Insidus

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Pinkalicious & Peterrific Season 2 Airs This January On PBS Kids Africa

To start off the new year, PBS Kids will be broadcasting the second season of Pinkalicious & Peterrific making it somewhat the first PBS Kids show to reach this milestone on the channel.

Pinkalicious & Peterrific is one of the shows that were made available during the channel's debut in the market.

They'll be a double bill so here's a summary of the first two episodes:

S2/E1 - 'A Birthday Party for Kendra' Pinkalicious is shocked to hear Kendra has never celebrated a birthday before so she decides to throw her a surprise party with the help of their friends! But a pinkaperfect party isn't what Kendra had in mind.

S2/E2 - 'Aqualicious' While at the beach, Pinkalicious and Peter meet Aqua, a merminnie! The three become friends and play together until it's time for Aqua to go home. But Aqua's home isn't quite what Pinkalicious is expecting - it's even more pinkamazing!

Season 2 airs Fridays at 16:00 CAT/15:00 WAT/17:00 EAT as part of Fresh Fridays

PBS Kids is available on DStv and GOtv

January 2021 On WarnerMedia Africa | SU, FD | ATDL: B | KCD | More

TNT:
Standing Up, Falling Down
In this TNT Original, sharply scripted comedy, failed stand-up comedian Scott (Ben Schwartz) moves from LA back in with his parents and sister, Megan (Grace Gummer), in Long Island and makes a dangerous new best bro, alcoholic dermatologist, Marty (Billy Crystal). With nothing to lose, the pair are soon causing chaos in bars around the city as a perfectly matched comedy duo.
Watch on Saturday, 2 January at 20:00

Available on DStv and StarTimes

Cartoon Network:
Teen Titans GO! (New episodes)
Superhero roommates Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy love saving the day, but what happens when they're done fighting crime?
Starts Monday, 4 January at 9:15

CN To The Rescue
André Lembwa is off YouTube and right onto your TV with the live action/cartoon blend
Starts Monday, 18 January at 18:35

Adventure Time Distant Lands: BMO
BMO travels to a far corner of the galaxy to save its people from a deadly threat.
Starts Saturday, 30 January at 10:10

Available on DStv and GOtv

Boomerang:
My Little Pony: Pony Life (New episodes)
A look at the funny side of friendship, with the mane 6 going on adorable adventures.
Starts Monday, 4 January at 17:00

Masha And The Bear: Masha's Songs
The new season consists of 13 episodes, each dedicated to exploring a particular country and its music, values, and culture. Together with her forest pals, Masha travels around the world to bring us a thrilling new season.
Starts Monday, 18 January at 15:30

Kikoumba Crown Down
Every Morning Kikoumba is challenged by a candidate who comes to claim his crown and with it, the title of King.
Starts Monday, 25 January at 17:45

Available on DStv

January 2021 On National Geographic Wild Africa

SAVAGE KINGDOM S4
Sundays at 18:00, from 3 January (starts with a double bill)

In the epic fourth season of Emmy-nominated SAVAGE KINGDOM, narrated by Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”), comes the eagerly awaited real-life drama from the heart of Mombo, Northern Botswana, where peace never lasts long, and power comes with a price. Since the tumultuous aftermath of the previous season, the Kingdom’s kings and queens return to purge the land of hyena rule and regain their rightful control.

The worst drought in decades has devastated the area, making it the perfect breeding ground for a warzone. The tables are turning; dominance is shifting; and every player in this feline “Game of Thrones” must fight not only to survive but to defend his or her rightful place in an ever-changing, cutthroat kingdom. As more lions, leopards and African wild dogs enter this bloody battlefield to fight for their share of the power, only the strongest and most audacious can be victorious. War is the heartbeat of the SAVAGE KINGDOM. The story of life is written in blood; power is everything; and there can be only one ruler … right?

SNAKES IN THE CITY S7
Mondays at 18:00 from 25 January

Episode 1: Catching a black mamba at midnight is only part of Simon and Siouxsie's latest challenge. They also bring 25 baby rock pythons into the world.

January 2021 On National Geographic Channel Africa

TRAFFICKED WITH MARIANA VAN ZELLER
Thursdays at 21:00 from 21 January

Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller explores the inner workings of the global underworld's most dangerous black markets. In each episode, she journeys inside a different black market - from drugs to guns to tiger parts - to meet the players, learn the business, and unearth the geo-political circumstances and context that create the world's multitrillion-dollar shadow economy.

NARCO WARS
Mondays at 21:00 from 25 January

The Latin American Narco Wars are spiralling out of control. Despite the $1 trillion spent on enforcement and the 2.5 million death toll, more illegal drugs are being produced, trafficked and consumed than ever before.
Featuring interviews and action filmed with key players on both sides of the law, this 10 part series will examine the drug wars - both past and present - to explain why.

INSIDE NORTH KOREA – THE CRIMINAL STATE
Thursday 19 January at 21:00

North Korea, a James Bond villain in the form of a brutal dictatorship self-isolated from the global community as they pick its pockets. Criminal actions skirt sanctions to keep the cash strapped nation afloat.

INSIDE NORTH KOREA – THE CYBER STATE
Thursday 26 January at 21:00

North Korea can now attack without landing a soldier on the ground, and with impunity. From Sony to WannaCry, the North embraces cyber-crime for profit and disruption with a 6000 strong army of cyber criminals worldwide who pick its pockets.

CHANGE MAKERS STUNT
The National Geographic Channel kicks off the new year with a programming stunt showcasing womxn who have brought tremendous change in the world. On Sundays at 21:00 watch women who brave the wild to raise awareness on conservation to those who broke preconceived notions by exploring and furthering the knowledge we have of our planet.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

The 8th Day Coming Soon To Timeless Dizi Channel Africa

As expected we'd follow other regions TDC and now the next Turkish drama making its way onto viewers screens is intriguing super series, The 8th Day (8. Gun).

When nothing is what it seems, anything is possible.

Bahar is a clever and cheerful college student. She has grown in wealth and lived a happy life... Until one day when everything turns upside down. Her mother Şehnaz, who was a software engineer at the Lotus company, is killed. Bahar steps aways from her safe life, into a dark world. People who killed her mother are after Bahar now. She tries to survive her enemies while working to solve the mystery behind her mother’s death.
In "The 8th Day", you will watch how Bahar's perfect life changes dramatically with the mysterious disappearance of her mother.

Will Bahar manage to survive and unveil the mystery behind her mother’s dissappearance?

Director: Çağrı Vila Lostuvalı, Ender Mıhlar
Screenwriter: Toprak Karaoğlu, Savaş Korkmaz, Seda Çalışır
Stars: Burcu Biricik, Bugra Gülsoy, Musa Uzunlar, Ceyda Düvenci

Catch the first episode at 21:40 CAT/22:40 EAT/20:40 WAT which takes up Kurt Seyit And Shura from Tuesday, 5 January

TDC is available on DStv and StarTimes

Friday, December 25, 2020

e.tv Acquired Broadcasting Rights To Erkenci Kus

Thought of sharing the news with Turkish fans later in 2021 but since there's a lot of fans here I decided to share the news early.

e.tv bagged another Turkish show which will also be dubbed in Afrikaans called Erkenci Kus. The fact I said e.tv doesn't imply it will air there chances are it will air exclusively on eExtra so when a Turkish show is announced beforehand I'll use e.tv as the liable source kind of like how Nickelodeon use their name when signing show off to Nicktoons.

This telenovela will be available later in 2021 on eExtra as part of their successful block, Kuiertyd. It will be available in the middle of the following year so I might give out a date when it's available and the title so for now here's the plot:

Sanem is a young woman who aspires to become a writer and live in the Galápagos Islands. She helps out at her father's grocery store but is forced by her parents to choose between an arranged marriage with her neighbor Muzaffer and finding a suitable job. Sanem will find a job at Fikri Harika, one of Turkey's leading advertising agencies where Leyla, her older sister, is an executive assistant. Aziz, the owner of the advertising agency has two sons, Emre and Can. Emre wants to take over the business, but his father considers Can better suited for the job and appoints him manager of the agency. Can has what his father wants for the company, but Can prefers taking photos in remote parts of the world. Can eventually agrees to run the company when he learns of his father's health problems. Aziz also tells Can to find the spy in the company that is helping their competitor Aylin. Emre doesn't like the idea of his brother being the manager and believes that he deserves that position and plans to make him fail. At the party for the 40th anniversary of the company at an opera, Sanem enters into the dark backstage and bumps into Can. Can, thinking that she was his girlfriend Polen, kisses her. After leaving, Sanem realizes that she is in love with the stranger that kissed her, giving him the codename Albatros. Soon, Can falls in love with Sanem, and discovers that he kissed her on that day in the opera, and thus began this inevitable story of love.

Just to let you there's more Turkish shows coming and I'll mention them later in 2021.

Magnolia Network Launches In 2021, Does This Mean Anything For Africa?

In November 2018, Chip and Joanna Gaines of the former HGTV series Fixer Upper announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, that they were in early talks to form a "lifestyle focused media network" with Discovery via their personal company Magnolia (that's where the name originated from).

They've been trying to get this channel onboard for a 2 years but there have been further delays particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On August 4, 2020, it was announced that the network would launch in 2021. Fixer Upper, which had originally permanently ended in 2018, will resume production of new episodes in conjunction with the launch of Magnolia Network.

The channel will feature longform content with shows centered around community, home, garden, food, wellness, entrepreneurialism and design. Magnolia Network currently has 14 original programs in production and an additional 22 original programs in development.

In 2021, Discovery will have a preview of this channel's offering through their streaming service which will rollout internationally.

Before this streaming service became official Discovery EMEA decided to streamline their operations. Due to Discovery+, there's chances that they'll shutter a couple of brands.

In Africa, you basically saw the discontinuation of the underrated channel Fine Living through StarTimes with Discovery Science through Zuku TV as part of an strategic adjustment. Discovery Family in some way was created to replace Discovery Science and World with Real Time likely serving as a replacement for Fine Living through Zuku TV.

Starsat and StarTimes are currently searching for possible replacement for the channel. Maybe this channel will be the placeholder but there's a high chance it won't since StarTimes gave that impression that the replacement might not be another Discovery Channel.

If Magnolia Network were to make its way to Africa perhaps it will launch in favour of Travel Channel and/or Food Network which are currently on DStv. Then there's another chance this brand will be kept as a U.S. exclusive.

Which Of The Following Channels Will Occupy Channels 312-317 On DStv? + Other Kids Developments

As you already know 2020 has been a chaotic year to me it's kind of like a trailer to 2021 as this year was kind of paused for most people and businesses. Things were suppose to happen only for others to be delayed.

This year, we witnessed a lot of channels shutting down in (South) Africa so I'm not expecting that to stop next year. In 2020 alone, we lost TV Mall, Sundance TV, SABC Encore, FOX Life, ITV Choice, BBC First, FOX Life and Disney XD.

Compared to all the other years, the kids area has experienced exponential growth on DStv and for the first time in over a decade MultiChoice actually reviews the offering in that area.

We got to see pop-up channels such as Toonami, ZooMoo, Mindset POP and for a while Da Vinci Kids. Just as you thought they've filled up the gap Disney XD was taken away and CBeebies was added to easen the blow.

A few months back I drew up a list of possible candidates that might occupy Disney XD spot. Now I'll be expanding as far as looking into possible candidates for other empty spots such as channels 300, 304 & 312-317.

The list of candidates goes as follows:

1. K-TV - this is M-Net former children's channel I mean there have been a couple of brands that were revived like PBS Kids, G4, Real Time, TBN, Sony Channel etc. but there's also chances that this will never happen seeing that channels such as KykNet & Kie, Mzansi Wethu and KykNet Lekker have dedicated kids blocks. At the end of the day they could bring it up as a kids channel offering content in English and other (South) African languages like Akilli TV perhaps even under another name. This year M-Net conjured up a ton of repeat channels for lower bouquets expecting more to surface next year I mean the kids one makes sense considering the timeslots and airtime they're given on the 3 M-Net channels.

2. Akilli Kids (Kenya Only) - A free-to-air children's channel aka Kenya's version of eToonz for children under 14 years of age with shows such as Team Umizoomi, Ubongo Kids and Wonder Pets. The channel's content is in English and Swahili. From what I hear the channel is gaining some traction in its respective market. If DStv Kenya considered adding the channel they would join DStv South Africa as another market with a free-to-air children's channel.

3. Baby TV - this channel is catered for toddlers pretty much for an audience that's much younger for Disney Junior. You get to learn rhymes, play games, listen to music and other activities. It was suppose to be on DStv a decade ago don't know what led them not to acquire the channel. Since Disney is the proud owner of this brand you can't help to wonder what the future holds for this brand considering the lack of attention towards it.

4. BabyFirst - is an Asian-American TV channel owned by First Media that produces and distributes content for babies' ages 6–36 months and their parents through television, the internet, and mobile applications. The channel is owned by First Media. The content is intended to develop an infant's skills, such as color recognition, counting and vocabulary. Pretty much a competitor to Baby TV.

5. Fix & Foxi - is an international children's entertainment brand founded by the German company Your Family Entertainment. Themed around Rolf Kauka's Fix and Foxi characters, the name is used to operate television channels in multiple languages around the world. Some of the content can be found on ZooMoo.

6. SABC Education (SA Only) - this is your typical Mindset channel with less grade based programming and filled with archived shows from SABC 1-3 under this banner. The channel is still coming to DStv at an unconfirmed date according to SEVA.

7. African Animation Network - this upcoming channel promises to air African produced animation and by the looks of it hopes to build up its own animation. The team behind it are still working on the channel.

8. Discovery Kids - is a children's television channel that is owned by Discovery Communications. The brand is available in Latin America, India and MENA. The version we could adapt to is the one in MENA that was the case with Discovery Family plus not a lot clashes there.

9. Other - African based channels similar to Nickelodeon, Da Vinci and Mindset. It could be SA Youth TV and Teen Africa TV. Then again it could another channel from an existing supplier.

Now to get to the hard part Disney XD might not be the last kids channel to go off air as these ones are likely to get booted off as well.

1.1. In future it wouldn't be shocking if the Nick brand downsized from 3 to 2 channels considering the duplication of the Junior brand. From that point they would be tying with Disney and WarnerMedia that only provide 2 kids channels on DStv.

1.1. The first scenario would be that Nickelodeon gets all the original programming including the ones from Nick Jr.

1.1.2. Nicktoons and Nick Jr channel get scrapped for Nickelodeon+ channel perhaps they could even keep the Nicktoons brand considering how popular it is but just invest more time in acquisitions for the channel while supplying reruns from Nickelodeon.

1.1.3. It wouldn't be a complete loss for Nick Jr the brand would be active in a block and the Ethiopian version will still supply the channel.

2. eToonz - the channel is filled with a lot of ton of DreamWorks/NBCUniversal originals. There's chances that it could breathe in the same room as the DreamWorks Channel since the channel has a mixture of cartoons that can be found on other kids channels.

2021 holds a lot of mystery and intrigue on cable.

The Walking Dead S10B Coming In March 2021 On FOX Africa

FOX has announced that The Walking Dead’s extended 10th season of six new episodes will premiere on 1 March at 03:00 CAT, simulcast with the U.S., and then again at 20:45 CAT that night (Monday 1 March) on FOX (Dstv 125, Startsat 132).

Leading up to this, this festive season, FOX will be celebrating a decade of the popular show with a marathon of every single episode. From 2 December 2020 at 21:30, every weeknight, viewers can enjoy double bills of the post apocalypse horror series starting from the very beginning of the first season.

New guest stars to be featured in the extended third season episodes include Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Perry Mason, Scorpion) as “Mays,” Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill, White Collar, Friday Night In with the Morgans) as “Lucille” along with new co-star Okea Eme-Akwari (Greenland, Cobra Kai) as “Elijah,” among others.

Last on The Walking Dead, we witnessed the fall of Alpha (Samantha Morton) and the end of the Whisperers War. The Kingdom had fallen, Hilltop was virtually destroyed and Alexandria abandoned to prepare for final battle. The survivors were trapped and separated from one another. Yet, when faced with almost certain death, they rallied together to fight, killing Beta (Ryan Hurst) and eliminating the threat of the horde.
In these six new episodes, we’ll see our survivors trying to pick themselves up by their bootstraps following the destruction the Whisperers left in their wake. The years of struggle weigh upon them as past traumas surface, exposing their more vulnerable sides. As they question the state of humanity, the state of their collective community, and the states of their minds, will they find the inner strength to persevere with their lives, friendships, and group intact?

“The Walking Dead has captured the imagination of horror viewers since its inception ten years ago, and continues to deliver nail-biting storylines, grit and action in every single episode, leaving viewers wanting for more. We are thrilled to be celebrating the show with fans across the continent this festive season, as we gear up for brand new content from the franchise in the new year.” said Evert van der Veer, Vice President, Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, The Walking Dead is produced by AMC Studios and executive produced by Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple, Showrunner Angela Kang, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera and Denise Huth.

# # #

New episode synopses and featured cast are below:

EPISODE 1017 – “Home Sweet Home”
Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has returned with a story she is not ready to share, even when her past catches up to her. Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan,) safety is at stake again. Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Maggie fight an unseen and unknown threat.

Director: David Boyd
Writers: Kevin Deiboldt & Corey Reed

EPISODE 1018 – “Find Me”
An adventure for Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) turns sideways when they come across an old cabin. It takes Daryl back to the years when he left the group after Rick disappeared as he relives a time that only the apocalypse could manifest.

Director: David Boyd
Writer: Nicole Mirante-Matthews

EPISODE 1019 – “One More”
Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) search for food and supplies to bring back to Alexandria. Small tragedies lead to bigger tragedies as faith is broken and optimism is fragmented when they are put to the ultimate test.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writers: Erik Mountain & Jim Barnes

EPISODE 1020 – “Splinter”
Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), and Princess (Paola Lázaro) are captured and separated. Princess struggles with memories of her traumatic past and tries to escape one way or another with the help of Ezekiel.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writers: Julia Ruchman & Vivian Tse

EPISODE 1021 – “Diverged”
Daryl and Carol come to a fork in the road and head their separate ways. Each going into their own type of survival mode, the easiest of challenges become much harder. Will their individual journeys be the tipping point needed to mend their friendship or is the distance between them permanent?

Director: David Boyd
Writer: Heather Bellson

EPISODE 1022 – “Here’s Negan”
Carol takes Negan on a journey, hoping to minimize the increasing tension. Negan reflects on the events that led him to this point and comes to a conclusion about his future.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, The Walking Dead is produced by AMC Studios and executive produced by Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple, Showrunner Angela Kang, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera and Denise Huth.

How to tune in:
DSTV: 1265
Starsat: 132 on DTH, 71 on DTT (215 on DTT in Uganda)