Sesame Workshop And Discovery Education Launch Early Learning Channel

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, and Discovery Education, a worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art, K-12 digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place, announced the creation of a new Sesame Workshop-branded early learner channel designed to meet the needs of children from PreK to grade 2. Consistent with Discovery Education’s solutions for schools, the channel will include high-quality video content today’s students know and love, as well as lesson plans and educator resources; interactive games and activities for kids; and family partnership supports—all focused on a whole-child approach.

 

The Sesame Workshop channel, with innovative teaching and learning solutions, will be available in the fall on Discovery Education’s learning platform. Beginning with curricular resources designed to address new and continuing needs associated with interrupted schooling and prioritized by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSR) funding, the content comprises social and emotional development and wellness; foundational academic skills in math and literacy; and a social studies-aligned curriculum focused on positive and healthy identity and sense of belonging. At the center of these resources will be research-based content from across the wide range of Sesame Workshop media, including Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and more.

“Sesame Workshop is committed to ensuring school readiness and helping children develop the emotional, social, and cognitive skills needed to become lifelong learners,” said Akimi Gibson, Vice President & Educational Publisher, Sesame Workshop. “As part of this ongoing commitment, we are thrilled to partner with Discovery Education to distribute proven, cohesive yet flexible PreK-2 curricular resources directly into the hands of schools and the educators of our youngest learners. Discovery Education’s 20+ years of expertise in the learning space and their leadership in delivering high-quality supplemental curriculum at tremendous scale make them an ideal collaborator in our efforts to help all children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”

 
 

“Sesame Workshop’s success can be attributed to its collaborative, research-intensive approach to the development of highly engaging, child-centered media and programs,” said Pete Weir, Chief Product Officer, Discovery Education. “Their offerings reflect both a deep understanding of children’s developmental needs and the best ways to address those needs. We are excited to partner with Sesame Workshop to bring the first dedicated PreK-2 channel to our award-winning K-12 platform, and are eager to collaborate with educators nationwide on their efforts to align their early childhood initiatives, state standards, and kindergarten readiness goals.”

Additional content areas, such as STEAM, healthy habits, and coding are being prioritized through educator feedback and will be added in the future.

FIFA Launches Free Video Streaming Service

World football governing association FIFA has launched an online video streaming service called FIFA+.

The service’s content includes live domestic league games from around the world, an archive of previously-broadcast international football matches, and original productions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said FIFA+ represented the “next step” in the association’s vision to make football “truly global and inclusive” and expand and develop the sport globally.

 
 

“This project represents a cultural shift in the way different types of football fans want to connect with and explore the global game and has been a fundamental part of my Vision 2020-2023.”

“It will accelerate the democratisation of football, and we are delighted to share it with fans.”

FIFA said it would be streaming 40,000 live men’s and women’s football games annually on FIFA+ by year-end. That will include matches from 100 member associations across all six confederations.

The archive section launched with more than 2,500 videos dating back to the 1950s, with more to be added throughout the year.

That will include every FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup match recorded on camera — more than 2,000 hours of footage.

In addition to videos, FIFA+ boasts a match centre with a news feed and data from 400 men’s and 65 women’s competitions.

FIFA said this section would also offer interactive games, including quizzes, fantasy leagues, and predictors.

 
 

FIFA+ Originals will include full-length documentaries, docuseries, talk shows, and shorts, localised in 11 languages.

The current list of original content includes:

- Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man in the World — 90-minute documentary about Ronaldinho’s journey to becoming one of the world’s greatest football players.
- Captains: Season 1 — Follows six captains leading their countries through World Cup qualification.
- Croatia: Defining a Nation —Full-length feature documentary tells story of how football helped unite Croatia.
- HD Cutz — 8-part docuseries with “barber to the stars” Sheldon Edwards.
 

- Dani Crazy Dream — 6-part documentary series on Dali Alves’ journey to the FIFA World Cup 2022.
- Golden Boot — 4-part docuseries with interviewers of the world’s greatest goalscorers.
- Icons — 5-part docuseries on the biggest game-changers in women’s football.
- Academies: Season 1 — Inside story of successful football talent production lines worldwide.

FIFA+ can be streamed via a web browser or mobile device through Android and iOS apps. The platform requires no subscription and is ad-supported.

Disney+ Will Be Made Available To DStv Customers When It Launches In South Africa

MultiChoice has announced that Disney+ will be available on DStv Explora decoders when the streaming service launches in South Africa on 18 May 2022.

“DStv customers can enjoy the benefits of exclusive contract packages and bundle deals, bringing all their entertainment needs to one central place,” the pay-TV provider revealed.

“The partnership with Disney+ leads with an expanded choice of content, ease and convenience of subscription and payment, with the DStv Explora Ultra as an enabler.”

MultiChoice said that “bundle and save” deals are coming soon.

 

Walt Disney confirmed Disney+’s launch dates in 42 new countries and 11 new territories, including South Africa, at the end of March.

Last week it launched pre-registrations for Disney+ in South Africa, offering a year’s subscription for R950.

Disney+’s regular price in South Africa will be R119 per month. An annual subscription will also be available for R1,190 per year.

 

Disney also previously confirmed that its streaming service in South Africa would include the Star content hub when it launches.

Star features TV shows and movies aimed at adult audiences instead of the more family-oriented and franchise-based content elsewhere on Disney+.

The Star hub includes programming from Disney subsidiaries such as FX, Freeform, Hulu, ABC Signature, 20th Television, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and Hollywood Pictures.

Disney+ will feature shows and movies from Marvel, Lucasfilm, and its animation studios.

 

“This is yet another proud milestone in our partnership with the MultiChoice Group,” said Walt Disney Company Africa senior vice president and general manager Christine Service.

“We are delighted to be collaborating to bring South African DStv subscribers access to Disney+’s incredible catalogue of films, series and exclusive content.”

MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela said the partnership would offer an expanded choice of content, and ease and convenience of subscription and payment.

“We are focused on making sure that all our customers can enjoy their favourite shows and movies anywhere, anytime, on our world-class platforms,” said Mawela.

“The digital world has brought with it fundamental shifts and our customers are looking for convenient access to a portfolio of entertainment options.”

Noisy Panda Announces First Music NFT Release

From Bi-Lingual Artist, McGyver

Noisy Panda World (NPW) is taking the NFT and hip-hop music game to a whole new level. As a disruptive digital platform that promotes and supports artists, NPW will be teaming up with McGyver to launch a series of music NFTs for his new single 89’, produced by the legendary Pete Rock. This partnership and NFT introduction is in response to a challenge facing the Music and Technology Industries today.

“89’” is McGyver’s rap single in Dutch and English produced by Pete Rock, a legendary music artist, DJ, and producer who has been in the experimental Hip-Hop game since 1987. It is being released on McGyver’s birthday, celebrating a milestone not only in his life and career, but also music history. With the help of the HeyLayer NFT Marketplace, Noisy Panda and McGyver are birthing a unique way of acquiring NFTs, enjoying music, and navigating the decentralized space.

 

McGyver is a bilingual lyrical force to be reckoned with, and is internationally known for placing 5th at the World Freestyle Championships EOW Prague in 2017. The first ever winner of the End of The Weak Freestyle championship of the Netherlands. Before that he toured with the Collective Classic, a classical orchestra with 6 MCs, and performed for the King and Queen of the Netherlands during their inaugural tour of China in 2013.

“The message behind the single is all about energy. Keep transcending. Doesn't matter what your dreams are, you can transcend everything! You need to keep it real and go and execute, make it real”. A poignant message by McGyver about his upcoming Music NFT release, who has had to face many closed doors but has never quit.

 

Music moves generations and is doing so again, aided by technology, bringing new methodologies and benefits, so that expressions can be heard. Over the past 10-15 years the streaming and social media revolution has enabled artists to define their own digital identity and access a worldwide audience that was previously not available to them without the backing of major labels. NFTs provide a new and unique way of driving this revolution further forward. Artists of all types now have a new income stream that can be derived by utilising current and future art. Fans now have a new way to both support and enjoy their favourite artists, whilst engaging more closely with them via their NFT offerings, a win for everyone.

Support McGyver by finding him on Spotify, Facebook and Instagram.

“89’” the first bi-lingual Single Music NFT Drop can be found on Noisy Panda’s Profile on the

HeyLayer Platform:

https://www.heylayer.com/NoisyPandaNFT

ABOUT NOISY PANDA

Noisy Panda World is a decentralized media streaming platform that utilises block chain technology. Our mission is to empower artists by providing them with the tools to break free from conglomerates. Noisy Panda World is community driven and brings together creative minds - fans and artists alike. While we prepare for launch, check out our NFT collection where we collaborate with global artists.

Roundups #45: High Society Scandal Loses A Timeslot On eExtra, I'll Never Say Goodbye Launches On ST Novelas E Plus And HONEY Rumoured To Be Made Available To DStv Access Customers

The Indians are coming I repeat the Indians are coming

During the past week, the second season of Dokter Ali debuted on eExtra and while the first season only resort to reruns were e.tv the second season came with an omnibus likely in an attempt to align themselves with eVOD or viewers got bored of the duplicated Zee TV offering.

But that's not only adjustment coming to the channel. Apparently, High Society Scandal will lose their 23:00 timeslot but viewers can still catch it at 5:00, 14:05 and 17:30 on eExtra and those on Openview also got a repeat on eXposed.

 
 

Naagin returns for a fourth season and will occupy the timeslot for Blue Venom Girl and the 23:00 spot once reserved for High Society Scandal in the new month.

ST Novelas E Plus on the series I'll Never Say Goodbye

Amid a beautiful Island in the youth, Waldo and Aryaan were once deeply in love. But they are apart by deep tragedy, when Waldo goes to jail after accidentally killing Aryaan's uncle who attempted to molest her.

 

I'll Never Say Goodbye (Magpahanggang Wakas) 2016 Philippine revenge drama television series based on the 1980 film Kastilyong Buhangin. It stars Jericho Rosales, Arci Muñoz and John Estrada.

Media24 might be growing their offering on DStv Access

According to sources, HONEY is currently seen on DStv Premium, Compact+ and Compact will be made available to Family and Access customers in the new month.

 

Honey owned by Media24 is a bold and unscripted lifestyle TV channel created and connected for Africans. It has a mix from lifestyle to reality, food, and culture across the African continent.

Media24 also operates the Afrikaans lifestyle channel Via which is set to get a duplicate channel in the coming weeks likely to replace eExtra when it goes off air by the end of May alongside the other e.tv channels.

The History Of A Former DStv Channel, Carlton's SelecTV

Carlton Select was UK's leading entertainment channel owned by Carlton Television. It originally launched in June 1995 as SelecTV, by the independent production company of the same name, before being purchased by Carlton in 1997 who relaunched it as Carlton Select.

During 1985-1991, the channel was part of a bid for an ITV franchise after the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) prevented them from purchasing Thames Television and were only fortunate to provide a news service to the channel.

 

Other aspects that occurred in that timeframe was the purchase of Ladbrokes (Central), the sports betting company owning up to 30% which finally gave them its first stake in a terrestrial broadcasting company.

During 1992-1994, Carlton launched a news station London News Network as part of a joint venture with London Weekend Television broadcasting news and other regional content and acquired full ownership of Ladbrokes.

They also faced some heavy backlash from the Independent Television Communication (ITC) for providing a wide range of "unimpressive and very disappointing" programmes for the ITV network which were "neither distinctive nor noticeable high quality".

 
 

Between 1995 and 1996, Carlton launched its first channel Carlton Food Network and SelectTV was introduced broadcasting various content from their Food Network alongside other content like Airline, Birds Of A Feather, The Golden Girls and Yesterday's Dreams.

It also formed part of DStv's initial offering when it was introduced in 1995 and was eventually purchased by Pearson a year later.

SelecTV programming traced back to the 80s and Carlton Select was introduced in 1997 as part of an attempt to change the image of the channel of course there was not much difference from either one as the timelines were kind of close to each other.

Things were only moving up for Carlton as they were able to launch DTT platform British Digital Broadcasting as part of a joint venture with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) before having full control as ITC forced BSkyB to retract and purchased a Racks Film Distributor which had  740 films in their collection.

 
 

In 1998, The Guardian publishes a series of articles alleging the wholesale fabrication of a 1996 Carlton documentary, The Connection which had purported to film the route by which heroin was smuggled into the United Kingdom from Colombia. An internal inquiry at Carlton found that The Guardian's allegations were in large part correct and the ITC, fines Carlton £2million for multiple breaches of the UK's broadcasting codes.

Around that period, BSkyB launched their DTT service carrying their set of channels alongside Carlton Select, Carlton Food Network (another DStv channel) and new entries Carlton Kids, Carlton Cinema and Carlton World.

A year after the launch, Carlton began phasing out the company name from all their products and it wasn't until the 2000s that Carlton Select, Carlton World, Carlton Kids were eventually discontinued.

Carlton World followed shortly after and Carlton Food Network became a joint venture with Sainsbury to form Taste CFN which lasted a year leaving Carlton with a movie channel, Carlton Cinema.

 

Carlton partnered up with BSkyB (now Granada PLC or Sky UK) to launch ITV Digital from existing brands and that lasted a few months as well. Granada PLC had various brands which were scrapped for ITV1.

Carlton Cinema ceased transmission and in 2003 the Carlton brand was no more as it merged with Granada PLC to form ITV PLC. All the products from Carlton were credited to ITV.

ITV PLC went on to form an international channel ITV Choice (formerly Granada UKTV, Granada TV and ITV Granada) which some may see as a reincarnation to SelecTV and various other entertainment channels from the two former brands.

Just like every other carnation, ITV Choice was eventually discontinued by 2020 in its last region Africa. There hasn't been a reason for the sudden dismal in various other markets but the local provider in Africa being MultiChoice opted to supply their content to various other channels.

 

ITV Choice brought shows like Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Tipping Point, The Jonathon Ross Show, The Chase and Doc Martin. Modern and original programming that past counterparts had the misfortune of excluding.

In the end, ITV hasn't been successful in the linear space with the likes of BBC and regional providers. Of course, ITV provides various channels in the UK with Ginx TV also being British being the only linear channel available internationally.

But if you look at it the content can be viewed on multiple stations globally so that has to count for something.

Here's Some Details About Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir Season 5

The series takes place in Paris and revolves around the adventures of two teenagers, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste, who transform into their superhero personas, Ladybug and Cat Noir respectively, using magical jewels known as the Miraculous, when evil arises. All the while, Marinette and Adrien struggle with their feelings for each other, not knowing each other's secret identities – Marinette is in love with Adrien but not Cat Noir, while Adrien is in love with Ladybug but not Marinette.

Their main enemy is Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's father, who covets and attempts to steal their jewels. Using the Butterfly Miraculous as the supervillain Hawk Moth, he creates akumas, butterflies infused with negative energy, to transform Paris' everyday citizens into supervillains when they experience negative emotions.

 
 

The series has been renewed for a sixth and seventh season on Disney Channel which is expected to close in more countries for Disney+ meaning those without the streaming service will miss out.

In the fourth season, Hawk Moth gains access to almost all of the Miraculous jewels, although he loses the Peacock jewel to Félix Graham de Vanily, Adrien's aunt's son who is bitter towards the Agrestes. Ladybug and Cat Noir - once again the only two superheroes - have to retrieve the Miraculous back one by one.

When is the fifth season being released?

Season 5 of Miraculous has yet to be announced. Season 5 is expected to debut in 2022, according to rumors. Depending on the circumstances, the season could premiere in the middle of the year or perhaps late in 2022. However, there is no disputing that Season 5 is on the way, with a 2022 release date being a possibility.

 

All of this, however, is pure guesswork because the fifth season may or may not be released in 2022. However, given that the most recent season has just ended, it’s probable that the production team is working round the clock to ensure that the fifth season is ready by the middle of the year and will run until early 2023.

What is the plot of the fifth season?

Miraculous Ladybug season 5 will, of course, be inspired by the events of the fourth season, particularly in terms of the stories of the other characters in the series. The show’s creator, Thomas Astruc, said during the Hashtag Festival 2021 that the location of some episodes in season 5 of Miraculous Ladybug will be changed. It was also speculated that the storyline might wind up focusing on the Agreste family as the season’s central theme, particularly when the series moves from Paris to the Agreste Mansion.

 
 

In that regard, season 5’s main narrative may revolve around the entire Agreste family, which we already know is rather dysfunctional, especially since Adrien is Cat Noir and his father is Shadow-Moth. That said, it’ll be interesting to see how the creators play with the narrative of the father and son duo, who have no idea what each other’s secret identities are. It’s probable that the plot will delve into Gabriel Agreste’s past and motivations.

Season 5 is also expected to focus on Gabriel’s battle with his entire family, especially given his tumultuous connection with Adrien. Adrien could evolve into a villain in Season 5, especially given his relationship with his father.

Credit: Bob Andrews

Roundups #44: Mr. Bean Returns With A New Series On Netflix, Blair's Witch Might Be Getting A Reboot And The Goldbergs Renewed For A Tenth Season On ABC

Rowan Atkinson and Netflix partner up on new series

Netflix has teamed up with the legendary Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson for a mini-series titled Man vs. Bee. The streaming giant shared the first poster of the highly anticipated series, which will feature the British comedy giant in the lead, and it is set for global release on June 24, 2022. The series will also reunite Atkinson with William Davies as writers; the two have previously worked together in Atkinson’s Johnny English trilogy.

The series has been directed by David Kerr, who was also the director of Johnny English Strikes Again. His other directorial credits include Fresh Meat, Inside No. 9, Webb Look and That Mitchell.

 
 

The series’ synopsis reads: “A man finds himself at war with a bee while housesitting a luxurious mansion. Who will win, and what irreparable damage will be done in the process?” The 10-part mini-series will have a runtime of only 10 minutes per episode.

Lionsgate reportedly rebooting Blair's Witch

One of the most iconic horrors of the last half-century, 1999's The Blair Witch Project kick-started the ever-creepy found-footage genre and redefined movie marketing strategies while it was at it.

Grainy, hand-held videotaping aside, most terrifying of all about The Blair Witch Project was that it was promoted as being real-life footage left behind by missing film students, meaning 90s audiences thought what they were witnessing in cinemas was 100% real.

What’s more, the hair-raising flick was filmed on a budget of around $20,000 but recouped approximately $250,000,000.

 

As is often the way, later Blair Witch reboots were less successful, with both 2000’s Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 and 2016’s Blair Witch being panned by critics.

The Goldbergs shocking renewal

The Goldbergs, which recently hit the 200-episode mark, will keep going as ABC has renewed the family comedy for a 10th season.

 

The renewal caps a trying year for The Goldbergs, which follows the challenges, ups, downs, twists and turns in the life of the chaotic but loving titular family during the Reagan era. In the past 13 months, the comedy lost two core cast members: George Segal, who died in March 2021 of complications from bypass surgery, and Jeff Garlin, who exited in December following multiple misconduct allegations and HR investigations.

The Goldbergs opened its current ninth season with the TV family paying tribute to late Albert “Pops” Solomon, who was played by Segal.

Roundups #43: LIMSOT Awards Are Coming To A Screen Near You, Brendon Peel Working On New Magic Show For DStv And Die Kontrak Season 2 Coming Soon To e.tv And eExtra

Another award show

Limpopo Soldiers Of Talent Awards is a project found by Leshole Media Artist which is set to empower successful artists and business creators in the province of Limpopo.

On May 28th, they'll be hosting a live celebration featuring various artists from the province with the only notable figure there being Radio Personality Rustaman Nkusu.

The show is said to broadcast on the following stations:
- Moja Love
- Tshwane TV
- Dumisa TV
- Soweto TV

 
 

Brendan Peel working on a new series

The multi-award-winning magician and illusionist wowed international audiences in Europe, where he received a standing ovation on the set of Romania’s Got Talent.

He most recently kicked off his “Impossible” tour in Pretoria and will travel throughout the country. He is set to visit Durban and his home town of Gqeberha in March as well as other cities.

Through a post, it was confirmed that he was filming a series for DStv which is scheduled to released sometime in May.

 

Die Kontrak coming to eExtra
'Die Kontrak' is the popular TV talent search program where a record contract from the prestigious Coleske group can be released. The program premiered in 2018 and Demi Lee Moore was announced as the winner.

Now it's time for another singer with a big dream to come true and the mentors have only two weeks, before entries close on April 29, to select their contestants from the online entries to become part of the Top 26 .

 
 

'The Contract' has four mentors, each of whom will eventually coach only two participants.

When the program starts airing on eExtra in August, all of the mentors' participants will each receive an unsigned Coleske record deal and compete against each other to retain that contract. After each episode, the Big Boss will tear up one contestant's contract until he finally gives that signature that will change a life.

After A Month, Warner Bros. Discovery Scraps CNN+ And Merges It With HBO Max And Discovery+

CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most significant developments in the history of CNN, will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched.

CNN+ customers "will receive prorated refunds of subscription fees," the company said.

The decision was made by new management after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this month.

 

The prior management team's vision for CNN+ runs counter to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's plan to house all of the company's brands under one streaming service. Some CNN+ programming may eventually live on through that service. Other programming will shift to CNN's main television network.

"In a complex streaming market, consumers want simplicity and an all-in service which provides a better experience and more value than stand-alone offerings, and, for the company, a more sustainable business model to drive our future investments in great journalism and storytelling," Discovery's streaming boss J.B. Perrette said in a statement.

"We have very exciting opportunities ahead in the streaming space and CNN, one of the world's premier reputational assets, will play an important role there," Perrette added.

 

Perrette and incoming CNN CEO Chris Licht notified staffers of the decision in a meeting on Thursday afternoon. Licht bluntly told employees it was a "uniquely shitty situation."

Hundreds of CNN+ staffers may lose their jobs. Licht said in an internal memo that "all CNN+ employees will continue to be paid and receive benefits for the next 90 days to explore opportunities at CNN, CNN Digital and elsewhere in the Warner Bros. Discovery family."

Staffers who aren't absorbed elsewhere in the company will receive a minimum of six months of severance, he added.

An agent for one CNN+ host, who was set to anchor a weekly show on the streaming service, described their client's program at the network as facing an uncertain future. "It's all TBD," the person said.

 

But the agent added that the network has gone out of its way to make clear that it is committed to finding roles for CNN+ hosts.

Licht said in a town hall style meeting with staffers that "this was an incredibly successful launch" but simply incompatible with the newly merged company's plans.

"It is not your fault that you had the rug pulled out from underneath you," he said as he vowed to minimize the impacts to staff.

One CNN+ staffer at the town hall described the sentiment as "total and utter shock" that morphed into despair.

"At first people were really freaking out," explained the person, who requested anonymity to candidly describe the situation. "And then, toward the end of the meeting, it just turned to sadness. Every team was just huddling with each other."

 

During the town hall, Perrette expressed some frustration with the "prior leadership" of CNN, which was led by Jeff Zucker until February, and WarnerMedia, which was led by Jason Kilar until early April.

"Some of this was avoidable," he said, but "prior leadership decided to just keep going" with the planned March launch of CNN+ despite the impending merger, he said.

The streaming service ended up launching just two weeks before the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger completed, much to the exasperation of Discovery leadership, which had a different strategy but could not legally communicate with CNN executives before the deal was official.

 

Warner Bros. Discovery has billions in debt, much of which is a result of the deal to combine the company, and executives are under pressure to find $3 billion in savings that Wall Street is expecting from them.

The executive vice president in charge of CNN+ and all of CNN's digital businesses, Andrew Morse, who worked closely with Kilar and Zucker, will depart the company after a transition period.

In a note to employees, Morse described his nine years at CNN as an "incredible ride" and said, "As the company enters an exciting period of change, it's clear that the vision the new leadership has for the future is different than the one we've had. That's OK. That's all part of change."

Licht said in the town hall that he wanted Morse to stay, but respected the decision.

 

Alex MacCallum, the head of product and general manager of CNN+, will run CNN Digital and work with Licht "to determine a leadership strategy going forward," the company said in a press release.

On Thursday afternoon, CNN+ employees housed on the 16th floor of Hudson Yards, the network's New York headquarters, broke out whiskey and wine to commiserate.

The decision to shut down CNN+ just weeks after it launched marked a stunning end to the streaming news service. Executives had touted the application as the most significant launch since Ted Turner founded CNN in 1980.

CNN had poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the new streaming app and lured top talent from other networks for it, including Kasie Hunt from NBC and Chris Wallace from Fox News.

The streaming service featured hours of daily live programming and weekly shows.

That programming will continue to stream through the end of the month.

Roundups #42: Pablo Renewed For A Third Season On CBeebies, When Billie Met Lisa Begins Streaming On Disney+ And Peacock Working On Live-Action Series For Casper Scare School

Pablo continues on CBeebies

BBC Children’s has greenlit a third season of CBeebies animated series Pablo, which has a new look and narrative focus to resonate with all kid viewers, not just those on the autism spectrum.

The 52 x 11-minute season finds its titular star Pablo— now eight years old—heading off to school. (He was five at the end of season two.) Pablo’s older age will be reflected in the series’ animation style, which has moved away from a flat 2D look with the addition of mixed-media elements including 3D animation and photo-real textures.

 
 

Development of the third season was funded by BBC Children’s, NI Screen and CAKE, Pablo‘s international distributor.

Billie Eilish makes an appearance on The Simpsons

Billie Eilish and Finneas will star in a new Simpsons short on Disney+. The short, called “When Billie Met Lisa,” will premiere on Friday, April 22.

A press release provides the following description of the short episode:

In “When Billie Met Lisa,” Lisa Simpson is discovered by chart-topping artists Billie Eilish and Finneas while searching for a quiet place to practice her saxophone. Billie invites Lisa to her studio for a special jam session she’ll never forget.

 

The Weeknd was recently featured on a new episode of The Simpsons called “Bart the Cool Kid.”

 

Casper is coming to Peacock

Casper the Friendly Ghost is coming back to television in a brand new incarnation reminiscent of Riverdale ‘s darker interpretation of the Archie comics. Peacock is developing Casper, a live-action, horror/adventure series, which reimagines the origin of Casper in a coming-of-age story that explores what it means to be alive.

Set in high school, Casper is written/executive produced by The Ghost Bride head writer Kai Yu Wu. In it, when a new family arrives in the small town of Eternal Falls, Casper finds himself entangled in a mystery uncovering dark secrets that have been buried for over 100 years.

Nickelodeon Had A Sports Channel

Nickelodeon is a channel known for many things they've usually been able to balance live-action with cartoons while making sure there's something for everyone. Things may have changed when they put all their eggs in a basket with SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House but you can't really blame them with how famous they are.

Nickelodeon likes to play it safe, what they're currently offering isn't the same from what was seen a decade or two. Let's dive into one of the topics from the previous decade, NickGas.

Nickelodeon's Games And Sports For Kids (NickGas), originally debuting on the main channel it served as a programming block airing what the name implies game shows. By 1999, they decided to turn this block into an official channel of the same name.

 

One of the most memorable shows there at the time was Nickelodeon's GUTS where players compete against each other in extreme sports. It was well received lasting a few years on air and getting a decent audience.

This was some of the other content you'd find different from Nickelodeon. Other programs available on the channel included Legends Of The Hidden Temple which centred on a lost treasure protected by guards where players would have to walk into a temple answering questions about history.

Legend Of The Hidden Temples was conceived in the 90s and not all the content was necessarily new if you wanted such the bumpers would help. The channel also featured a bunch of segments recommending people to sports or games. It was one of the few brands where you wouldn't mind watching a commercial.

 

Although being another Nicktoons, NickGas had shorts which kept audiences glued to the screen. Of course, all good things must come to an end.

There was no official reason for its discontinuation on December 2007. However the end only became the beginning as it transformed into TeenNick which is just Nicktoons but for live-action shows or content for older kids.

Although the channel is dead, NickGas has been referenced on several occasions take for instance The Loud House had an episode on one of their programs Double Dare. Some of the content found under the brand were often revived for the modem era.

Discovery Family Ceases Transmission In France, Could Africa And The Rest Of EMEA Follow?

Earlier in the month, consumers in France were able to confirm that Discovery Family operated by the newly formed company Warner Bros. Discovery had allegedly been discontinued as of March 29, 2022 which is close to the time it launched in Africa.

Just like Africa, Discovery Family wasn't a kids channel in France and offered content already viewed on other brands. From what I heard, the only reason it launched in France was because of how successful it was in Africa.

Over the years, the channel has hit a bit of a dry spell but that's not the reason for its termination in France and very likely Africa.

According to sources, Discovery Inc. made the decision to terminate the channel as part of their merger with WarnerMedia to form Warner Bros. Discovery.

 

A few weeks ago, there was somewhat of a leak about this company in terms of management and TLC was folded under WarnerMedia as they're in charge of general entertainment while Discovery Inc. manages the factual and lifestyle.

Discovery Family is in general entertainment category and the only other repeat channel from the former Discovery Inc. is Real Time but that's regarded as factual and lifestyle channel.

If anything Real Time has a better shot of remaining in Africa or both could be terminated in an attempt to reduce redundancy and also there's the matter of Discovery+ which will give viewers plenty of time to binge old content.

Discovery Family and Real Time have been on opposite ends with Discovery Family being the eldest made it challenging for Real Time to gain any traction. The demise of Family actually benefits Real Time in terms of viewership.

Both brands have been sharing a batch of content particularly in the wildlife and food section so viewers won't be missing much as there's always Discovery Channel for adrenaline junkies.

 

Replacement for Discovery Family

In France, the content seen on the channel has since then moved to Discovery Channel, Discovery Science and Investigation Discovery. Except in Africa, Discovery Science is not on DStv and just like France they too are missing out on Animal Planet.

In 2017, MultiChoice stripped consumers of Animal Planet for the bloated Real Time so that channel is out of the equation but Discovery Science hasn't been seen on the platform.

In 2018, StarTimes replaced Discovery Science with Discovery Family until that got discontinued so could DStv perhaps do a switcheroo and perhaps extend the reach of Discovery Channel to Compact customers for the adrenaline lovers.

Roundups #41: WildEarth TV Now Available On Plex And Rad NFTV, Maya Erskine Joins Donald Glover In ‘Mr. And Mrs. Smith’ Series At Amazon And Botched Season 7B Launches On E! Africa

Plex, Rad NFTV to carry WildEarth FAST channel

Natural history-focused FAST channel WildEarth TV has launched on Plex, the AVoD and live-streaming service, and Rad NFTV, which claims to be the first streamer powered by non-fungible tokens.

WildEarth TV offers wildlife content 24/7, featuring eight hours of live programming a day, including twice-daily live safaris direct from locations including South Africa’s Djuma Game Reserve. Other live experiences include broadcasts studying the African penguin colonies on the Cape Coast and the wildebeest migrations in Kenya’s Maasai Mara reserve.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Smith TV series adaptation is in the works

Maya Erskine will star opposite Donald Glover in the upcoming “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” series at Amazon.

Erskine takes over the co-starring role from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who had originally been set to star alongside Glover but departed the project last year due to creative differences. Glover revealed the new casting in an interview.

The series is based on Doug Liman’s feature of the same name starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The pair played rival spies that discover they have been contracted to assassinate each other. According to Glover, he is currently writing the finale for the series.

Erskine is best known for co-creating, starring in, executive producing and co-showrunning the Hulu comedy series “PEN15.” The show was nominated for multiple Emmys throughout its two-season run, including one for best comedy series and two for best writing for a comedy series for Erskine as well as Anna Konkle and Stacy Osei-Kuffour. Her other TV roles include “Man Seeking Woman” and “Casual,” with Erskine recently working on films such as “Scoob!” and “Wine Country.” She will next be seen in the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series at Disney Plus.

 

Paul and Terry are back for more intensifying surgeries

In the quest for perfection, some people’s efforts to improve their appearance can leave them with surprising results. World-renowned plastic surgeons Terry Dubrow and Paul Nassif continue to fix the unfixable, as their seventh season of correcting plastic surgery nightmares continues this April on E!.

Season 7B premieres Sunday 24 April at 20:00

The Count Of Monte Cristo: The Story That Inspired eMedia's Is'phindiselo, Telemundo's The Boss And ABC's Revenge

Edmond Dantès, a handsome, promising young sailor, skillfully docks the three-masted French ship, the Pharaon, in Marseilles after its captain died en route home. As a reward, Dantès is promised a captainship, but before he can claim his new post and be married to his fiancée, Mercédès', a conspiracy of four jealous and unsavory men arrange for him to be seized and secretly imprisoned in solitary confinement in the infamous Chateau d'If, a prison from which no one has ever escaped. The four men responsible are:

 

1. Fernand Mondego, who is jealous of Mercédès' love for Dantès;
2. Danglars, the purser of the Pharaon, who covets Dantès' promised captainship;
3. Caderousse, an unprincipled neighbor; and
4. Villefort, a prosecutor who knows that Dantès is carrying a letter addressed to Villefort's father; the old man is a Bonapartist who would probably be imprisoned by the present royalist regime were it not for his son's, Villefort's, influence. Villefort fears, however, that this letter might damage his own position, and so he makes sure, he thinks, that no one ever hears about either Dantès or the letter again.

For many years, Dantès barely exists in his tiny, isolated cell; he almost loses his mind and his will to live until one day he hears a fellow prisoner burrowing nearby. He too begins digging, and soon he meets an old Abbé who knows the whereabouts of an immense fortune, one that used to belong to an immensely wealthy Italian family.

Dantès and the Abbé continue digging for several years, and from the Abbé, Dantès learns history, literature, science, and languages, but when at last they are almost free, the Abbé dies. Dantès hides his body, then sews himself in the Abbé's burial sack. The guards arrive, carry the sack outside, and heave the body far out to sea.

Dantès manages to escape and is picked up by a shipful of smugglers, whom he joins until he can locate the island where the treasure is hidden. When he finally discovers it, he is staggered by the immensity of its wealth. And when he emerges into society again, he is the very rich and very handsome Count of Monte Cristo.

Monte Cristo has two goals — to reward those who were kind to him and his aging father, and to punish those responsible for his imprisonment. For the latter, he plans slow and painful punishment. To have spent fourteen years barely subsisting in a dungeon demands cruel and prolonged punishment.

As Monte Cristo, Dantès ingeniously manages to be introduced to the cream of Parisian society, among whom he goes unrecognized. But Monte Cristo, in contrast, recognizes all of his enemies — all now wealthy and influential men.

Fernand has married Mercédès and is now known as Count de Morcerf. Monte Cristo releases information to the press that proves that Morcerf is a traitor, and Morcerf is ruined socially. Then Monte Cristo destroys Morcerf's relationship with his family, whom he adores. When they leave him, he is so distraught that he shoots himself.
To revenge himself on Danglars, who loves money more than anything else, Monte Cristo ruins him financially.

To revenge himself on Caderousse, Monte Cristo easily traps Caderousse because of his insatiable greed, then watches as one of Caderousse's cohorts murders him.

 

To revenge himself on Villefort, Monte Cristo slowly reveals to Villefort that he knows about a love affair that Villefort had long ago with the present Madame Danglars. He also reveals to him, by hints, that he knows about an illegitimate child whom he fathered, a child whom Villefort believed that he buried alive. The child lived, however, and is now engaged to Danglars' daughter, who is the illegitimate young man's half-sister.

Ironically, Villefort's wife proves to be even more villainous than her husband, for she poisons the parents of Villefort's first wife; then she believes that she has successfully poisoned her husband's daughter by his first marriage. With those people dead, her own son is in line for an enormous inheritance. Villefort, however, discovers his wife's plottings and threatens her, and so she poisons herself and their son. At this point, Dantès is half-fearful that his revenge has been too thorough, but because he is able to unite two young people who are very much in love and unite them on the Isle of Monte Cristo, he sails away, happy and satisfied, never to be seen again.

Roundups #40: Donkey Hodie Renewed For A Second Season On PBS Kids, New Competition Show Gogo For The Gold Coming In May To OUTtv And Captain Marvel Joins Fast And The Furious 10

Donkey Hodie to get a second season

PBS Kids has greenlit Season 2 of Donkey Hodie , a puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Produced by Fred Rogers Productions in collaboration with Spiffy Pictures, the series is a social-emotional learning series for kids ages 3-5 emphasizing skills to promote resilience, persistence, and problem solving. The new season will consist of 25 half-hour episodes including two specials and is slated to debut in 2023.

Donkey Hodie is set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else. The puppet series follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic and charming go-getter and her pals: Purple Panda, her loyal and empathetic best friend; Duck Duck, a practical, quick-witted young; and Bob Dog, an energetic and eager canine.

“Since its premiere last year, Donkey Hodie has brought engaging stories full of fun, humor, and important life lessons to kids across the country, helping them to see a world of possibilities,” shared Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “We couldn’t be happier to bring a second season of adventures from Donkey and her friends to PBS Kids.”

Jonny McGovern Go Goes For The Gold

It has been over two decades since Jonny McGovern’s moniker The Gay Pimp hit the New York scene with pointed comedy, raunchy gay-themed music videos, and a mission to stir sh*t up. That, he certainly has. Though his modern-day approach to media is less youth-inspired angst, his political, social, and pop culture views are no less visceral and continue to push the envelope. Not afraid to share his opinion, he is more concerned about entertaining and getting his message across than he is in being politically correct, even towards the LGBTQ community. After years of staying ahead of the LGBTQ media curve, this talk show host, podcaster, comedian, writer, producer, and musician is not concerned with who does or doesn’t like him – and his fans can’t get enough.

He debuts his latest project, Go-Go for the Gold for OutTV this May with comments about the show:
"The show is a tongue-in-cheek look for “America’s #1 Champion Gogo Superstar.” It’s a reality competition show based on my many years working in nightlife with go-go boys. It’s so fun, so hilarious and sexy, but has a lot of heart. It really highlights the creativity and ingenuity of go-go boys and shows a wide spectrum of sexy, inclusive of different body types, and a wide range of ethnicities and gender expressions which we all thought was very important to spotlight on the show."

 

Brie Larson is now part of the fast franchise

In an Instagram post by Actor Vin Diesel it was confirmed that actress, Brie Larson will be part of the upcoming Fast and Furious 10 movie, which is set to debut in May of 2023. This new installment of the Fast and Furious franchise marks 22 years since the original movie debuted in June of 2001.

Vin Diesel has been a part of the Fast and Furious movie franchise since the original movie. With work starting on the 10th movie it's clear that his excitement for the franchise is still strong, based on the passionate words in his Instagram post which highlights their newest cast member Brie Larson.

“Yeah yeah yeah… you see this angel over my shoulder cracking me up, you say to your self “ that’s Captain Marvel”. Clearly, there is love and laughter in this image. What you don’t see, however, is the character you will be introduced to in Fast10. You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology. Beyond her beauty, her intellect… her Oscar, haha is this profound soul who will add something you might not have expected but yearned for. Welcome to the FAMILY Brie.”