Two New And One Returning Telenovelas Premiere In January 2020 On eExtra

In a rich and beautiful wine-growing area, the producers of one are busy to achieve the best of wines, despite the adversities and competition. In those vineyards, cruelty and disloyalty have first and last name: Melchor Coronel. The Coronel are the wealthy owners of the Coronel wineries. Years ago, Melchor and his friend Alonso Rivero, boosted the production of wines in the region. But Melchor did not comply and wanted that bonanza for him only. And did deceive and depriving Alonso to leave it almost in ruin. The bodegas y vinedos Alonso survived thanks to its efforts, but the friendship was dead and buried.
I Forgot I Loved You Premieres 31 December At 22:55

Kemal (Burak Özçivit) is a young man who lives in a working-class neighborhood in Istanbul. His father Hüseyin (Orhan Güner) is a barber, and his mother Fehime is a housewife. He has two siblings, an older brother, Tarik (Rüzgar Aksoy), who is jealous of Kemal, and a younger sister called Zeynep (Hazal Filiz Küçükköse).

Nihan (Neslihan Atagül Doğulu) is a rich young woman, has a twin brother Ozan and lives with her parents Vildan and Önder. Emir Kozcuoglu (Kaan Urgancloğlu)is an arrogant businessman who holds a great love for Nihan.

Önder's business is slowly coming to an end. Vildan, unable to give up her rich life, wants Nihan to marry Emir to save the family business, but Nihan refuses as she dislikes Emir's arrogance and protectiveness of her. The first meeting between Nihan and Kemal occurs on the bus, and a month later, Kemal saves Nihan's life and from then on their friendship starts and slowly turns in to love.
Bittersoet (Endless Love/Kara Sevda) Season 2 Premieres 6 January At 17:30 On e.tv And 20:00 On eExtra

Yıldız and Zeynep are two sisters, who are very close but have very different characters and life goals. Zeynep is a girl who strictly adheres to her ethical values,aims to have a successful career and strives for it; while Yıldız believes that she deserves more and considers happiness to be a marriage with a rich man, who would save her from her low-income life.
Yıldız's life is about to take a new turn when she meets Ender Argun. Yıldız recognizes Ender Argun from the weekly tabloids,envies her and the life she leads and dreams of becoming the queen of Istanbul just like her. Ender's aim is to divorce her husband Halit,without losing her position within Istanbul's high society circle as well as her financial status. She knows she cannot receive a fortune during their divorce,so she comes up with a plan to set him up with a girl and consequently blame him for infidelity,which would get her a high compensation in court. The girl she's looking for is no one else but Yıldız. On the other hand, Zeynep starts working at Halit's partner's firm. While Yıldız is about to take the most important decision of her life,Zeynep will get caught up in a life altering chain of events that she had never even dreamt of.
#Doodsondes (Forbidden Fruit/Yasak Elma) Starts Monday January 6 at 7PM

Now That WWE Channel (SuperSlam) Becames A Permanent, Could A Permanent PBS Kids Follow In South Africa And A Few Other African Markets?

A few days ago SuperSport and WWE signed an extensive deal for more live events as well as a permanent 24/7 WWE channel since it is performing well with viewers. Now the question arises of whether the PBS Kids will suffer the same fate.

PBS KIDS is the number one educational media brand for kids from PBS, offering children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds. The channel was available exclusively on DStv Now service back in 2018 with a channel number 318 label on it at the time before 313 and MultiChoice said if all went all they would give it a dedicated channel depending on the market demand.

A year after it was available through DStv Now several African markets began to advertise the channel back in March only to reel it's way to the platform 2 months later as a pop-up channel in South Africa and a few other markets (some labelling it as a permanent addition). The channel was set to go off on Thursday, 22 August but recieved a silent 6 month extension with no info from MultiChoice except that a discontinuation date will be announced early in the new year presumably late January to mid February.

MultiChoice in some African territories like Kenya label it as a permanent addition while South Africa and a few other markets label it as a pop-up so why extend the channel for another 6 months why not close it in August like you agreed upon. Could it be that PBS is working on a 24/7 version of the channel to take upon the outdated pop-up channel's position kind of like what's happening with the WWE Channel that might explain the extension to 2020 opposed to MultiChoice giving viewers more time for the channel.

Here's my hunch PBS Kids launched as a promotional channel in South Africa and Lesotho with it being permanent in selected African markets while PBS was working on a permanent 24/7 channel feed for Africa which was set for a August 22nd release but couldn't release it at the time so MultiChoice delayed the permanent 24/7 channel feed to 2020. In other markets like India where a permanent PBS Kids channel exists they update it's lineup on a monthly basis like any other kids channel opposed to Africa's where they were only able to update the lineup at the same time MultiChoice extended the channel in South Africa and haven't bothered updating its lineup even further. So if the channel closed in August would PBS or MultiChoice have any intention of updating the lineup or would viewers have to wait a whole year for new content.

PBS Kids has recieved some positive feedback with regards to the programming seen on the channel. The minor issue would have to be the audio and/or the picture quality since its introduction regardless the channel is running smoothly in market. If a 24/7 channel does replace pop-up they'll need to work hard on adjusting those minor issues. Can't really say much about updating programs since it was only a temporary channel so the 24/7 channel could change that and update monthly.

WWE And SuperSport Expand Partnership In Africa

WWE and SuperSport, Africa’s premier sports broadcaster, today announced a multi-year extension to continue delivering WWE’s weekly flagship programming live in more than 50 countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa, while expanding the partnership to include a dedicated WWE channel on DStv.

The new WWE channel will air Raw, SmackDown and NXT live each week
and will feature premium WWE programming including 205 Live, Ride Along, WWE Chronicle and Table for 3.

The 24/7 channel launches on DStv channel 128 beginning Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, and builds on the success of the WWE pop-up channel that launched this year. 

SuperSport channels will continue to air Raw, SmackDown and NXT live each week and be home to all of WWE’s monthly pay-per-view events.

“The fans of the WWE universe asked for it, and we are delighted to deliver,” said Gideon Khobane, chief executive of SuperSport. “WWE programming has proven to be compelling content with riveting storylines and insane action, which our viewers absolutely love. This is a big step and a great start to the new year.”

“SuperSport is a valued partner who shares our approach to engaging and entertaining our fans,” said Stefan Kastenmüller, WWE Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, EMEA. “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with a new, 24/7 WWE channel which will super-serve our passionate fans in the region.”

Homicide Elite S2 Coming In January 2020 To CBS Justice Africa

Weeknights at 22:00 from 13th until 28th January.
On a hot summer night in early August, two assailants attempted to rob a man’s house - he Rowas rumored to have a hefty amount of cash residing inside. A seemingly harmless robbery turned into a horrible night for a young, engaged couple, Briana Brooks and Jeronta Brown, who were shot dead on a random road in Atlanta. To make matters worse, Briana was pregnant. Quinn and Vince are called in to investigate and soon find out how powerful money really can be, and that time just wasn’t on Briana and Jeronta’s side that night. Available on DStv channel 170.

New In January 2020 On CuriosityStream Africa

Key January Series – Title (# of eps. x length)
Mysteries of Paris (5x30)
Saturdays at 20:00; Series premiere on 1/4/19 with back-to-back episodes
Sacred Spaces (4x60) Saturdays at 21:00
Apocalypse: WWII (6x60) Tuesdays at 21:00
Butterfly Effect (x26) Monday thru Friday at 19:00

Here's A Sneak Peek Of Everything You Can Expect From Your DStv In 2020

A new decade is dawning and DStv customers are in for the best entertainment from Africa and the world. Here is sneak peek of everything you can expect from your DStv in 2020.
You no doubt remember Back to the Future II, the popular sequel to the classic flick that catapulted Michael J. Fox to superstardom. Released in 1989 and set in 2015, the film introduced audiences to a future where humans operate remote-controlled litterbins and dog walkers, TV screens replace waiters and Marty McFly rocks size-adjustable, self-drying jackets.
We know now the real 2015 didn’t resemble the one depicted in that movie. What is clear, though, is that the future is now. We are living in days that entertainers of the past pictured for decades. Movies like The Blade Runner (1982), The Running Man (1987) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014) were set in 2019 and depicted a world created by the out-of-this-world imaginations of their scriptwriters and film producers.
Just as these iconic movies were all birthed from the minds of creatives, it’s undeniable that the ringing in of the new decade brings with it limitless possibilities that will stretch our imaginations with more entertainment, more technology, more magical moments and more power to our screens than we ever thought possible.
They say hindsight is 20/20 but at DStv, our foresight for the 2020s is crystal clear - as Africa’s leading storyteller, DStv is committed to maintaining the highest-quality content offering our customers expect. From new channels and brand new shows, to increased local entertainment and even more trending conversation starters, we’ve set up a gigantic year of the most explosive content.
Here is everything you can look forward to in 2020 on DStv:

1. Brand new telenovela for Mzansi Magic
The start of the 2010s brought with it the launch of Mzansi Magic (161). Launched with the intention to boost the production of local content, the channel has grown to become the home of some of the most popular content on South African television.
Mzansi telenovelas like The Queen, Isithembiso and Isibaya, have captivated audiences everywhere, and are regular constantly trending topics on Twitter. Fans love these shows so much, in fact, that they started a petition to bring back SK Khoza’s character Shaka on The Queen.
As part of our ongoing commitment to invest in the local television industry, Mzansi Magic (161) will introduce a new telenovela in April 2020. This new show will complement Mzansi’s existing local entertainment offering, bolstering the riveting nightly Mzansi telenovela slot that our customers have come to love. More details on this new show will follow so keep checking back for more news, hot off the press.

2. Even more local entertainment
In our journey to contribute to the growth of the local entertainment industry, we have watched with pride as South Africans became increasingly gravitated to local content. Series such as The Real Housewives of Johannesburg, Survivor South Africa and many of the shows on the 1Magic channel have pushed numerous boundaries, resulting in tremendous growth in both local viewership and production.
Going forward, we will continue to bolster our local offering across all of our channels. The Bachelor South Africa, for example, returns to M-Net (101) on 13 February at 21:00 with a second season and there will be a surprising spin-off of the runaway hit show Real Housewives of Johannesburg, Madame, that will be all the rage when it launches along with the new show; The Single Wives South Africa, that tracks the lives of newly divorced women looking for the next (and maybe final) husband.
In addition, KykNet (144), South Africa’s leading Afrikaans entertainment channel, will introduce three dramas from January 2020; a new season of Sara se Geheim, the second season of Die Byl and, brand new, Projek Dina. This is particularly exciting because KykNet has never launched multiple tent-pole dramas simultaneously.

If that’s not enough, we’ve got even more local content ready to entertain the whole family. We’ll have more of the out-of-this-world entertainment that makes Moja Love (157) a consistent fan favourite and the second half of the hilarious Celebrity Game Night on E! (124) in January, while BET (129) welcomes brand new shows early next year; Black Tax and Boity – Own Your Throne.

3. Taking African stories to the world
Trackers Season 1, produced by M-Net (101) in collaboration with Cinemax and ZDF, was the biggest original drama co-production in African history and quickly became one of the most talked-about weekly events on African television. By the time season 1 finale aired on Sunday 24 November 2019, it was already the most-watched television series on M-Net – surpassing the likes of Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies and the much-loved Sunday 20:00 movie.
Following the magnificent success of Trackers, M-Net 101 will boost its broadcast schedule with a host of exhilarating local series in 202 and beyond. First among them, is a 13-part family drama, Still Breathing. Starting Thursday 27 February at 20:00, Still Breathing tells the tale of a group of old friends who have drifted apart as they have grown older, but are then brought together when tragedy strikes. The drama unfolds as old wounds burst open, old flames of passion rekindle and secrets that have lay buried, are finally uncovered. This powerful series is directed by SAFTA award winner Johnny Barbuzano (The River, The Gift, Isozo Connection), with his wife Tiffany serving as Scriptwriter and Co-Producer. The impressive cast also includes formidable leading ladies Kate Liquorish (Catching Feelings, Eye in the Sky), Lorcia Khumalo (Lockdown, Zulu Wedding, The Queen) and Shannon Esra (The Throne, The Queen).
4. International content you won’t find anywhere else
DStv has been the home of the world’s best entertainment for decades, and this trend will continue in the 2020s. From pop-up channels that bring together the best of the best, to shows like Prodigal Son (premiering Wednesday, 19 February on M-Net 101 at 21:00) that are produced by one of the world’s leading television studios, the content on DStv has been specially selected to feed the interests of our diverse customer base. Prodigal Son, in fact, is set to become one of the most talked-about shows on SA television in 2020 and beyond. The series centers on Malcolm Bright (The Walking Dead’s Tom Payne), a profiler for the NYPD who also happens to be the son of infamous serial killer Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen). As Malcolm helps the NYPD investigate bizarre and gruesome murders, he must also deal with the psychological impact of reuniting with his father.
Is there any more iconic movie franchise that Rocky, spanning decades and delivering quote upon quote, fans will have the opportunity to binge all eight Rocky movies, in chronological order, all on one channel in January. And speaking of legends, in February, movies led by the baddest leading men of all time; Denzel Washington, Samuel L Jackson, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Idris Elba, Michael B Jordan and more, in M-Net Movies’ second Blackout pop-up channel (109). Tom Cruise fans will be excited to hear that there will be an entire festival dedicated to this action superstar in March.

If you’re into factual entertainment, we’ve got everything you need on DStv. Feed your guilty pleasure with Dr. Pimple Popper on TLC (135), enjoy the hilarious antics of Gordon Ramsay in 24 Hours to Hell and Back on BBC Lifestyle (174) and learn about the historic Watergate scandal on HISTORY (186) all in January. Then in February, it’s all about Big Cat Month on Nat Geo (181) before March becomes Snake Month. David Attenborough has always been the voice of the nature documentary but now, as he is looking to pass the baton of planetary responsibility to all of humanity, he has also become a Social Media phenomenon. In March we will experience his most spectacular show yet, Seven Worlds, One Planet, tracking the birth of the world as Pangea ripped apart to create the continents of the modern world to the reality of the challenges faced by animals today as they face the challenges created by humankind.

5. Your kids’ favourite stop: This is the School of Laughter
Kids love DStv, and with non-stop kids entertainment across multiple channels, it’s easy to see why. At the same time, DStv loves kids so much that we’re going to school with them! On the first day of the 2020 academic year, the DStv School of Laughter in partnership with 947 will visit one lucky Grade 1’s school for an epic #1stDayTakeover. We’re taking goodie bags for all the kids plus R10 000 in cash for one lucky parents.

Throughout 2020, we’ll continue to lead the kids entertainment offering in Africa with brand new shows like Young Dylan and Wonderpark coming to Nickelodeon (305) in February, Spongebob The Musical Special, Jojo D.R.E.A.M Concert Special air on Nicktoons (308) in February and the Kids Choice Awards returns with all of the slime in March, also on Nicktoons (308).

It may be the start of a new decade - but at DStv, the promise remains the same. We will remain the trusted source of entertainment for content lovers in South Africa and the rest of the continent, celebrating and investing in homegrown talent while bringing the best of the world to your screens.

With more entertainment than ever before and unmatchable selections for our customers to choose from, we’re ensuring our audience never misses an opportunity to feel every moment with DStv

DStv Family Customers To Get Three New Channels

WWE fans can enjoy even more family-friendly action and entertainment from their favourite WWE Superstars like Roman Reigns™, Seth Rollins™ and Becky Lynch™ when DStv OFFICIALLY launches SuperSlam from Tuesday 17 December permanently. Yes, you read correctly Superslam will not close 31st December as advertised and will now be available on DStv Family for now Access customers have an open window for the channel.

SuperSport 7 is the home of La Liga matches live and repeats of previously played matches, highlights, Liga news and La Liga match analysis. It's available permanently on DStv Family permanently a year after Compact.

Trace Gospel is the 24-hour channel will showcase both local and international gospel, which includes contemporary gospel, urban gospel, worship gospel and traditional gospel. Programmes will include Sounds of South Africa, Urban Vibes, Hits 30, US Hit 10 and Praise Vibes. The channel launches 18 December.

VIMN Africa And MultiChoice Renew Distribution Partnership

Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) and MultiChoice Group have announced that the renewal of their distribution partnership which highlights the investment in local content, bringing audiences programming that showcases the best of Africa’s creativity and talent. VIMN Africa’s channel brands BET, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV Base, MTV Music 24, Nickelodeon, NickToons and Nick Jr. collectively offer a broad range of original entertainment content across every age demographic.

“This continued partnership demonstrates the shared commitment between VIMN Africa and MultiChoice to invest in local and international content that resonates with our audiences across the continent. We truly value our collaboration with MultiChoice as it also enables us to consistently deliver great African productions,” said Alex Okosi, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for VIMN Africa and BET International.

“As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, we are pleased to share this market announcement of VIMN Africa. Our content offering ensures that we provide our partners platforms to tell their own stories in an authentic way. We invest over R2,5 billion in local content to keep bringing exciting and engaging African content to market and the industry.” said Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO for General Entertainment.

VIMN Africa’s channel brands collectively deliver exciting drama, comedy, music, animation, biopic and reality shows. On BET, the brand continues to celebrate black excellence with a locally produced biopic that portrays one of South Africa’s most legendary stars in Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story featuring a joint lead cast of KB Motsilanyane and Bahumi Madisakwane. In the new year, BET will also welcome its first locally produced sitcom, Black Tax, which will bring laughter to their audiences. The Behind the Story series with Pearl Thusi also returns for an additional season. Tyler Perry’s studio productions, Sistas and The Oval,  have made their debut on the channel. 

Comedy Central continues to make life funnier and keep audiences laughing with a deep history of local productions from The Roast franchise to Most Ridiculous featuring the hilarious internet sensation, SuzelleDIY. Comedy Central is the exclusive home to The Daily Show with Trevor Noah giving audiences the best in satire and comedy. Other entertaining shows on the channel include Impractical Jokers, Key and Peele, Alternatino, Crank Yankers, The Other Two and South Park to name a few. The channel also caters for viewer favourites Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Two and A Half Men.

On MTV, the channel builds on its successful local reality series Lasizwe, with the introduction of Have Faith, showcasing socialite and businesswoman Faith Nketsi’s flamboyant lifestyle. The Guy Code and Girl Code comedy series on the channel feature popular comics, athletes and entertainers who bring viewers jaw dropping how-to manuals about the wonders and woes of brotherhood and sisterhood.

MTV Base, the best music and youth-lifestyle brand on the continent, is now available on DStv Access in South Africa and Nigeria and continues to entertain audiences with trendsetting music from genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, Hip Hop and Gqom. The channel’s investment in local content includes Celeb Living, Musicology, Slayed or Shade and the recently launched cutting-edge series, Behind The Label, which unearths never before told stories and casts a lens on the turbulent relations between record labels and musicians.

This year, Nickelodeon celebrated the 20th anniversary of its most iconic and recognizable character in history, SpongeBob SquarePants. The channel together with the LEGO group also launches the new series, LEGO City Adventures, which is aimed at children aged 8 to 12 years and is loaded with hysterical, action-packed and often absurd slices of urban life. Nickelodeon additionally welcomes the brand-new animated pre-school series of the adventurous Paddington Bear who makes a return to TV. The channel line-up will also include The Casagrandes and the series format adaptation of Wonder Park. NickToons will deliver an exclusive format of SpongeBob the Musical Live! for audiences and a behind-the-scenes special of JoJo's D.R.E.A.M. concert. Rounding off the kids’ entertainment brands, Nick Jr. will launch a new series, Becca’s Bunch, while continuing to deliver popular favourites with all new episodes of Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machine, Nella the Princess Knight and Sunny Day.  

In addition to its powerful slate of content, VIMN Africa brands also showcase the widest array of hit international tentpoles such as MTV EMAs, MTV VMAs, BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls Rock!, Comedy Central Roast and Nickelodeon’s KCAs.

January 2020 On Disney Channel, Junior & XD Africa

DISNEY CHANNEL:
Amphibia (S1 New Eps)
Weekdays @16:10 from 20th – 31st January
Synopsis: Amphibia chronicles the comedic adventures of 13-year-old, Anne Boonchuy who, after stealing a mysterious music box, is magically transported to the world of Amphibia, a wild marshland full of talking frog-people. With the help of an excitable young frog named Sprig, Anne will transform from monster to hero and discover the first true friendship of her life.

Bunk’d (S4 Launch)
Weekdays @18:15 from 20th January – 7th February
Synopsis: Lou adjusts to her new job as camp director and reunites with Destiny, Finn and Matteo and also welcomes new counsellors Noah and Ava as well as an eccentric new camper, Gwen.

DISNEY JUNIOR:
Muppet Babies (S2 Launch)
Weekdays from 6 – 17 January @16:30
Synopsis: The Muppet Babies are back and dreams come true! Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Animal, Gonzo and Summer are at the heart of thrilling adventures straight out of their imagination.

Puppy Dog Pals (S2 New Eps)
Weekdays from 6 – 24 January @17:00
Synopsis: Bingo and Rolly's neighbor, Keia, joins the team as they embark on even more missions to help their owners while having fun along the way!

PJ Mask (S3 New Eps)
Weekdays from 20 – 31 January @18:00
Synopsis: The PJ Masks always face their foes at night in order to save the day! Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko, along with their super friends, are becoming more unstoppable than ever!

DISNEY XD: Marvel’s Spider-Man (S2 New Eps) Weekdays from 20th – 28th January @17:25 Synopsis: Peter Parker has been accepted into Horizon High, a school for brilliant young scientific minds. At the same time, he’s learning the responsibility that comes with being a new, super-powered hero in New York. Disney 11 (S3 New Eps) Weekdays from 13 January @17:00 Synopsis: Season 3 will show us how Gabo and his teammates dispute a School World Championship, where they will pursue their objective of being champions, but also fight to achieve their most cherished desire; to become professional football players. Phineas & Ferb Wednesday 1st January – All day Synopsis: Celebrating the New Year with an all-day line up of Phineas & Ferb!