December 2025 On Cartoon Network And Cartoonito Across Africa | Channel Premiere: Space Jam - A New Legacy | Returning Shows Including The Powerpuff Girls (1998) | More

Cartoon Network 

Scooby-Doo! And Guess Who? - Premiere

The team is back and just as courageous, adventurous, humorous and obsessed with cases like before. They are joined by celebrities in their adventures and ghost hunts and in search of puzzles to solve.

Looney Tunes Cartoons - Premiere

Looney Tunes Cartoons echoes the high production value and process of the original Looney Tunes theatrical shorts, with a cartoonist-driven approach to storytelling. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other marquee Looney Tunes characters will be featured in their classic pairings in simple, gag-driven and visually vibrant stories.

Space Jam: A New Legacy - Premiere

LeBron James and his son, Dom, find themselves trapped in a virtual world. In order to get out, LeBron must team up with the Looney Tunes Squad and defeat an algorithm in a basketball match.

Pokemon's Detective Pikachu 

Tim Goodman travels to Ryme City to settle the affairs of his late father. There, he meets an intelligent talking Pokemon, a Pikachu, and soon teams up with it to solve his father's last case.

Other developments includes two stunts Merry Christmas featuring Tiny Toons Looniversity and Teen Titans GO! alongside Gumball Breakfast. Rebroadcasts of Justice League Action and The Powerpuff Girls (1998) air on the channel.

Cartoonito 

Tom And Jerry Gokko - New Episodes 

Tom, a fussy cat who can't be hated, Jerry, a cute but clever mouse, and Tuffy, a small and cute mouse, all transform into adorable characters, such as their favourite food. Transformation is also new to this series and is attracting a lot of attention.

Batwheels: Heroes Vs. Villains

The Batwheels are back in these epic battles between Gotham's heroes and it's biggest baddies. Strap in for a bumpy ride!

Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown

After visiting a dude ranch, Scooby and his gang get to know about a ghostly cowboy, Dapper Jack, haunting a nearby town. What shocks them more is that Jack is a long lost relative of Shaggy Rogers.

Scooby-Doo! And The Monster Of Mexico

Scooby-Doo and the gang travel to Mexico on vacation. After a horrifying monster begins harassing the local communities, they investigate the matter to find the culprit.

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness 

When Daphne wins a chance to visit space with all her friends, it causes a rift between her and Velma. However, the threat of an alien beckons the team to get into action.

Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy

Scooby Doo and his gang are spending their vacation on a mysterious cruise in the Bermuda Triangle. They then discover that the place is plagued by ghost pirates who are in search of a treasure.

Scooby-Doo! Music Of The Vampire 

While attending a festival in a small town, a disaster awakens Lord Valdronya, a vampire who wreaks havoc on the celebrations. Scooby-Doo and his team must probe the situation to uncover the truth.

Paramount Will Likely Streamline Warner Bros. Discovery If It's Acquisition Is Successful

David Ellison had recently formed Paramount Skydance and is currently in pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery. If it's takeover bid is successful, this would bring Paramount's CBS, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central alongside WBD's CNN, HGTV and Discovery under one umbrella.

Paramount had stated that if their acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is successful both companies would continue operate independently think of DreamWorks Animation and Illumination. Although, no merger plans are underway that doesn't exclude the possibility of reductions.

MTV will be shutting down its music channels by the end of 2025 across the world alongside various other channels. Paramount is undergoing a restructure and wants to align their remaining brands to streaming and Warner Bros. Discovery will follow in this pursuit.

Paramount intends to merge it's 79 million subscribers on Paramount+ with that of 128 million from HBO Max. This would give them 209 million subscribers and their rival Disney+ would fall short at 195 following its merger with Hulu.

Rather than scale back on spending in the event of an acquisition, Paramount wants to increase content spend with its buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery. With over 200 million subscribers, that is very much possible in such a scenario think of Netflix and how much content it offers in a year.

The issues pertaining to the buyout is a difference in narratives if Warner Bros. Discovery had diversity initiatives that is likely to get phased out. Prior to the Paramount takeover, Skydance didn't offer such and never intended to do so same could be awaiting this buyout.

As for creative teams, Paramount wants to continue to keep those separate but it's less likely that the number of employees would remain the same in such a transaction. If there's an underperforming studio, that is most definitely expected to shut down.

Lastly cable networks, as reported Paramount will be closing several channels before the year ends most of which were regional. Warner Bros. Discovery is a company which carries a lot of cable networks mainly from Discovery Inc. with others viewed internationally.

Paramount could opt to retain Discovery Channel, HGTV and Cartoon Network as these brands have global appeal. Perhaps phase out underperforming/niche brands like Travel Channel alongside regional ones like TNT and Real Time.

What remains clear here in Warner Bros. Discovery's pursuit of a potential buyer with Comcast, Netflix and Paramount being eyed. HBO Max could be consolidated under another rival platform and also massive layoffs await whatever is left of the company.

Could Warner Bros. Discovery Be Moving Various Content From Cartoonito To Cartoon Network In Africa?

In March 2023, it was announced that Boomerang would be rebranding to Cartoonito as part of an alignment strategy. At the time, it was stated that all of Boomerang's shows would be retained once the channel switches to Cartoonito this included shows like Mr. Bean and Looney Tunes Cartoons.

Cartoonito is a preschool brand operated by Warner Bros. Discovery that offers fun and entertaining content for kids and their families. This was this structure the company opted to market in some parts of Europe while others tried to align it with Disney Jr. and Nick Jr.

But alas, Mr. Magoo was announced as a new series for Cartoon Network although being made available to Cartoonito when it was still Boomerang. It could imply one of two scenarios first Warner Bros. Discovery blantly lied another could be that their removals part of the long term goals.

This is what happened to Cartoonito in Latin America when it replaced Boomerang so why would Africa be immune to these changes. Warner Bros. Discovery had a goal and that was to get Boomerang viewers to latch onto Cartoonito to avoid further alienation.

Warner Bros. Discovery in Africa had stated the decision to transform Boomerang into Cartoonito was part of an "alignment strategy". The reality is in most markets Cartoonito is basically another Nick Jr. or Cbeebies with gaps in-between for other content.

Cartoon Network has been getting various content Warner Bros. Discovery marketed for Boomerang like Tiny Toons Looniversity and soon Scooby-Doo And Guess Who?. Even Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated that went to Boomerang after its run has resurfaced on the network.

What happened to Cartoonito retaining all of Boomerang's IPs are these set to become an afterthought?

Cartoon Network will be airing Space Jam: A New Legacy in December and it wouldn't surprise me if it led to the addition of Looney Tunes Cartoons. Some consumers had stated that these shows were too mature for a preschool brand and Warner Bros. Discovery let this subside for almost two years.

They led some people to believe that Cartoonito was Boomerang's equivalent within Africa yet you have all this content on Cartoon Network. In the UK, most of this content including Tiny Toons Looniversity is being distributed on Boomerang.

On the upside, I don't think most consumers would have noticed or cared as much if these shows were to suddenly disappear from Cartoonito. They have prioritised on other shows like Zig & Sharko, Batwheels and Cocomelon it could've been a lot worser had this been done two years earlier. 

If anything this change does add more confusion and mystery, Boomerang had prioritized on reruns for their own shows. Seeing as it's no longer Boomerang how much of that would be distributed on Cartoonito because so far it seems like the stars could be aligning with Cartoon Network.

Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking Brings Mystical Festive Baked Goods To Food Network Africa, Premieres Saturday 6 December At 18:00 CAT

Viewers and legions of Harry Potter fans are in for a treat as Food Network's Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking returns for a magical new chapter this holiday season. Premiering Saturday, 6 December at 14:00 CAT on Food Network (DStv Channel 175), Chapter Two will feature even more spellbinding creations, enchanted elements and baking wizardry as a new field of competitors embark on the experience of a lifetime. Capitalising on the enduring love for Harry Potter, a global phenomenon that continues to captivate people of all ages around the world, the groundbreaking series blends legendary storytelling and fantastical edible creations in a competition that had audiences on the edge of their seats last year.

 

In its debut season, the series drew 40% more viewers compared to the channel average¹ and saw viewership spike by 172% on Christmas Day², cementing the episode as a festive favourite.

 

Returning hosts James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) bring their charm, humour and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and are joined by esteemed culinary judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef, who bring their discerning palates and high expectations to the table. Across the six-episode season, special guests Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Afshan Azad (Padma Patil) and Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan) help evaluate the competitors' showpieces as they share their own stories from the films.

 

Reflecting on the series’ evolution, James Phelps shared, “We knew what to expect going into season two, and the standard just keeps getting higher and higher through this season as well.” His twin brother Oliver added, “Right off the bat, we see some absolutely incredible desserts this time around. One team made a smoked chocolate patisserie that was just unbelievably cool.”

 

In the two-hour premiere, eight teams of two start their journey in The Great Hall, where the Sorting Hat sorts them into one of the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The first challenge is to craft captivating, edible showpieces inspired by moments from the Harry Potter series and each team's respective Hogwarts house. Week to week, the teams face a new task for which they must design creations that deliver on taste, creativity and visual spectacle, and this season, winning challenges can yield an advantage for a team in the next episode, or the chance to bestow an impediment to others.

 

The series was once again shot 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, including such famed locations as Platform 9¾, The Great Hall, and Diagon Alley, as well as The Potions Room, Privet Drive, the Destroyed Gringotts Bank and the triple-decker Knight Bus. “It felt like we’d been teleported back to our Potter days,” said Oliver. “It was quite a nostalgic thing to be part of, it’s really awesome to relive that.”

 

"Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking brings together perfectly the magic of Harry Potter with the exquisite culinary artistry that exemplifies why Food Network is a holiday destination for viewers each year," said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. "The success of season one shows the magic that can happen when collaborating across divisions as we did with Warner Horizon in marrying an iconic property with a fan-favourite genre. The next chapter of this delicious competition promises to bring even more joy to fans this holiday season."

 

Teams competing are: Alex Madrigal (Playa Del Carmen, Mexico) and Jenny Chambers (Salisbury, UK), Andy Ortega (Yonkers, NY) and Stefan Rose (Yorkshire, UK), Angel Figueroa (Denver, CO) and Rui Mota (Lisbon, Portugal), Caitlin Taylor (Bowie, MD) and Jaleesa Mason (Bloomfield, NJ), Heather Tocco (Rochester, MI) and Kate Sigel (Nashville, TN), Marj Santaromana (Richmond, VA) and Sarah Arnold (Charleston, SC), Molly Robbins (Lancashire, UK) and Priya Winsor (St. Albert, Alberta, Canada), and Jujhar Mann (Surrey, BC, Canada) and Katie Bonzer (Orlando, FL).

 

A group of lucky fans will have the opportunity to attend the grand finale, where the remaining teams must make a showpiece that celebrates the Goblet of Fire in a nod to the 20th anniversary of the fourth film in the series. In the end, one victorious team will take home the trophy and be crowned the Wizards of Baking.

 

Food Network Africa had the opportunity to chat with James and Oliver Phelps to get some insight into Chapter Two. Reflecting on the show’s growing international fan base, Oliver shared, “It’s been amazing speaking to people all over the world who watch the show and hearing how they ask each other, ‘What would you make?’ It really connects people through creativity and culture.” James added with a laugh, “I think someone should definitely make a biltong-shaped cake – that would be brilliant!”

7 Years Ago, Discovery's Real Time Was Launched In Place Of Animal Planet And To Combat TLC On MultiChoice's DStv

Real Time is described as a female based lifestyle channel initially offering content from TLC, Animal Planet and Investigation Discovery. Overtime, TLC was gradually phased out from the lineup in favour of Food Network and HGTV.

MultiChoice added Real Time as a replacement to Animal Planet but the problem with its inclusion was that it was being tailored for Easyview package. Basically, they were older seasons to shows including those of Animal Planet it was even worse on the TLC side.

TLC was regarded as the wedding channel and Real Time was what TLC looked like without those shows which included Little People - Big World, Toddlers & Tiaras and Sister Wives. As mentioned, Real Time no longer airs on from TLC it likely had to do with its inclusion.

TLC is available to most DStv subscribers it didn't make much sense to launch a channel to offer their shows half of the time especially since TLC would still rerun shows like Kitchen Boss.

Honestly speaking, I kind of question why Real Time even existed I get some subscribers don't have Investigation Discovery, HGTV or Food Network. But then the latter now takes a chunk of TLC's airtime making Real Time look more competitive than complementary.

On a DStv standpoint, consumers can just downgrade from Compact to Easyview seeing as shows like Guy's Grocery Games and Pool Kings are now on Real Time. Hollywood Demons isn't as prehistoric as most of the shows yet it aired on Real Time.

With its parent company undergoing a split or possible sale, I'd imagine some restructuring or due diligence could be underway. Real Time barely markets any of their content and if you're someone who doesn't have access to the main networks for the shows its challenging.

Real Time could as well have aired the first three seasons of Disappeared and you were waiting and had given up on a fourth season. Then it suddenly airs after a few months or a year but you weren't tuning in because no marketing had been done for you to have known.

This has been going on for sometime and imagine in a couple of years Warner Bros. Discovery or whatever is left of it will probably just close Real Time. As mentioned, TLC has split part of its airtime for Discovery's other cable networks making Real Time redundant.

At the same time, it's likely that we could see more consolidation within the industry perhaps with Discovery Family since it's been leaning heavily on Discovery Channel.