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eMedia's 4 Channels Recieve Another Extension On MultiChoice's DStv, Might Go Dark By August 2024

Since 2022, eMedia Investments and MultiChoice had been undergoing a carriage dispute with the Competition Tribunal. After the p...

Monday, June 27, 2022

CBS Justice Is Out For The Count While CBS Reality's Future Remains Up In The Air On DStv

During the week, it was announced that Paramount and AMC International the party in charge of CBS Justice and CBS Reality in Africa will be scrapping the CBS branding from their products by shortening (CBS) Reality and killing off CBS Justice for the male skewed channel, Legend.

As it was the first time this news was announced no one could expect what possible outcome awaited the CBS channels on DStv but through a promo for CBS Justice's replacement you can clearly get a clear perspective to the whole situation.

Legend is said to not only incorporate CBS Justice but offer content with sci-fi, horror and adventure and I won't go over the details with the programming as some viewers may not recognise anything from there but by looking at it you can clearly see where this channel stands in Africa.

 

CBS Justice in the UK offers drama series like Walker, NCIS: Los Angeles and CSI while the feed in Africa carries a lot of factual content some I might add are better than what's seen on Investigation Discovery like Forensic Files, Killer Couples and Snapped.

If anything I wouldn't be surprised if CBS Justice merged onto CBS Reality to form something else or for both of them to get discontinued to its entirety as seen in some regions but here's why I think merging would be the likely outcome.

Alternative names for the supposed channel: Zone Reality and Reality (E)Xtra.

Alternative names should it remain as two channels: Zone 1 & 2, Reality 1 & 2, Reality and Reality (E)Xtra.

 

Before CBS Justice was added in Africa, CBS Reality was the main home to all the content seen on there if anything the downside was the timeslots as most crime or detective stuff aired in the early hours of the day (5am or 6am) down to the night (8pm to 11pm).

The merging of these brands would bring more comfort to those on CBS Reality who once had access to this content and who knows it might even reduce amount of Judge Judys or escalate onto another program but who knows really as it was repetitive by then.

 

But if other channels can't fix that issue why burden that onto CBS Reality. The important thing is that there's plenty to watch outside Judy or Cheaters. The only burden at this point would have fallen onto DStv customers.

As seen in the last couple of months, MultiChoice has lost at least 8 channels and not much replacements are on the cards. If CBS Justice doesn't get replaced by the supplier (Paramount and AMC), will the distributor (MultiChoice) seek alternatives or continue leaving empty gaps.

Recommended Games #3: Cold War Greatest Hit Elektra Is Available To Download On Your Mobile Device

Elektra is a mobile game based on the 2005 superhero film film of the same name which serves as a spin-off to the 2003 film Daredevil, starring the Marvel Comics character Elektra Natchios (portrayed by Jennifer Garner).

 

The mobile game sees Elektra hack through jungles and hordes of ninjas, gleaming with daggers, as if with lightings. The aim of the game is to find and destroy leaders of the ninja clan.

Originally the character was meant to have a video game but publishers felt it would not be popular enough so they opted for this Street Fighter/Assassin's Creed infused game.

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Introducing The Renowned Graphic Designer For eMedia's eToonz Channel, Rayaan Cassiem + Several Designs For The Channel

Born and raised in Cape Town, Rayaan was never found without a crayon, paintbrush or pencil in hand scribbling, doodling and painting for hours at a time.

Being determined to study Graphic-Design at the Technical University, he sold his car and worked odd jobs, ranging from construction to shelf-packing. His hard work and dedication paid off and he received a bursary in his third year, completing his BTech in Graphic Design. Rayaan draws his inspiration from a myriad of avenues including graffiti and street art, album covers, comic books, animation, video games, fine art as well as graffiti and street art. ‘Being able to earn a living and supporting my family doing what I love is a blessing,’ he says.

 

Rayaan’s artwork appeared alongside local and international artists as part in popular mixed-media group exhibitions in South Africa, Europe and the United Arab Emirates, where currently lives and works. His special interest in local African Mythology and Folk stories inspired Rayaan’s edition of 30 portraits of children from the Matchbox daycare centers in his unique graffiti-inspired style, all drawn on fine paper in A4 format.

eExtra Vs. Glow TV: The Best Source For Bollywood Series

eExtra is general entertainment channel from eMedia Investments home to primarily telenovelas particularly Indian and Turkish. Glow TV is a South African entertainment based channel from Nismedia that has content which resonate with the Indian community.

Both these channels have Openview and StarSat in common aside from that the owners of these brands have been beefing with each other following eMedia's failed attempt and today we compare the channels that started it all.

eExtra is currently one of the top channels on Openview for their selection in Turkish dramas which brought a spinoff ePlesier. Outside of that bubble, the channel offers a ton of Bollywood dramas which don't clash with the existing offering on Glow TV.

 

Glow TV is SA's only Indian channel that promotes the Hindi community with not only telenovelas like eExtra but other entertainment like reality, lifestyle and local programming. It is actually one of the first channels to distribute dubbed Hindi content full-time.

 

The setback for eExtra has to do with distribution as some fans already noticed the channel doesn't play fair in terms of catch-up. Some shows repeat once off while others need eVOD in order for you to catch-up on what you've missed.

Glow TV's issue revolves on a similar matter repeats compared to eExtra you don't get a lot of new content and what's even more depressing is how often they place a former program in the schedule.

In regard to best channel, eExtra is your #1 source for drama series and although Glow TV has been repetitive in this region. There is plenty of entertainment you won't find on eExtra such as reality, lifestyle and local content.

10 WWE Superstars That Hated Each Other In Real Life

When you are WWE Superstar you don't expect to get along with everyone in the locker room. Sometimes the locker room is filled with different personalities and these personalities will clash. Sometimes these feuds are kept private and sometimes made public.

Here is a countdown to the 10 WWE feuds:

10. Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins

In 2019, Riddle's wife posted a negative video about Becky Lynch. This didn't sit well with Rollins so he vowed to never work with him.

During an interview, Riddle made the following statement:

I'll be honest, I've met Seth multiple times and he's met me and I don't think we'll ever be best friends, I don't think we'll like one another, we're just two different people. Although we love wrestling, I love my significant other said something about Becky that they didn't like and I did not like or agree with it. Seth didn't like me after that and I don't think Becky liked me or my wife either, which is understandable it is what it is.

The two ended up working together in 2020 so its unclear about the status between the two.

9. Becky Lynch and Nia Jax

Although it hasn't been confirmed, it's rumoured that these two never got along after Nia Jax broke Becky's nose in 2018 on Raw. Following that incident, the two have hardly been seen working together and what's strange is WWE never booked a march considering how publicized her injury was.

 

Following Nia's release from WWE, she took to social media to address things from politics to covid. She even compared mask wearing to the horrors of the Ukraine war - controversial. Becky unfollowed her building up to that feud.

8. Paul Heyman and AJ Styles

The two had a great relationship when Paul Heyman managed Raw between 2019 and 2020. Paul Heyman considered him one of the best wrestlers to be put in WWE. However this relationship turned sour when Luke and Carls Andersen were released from WWE.

Paul Heyman doesn't make the decisions but AJ Styles exaggerated a bit about the whole situation. The two ended up working in different brands never to be put on anything together.

7. Ronda Rousey and Alexa Bliss

When Ronda Rousey joined WWE in 2018, one of the wrestlers she worked with the most was Alexa Bliss. The two never worked well together as Alexa Bliss made it clear after several months that Ronda Rousey was over stooping her in the ring and was almost out of action for a year due to her recklessness.

 

Nia even give hints to the rumours and Bliss supported it then when Ronda returned and won The Royal Rumble. Alexa made a sarcastic meme written what a surprise.

6. Matt Riddle and Goldberg

Riddle never moves away from voicing his own opinion. Throughout his career, he's never shown any interest to Goldberg. Mocking his wrestling style declares Goldberg a danger to wrestling.

In an interview Goldberg had this to say about the wrestler:

Yeah, the cocky kid, Riddle spouting off his mouth in the beginning and I didn't appreciate it very much by any stretch of the imagination. But the guy has put in a lot of frickin hard work and a lot of frickin hard work and he's dedicated his life to the business.
Whether I like him as a human being or not, I have to understand and appreciate his passion for the business and work ethic.
Because he works hard and that's what I appreciate as an athlete and as a human
Is he a prick sometimes? Absolutely, But that's him, That's his character and so am I.

5. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair

Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair used to be the best of friends but in 2021 fans found out that wasn't the case. The two used to be inseparable and as both their careers progressed things have changed.

They used to travel to many places together on a tour bus but that's not the case and they hardly speak to each other. No reason was given to the confrontation but it's believed to be Becky's rise in popularity with both women finding men in their lives mean less time spent together.

 

4. Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville

This issue was highlighted following the infamous exchange in championship belts in 2021 when Charlotte Flair was suppose switch belts with Becky Lynch but went off script to make her look bad. Not only did it affect Becky but destroyed the authority figure in Sonya Deville.

Sonya was so angry that she wanted to fight Charlotte of course no details were given if she wanted to do anything physical.

3. Matt Riddle and Brock Lesnar

Riddle believes that he should be the one to end Brock Lesnar's career and although he didn't say anything derogatory to him. Lesnar loathe Riddle that he made it clear in the 2021 Royal Rumble that he would never work with him in any capacity.

The two wind up clashing when Riddle continues with his comments but never in single man matches.

2. Booker T. and Corey Graves

In 2018, Booker T. made it clear in a podcast that Graves was the reason he wasn't commentator for Raw and people believed he was going to attack him.

He made somewhat of a bizarre statement:

 

Corey Graves, right now, I wouldn't necessarily say he's on my bad side but he's the reason I'm not on Monday Night Raw right now.
Because you know what a lot of people in the company thought I was going to jump him, I was going to do something bad to him, I was gonna drag him, I was gonna take him out of the woodshed, I was gonna beat that men so bad, I was gonna beat him until this man say "Please, please, please just don't beat me anymore".

There have been reports that WWE had tried to resolve their issues but no details have been given in regard to their relationship.

1. Matt Riddle and Roman Reigns

In 2021, Matt claimed he could beat him in a fight and had this to say:

No disrespect to Roman, he seems like a swell fella but at the same time, it's like when people say they're a great parent.
You know what? if you were a great parent
When he's saying 'acknowledge me' or 'move the needle', no you don't
You're related to Rock, Shut up
Like I'm not impressed I can beat you up in a real fight
So shut your mouth.

A few months later, it was revealed that he had to write an apology letter which he outright rejected.

Hiccup And The Rest Of Berk Are Back For More Race To The Edge And Mega Movie Stars Special Feature Shrek, Po And The Gang Of Madagascar - July 2022 Highlights

New Episodes
Dragons: Race To The Edge
Hiccup and Toothless are back in an all-new original TV series that takes them to the edge of adventure in DreamWorks "Dragons: Race to the Edge." Hiccup and Toothless lead the Dragon Riders as they soar beyond the borders of Berk and discover the mysterious Dragon Eye, an ancient artifact filled with secrets that will lead them to new lands filled with never-before-seen dragons and dragon hunters who will stop at nothing until they seize the powerful Dragon Eye!

Monday 4 July
Weekdays at 7am
Weekends at 10am

New Episodes
George Of The Jungle
The children of today need a hero to look up to. Instead, let’s give them: George of the Jungle. George lives in –and protects –the jungle of Mbebwe, a wild playland loaded with exotic animals and villains that are always more funny than scary. George is strong, swift, and he can’t even spell the word fear. George lives happily with his jungle family, comprised of his best friend, an ape named Ape, Ursula (an overly-idealistic environmentalist), jungle local and fashion-obsessed Magnolia, his faithful doggy Shep (actually an elephant), and longtime birdie pal Tookie Tookie Bird. Each story is an adventure where, despite his naïve nature and chronic klutziness, George comes out on top. Even when he goes left, George always does right.

Monday 4 July
Weekdays at 1pm
Weekends at 6:30am

 

STUNT: MEGA MOVIE STARS

This month on DreamWorks join your favourite ‘Super Specials', Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, and the Dragons gang starring in these special shorts!

• Kung Fu Panda: 9th-10th July
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll
Tigress, Viper, Monkey, Crane and Mantis transform from complete strangers into the legendary Furious Five Warriors of Kung Fu.

Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five
Po and the Furious Five face Shifu's biggest challenge yet as they discover it takes a lot more than fast feet and fists to become a kung fu master.

Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters
Po and the Furious Five go back in time to uncover the origin stories of Gongmen City's greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox and Master Croc.

Kung Fu Panda: Holiday Special
Po prepares for his favourite holiday, the Winter Feast and learns the true meaning of tradition, community and family.

• Shrek 16th-17th July
Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos
Babysitting has never been more dangerous. Will our hero Puss in Boots tame the Three Diablos?

Far Far Away Idol
Join Shrek and the rest of the Far Far Away characters in this hilarious spoof as they battle it out in a singers’ showdown.

Shrek the Halls
Shrek's plans for a cosy family celebration spirals into one truly unforgettable Christmas.

Donkey's Caroling Christmas-tacular
Deck the halls with Donkey's laughter in this all-new crazy and colourful collection of animated Christmas goodies and hilarious holiday surprises.

The Pig Who Cried Werewolf
A conspiracy minded Heimlich has cried wolf before, so Horst and Dieter ignore his warnings when a wolf moves in next door to The Three Pigs.

The Ghost of Lord Farquaad
Princess Fiona is ambushed by Lord Farquaad’s henchman, Thelonius. A crazy and hilarious chase ensues with Shrekand Donkey hot on the trail!

Hammy’s Boomerang Adventure
Welcome to RJ's Wild World of Nature, a nature show brought to you by RJ and the young porcupines Bucky, Quillo and Spike. There are loads of laughs as the gang films Hammy playing with a boomerang that simply won't go away. In the end, Hammy discovers that the nature show was just an excuse for RJ and the porcupine kids to play some pranks on him.

• Madagascar: 23rd-24th July
Madly Madagascar
Romance is in the air for Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman after King Julien discovers a magical perfume and takes on the role as “King of Love.”

 

Merry Madagascar
When Santa unexpectedly crash lands on the island,giving the jolly gentleman a case of amnesia - it's up to those zany zoosters to save Christmas!

All Hail King Julien – King Me (S1, Ep.1)
When King Julien learns that Clover may marry Sage, he sets out to prepare the kingdom for post‐Clover attacks!

All Hail King Julien – Poll Position (S1, Ep. 2)
When King Julien and the gang bury Sage for his bachelor party, things don't go according to plan, and they must deal with Franken‐Sage!

• Dragons: 30th-31st July
Legend Of The Boneknapper Dragon
Hiccup and the gang join Gobber on a quest to finda legendary boneknapper dragon.

Gift Of The Night Fury
As the village of Berk prepares for its winter holiday,the resident dragons all inexplicably flyaway.

Book Of Dragons
Join Hiccup and his friends as they explore and add to their primary reference about dragons.

Dawn Of The Dragon Racers
The ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ adventure continues when a hunt for lost sheep turns into a fierce, fun-filled competition.

Saturdays at 6:05pm
Sundays at 10am and 4pm

Paramount+ Announces Plan For 150 International Originals Ahead Of UK And Ireland Launch

Over a year after its initial launch in the U.S., streaming service Paramount+ will be available in the U.K. and Ireland on Wednesday, June 22. Its international slate of seven new titles was announced on Monday, including its plans for 150 international originals by 2025.

The global expansion of the streaming service was first announced in May. Many U.S.-based streaming services are now entering into new countries and territories, as well as investing in international content to attract new audiences and diversify their content offerings across the globe. Disney+, for example, recently launched in 16 markets across the Middle East and North Africa. The streaming service aims to expand to 160+ countries by its fiscal 2023.

Although Paramount+ is considered a younger streamer than its rivals Disney+, HBO Max and Netflix, the company is committed to expanding in large international markets as the race for global domination continues for U.S. streaming services.

Last week, Paramount+ launched in South Korea in a partnership with TVING. In addition, launches in Italy, Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland are set for the end of 2022. Paramount+ will launch in Africa and the Middle East in 2023, as well as in India in partnership with Viacom 18.

 

The remainder of the markets in Europe has Paramount and Comcast partnering together to launch a new service called SkyShowtime. Coming later this year, the service will be available in Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Previously, Paramount+ unveiled its determination to greenlight 50 new scripted originals this year, with previously announced titles like “Sexy Beast” (from the U.K.), “The Chemistry of Death” (Germany), “Bosé” (Spain), “Fallaci” (Italy), “Impact” (France) and “Los Enviados” (Mexico), among others.

On Monday, Paramount+ revealed several more upcoming titles, including “Murder of God’s Banker,” a docuseries about the murder of Italian banker Roberto Calvi in the 1970s; a French fantasy horror series called “Mask: Marie Antoinette Serial Killer;” a German thriller “A Thin Line;” a German drama “The Sheikh;” an Italian true-crime drama called “Circeo;” a Mexican crime thriller “Sinaloa’s First Lady;” and a Mexican suspense thriller movie “One Must Die.”

In addition, international viewers who subscribe to Paramount+ will get to watch exclusive originals, blockbuster films from Paramount Pictures, and a wide selection of popular shows like “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Halo,” “The First Lady” and more.

 

“Paramount’s story began with the longest-running studio in Hollywood, and today we span the globe with our worldwide production studios that create hits for audiences around the world, which now live all in one place: Paramount+,” EVP and International General Manager Marco Nobili said in a statement. “As the service continues to expand internationally, there’s a great opportunity for content to travel globally, opening up a world of opportunities for talent and creators as we plan to commission 150 international originals by 2025 while delivering incredible value to subscribers on Paramount+.”

Today, the company will also have a drone show in Birmingham featuring 600 drones — the largest drone show in the U.K. The spectacle will feature a QR code, which gives viewers a free seven-day trial of the streaming service. Paramount Global has done this before to promote its sci-fi series “Halo” in March but with 400 drones flying above Austin, Texas.

To further excite potential subscribers in the U.K. and Ireland, Paramount+ revealed a two-minute teaser starring Uma Thurman and Jack Whitehall.

Friday, June 24, 2022

Sit On The Throne – With Aquaman On Cartoon Network Africa

Join Aquaman on his crazy, comedic quests as he makes swimming moves to prove that he is the capable King of Atlantis in an all-new miniseries coming to Cartoon Network Africa weekly, starting from Saturday, 2 July 2022 at 10:10 CAT.

Aquaman: King of Atlantis is an animated 3-part miniseries of the DC superhero, Aquaman. The series follows his big-eyed travels, responses, and decisions about the recently crowned King of Atlantis. His goal? To prove to his subjects and himself that he’s the right man for the trident.

 

No day is short of chaos for Aquaman as he deals with unscrupulous surface dwellers, elder evils from beyond time, and his own half-brother who wants to overthrow him. However, with resilience, perseverance, and his loyal confidants: Mera, the water-controlling warrior-princess and Vulko, the scholar, by his side, Aquaman learns how to be King as he wins over the trust of those in his kingdom.

 

Aquaman: King of Atlantis mixes comedy and adventure with some action sequences. The boldly illustrated animation is executively produced by James Wan, under his Atomic Monster production company, and President of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, Sam Register.

If you’re a DC Super Heroes fan or simply love superheroes and crazy adventures, join Aquaman on Cartoon Network Africa on Saturdays at 10:10 CAT from 2 July on his epic quests to protect his home, his people, and the underwater world

New Channel Alert (Rumour): FilmBox Africa, FilmBox Family And FilmBox Action Coming Soon To StarSat + New Prices For Each Package

StarSat has lost over 20 channels during the past years ranging from from FOX, Discovery Family, Investigation Discovery, The Smithsonian Channel, Fine Living, SA Music, Soul Music, DreamWorks and St Eyethu. Since then, several channels have made way to the platform.

You have channels like Russia Today, Zee Bollymovies, C12 TV and Fashion TV while some may come off as useless to most consumers none of these brands can fill up the void of the above mentioned channels.

 

MultiChoice, a rival to the pay-tv platform had undergone the same procedure with customers expressing their dissatisfaction for almost a month I mean they've got new channels in place with 6 more coming in the near future but just like StarSat they too have got negative feedback.

While MultiChoice let the cat out of the bag with some upcoming channels with StarTimes you could hardly get them to crack as they're usually discreet about these things but thanks to the StarTimes app we got to view potential new channels.

FilmBox Africa, FilmBox Action and FilmBox Family hail from SPI International the company in charge of the top entertainment channel Timeless Dizi Channel. These channels are said to be on a trial phase.

 

FilmBox Africa - A premium entertainment channel carrying series as well as adrenaline-pumping movies from Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Jet Li, Jackie Chan and many others. Suitable candidate to FOX.

FilmBox Action - targets action lovers with the likes of Cinema legends Steven Seagal, Al Pacino, Bruce Willis, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Jason Statham and many others. Another suitable candidate to FOX.

FilmBox Family - Popular movies for the entire family appealing to both children and adults: great adventures, comedies, fantasy movies, popular series and entertainment programs. An added bonus.

 

On top of the possible new channels here are the prices consumers will pay from July:

- StarSat Special Package will now be R120 previously R109.
- StarSat Super Package will now be R230 previously R209.
- StarSat Max Package will now be R330 previously R299.

DStv Is Set To Lose CBS Reality And CBS Justice In Revamped Channel Offering By Paramount Global And AMC International

2022 brought a whirlwind of changes for viewers on the DStv platform as MultiChoice scrapped e.tv's 5 channels, ITV Networks, fliekNET and Tellytrack. They where those brands that went out unexpectedly and beyond anyone's control like Russia Today and Lifetime.

As the world continues adapting viewers should expect more changes I mean not all changes are good (e.g. Me) but the point one would have for these changes is survival which is where CBS Reality and CBS Justice reside in.

 

By the end of June, the British counterpart of these channels which also manage the channels in Africa will be revising their channel offering by scrapping CBS Justice for Legend while as CBS Reality is shortened to Reality.

Due to the launch of Paramount+, AMC and Paramount are eliminating the CBS branding from all their products or at least on their linear channels and shocking turn for these two channels is the programming.

 

CBS Justice's replacement Legend will not only cover the crime but the supernatural section of their portfolio while the UK had CBS Horror viewers in Africa relied on CBS Reality for this offering. On top of paranormal, they'll offer thriller and sci-fi.

Reality will likely focus on softer programming such as Judge Judy, Animal Hoarding, Cheaters, Three Day Nanny and Shocking Emergency Calls, as consumers likely lose out on shows like Haunted Case Files and Scariest Night Of My Life to Legend which is technically a premium channel.

 

The change is expected to be completed by the end of June and it hasn't been stated exactly when this format will rollout in other regions or or look identical to the main feed.

As seen in Poland and several Portuguese speaking regions, the channels were given alternate brand names or shuttered down as there's rumours going around that Paramount Global and AMC International are disbanding due to the rollout of Paramount+.

DStv Updates: fliekNET To Become A Pop-Up Channel From July 15th, eExtra's Kuiertyd To Be Replaced By KykNET And Rumoured Developments For The New Afrikaans Channel By Media24


fliekNET South Africa's only Afrikaans movie channel is set to be the 10th channel that exits from the DStv platform in 2022 joining other brands like Tellytrack, Lifetime, ITV Networks, Russia Today and e.tv's 5 channels (including eAfrica).

fliekNET began as a pop-up channel in 2014 as part of the holiday and grew popularity for its selection of movies that it joined other popular franchises like Big Brother and Idols to return on a yearly basis.

Amidst the pandemic, MultiChoice launched a permanent version of the channel which some found repetitive as the pay-tv company struggled to incorporate as much variety to the schedule opted to make it a pop-up channel from July 15th.

 

kykNET will be rolling out a Saturday night block kind of like the one seen on eMedia's eExtra channel but instead of licensing a batch of movies it will be similar to M-Net's Sunday Night Movies where you get the latest movies with more original productions coming in 2023.

They could have tried adding some of the content to M-Net Movies but oh well.

kykNET & Kie which serves as a sister and duplicate channel to kykNET will be rolling out two Turkish dramas in July competing with eMedia's existing offering with In Die Ysterhand Se Greep going head to head with Droomvelore on e.tv with Kind Van Die Noodlot with Dokter Ali and Fenix for those with Openview excluding Fridays.

 

All the more reason to believe kykNET is replacing eExtra but not on Easyview with Access having to wait at least a year or so to view these shows on kykNET Lekker likely as 4 days a week series.

Onto new channels, despite MultiChoice using an existing brand as an alternative to eExtra. They will be rolling out another Afrikaans channel on top of returning the pop-up channel Woordfees to more consumers in July.

The new channel is nothing is like eExtra except for the target group as the channel features reality and lifestyle kind of like eReality but local which in turn happens to be Media24's Via duplicate likely for Access customers as seen with kykNET Lekker.

 

MultiChoice had tested the channel later in April onto May with further information about the channel nowhere in site with the lab rat either being delayed or terminated but delayed is more believable.

The 140 section is crowded with Afrikaans channels perhaps part of the reason fliekNET is being phased out is to make space for this channel and 149 would make a suitable channel number as it makes the main Via channel superior.

Considering how most of this happened amidst eMedia's demise on the DStv platform, you could say that the Via duplicate in a way is there to make up for the loss of eExtra.

Roundups #70: Iron Rose Reloads On Telemundo Africa For Second Season, Turkish Drama Full Moon Starring Can Yaman Launches On Novela E Plus And ZNBC 3 Launching Soon On The DStv Platform

Iron Rose is not done just yet

Popular demands has been taking Africa by storm offering already viewed content like My Heart Beats For Lola, Woman Of Steel, A Passion For Revenge and Lord Of The Skies as Telemundo works on sourcing out more content.

Ahead of its anticipated return, StarTimes acquired rights to Iron Rose while Telemundo loaded one of Aracley Arambula's other projects from the channel, The Boss with Iron Rose following immediately after it ended.

 
 

The second season of Iron Rose is set to load on the channel from June 27th at 6pm replacing current season of the series.

Can Yaman is coming to StarTimes

The actor and model is currently seen on e.tv's Droomvelore portraying the role of Can Divit. Just like stars Demet Özdemir, Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Dilan Çiçek Deniz viewers will be getting double the action as Novelas E uploads new series, Full Moon.

Nazli Pinar a young culinary student who is hired as Ferit's private chef and must deal with his specific rules for preparing his meals. The two initially clash and form a beautiful friendship. What will happen when the two fall in love?

 
 

The series airs at 8pm from June 26 on Novelas E which comes 3 hours and 30 minutes after Droomvelore on e.tv.

MultiChoice Africa continues sourcing more local entertainment

Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) is a Zambian television and radio station, formerly state owned, now owned by Zambians. It is the oldest, widest and largest radio and television service provider in Zambia.

 

ZNBC also supplies a set of linear and radio stations offering news, public affairs, sports, religion, education and sport similar to the supposed channel set to launch on the DStv platform soon.

MultiChoice has begun testing out a channel titled ZNBC3 which was believed to be a religious channel at the time but turns out to be plus channel to the current ZNBC 1 & 2 which carries the above-mentioned.

eMedia Updates: e.tv And eExtra Currently Streaming On eVOD, Cool Catz Returns To e.tv's Craze Block, Depp Vs. Heard Documentary Makes Its Free-To-Air Debut On eXposed

eVOD launch two new channels

During the week, Eskom began the usual power cuts and from what is seen through several businesses it disrupts the workflow with cable providers seeing a shortage in viewers.

Consumers on the DStv platform relied on the DStv app in case shed happens for several years and it was only a matter of time till more businesses adapt to this concept.

 

Yesterday, it was announced that e.tv and eExtra brands which carry the most local content will be funneled on the streaming service, eVOD between 5pm and 10pm sort of as a trial but viewers will be able to watch their shows in case things don't go as planned.

We are the Cool Catz

Cool Catz is an educational kids show that follows the life of 4 cats as they reside in a treehouse engaging viewers with music, games and creativity and it was one of few original show from eMedia Investments.

In 2019, the show exited Craze's primetime offering alongside the block's remaining local series as e.tv opted for more international series with Cool Catz airing in the early hours of the day (5am).

 
 

After 3 years, Cool Catz will make a comeback in the primetime section of e.tv's Craze from 4 July at 14:30 as Cool Catz New Masters with the rest of the program's catalogue available to stream on eVOD's kids corner.

More courtroom action for Openview

A few years ago, Johnny Depp was involved in a media scandal with his former partner Amber Heard as the Aquaman actress claimed the Pirate star abused her throughout her marriage and "feared for her life".

It lead the former Pirate actor to get kicked off the franchise and also Fantastic Beasts as he was blacklisted from Hollywood.

 

TLC launched a documentary earlier in the month detailing the relationship of the famous actors now eXposed is expected to highlight various details mentioned during their trial which was publicly screened on YouTube and various outlets.

Viewers on the Openview platform can catch this documentary June 26th at 9pm.

Tshwane TV Goes Dark On StarSat, Should DStv Follow Perhaps?

StarSat continues on its losing streak with another channel set to go off by the end of the month but to be honest Tshwane TV has been a waste and is nothing like Soweto TV or Cape Town TV alongside its sister channel GauTV or at least from what I've seen.

As much as I wanted this channel off air for another reason, it's actually being let go due to contractual issues.

Tshwane TV managed by GauTV's parent company Zallywood Inc. was available on the StarSat and DStv platform from the early 2011/2 offering news, reality shows, educational content and other entertainment.

 
 

Over the years, community channels have tried to modernize their lineup by the means of sports and local dramas outside of your usual free-to-air or pay-tv outlets but they're those brands which seem to have lost touch of reality which is where Tshwane TV comes in.

Notice how most of the content revolves on prophets or preachers and worst part to all this with Zallywood offering two channels they took advantage of GauTV to lure more people into this trio. It wouldn't be surprising if the demise on StarSat occured on DStv at some given point.

 
 

Tshwane TV and GauTV appear to be inactive I mean the hardly updates any viewers regarding upcoming attractions and the closest partnership they've ever done is through a church. Again, would it really be shocking if these channels were to be discontinued on DStv as well?

MultiChoice has religious channels for a reason and not that community channels can't offer them but they were put there to represent their respective and promote their respective community. From what is already implied about the channels, Prophets represent the whole of Gauteng.

The 2002 ‘Scooby-Doo’ Movie Originally Had a Velma and Daphne Kiss and Wrote Velma as ‘Explicitly Gay’

Scooby-Doo has survived so many iterations and many story arcs. But the franchise has lived on this long because that dog is so loved by audiences. Add in the other well-known characters Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, and Velma, and Mystery Incorporated is as iconic as cartoons can get.

The 2002 Scooby-Doo live-action film was a change of pace for the franchise since it was the first live-action version of these characters, but it also aimed at teens rather than kids. Because it originally started off as a PG-13 film, there were a lot of jokes and scenes filmed for the movie that ended up having to be cut when the studio wanted to make it more family-friendly. One of those scenes involved a kiss between Daphne and Velma.

 

An on-screen kiss between Daphne and Velma was cut from ‘Scooby-Doo’

James Gunn, the writer of the live-action 2002 film, has shared a lot of behind-the-scenes info on the movie on Twitter and elsewhere. This is how fans know about the rating change. He even wrote in January that the MPAA gave the movie an R-rating at firstOpens a new window , because of a “misinterpreted” joke.

But even back in 2002, Sarah Michelle Gellar (Daphne), one of the stars of the film, revealed a change. She told Sci-Fi WireOpens a new window that a kissing scene between her and Linda Cardellini (Velma) was cut.

 

“It wasn’t just, like, for fun,” she said. “Initially in the soul-swapping , Velma and Daphne couldn’t seem to get their souls back together in the woods. And so the way they found was to kiss and the souls went back into proper alignment.”

There is a deleted scene from the DVDOpens a new window , where Velma’s body was just taken over by one of the aliens, and Daphne finds her in weird behavior. Velma then turns on her in the locker room. While there’s nothing inappropriate about two women kissing, the studio didn’t want to include it back in 2002.

 

And while this kissing scene was cut, don’t expect to see it, or any other deleted scene that wasn’t already on the DVD.

“Also, for the record I doubt any of those old cuts still exist,” Gunn wrote Opens a new window in January.

Other edits were made to the film to make it more ‘family-friendly’

Another edit that was made on the film involved digitally adding more clothing to Daphne and Velma because apparently too much cleavage was showing.

“They CG’d clothes over @lindacardellini & @SarahMGellar’s cleavage,” Gunn wrote. “But that wasn’t the MPAA, that was the studio, who wanted it more family-friendly. Some parents in test audiences had complained (& this doesn’t contradict my last tweet – I didn’t direct this film)”
Basically, as Gunn already said, he and others had originally set out to make a PG-13 movie, and the studio turned it into a PG film. Whether it was marketed to teens or not, Gunn thinks that the family-friendly additions (and cuts) hurt the second film’s success and stopped a third from ever happening.

“I felt like a lot of teens came out for the first film Opens a new window and didn’t get what they wanted (and didn’t come back for the sequel),” he wrote, saying it was a mistake. “But today I don’t know.”

James Gunn also revealed that he wrote Velma as gay, something she’s been all along

And, as news came out recently, Gunn had initially written Velma as a blatantly lesbian character. Again, it’s not inappropriate by today’s standards, but having a lesbian character in 2002 wasn’t really a common aspect in kids’ movies.

“In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script,” Gunn shared on Twitter on July 12. “But the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel).”

 

The “Velma is gay” narrative is something many fans had picked up on in other iterations of the character, most recently in the 2010 series Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated . And that was, of course, on purpose because Velma was always gay, according to writer and director Tony Cervone wrote recently.

“Marcie and Velma – Mystery Incorporated,” he wrote in a Pride Month post on June 28, along with a picture of Velma and Marcie from his series. He’s worked on several Scooby-Doo projects over the last decade. “I obviously don’t represent every version of Velma Dinkley, but I am one of the key people that represents this one. We made our intentions as clear as we could ten years ago. Most of our fans got it. To those that didn’t, I suggest you look closer. There’s no new news here.”

He later wrote in a comment that the breadcrumbs had always been there. Just because the series never explicitly used the term “gay” or “lesbian,” Velma was very much a part of the LGBTQ community.