Investigation Discovery Explores The Dark Side Of Fame In Upcoming Six-Part Series, Hollywood Demons

Investigation Discovery announced today a riveting new six-part series, HOLLYWOOD DEMONS, that pulls back the glamorous curtain of fame to expose the hidden struggles, sacrifices and scandals of life in the spotlight. From the seemingly cursed dynasties like the Von Erich wrestling family to iconic figures like 7th Heaven’s pastor dad, Stephen Collins, who are far from their beloved characters, and series plagued by peril and misfortune like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and The Real Housewives, this new series unveils the shadowy underbelly of Hollywood. Each gripping two-hour episode features accounts from Hollywood insiders, project collaborators, and survivors who endured harrowing abuse and struggles. Insight and perspective are provided by addiction specialist, Dr. Drew Pinsky and culture writer, Scaachi Koul. HOLLYWOOD DEMONS will air weekly beginning Friday, 16 May from 21:00 – 23:00 CAT on ID Africa, DStv channel 171.  

 

For 11 years, Stephen Collins graced the screen as the altruistic Rev. Eric Camden on 7th Heaven. However, his squeaky-clean image is shattered when a recording of him admitting to inappropriate sexual conduct with underage girls is leaked. In this intense and emotional two-hour premiere of HOLLYWOOD DEMONS, one of Collins’s alleged victims comes forward in a shocking tell-all interview, revealing the disturbing truth about the actor she once idolised. Crew and castmates from the iconic series, including Jeremy London, also share their reactions to the bombshell accusations, leaving them reeling in the aftermath. The premiere episode of HOLLYWOOD DEMONS, “Stephen Collins, America’s Dad,” premieres on Friday, 16 May at 21:00 CAT.

 

A complete rundown of episodes this season includes:  

Child Stars Gone Violent  

Premieres Friday, 23 May at 21:00 CAT  

In the golden era of ’90s family-friendly TV, child actors weren’t just stars—they were America’s sweethearts. But for some, the transition out of the spotlight dragged them down a path of crime, addiction, and violence. Former child actors Brian Bonsall (Family Ties) and Dee Jay Daniels (The Hughleys) unpack the harsh reality of life after fame, while producers from Home Improvement and That’s So Raven reveal their brush with young stars who ended up behind bars. 

 

Dark Side of the Power Rangers 

Premieres Friday, 30 May at 21:00 CAT 

Every ‘90s kid remembers Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the ultimate live-action superhero show. Beneath the bright spandex and high-flying karate kicks lies a grim reality of tragedy and scandals. Viewers will watch never-before-seen footage of a fan-turned-gunman who had one horrifying mission: to assassinate the show’s most legendary star. And just a few years later, the same actor meets a grim fate. 

 

Housewives Gone Bad  

Premieres Friday, 6 June at 21:00 CAT 

The Real Housewives began as a dazzling display of wealth and luxury, but over the past two decades, tragedy and criminal activity have shaken their glamorous worlds. For the first time, a former colleague breaks down how one housewife built her multimillion-dollar empire on deception. And The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’s Taylor Armstrong speaks out like never before, shedding new light on her husband’s alleged abuse and the unsettling rumors that still surround his death. 

 

SABC Looking To Curate Exclusive Content For SABC+

SABC+ is a South African based streaming service that served as a promotional window to the current SABC 1-3 alongside it's 19 radio stations. Since it's inception, the streamer has only managed to accumulate 850,000 registered users on the platform.

At the time, the SABC had remained hesitant in bulking up its offering for the streamer as it's cable networks continue to lose revenue. According to recent reports, the plan is to make SABC+ a flagship platform going forward which could hint at a major restructuring for its cable networks.

When MultiChoice unveiled Showmax 2.0 in partnership with Comcast this led to the consolidation/axing of Me and 1Magic. Even eMedia Investments made some adjustments to its linear platform with eExtra's Kuiertyd that had become the dumping ground for eVOD.

With SABC 2 and 3 continuing to run at a loss estimated guess is that SABC will try to minimise or scrap further commissions from these platforms in favour of SABC+. These channels will likely turn to archived material and third party programming while optimising for the streamer.

"We are seeking partnerships with organisations that traditionally would be viewed as competition for the SABC. This includes MultiChoice; also streaming services like VIU, Netflix and all the rest."

On the streaming front, it appears SABC is on a rationality process as they're hoping to ink deals with Netflix and MultiChoice for programming. When Netflix launched in the market it become another DStv in general a shark hovering around smaller fish.

Warner's head at Max had a long talk with corporate about the performance of the streamer and it was agreed that Max (small fish) will never the reach of Netflix. If there's anyone who has better luck to compete it's Disney+, SABC+ very much like Max is fighting for stability.

Last year, Max dumped most of Cartoon Network's library of content as these weren't core to their viewers so it's likely SABC+ will adapt to a similar trait when commissioning content. Prioritizing IPs in an attempt to boost consumer growth at SABC+ while other content that goes unnoticed on the platform will garner traction on Netflix.

Canal+'s MultiChoice Ongoing Battle With Regulators

As noted, Canal+ had been looking to acquire MultiChoice with the deal that was expected to close in April 2025 now aiming for October 2025. The deal currently being scrutinized by regulators is regarded as a larger merger with MultiChoice valued at over R50 billion it would make sense why they couldn't cross their initial deadline.

MultiChoice filed this transaction with regulators by 30 September 2024 and the Competition Commission usually takes about 40 business days but for larger mergers they can extend from 6 months to 12 months with this deal already past 7 months presuming regulators wanted more info about the deal.

Compared to previous larger mergers (e.g. Walmart and Massmart), the MultiChoice deal is the most complex due I mean most others would have this done within 6 months (excluding consultations with the Tribunal). This is due to the ECA which limits decision making to 20% and Canal+ addressed that with LicenceCo.

Others hurdles would have to be the effects this transaction has on competitors (like eMedia Investments) and the economy. MultiChoice has been a dominant force (via SuperSport) but as we've seen in recent years Netflix is starting to catch-up as they've licensed WWE for a number of countries.

If MultiChoice wants to continue outshining Netflix they have to assure this deal gets greenlight between now to early July if they want to meet the October deadline. The tribunal will need 3 months at least if approved to hold public hearings and set the ground work.

Major delays to October would have to be the Competition Commission's recommendation to block the deal or a minority shareholder (like Alan Gray) wanting more money. But if I'm being honest the deal has a moderate to high rate of getting to Scenario A than B.

Scenario A

MultiChoice is in financial distress and serves a responsibility in growing the local landscape. Regulators could greenlight this deal as a means to keep these operations around for the foreseeable future although Netflix is a dominant foe it can't replicate SABC News much less DStv Diski. 

If Canal+ is able to swallow up MultiChoice as there's a moderate to high chance of the deal being greenlight by regulators mainly because of the company's financial position. Although, Netflix already curates content within the market it's not to the scale of SuperSport much less SABC News.

Expect this deal to come with numerous clauses the first I presume would be local quotas even for LicenceCo. Canal+ could be told that 40-60% of its earnings must be used to fund the local landscape and with a 20% cap they'll likely want a detailed report on their activities.

Another which I don't think would be the case is a divestiture of core brands maybe Canal+ could sell a stake in SuperSport which I doubt even DStv. Canal+ is more likely look to offload assets such as Namola and Aura as they generate very little revenue for MultiChoice.

Scenario B

Regulators have been known to block deals in the past with Vodacom and Maziv deal that had remained ongoing since 2022. On the MultiChoice's stance, the issue would stem from its dominance within the TV spectrum particularly sports, a deal like this would further isolate competitors.

Another may have to do with economic factors, regulators may fear that this ordeal will lead to jobs cuts or loss of local content. Although Canal+ doesn't have an existing foothold, MultiChoice has been loss making and the acquiring company always looks to reduce operational expenses.

Lastly the structure, MultiChoice plans to curve out it's broadcasting license into a separate entity to ensure its compliant with legislation. Regulators may not be convinced that MultiChoice will comply with that 20% cap as the loophole to this would be MultiChoice Africa.

E! Entertainment, CNBC And Various Other Channels From NBCUniversal To Fold Under New Company Called Versant

The spinoff of Comcast‘s cable networks has a name: Versant.

Mark Lazarus, who will lead the new unit, wrote in a memo to staffers, “Versant represents more than a name – it speaks to our adaptability and embraces the opportunity to shape a new, modern media company. There were many considerations for a suitable name. Our internal team of incredibly skilled and experienced brand marketers, designers and media tacticians took into account our overarching goal to influence culture, connect communities and signify a unified direction forward.”

Since the spinoff of MSNBC, CNBC and other cable networks was announced last year, the entity has gone by SpinCo.

Lazarus added, “We would be foolish to expect everyone to love the name of our new company immediately. There were certainly some others that we could have gotten behind, but after sitting with Versant for a couple of weeks now, I believe it will suit us well, evoke a sense of energy, and underscore our role in driving progress.”

Lazarus also said that the company headquarters would be in Manhattan.

Other networks included in the spinoff, expected to be completed later this year, are USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel.

With NBC News no longer a sister network, MSNBC has been building up a news division. Yet to be announced is how the network plans to approach streaming. MSNBC shows had appeared on Peacock, but that platform will remain in the Comcast fold.

The choice of a media company name invites quick reaction and judgment, especially in an era when so many entities choose uncommon words, like Axios and Semafor, or a partial anagram, like Tegna, from its spinoff from Gannett. Some names have been outright duds, most prominently Tronc, the name given to Tribune Publishing in 2016 only to be dropped two years later.

According an audio announcement from brand marketers Lisa Fleming and Mike DeRienzo, thousands of names were considered, but only 43 passed “preliminary knockout.” Of that, 25 were cleared domestically. That was narrowed to 12 finalists that were presented to the leadership team.

The field of options continued to narrow, with a top three selected to go through international clearance. All three did.

They then went into “design exploration,” including logos. “After months of presentations and conversations, a clear winner rose to the top, and that was Versant,” DeRienzo said. Versant actually is a real word, meaning the slope of a mountain. “It says strength, forward movement,” he said.

By contrast, MSNBC will retain its name, even though NBC will no longer be part of the network. The “MS” stood for Microsoft, as the network initially was joint venture with Microsoft. The tech giant sold its stake in 2005.

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