Star Life To Debut New Series "Advocate Anjali Awasthi" In December

The show is produced by Blues Productions with audiences treated with the first glimpse, which showcases the journey of Advocate Anjali Awasthi, who wants to be a successful lawyer but must tackle challenges and difficulties that stand in the way of achieving her aspirations.

The audience will also witness Anjali's grit and spirit and determination to fight against injustice in order to mend her family's tarnished image. In her first case, Advocate Anjali Awasthi, a struggling advocate who evolves into a legal genius while restoring her father's disgrace, takes on a powerful and extremely corrupt lawyer. 

Advocate Anjali Awasthi is a strong and fearless character; she craves recognition for her genius, and this will surely compel the audience to root for her cause—justice for the downtrodden. Ankit Raizada will be seen portraying the character of Aman Singh Rajpoot in the show Advocate Anjali Awasthi along with Shritama Mitra. 

Ankit's portrayal of the vibrant and free-spirited Aman Singh Rajpoot is definitely going to win the hearts of the viewers.

His positive outlook, dedication to family, and romantic side—his ability to bring warmth and affection into his relationships—are traits that resonate with me personally. The romantic aspects of Aman’s character, such as his genuine love and care for his partner, reflect values and emotions I also connect with. While his experiences are unique to the show, the essence of Aman's character and his approach to love and relationships mirror aspects of my own life."

Advocate Anjali Awasthi is expected to air on Star Life from 18 December.

Development Alert: WildEarth To Relaunch On MultiChoice's DStv???

During the year, MultiChoice removed a total of 12 channels as the board tries to finalize the pending takeover by Canal+ with local regulators. Some channels to have been removed include One Freestate Televisual, NWTV, People's Weather (now People's Planet) with Me and 1Magic that merged to form 1Max.

WildEarth which formed part of the dozen TV channels to have exited the pay-tv company opted to dissolve themselves from the platform after failing to come into an agreement with MultiChoice. The wildlife channel was facing financial constraints and entered a deal with the company where they could pay for the channel.

After MultiChoice was declared technically insolvent they couldn't keep up to their end of the deal leading to WildEarth's dismal from the platform. Since then, WildEarth continued its operations in the UK and other parts of the world with SafariLIVE distributed on People's Planet.

WildEarth also offers a YouTube subscription similar to the current structure of DStv where consumers are required to pay a fee to get additional content alongside the ad free version.

Now it appears MultiChoice may be looking to reinstate WildEarth as several consumers by had already spotted the feed for the channel on our decoders. We can only assume that MultiChoice might have managed to get their finances in order and could as well look to reinstate another channel e.g. One Freestate Televisual.

Another may be the pending takeover by Canal+, WildEarth serves as one of the various TV channels from DStv distributed by the broadcaster in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. Other channels on their platform include M-Net Movies 3 and 4, Africa Magic Epic, Studio Universal and Star Life, and part of this had to with its stake in the company. 

If this deal is finalised, we can only assume that the French would want to align/consolidate their content with that of MultiChoice cause with them acquiring they'll obviously want to wind down on expenses. Usually these cuts come from the acquired company with Canal+ that will substitute these cuts with their own endeavours.

As for WildEarth, I can only assume they'll announce something in the coming weeks if not sooner. It is expected to be available on the same packages it was on when it was removed and this includes DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family and Access consumers on channel 183.

MultiChoice Working On Getting Deal With Canal+ Approved

 MultiChoice Chief Executive Officer Calvo Mawela is preparing to take on US streaming giants as the African TV company works to get its approximately $3 billion deal with Vivendi SE’s Canal+ over the line with regulators. 

“A combination gives us a better chance to compete against the global giants,” Mawela said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “Scale matters in this industry, then you are able to negotiate better rates for content and you are able to generate more revenues, especially with one party operating in French-speaking Africa and one in the English speaking part of Africa.” 

The company has been losing subscribers and struggling with currency depreciation across many of its markets, especially Nigeria, that’s hitting profits and customers’ spending power. A deal with France’s Canal+ would help scale a combined entity to better compete for content and technology needed when going up against dominant platforms like Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., Mawela said. 

While the companies have been in talks with regulators in South Africa, where local ownership rules may prove to be a serious regulatory hurdle to the deal, the French broadcaster has continued to slowly up its stake in MultiChoice. 

“We put something together that should be acceptable for the regulators, and engagements are ongoing,” he said. “We believe it’s a good story for Africa.”

Africa has a young and fast-growing population that’s an attractive market for streamers, although the continent also struggles with uneven internet access, low incomes and currency volatility. A combination of Canal+ and MultiChoice would create a group with nearly 50 million subscribers and the resources to invest more in local content and sports. 

Multichoice is already working with Canal+ on new productions and the South African company, known for its sports content, is providing its partner with access to English Premier League football matches, said Mawela. The company hopes to boost its sales to $1 billion from its Showmax service in the next five years, he said.

French billionaire Vincent Bolloré’s Vivendi is the a process of breaking up his sprawling media and entertainment empire, and Canal+ is actively preparing its own listing in London. The newly spun-off company may also have a secondary listing in Johannesburg. 

Harry Potter, Wizards Of Baking: Spellbinding Confectionary Creations Come To Life This Holiday Season On Food Network AFRICA

Food Network viewers and legions of Harry Potter fans are going to have an extra special holiday season this year with the premiere of the brand-new series, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, on Wednesday, 4 December at 5 pm on Food Network Africa. Capitalising on the enduring love for Harry Potter – a global phenomenon that continues to captivate people of all ages around the world – the ground-breaking series blends legendary storytelling and fantastical edible creations in a never-before-seen competition that will have audiences at the edge of their seats.

James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) bring their exceptional charm and behind-the-scenes anecdotes as hosts of this most magical series, joined by esteemed culinary judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef. Across the six-episode season, they will also be joined by special guests Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), who will help in evaluating the competitors’ showpieces and also share their own film stories.

The competition kicks off with a super-sized episode in which nine teams of pastry chefs and cake artists are tasked to craft massive, spellbinding edible showpieces inspired by moments and themes from the Harry Potter saga. Each week, the culinary artists will design eye-popping creations not only to tantalise the taste buds but also to offer surprising and enchanting visual elements. Fans of Harry Potter will recognise many iconically familiar places, as the series was produced at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, including amidst the backdrop of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, on some of the original sets where Harry Potter's journey was brought to life on screen. Contenders will have the unprecedented opportunity to present their creations in famed locations such as Platform 9¾, The Great Hall, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Diagon Alley, The Forbidden Forest and more.

“With Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, the confectionary magic coming to Africa this December is splendidly real and unlike anything seen before,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. “By tapping into the incredible fandom of Harry Potter, as well as that of Food Network’s holiday programming, it is a culinary competition that delivers on multiple levels with elevated culinary craftsmanship executed in an enchanted setting and airing during the most wonderful time of year.” 

A group of lucky fans will have the opportunity to taste some of the competitors’ handiwork, and then, in the finale, the team that wins the competition will be awarded the first-ever Wizards of Baking Cup and will have the opportunity to appear in a new Harry Potter cookbook.

Harry Potter fans can follow #WizardsOfBaking on social to chat with fellow fans and watch tons of videos from behind the scenes in the wizarding world. Plus, hear from the Phelps brothers as they return to Hogwarts, meet all the special guests stopping by and get to know the teams competing in this magical baking extravaganza. Fans can also get Harry Potter-inspired recipes, like Sorting Hat Cupcakes and Invisibility Cloak Pumpkin Pie. 

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking is produced by Warner Horizon and theoldschool for Food Network. Warner Horizon’s Bridgette Theriault and Dan Sacks serve as executive producers with theoldschool’s Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton. 

Don’t miss the spellbinding magic of Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking when it premieres on Food Network on Wednesday, 4 December at 5 pm. Tune in to see which team claims the first-ever Wizards of Baking Cup and takes home the ultimate prize!

New Show Alert: Jamie: Fast & Simple Serves Up Good Food for Busy People on BBC Lifestyle AFRICA

Seasoned chef Jamie Oliver is coming out with a brand new show, Jamie: Fast & Simple, exclusive to BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) this November. The new series aims to prove that good food doesn’t need take hours to prepare – all it takes is a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes.

 

Jamie: Fast & Simple explores the best ways to make the most of our time in the kitchen, so we get more time back in our busy lives while still whipping up delicious food to put on the table.

 

Recipes include:

• Midweek meals, which are quick on prep and cook for speedy dinner ideas.

• Cupboard love, for when there’s not enough time to get to the shops.

• Weekend wins, for batch-cooking hacks that will see you through the rest of the week.

• Trusty traybakes, which lets the oven do all the hard work.

• Perfect puds – genius dessert hacks that can be used for all occasions.

 

25 years after The Naked Chef, Jamie is once again stripping cooking back to its bare essentials, but this time, he’s brought things bang-up-to-date with new ingredients and flavours to save you time throughout the rhythms of your busy week.

 

Inspired by how he cooks at home, recipes include:

• Gochujang Chicken Traybake

• Cheesy Bolognese Buns

• Banoffee Fro-yo Tart

• Tin-raid Fishcakes

• Jarred Red Pepper Pasta

• Strawberry Balsamic Tart

• Smash Burgers

• Tinned-fruit Granitas

• Roasted Veg with Camembert Fondue

 

In addition to all of this, Jamie’s also showcasing delicious recipes from his friends Ravneet Gill, Julius Fiedler, Gennaro Contaldo, Ixta Belfrage and Meliz Berg, which are all quick, simple and tasty dishes that go down like a treat in their own homes.

 

Jamie says, “I can’t wait for you to watch my new TV series, Jamie: Fast & Simple, on BBC Lifestyle. Life just seems to keep getting busier, so I’m here to give you easy ways to hack your time in the kitchen. I wanted to address those barriers to cooking – things like a lack of inspiration or challenges on the time front – and create recipes that will inspire everyone to give them a try. This is cooking stripped back to its bare essentials to make mealtimes faster, simpler and even more delicious than ever before.”

 

Jamie: Fast & Simple airs Tuesday, 19 November at 20:00 on BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) and was commissioned by Tim Hancock, commissioning editor for documentaries and factual entertainment.