Roundups #65: Monster High: The Movie Coming This Fall To Nickelodeon And Paramount+, Idris Elba Reportedly In Talks For The Role Of James Bond And Lady Gaga Might Star In The Rumoured Jokers 2 Musical As Harley Quinn

Paramount+ and Nickelodeon are about to get spooky

Monster High (working title) stars Miia Harris (Just Beyond) as Clawdeen Wolf; Ceci Balagot (Dispatches from Elsewhere) as Frankie Stein; Nayah Damasen (Grey's Anatomy) as Draculaura; Case Walker (The Other Two) as Deuce Gorgon; Kyle Selig (“Mean Girls” on Broadway) as Mr. Komos; Marci T. House (Day of the Dead) as Headmistress Bloodgood; Scotch Ellis Loring (Firehouse Dog) as Clawdeen’s dad, Apollo; Steve Valentine (Mom) as Draculaura’s dad, Dracula; Jy Prishkulnik (Just Beyond) as Cleo de Nile; Lina Lecompte (Death Pursuit) as Lagoona Blue; Justin Derickson (When the Streetlights Go On) as Heath Burns; Lilah Fitzgerald (Honey Girls) as Ghoulia; and Nasiv Sall (Descendants 2) as Abbey Bominable. Additional fan-favorite characters from the Monster High universe will also be seen throughout the TV movie.

Monster High follows Clawdeen Wolf, who was born half human and half werewolf, after she arrives at her new school, Monster High. She quickly makes friends with her classmates Frankie Stein and Draculaura, and for the first time in her life, Clawdeen feels like she has finally found a place where she fits in and can truly be herself, despite keeping her human half a secret. When a devious plan to destroy Monster High threatens to reveal her real identity, Clawdeen must learn to embrace her true monster heart and find a way to save the day.

In addition to the Monster High TV movie, an animated series based off the beloved franchise is slated to premiere on Nickelodeon next year. Both projects join other Mattel Television content in production, including series and specials based on Barbie, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends, Polly Pocket and Fireman Sam, to name a few.

 

Could Idris Elba become the next James Bond?

According to new reports, actor Idris Elba is in talks to play none other than 007 himself, James Bond, in the next instalment in the long-running franchise..

An insider reportedly stated, "Idris has long been in talks to play a role in the next era of James Bond’s story and last year was being considered for a role as an antagonist. However, talks surrounding him playing the lead have started again as producers realized how popular he would be after carrying out secret market research. He ranked highly among the diverse group of movie buffs invited to participate in it. They didn’t want to see him as a nemesis, they want him as the hero."

Earlier this year, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed Idris Elba was being considered for the role, following Daniel Craig's exit with No Time to Die. At the time, Broccoli said, "Well, we know Idris, we're friends with him, and he's a magnificent actor... And, you know, it's been part of the conversation, but it's always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat."

 

She also suggested no further discussions about the next Bond would take place until Craig's time as 007 was well and truly done. "I think we have decided that until No Time to Die has had its run and Daniel has been able to -- well, we've all been able to savor, reap the benefits of Daniel's wonderful tenure, we're not gonna think about, or talk about anybody else."

Lady Gaga might bring a superhero musical to life

Lady Gaga is in talks to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix in the sequel to Joker, according to sources. A deal hasn't been finalized, but she'd reportedly be playing Harley Quinn, the Joker's love interest whom he falls for after she serves as his psychiatrist. 

Margot Robbie has been playing Harley Quinn in the DC film franchise, including in 2021's The Suicide Squad. But Gaga's take would be a separate version of the character in a different fictional universe. Robbie played Harley opposite Jared Leto as the Joker.

 

Director Todd Phillips announced last week this sequel is moving forward with the working title Joker: Folie à deux, a term that refers to "an identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals,".

It was also revealed that even though the original Joker was a dark character study, the sequel is said to be a musical. The first movie was inspired by Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, so might the sequel be inspired by Scorsese's musical New York, New York?

Roundups #66: One Piece Reportedly Cancelled After 25 Years, Ghostbusters Animated Film Is In Development And High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Returning For A Fourth Season

The final instalment of One Piece is coming soon

Eiichiro Oda's magnum opus, One Piece has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump since 1997. One Piece follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate who lives during the time of the Great Pirate Era ushered by the Pirate King himself. With the aim of attaining wealth, fame, power, and most importantly, the One Piece, Luffy sets out to sea on a grand adventure the likes of which have never been seen before.

Since 1997, Oda has been consistently drawing Luffy's journey towards becoming the King of the Pirates but even after almost 25 years, the story isn't finished. Luffy's journey continues and, by the looks of it, will continue for the foreseeable future. Yet, the author of One Piece has repeatedly made it known that One Piece is nearing its end and will end within the next few years.

Originally, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece was supposed to end around 2002 and according to the author himself, the story was to last for just five years. Luffy's journey, which is so massive, was originally going to be about the fight against the pirates called the Yonko. However, Oda then introduced the idea of the Shichibukai. According to him, this is a massive part of why One Piece ended up becoming as long as it did. The Shichibukai added a lot of depth to the story and made Oda expand the various themes of the story further. In 2019, Oda mentioned that he will end One Piece in the next five years. In 2020, Oda reaffirmed his plans to end One Piece within five years. But once again, this is likely not going to happen.

 

A new Ghostbusters film is in development

The studio teased in a CimenaCon sizzle reel in April that a fifth live-action film in the franchise was in the works, following the original, 1989’s Ghostbusters II, the female-led 2016 Ghostbusters reboot and last year’s Reitman-directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Sony today confirmed what the end credits of the 2021 pic — which grossed $197.4 million worldwide — had hinted at: The next sequel will return to the original scene of the slime: New York City and the firehouse.

The 1984 Ghostbusters was helmed by Reitman’s father, Ivan Reitman, and starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson, along with Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts. It became a sensation, spawning a title song by Ray Parker Jr. that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.

The stream-crossing gang and filmmaker reunited five years later for Ghostbusters II, and Paul Feig directed the 2016 pic that starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Ghostbusters: Afterlife was headlined by Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace. Several of the original stars also showed up.

 

More High School Musical on Disney+

Ahead of its Season 3 premiere, Disney+ has ordered a fourth season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The eight-episode third season will premiere on July 27, with each episode streaming weekly on Wednesdays, exclusively on Disney+.

Created and executive-produced by Tim Federle (Ferdinand, Better Nate Than Ever), Season 3 is set at Camp Shallow Lake, a sleepaway camp in California, as the Wildcats and their fellow campers are primed for an unforgettable summer ripe with romance, curfew-less nights and a taste of the great outdoors. With a high-stakes production of Frozen on the horizon and a drama-filled “docu-series” of the production in the works, the Wildcats will attempt to show who is “best in snow” without leaving anyone out in the cold.

It stars Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wylie, Matt Cornett, Julia Lester, Dara Reneé, Frankie Rodriguez, Saylor Bell Curda and Adrian Lyles. They’ll be joined in Season 3 by recurring cast members Aria Brooks, Liamani Segura and Ben Stillwell and guest stars Corbin Bleu, Meg Donnelly, Jason Earles, Kate Reinders, Olivia Rose Keegan, Olivia Rodrigo, Larry Saperstein and Joe Serafini.

Reminder: VIU's Contract With eMedia Investments Set To Expire In 2024

Since 2019, VIU an Asian based streaming service has been operating in South Africa and at the time not much was known about the platform as they basked on the existing free-to-air offering from the SABC and e.tv through a contractual agreement.

The platform featured a variety of Indian, Asian and Korean content which by the way match the existing offering on StarSat and Openview deeming it a useful alternative to fans of the content.

Last year, eMedia Investments and VIU got into a legal brawl as eMedia accused the brand of pirating exclusive shows Scandal, Imbewu and Rhythm City to Philosopher which houses several local dramas like Uzalo, Generations and 7de Laan.

 

 

From court's ruling:

"The ineluctable conclusion is that e.tv engineered a contrived cancellation of Vuclip's licensing agreements to gain access to exclusive content, which was exclusively licensed to Vuclip, but which e.tv wished to broadcast on its own platform," the court documents state.

Since the ruling Scandal and Imbewu are no longer available on eVOD and remain exclusive to VIU as Rhythm City was cancelled at the time.

With VIU's contract being valid for another 2 years, the brand may want to look at alternatives or try to build as much relevancy to the market by the means of original content and there's several local studios some of which small which VIU could perhaps funnel their content.

Soul Music Channel Is Next Channel To Stop Airing On The Openview Platform

Following the termination of News And Sport and rebranding of Rewind to eXposed in April, Openview consumers are set to lose yet another channel which is none other than Soul Music.

Soul Music ran on the Openview platform for at least two years initially as a holiday pop-up in 2020 alongside SA Music delivering a mash-up of music and nostalgia for those who enjoy Soul, RnB and Jazz music with the sounds of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye to Alicia Keys and John Legend.

The channel alongside SA Music once operated on StarSat in December 2014 which is 6 years before it launched on Openview till they were suddenly discontinued by the pay-tv platform alongside several other channels in 2021.

 

A year later, Soul Music is also being discontinued on Openview while SA Music remains on the platform for the time being. It wouldn't be shocking if it followed too as seen with StarSat.

Soul Music doesn't state exactly why the channel is being phased out but only responded to say:

The Soul Music Channel would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your constant love and support of the channel. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Soul Music Channel will no longer be available on the OpenView platform as of 30/06/2022. We are beyond grateful for the love and support always!

As outlined in eMedia's financial year results, they will be sourcing out more channels in the near future.

Redraw Your World: Boomerang Africa Investing In More Preschool As Cartoonito Becomes International Success

In an interview at the TV Kids Summer Festival, Amy Friedman the head of kids and family programming at Warner Bros. highlighted the successful impact of Cartoonito block which saw 15 titles blaze the lineup with more titles like Bugs Bunny Builders, Batwheels and Tom And Jerry Time being added in future.

Despite the outcome of Cartoonito, Warner Bros. Discovery is still creating competition amongst their brands as Boomerang loads its second preschool series for the year, Cocomelon which was picked up particularly for Cartoonito.

 

 

Cocomelon engages families with entertaining and educational content that makes universally-relatable preschool moments fun! All along with music and song for families to watch together.

Since its launch in 2018, it became the most viewed channel in the United States and second globally accumulating 135 million subscribers on YouTube with 129.5 million viewers on YouTube. Aside from YouTube, the content is viewable on several streaming platforms including Netflix, Hulu and Roku.

 

 

Cocomelon is expected to launch on Boomerang outside of Cartoonito by July which coincides with the recent launch of Legends Of Spark which is also preschool.

Taking that into account, is it possible that Warner is slowly phasing out Boomerang for Cartoonito by making the necessary changes to the lineup and with Boomerang being part preschool worked to their advantage.

Could The Rumoured SABC Encore Revival Launch On DStv Perhaps To Replace eExtra?

Two years ago, SABC Encore was ripped away from DStv customers as MultiChoice opted to not renew the agreement for the channel. Since then, there's been several rumours about a possible revival as the SABC had stated they were looking into continuing the channel on another platform.

Aside from DTT which had a blank space, TelkomOne often supplied the channel as somewhat of a pop-up. Of course, would you consider it a pop-up if it didn't last a day better yet 8 hours.

It's evident that the channel isn't fully functional as the SABC is hoping to get some funding on the brand I mean SABC Sport was on limbo for a couple of years supplying repeats from SABC 1-3 and outdated sports and all that changed when TelkomOne and Openview were onboard with supplying the channel. Now it's one of the top 10 watched channels on Openview.

SABC Encore catered toward 18-49 of the 80s and 90s serving up content like 'Sgudi 'Snaysi, Agter Elke Man, Interster, Ubambo Lwami, Pumpkin Patch, Dikolong and Hlala Kwabafileyo, among many others.

 

The channel ran on DStv for approximately 3 years and the additional 2 years were served as open window kind of like EVA and Disney XD where they filled up the schedule with repeats to sort of distance viewers before closing off a channel.

The SABC's reason to zombify had to do with those 2 remaining years as MultiChoice opted to scrap the channel. Although no reason for the dismissal was given there could be a few theories that led to this decision.

Firstly, SABC Encore featured too much repeats and old programming which not a lot of viewers of this generation would follow which could explain the pop-up focus on being a catch-up to the modern SABC 1-3.

Another reason had to do with exclusivity, MultiChoice carried the second most watched channel SABC News alongside SABC Encore which again was all repeats and considering how much money was wasted on the channel. MultiChoice saw no reason in having it on an exclusive basis.

The SABC is set to unveil a couple of new channels alongside their OTT platform before the end of the current financial year and these supposed channels will be bundled on the platform alongside the existing batch of channels like SABC 1-3, Sport and Education.

 

MultiChoice is expected to get 3 channels, Openview and likely StarSat are waiting on 2 channels from the public broadcaster.

The SABC has tested out a brand under the branding, SABC Encore. As stated by the public broadcaster, the new channels or at least the two Openview consumers are waiting on will have existing content and as more consumers follow the channel they'll shift the percentages to make room for fresher entertainment.

If SABC Encore (or as it was initially registered SABC Entertainment) were to return questions kind amount to what type of offering should viewers expect from this supposed channel.

Despite being outdated, SABC Encore was a mashup of SABC 1-3 so I'm not expecting another eExtra to comes out of the rumoured SABC Encore.

eMedia serves as an entertainment brand while the SABC just wants to offer a little bit of everything seen on DStv. eMedia offers movies, drama series and reality shows but with the SABC they incorporate that into the local market which might be the outcome of this supposed channel.

 

MultiChoice did highlight some discrepancies about e.tv channels one of which were the failure to offer local programming and reduce the level of repetition which eMedia was able to counterclaim but still couldn't keep their channels onboard.

Instead of getting more alternatives to Telemundo which is what several angry DStv customers are hoping for within the replacement. Viewers will likely get another Mpuma Kapa or Soweto TV which is in no way competition but better in terms of quality.

New Series Alert: Kuiertyd Premium Welcomes First Exclusive Series, Kruispad

Kuiertyd Premium launched earlier in the year with a repeat of eVOD's telenovela Impak and at the time it was believed that the slot will only be dedicated to content from the streaming services kind of like e.tv's 8pm slot on Sunday but that will likely not be the case in the near future.

Apparently, eExtra acquired rights to never before seen psychological thriller Kruispad (Babil) produced by Kerem Catay who also worked on a lot of projects for the channel including Fenix, Fatmagul, Kurt En Shura, Bittersoet and Die Put.

 

Kruispad explores the life of Irfan, an idealistic professor who is upset by his unfair dismissal and is trying to care for his sick son. As the doors close one by one, Irfan finds himself in the middle of a dark adventure that he can't escape.

Halit Ergenç takes on the lead role of İrfan Tuna Saygun while Onur Saylak/Ozan Güven stars as Egemen Kıvılcım, Aslı Enver as Ayşe Karaali/Nihal, Birce Akalay as İlay Yücedağ, Nur Fettahoğlu as Eda Saygun, Mesut Akusta as Süleyman Yavuncu and Beren Kasımoğulları as Deniz Saygun.

 

The series is said to replace Impak every Sunday at 19:30 on eExtra with repeats available on eVOD from 3rd July.

The launch date concides with Kuiertyd's pay-tv rival kykNET & Kie which will also be rolling out Turkish dramas to DStv consumers due to popular demand and also as a way to fill the void now that viewers have to rely on e.tv and now kykNET for Turkish series.

Roundups #65: First Look At Scooby-Doo Adult Spinoff Velma, Sebastían Carvajal And Laura Londoño Reportedly Star In New Telenovela Hombres And Shraddha Arya Departs Kundali Bhagya For The Time Being

Jinkies! is the media's reaction to the new Velma series

At the Warner Bros Discovery Upfront presentation, Mindy Kaling took the stage to showcase the upcoming animated series, Velma, with one big change to the lead character.

In the first look at Kaling's adult animation comedy Velma, which is a spinoff of the popular Scooby-Doo cartoons, we got our first glimpse at the reimagined Velma Dinkley. “Hopefully you noticed my Velma is South Asian,” Kaling told the crowd. “If people freak out about that, I don’t care.”

While this is the first glimpse we’ve gotten at the upcoming series, it’s not the first we’ve heard of the reimaging for Velma. Last summer, it was announced Velma would be South Asian. Unfortunately, there was a lot of backlash for this from fans of the original cartoon.

The new animated series was announced in early 2021 for HBO Max with Mindy Kaling billed as both executive producer and the voice of the titular character. Velma is part of the streaming service’s push for more adult animation. Velma tells the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the bespeckled, brains of the Scooby Doo Mystery Inc. gang.

The Scent Of Passion and Nurses cross paths

Everything seems to indicate that Laura Londoño and Sebastian Carvajal would be the protagonists of the series 'Manes', which would prepare the RCN channel as producer, for the Amazon platform. so what revealed the presenter and expert in telenovelas

Supposedly Sebastián Carvajal is exclusive to the
channel and how his project of Señora Isabel
would have postponed for the second half of the year, managers gave him a short character in the
series by Leandro Díaz, as confirmed by the actor.

But now he would play Julian, a character he did
Nicolas Montero in the series Hombres de RCN, a
stock market man.

Kundali Bhagya loses an important character...for now

Kundali Bhagya is one of the most loved and long-running daily soaps on TV screens. The show has a massive fan following and people are fans of the lead couple Karan and Preeta. The roles are played by Shraddha Arya and Dheeraj Dhoopar. Amidst the recent rumours of Dheeraj Dhoopar leaving the show, Shraddha Arya shared a montage of pictures on social media, giving proof of their impeccable chemistry.

In the post shared by the actress, she is seen giving some romantic and adorable poses with her on-screen love Dheeraj Dhoopar. They are seen lost in each other’s eyes and in another picture they are seen hugging each other happily. Both of them are seen dressed in black outfits and present on the sets of Kundali Bhagya.

As several outlets reported, Dheeraj Dhoopar is all set to make his silver screen debut with a Punjabi film. The sources informed the portal that Dheeraj is not quitting Kundali Bhagya instead the actor will take a break and later will return to the show. Reportedly, Shakti's track in the show is going to be temporary and he will just add drama to the entire upcoming plot as the show with a leap of five years.

14 Surprising Things You Probably Didn't Know About 'How I Met Your Mother'

The narrator, who was supposed to be an older Ted Mosby, was voiced by Bob Saget.

There's a reason the voice of future Ted sounds so familiar. Josh Radnor played Ted on the CBS show, but the late Bob Saget was cast to do the "future Ted" voice-overs that narrated the series.

Jim Parsons was almost cast as Barney.

Jim Parsons played Sheldon on CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" instead. Chuck Lorre Productions
Before Neil Patrick Harris landed the role, Jim Parsons auditioned for Barney on the show. But there are no hard feelings from the "The Big Bang Theory" star.

"Look, it all worked out fine … Neil's better for the part, let's be honest," Parsons said on a 2015 episode of "Live With Kelly," according to Yahoo.

 

 

Jennifer Love Hewitt almost played Robin.

Jennifer Love Hewitt opted for a role on "The Ghost Whisperer."  Real-life Canadian Cobie Smulders eventually snagged the part of Robin, but only after Jennifer Love Hewitt turned it down.

According to E! News, cocreator Craig Thomas wrote on Reddit that Love Hewitt decided to do CBS' "The Ghost Whisperer" instead of "HIMYM."

Britney Spears saved the show from low ratings.

Britney Spears helped bring in new viewers. CBS
The pop singer guest-starred as Abby the receptionist on season three, episode 13. According to E! News, cocreator Carter Bays told Reddit that she helped bring in new viewers and saved the show from low ratings.

"By golly she put our show on the map. It can't be overstated," Bays wrote. "Britney Spears rescued us from ever being on the [renewal] bubble again. Thanks Britney!"

The show's creators are in a real-life band, and they wrote and performed the series' theme song.

Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are in the band The Solids. The theme song of "HIMYM" is known for its infectiously catchy tune, and it turns out the show's creators had a big hand in creating it.

The song, "Hey Beautiful," is by the band The Solids, which Bays and Carter are both members of. Bays does vocals and guitar, and Thomas plays the drums.

 

 

Harris made it his mission to get Barney and Robin together on the show.

Neil Patrick Harris was in favor of the characters getting together. Ron P. Jaffe/Fox
Smulders was apprehensive when there were initial chats about the characters getting together, but Harris actively tried to make it happen throughout filming.

"I'd try to do little things in our scenes together where I gave her an extra look and an extra glance or would stare only at her during a whole scene just to see if anyone was noticing," Harris told The Fan Carpet of his own personal mission to get Barney and Robin together.

Ted probably made Barney sound worse on purpose to make himself look better in the end.

Ted is telling the story to his kids, so he can stretch the truth a little. CBS screencap
In 2018, Harris agreed with a popular fan theory in an interview with Digital Spy.

The theory speculated that Ted made Barney sound extra sleazy and womanizing in his story for his kids because he didn't want them to judge him for falling for Barney's ex-wife, Robin.

"I think that that's very accurate," Harris told Digital Spy. "Given the story structure, and with [Ted] telling the story to his kids, everything was able to be overdrawn."

"The Bro Code" really exists.

 

You can buy your own copy of "The Bro Code." 20th Century Fox. You can buy the series-approved version of all of Barney's rules, and it's even "written" by Barney Stinson himself.

The characters' favorite bar was named after the cocreator's assistant.

McLaren's name has a special significance. 20th Century Fox. Bays told TV Squad that his assistant, Carl McLaren, lent his name to the bar, McLaren's, and to its bartender, Carl.

The fictional bar is also based on a real establishment in New York City.

McLaren's is modeled after McGee's pub in NYC. Richard Cartwright/CBS.

According to the New York Post, McLaren's is modeled after a pub in New York City called McGee's.

Bays and Thomas reportedly spent a lot of time in the real-life establishment when they were both writing for "The Late Show With David Letterman" earlier in their careers.

Some fans found out who the mother was on Facebook before they had a chance to watch the episode.

The post spoiled the plot for a lot of people. CBS
According to The Obsessive Viewer, the official "HIMYM" Facebook page posted a photo of the mother right after the episode that revealed her identity aired.

However, not every fan was able to watch the episode live, so they had the series-long plot point spoiled for them if they scrolled past the post.

The actors who played Ted's kids knew how the show was going to end for years.

All of the kids' scenes were filmed early on in the series.
According to CBS News, the final scene of Ted's kids learning that Ted still loved Robin was filmed in 2006 to ensure the actors playing the kids still looked the same.

That was only a year after the show premiered and eight years before the finale aired, so several precautions were taken to keep the ending a secret.

 

 

David Henrie and Lyndsy Fonseca, who played the kids, had to sign non-disclosure agreements, and only one camera operator was allowed in the room while they filmed the final scene.

There was almost a spin-off starring Greta Gerwig.

Greta Gerwig is now a successful actor and director. How I Met Your Mother screencap
"How I Met Your Dad" was in the works after the "HIMYM" series finale, but it was ultimately scrapped in 2014 due to creative differences between the writers and CBS, according to Deadline.

The unaired pilot starred Greta Gerwig as Sally, a recent divorcée on the hunt for new love.

 

Over seven years after the "HIMYM" finale, a sequel series starring Hilary Duff premiered on Hulu.

Hilary Duff stars on the series.

After the failed "How I Met Your Dad" spin-off, Deadline reported in 2017 that a "How I Met Your Father" series was in development. But it took a few years to get it off the ground.

The Hulu sequel series stars Hilary Duff as Sophie, the leading Ted-like role, who is telling her son the story of how she met his father.

Recommended Games #2: Go On A Prehistoric Grocery Hunt With The Flintstones

The Flintstones: Grocery Hunt has to be one of the best arcade puzzle games produced by Macrospace (now Glu). I remember playing it several years back and realising how simple the gameplay was at the time.

Fred and Barney have just returned from the Bedrock shopping mall, proud that they have managed to buy everything on the shopping list. What they don't know is that the shopping bags have great big holes in them! Nearly all the groceries have fallen out. Wilma and Betty are furious! Now it's up to you to help Fred and Barney find all the lost groceries before nightfall!

 

 

Grocery Hunt had to be the least stressful game around I mean each level got longer but the difficulty always remained the same throughout so anyone with kids should let them have a hand on this cause really it doesn't seem challenging.

The thing that impressed me about the game was the whole theme of the game and the use of some characters like Wilma whenever you run out of time she hunts you down and if she finds you GAME OVER.

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Reminder: Property Brother's Suppliers Content Will Stop Airing On The Home Channel Once Their Contract Expires, Will Air Exclusively On HGTV

In 2019, Warner Bros. Discovery launched HGTV on the DStv platform across Africa offering content about home improvement, do-it-yourself house renovations, design, real estate. The brand once operated as a block through Travel Channel.

HGTV ended 2018 as the 4th most watched pay-TV channel in the United States where it is the leading home and lifestyle channel and often gets cited by pay-TV subscribers as one of the "must-keep channels" and one of the reasons why viewers pay for subscription television.

Before HGTV, The Home Channel a local competitor from the Tiso Blackstar Group, has been acquiring and showing a broad slate of programming produced by HGTV for years, like the popular Property Brothers fronted by the twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott.

In an interview with former president of Discovery Inc. (now Warner Bros Discovery) for Europe and Africa revealed that existing deals will continue on smoothly but once they run out all the content will be available exclusively on HGTV as they can get a bit jealous when other stations air their content.

For those who can't afford HGTV, Real Time is available on the Easyview platform for as little as R30p/m even if you're not getting the latest shows or even the full HGTV lineup it's better than nothing.

Although, The Home Channel will no longer air the best of HGTV viewers can still tune into other content like Real Health, Gardening 101,Home Of The Year, Dream Gardens and Designing Homes With Bill Bensley.

Channel Updates: Southern African Broadcasting Entities Strengthen Cooperation Towards The Launch Of SADC TV + MultiChoice Opens 1Magic And ESPN 2 To Their DStv Compact Customers For Almost Two Months

SADC TV channel in development

The President of the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA), Stanley Benjamin Similo, together with the Secretary-General, Cecil Jarurakouje Nguvauva, met the Group Chief Executive Officer of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Madoda Mxakwe – accompanied by some SABC Executive Management – to discuss critical issues about the advancement of broadcasting services and the media industry in Southern Africa. Especially with the planned launch of the SADC TV and the SABA Convention and Annual General Meeting events that are upcoming later in the year.

Both the SABA and the SABC leadership agreed that broadcasters in the region need to align their strategies and the way they do things and conduct their broadcast business with the changing media landscape in order to satisfy the needs of their audience.

The meeting concluded that the partnering regional broadcasters and the Association should also look to enter into a specific agreement to identify critical areas of interest to focus on in the immediate and distant future.

Furthermore, the meeting resolved that the upcoming launch of the SADC TV Channel in Windhoek, Namibia, and the 29th SABA AGM (Annual General Meeting), set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, will become top priority for the Association and their partners this year.

More drama coming to DStv

Last month, MultiChoice scrapped the 4 e.tv channels from the DStv platform with Openview being the only outlet to view the channels. Alongside the e.tv channels were Lifetime with ITV Networks and fliekNET joining soon.

DStv customers haven't been taking the demise of the e.tv channels so well with several either downgrading, cancelling or complaining about their displeasure with the entertainment offering.

As reported during the week, MultiChoice will be opening up 1Magic and ESPN 2 to DStv Compact customers until 24 July probably feeling guilty for adding something on bouquets lower than that package and even more for not adding anything on platforms higher.

MultiChoice will be rolling out several channels in the near future including a replacement to ITV Networks and second movie channel to replace the eMovies alongside lifestyle channel NHK World Japan and 3 SABC channels.

New Channel Alert (Rumour): Hilaal TV, The Best Islamic Channel In Africa Is Coming Soon To DStv

In April, MultiChoice operated a Muslim based pop-up channel Ramadan TV which was open as part of a celebration of the same name to all their DStv customers showcasing live and melodious recitations from the Quran alongside other content.

Last month, MultiChoice announced the discontinuation of ITV Networks which came at a time consumers lost e.tv's 4 channels and Lifetime with fliekNET set to join the following month. They also promised to announce a portion of these channels in due course.

With only a few weeks left of ITV, it looks as if MultiChoice already found a candidate to the supposed channel which most assumed would be the UK based Islam Channel which ITV took over in 2008 for viewers in South Africa.

But it turns out that a permanent version of the Ramadan TV might be launching on the DStv platform as MultiChoice list a bunch of content formerly seen on the pop-up including Tafseer Of Surah Kahf By Sheikh Suliman Moola and Live Crossing For Zohr From Madinah Munawwarah.

This pop-up won't be called Ramadan TV but instead Hilaal TV likely the ones responsible for this pop-up channel which kind of brings several theories into question.

Is it possible Ramadan TV was just an experimental channel for Hilaal TV and was ITV Networks demise planned close to the launch of Ramadan TV?

Judging by the info presented I'm guessing that Hilaal TV will also be accessible to viewers outside South Africa unlike ITV Networks which was region based and will likely take up the channel number 346 and 347 is already occupied by Islam Channel in the rest of Africa.

Roundups #64: House Of Dragons Coming Soon To M-Net, Tiny Homes Returns For A Twenty Second Season On People's Weather And Disney Channel Africa Welcomes The Third Season Of Walk The Prank

Some details regarding M-Net's much anticipated GOT spinoff

Set two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, the events leading up to the Targaryen civil war, known as the "Dance of the Dragons", and the war itself.

It is a prequel to the television series Game of Thrones and is based on Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood. The project is a reworking of the rejected spin-off concept from Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman, on which HBO officially passed.

The series will debut on August 21st in the United States and M-Net will likely air it as an Express From The U.S. title.

People's Weather primetime lineup for June 13th

18:30
Sailing Mokara
Explore the beautiful tropical islands, diving colourful reefs to get dinner, socialising with other cruising families, marvelling at the night sky and having front row seats to the most amazing sunsets.

19:00
Tiny Homes Season 22
Discover the dwellings of those who choose to live in tiny houses, vans, RVs, and boats; and people who are exploring long-term travel, minimalism, zero waste living, renewable energy and living off-grid.

19:30
Ironvan Adventures
Dirk Smit and Alti Fouché are adventure travel filmmakers with a passion for wildlife, conservation, hidden treasures and interesting people...Join them as they travel Southern Africa, capturing their journey in the Ironvan, a formidable overlanding beast proudly powered by Ironman 4x4 Africa.

Some Disney XD faves are back on Disney Channel

2 years ago, The Walt Disney Company ripped away Disney XD from African audiences with very little content available on the Disney Channel.

For several months, Disney Channel had begun to zombify their lineup mostly with past XD shows like Guardians Of The Galaxy, Big City Greens, Lab Rats and DuckTales with newcomer Walk The Prank.

Set to be on its third season from 13 June, the prank show follows Herman, Chance, Bailey, and Dusty, who set up elaborate pranks and find real people to perform the pranks on. Their pranks usually involve supernatural, scary, funny or gross elements.

Pierre Branco Appointed General Manager, France, Benelux And Africa, Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery today announced that Pierre Branco has been appointed General Manager, France, Benelux and Africa, Warner Bros. Discovery. He will continue to report to Priya Dogra, President and Managing Director, EMEA (ex Poland). In this role Pierre Branco will be responsible for Warner Bros. Discovery’s combined businesses working in close coordination with the company’s global functions across Streaming, Sport, US Programming, and the Studio and for each line of business, developing territory-specific strategies to drive growth and efficiencies. These include pay and FTA networks, leading significant efforts in marketing and monetising US content across lines of business including theatrical, licensing, consumer products, games and home entertainment and shared responsibility for the streaming services.

 

Priya Dogra, President and Managing Director, EMEA (ex Poland), said: “Pierre is an accomplished leader with a deep understanding and experience of these markets where he has already played a pivotal role in driving strategic business decisions. I am confident that his strong leadership and strategic acumen will continue to drive our businesses forward and connect our beloved brands and consumers in these important and competitive marketplaces.”

Pierre Branco said: "I am enormously proud to be part of this new chapter of Warner Bros. Discovery. I look forward to building on the legacy and values that have made both companies so successful in these regions, and to contribute to building the world’s most dynamic media company in these important markets. The opportunity to lead these fantastic teams is very exciting and I can’t wait to get started.”

 

Most recently, Branco was Country Manager for France, Benelux, Middle East and Africa and Head of Affiliates and Ad Sales for EMEA at WarnerMedia. During his 15 years at the company, he has held a number of roles across Europe, Middle East and Africa including SVP Northern Europe, MENAT, France & Africa and VP & General Manager France and Africa. In these roles, he significantly grew the company’s business and launched new brands in the region: Boing, Toonami and Warner TV.