heartfelt drama that tells the inspiring story of Phulki, a determined young girl from a small village who dreams of breaking free from the traditional expectations placed upon her. Phulki’s passion for boxing, inherited from her father, fuels her fight against the societal norms that threaten to hold her back.  

Despite facing resistance from her family and community, Phulki’s unyielding spirit and courage drive her to carve out her own path in life. Ringside Rebel is a tale of resilience and empowerment, showcasing the journey of a woman who dares to dream beyond the limitations of her world.

The series premiered on Zee Bangla as Phulki from 12 June 2023 and since then over 100+ episodes had been filmed. It starred Divyani Mondal as Phulki Roy Chowdhury, Abhishek Bose as Rohit Roy Chowdhury, Ankita Majhi as Aruna Roy Chowdhury and Sohan Bandyopadhyay as Pallab Roy Chowdhury.

Amulya’s Wedding airs daily at 18:00 replacing Meet In Love from 11 September while Ringside Rebel commences an hour later at 17:00 replacing our Heroes.

New Series Alert: 36 Reasons Coming This September To Zee One

36 Reasons revolves around the arranged marriage between Vedant and Amulya, a union that neither is initially thrilled about due to their stark differences. However, as the story progresses, they are forced to confront their prejudices and learn to appreciate each other’s unique qualities. 

This journey of mutual understanding and growth is central to the narrative, as Vedant and Amulya navigate the challenges of married life while dealing with their families’ expectations and societal pressures.

The series also delves into the lives of the extended families and their dynamics. For instance, the Wankhede family faces internal strife as Vikrant, Vedant’s brother, struggles with his own marital issues with Aarti, Amulya’s sister. 

These subplots add depth to the main storyline, highlighting the complexities of familial relationships and the impact they have on the couple’s evolving bond.

36 Reasons (also known as 30 Guni Joda) premiered on Marathi broadcaster Zee Marathi from 23 January to 24 December 2023. Produced by Shashank Solanki, it starred Anushka Sarkate as Amulya Ashish TumpalwaIt and Aayush Salunkhe as Vedant Shridhar Wankhede.

It airs daily at 18:00 from 23 September replacing A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee on Zee One. The channel was scheduled to air The Pain Of Loving You within the month with that now pushed to 14 September in a much earlier timeslot 16:00.

Cocomelon's Cody Time And Lego Dreamzzz Coming Soon To Cartoon Network And Cartoonito Feeds Across Africa + More Attractions Coming In September

In September, Warner Bros. Discovery's set of children's channels on DStv namely Cartoon Network are set to rollout new addition to the lineup. After debuting in some parts of the world Lego Dreamzzz makes a landing in Africa alongside Cocomelon spinoff series titled Cody Time.

The synopsis for LEGO DREAMZzz is as follows: 

“A group of kids join a secret agency where they learn to use the power of imagination to journey into the Dream World and create fantastic creations in order to help sleeping children being terrorized by the evil Nightmare King who is bent on conquering the Dream World and invading the Waking World.”

It features the voices of Sarah Jeffery as Zoey, Marcos Cardenas as Mateo, Vincent Tong as Logan, Mike Taylor as Cooper, and Mike Taylor as Cooper.

A short synopsis for Cocomelon is as follows:

"Join Cody Green - the little kid with a big imagination and an even bigger heart - in this spinoff series set in the familiar, beloved community of CoComelon!."

Lego Dreamzzz airs daily at 16:10 from 2nd September and prior to this Cocomelon: Cody Time airs at 08:20 on Cartoonito. Returning shows include Craig Of The Creek, Tiny Toons Looniversity, Coach Me If You Can, Jellystone, Grizzly And The Lemmings and Batwheels.

Both channels will be airing stunts in the month with Brick Flicks Week on Cartoon Network with Batman while Cartoonito embarking on a world tour with the likes of none other than Mr. Bean, Zig & Sharko, Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny Builders and Masha And The Bear.