The Controversial History Of WWE's Most Prestigious Wrestlers, The Fabulous Moolah

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Roundups #79: Eragon Live-Action Series In Development For Disney+, iCarly Renewed On Paramount+ For Season 3 And Upcoming Disney Channel Series Hamster And Gretel Gets Season 2 Renewal

Eragon coming to Disney+

Disney+ is developing a live-action television series adaptation of Eragon, based on Christopher Paolini’s popular YA book series The Inheritance Cycle. Eragon is the first book in the series.

Paolini will co-write the series and executive produce with Bert Salke executive producing via his Co-Lab 21 banner as part of his deal with Disney Television Studios. 20th Television is the studio.

In the series adaptation, a teenage boy becomes magically joined with a newly-hatched dragon. Together, they must learn what it means to be dragon and Rider as they fight in the resistance against a tyrannical king.

iCarly remains active

iCarly fans can breathe easy: It appears the major Creddie cliffhanger at the end of Season 2 will be resolved. Paramount+ said Wednesday that it has renewed the hit revival series iCarly for a third season. Production will get underway later this year for a 2023 premiere on Paramount+.

The original iCarly series, produced by Nickelodeon, ran from 2007-2012. Starring Cosgrove, Trainor, Kress and Jennette McCurdy, it followed a group of best friends creating a webcast while grappling with everyday problems and adventures. During its original run, iCarly became a pop-culture staple and regularly broke viewership records among audiences of all ages.

iCarly is produced by Nickelodeon Studios and is executive produced by Ali Schouten-Seeks (Young & Hungry, Diary of a Future President) and Cosgrove, with Schouten serving as showrunner. Trainor, Kress and Alissa Vradenburg (The Simple Life) serve as producers.

Upcoming show gets season 2 on Disney Channel

Hamster And Gretel is the upcoming new cartoon on Disney Afternoon Mornings on Disney Channel along with Big City Greens,Amphibia,The Owl House Specials,The Ghost And Molly McGee and Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur and we have more exclusive news

3 months ago series writter Jim Bernstein confirmed that the series will debut in 2022 after that we got contacted by Jim and he told us thats the expected date for the crew to air, but the month and day is still to be decided by Disney.

Yesterday Dan Povenmire answered some questions on Tik Tok where he answered that the series is coming in 2022, however month is still to be decided, our best bet is Fall 2022 like The Ghost And Molly McGee with a Season 2 Renewal, Chibi Tiny Tales, Soundtrack, Guest Star List and Disney Channel FanShop Merch.

New WWE Network Series Premiering Amidst SummerSlam Weekend

WWE took to YouTube earlier today to release the trailer for their new upcoming show on the WWE Network and Peacock TV. The show is called “This is Awesome” and will focus on moments in WWE’s past that made fans shocked, totally speechless, and even brought to tears.

This is Awesome will be hosted by Greg Miller and different WWE superstars as they go back and check out moments throughout WWE history that made the WWE fans chant, “This is awesome!” Some potentially awesome moments were referenced in the trailer as we saw glimpses of Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24, ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, and Ms. Elizabeth’s wedding, TLC 2, and The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

 

This is Awesome will join shows already on the WWE Network and Peacock TV, such as WWE Evil, Ruthless Aggression, Table for 3, and Stone Cold’s Broken Skull Sessions. How many episodes we will see, how long each episode will be, etc., is unknown, as not much is known about the series beyond the premise.

For those who don’t know Greg Miller, he is an internet celebrity and voice actor, best known for his time in IGN, where he hosted some of their podcasts, most notably, Up At Noon. Miller also started his own YouTube channel, GamesOverGreggy, which he and a couple of his former IGN coworkers rebranded to Kinda Funny. Kinda Funny is also the name used for the company that Miller and his coworkers started in 2015. Miller also has voice-acted in many video games, namely the Lego games. He appeared in Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 as Howard the Duck, Lego DC Super-Villians as Polka-Dot Man, and Lego Marvel’s Avengers as the voice of Aldrich Killian. Miller has also provided voice work for Oddworld: Soulstorm and The Solitaire Conspiracy.

WWE’s “This is Awesome” debuts on Peacock TV in the US and the WWE Network everywhere else this Friday.

Marvel Reveals Phase 6 MCU Plans, Including 2 New Avengers Films

After beginning its Saturday Comic-Con panel by revealing that Phase 4 will end with this year's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios blew through Phase 5 announcements, right into its post-2024 plans with some Phase 6 updates.

Yes, that's right, we got updates on three Marvel Cinematic Universe phases from Marvel.

Similar to The Infinity Saga -- the name given at the end of Phase 3 to refer to the first phases of films -- the next trio now has a name of its own (thanks in part, we assume, to Kang!): The Multiverse Saga.

 

Just three films were shown onscreen during the Phase 6 announcement, however, including two Avengers films:
•Fantastic Four will release Nov. 8, 2024
•Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on May 2, 2025
•Avengers: Secret Wars on Nov. 7, 2025

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Deadline after the panel that the Russo brothers aren't involved with the next Avengers project. Feige also declined to name the "thematics" of the announced phases, telling Deadline that the studio doesn't usually like to discuss each phase until it's complete, because "all of our stories are both interconnected and hopefully stand apart."

We may also get more insight into those open dates at D23 this September, but for now, we might as well bask in the possibilities. Earlier in panel, Marvel announced its Phase 5 schedule as well:
 

•Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania : Feb, 17, 2023
•Secret Invasion (Disney Plus show) : Spring 2023
•Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: May 5, 2023
•Echo (Disney Plus show) : Summer 2023
•Loki, season 2 (Disney Plus show): Summer 2023
•The Marvels: July 28, 2023
•Ironheart (Disney Plus show) : Fall 2023
•Blade: Nov. 3, 2023
•Agatha, Coven of Chaos (Disney Plus show, name changed from Agatha: House of Harkness): Winter 2023-24
•Daredevil: Born Again (Disney Plus show) : Spring 2024
•Captain America: New World Order : May 3, 2024
•Thunderbolts: July 26, 2024

We'll have a lot of Marvel to get through in the coming years.

Russia's RT Channel To Launch South African Hub

Russia's RT channel has embarked on expansion plans in Africa, starting to set up headquarters on the continent in South Africa where the Kremlin-funded TV channel is carried and supported by China.

Paula Slier, the South African TV reporter who previously worked for SABC News and who was posted in Jerusalem, Israel, as RT's correspondent for that region, is now overseeing the set-up of RT's African headquarters in South Africa and will be managing the bureau.

On Monday an RT spokesperson told News24 ; "We are indeed currently focused on developing our English-language Africa hub in South Africa, headed up by Paula Slier – a South Africa native, RT's longtime correspondent and formerly head of RT's Jerusalem bureau".

"We will be releasing more updates about the particulars of this operation at the appropriate time," RT said.

 

According to an insider, the RT South African newsroom is currently being set up although it's still unclear how many South African staff, camera operators and reporters RT plans to hire as it takes a page from the playbook of what other global TV news channels like CNN International, Al Jazeera, BBC World News and China's pro-Beijing CGTN have done in Africa.

The African expansion of Russia's state-backed TV channel comes amid Russia's unprovoked invasion and ongoing war in Ukraine and widespread global condemnation of the pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine misinformation and propaganda on the channel over the past few months.

RT banned by EU
Earlier this year RT was banned by the European Union (EU), as well as in Canada and in the United Kingdom by Britain's broadcasting regulator Ofcom.

Imposed EU sanctions also meant that RT abruptly went dark in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa on 2 March. This was the date when Luxembourg-based companies like Intelsat and SES SA flipped the kill-switch on the satellite uplinking of RT's channel feed to their satellite transponders like Intelsat's IS-20 on which a pay-TV operator like the Randburg-based MultiChoice leases bandwidth to bring the channel to DStv subscribers.

 

Google and other companies also blocked the propaganda channel's YouTube streaming.
Two-and-a-half months later, RT surprisingly flickered back on South African TV screens on 11 May – this time thanks to Chinese support.

The MultiChoice pay-TV rival, StarTimes Media – running the StarSat pay-TV service in South Africa and StarTimes elsewhere in Africa – added RT to its TV channels line-up in mid-May, using SES S.A.'s SES-5 satellite transponder on which StarTimes/StarSat is leasing space.

SES S.A. is a satellite and terrestrial telecommunications network provider also based in Luxembourg in Europe. SES S.A. told News24 that it "engaged with European regulatory bodies to suspend the distribution of specific Russia Today channels and Sputnik across Europe" and had turned off the designated signals on 2 March.

"While the channel in question – Russia Today Global – is being delivered via SES-5 (a satellite that SES owns) over sub-Saharan Africa, it is our customer who has leased our bandwidth and is distributing the channel over the leased capacity."
"SES also notes that this channel is not one that has been banned by the European Union."

 

"We have been engaging with our customers and regulatory authorities to assess both what we can do and must do under the various legal regimes to which we are subject. SES is prepared to take immediate action and implement any instructions we receive from regulatory authorities,” the company said.

StarTimes told the press in May that as a pay-TV service it "takes pride in sourcing relevant and current content to enhance our packages, thus we regard RT Global as a 24-hour English-language news channel that focuses on all major economic, political and social issues of our time".

Move from Kenya to SA
While RT's original plan was to get a localised foothold on the African continent by establishing its African bureau in Nairobi, Kenya where the African headquarters of China's CGTN has also been set up and based for the past few years, RT has now switched from the East African country to South Africa where it won't be directly competing with CGTN for newsroom resources.

It's unclear if RT's move away from Kenya to South Africa to set up its first localised African hub is possibly a tit-for-tat move to get out of CGTN's way, after StarTimes' decision to sign a channel carriage agreement to showcase RT on channel 260 of the Chinese pay-TV platform.

In February RT still posted adverts for journalist positions who would have had to work and be based in Nairobi.

The RT spokesperson didn't comment on the African location change, how many South African staff RT plans to hire, or why RT is interested in creating a regional headquarter in Africa.

Roundups #77: Teen Titans Renewed For Season 8, Die Put Season 2 Returns To Replace The Shortlived Die Binnekring On eExtra And Zee World's Upcoming Series Luck In My Fate Gets A New Title Unfortunate Love

Teen Titans GO! returns for more adventures

Teen Titans Go! Season 8 has been renewed for Season 8 by Cartoon Network. The original television series, named Teen Titans ran from 2003 to 2006. The eighth season will bring characters like Beard Hunter and King Shark, and many others. The upcoming season will make a new record, as 'Teen Titans Go!' will be the longest-running animated series in DC history. Fans will see Teen Titans Go! cross its 400 episodes.

Sam Register said, "The undeniable success of Teen Titans Go!, with its signature blend of action and subversive superhero humor, is a testament to the phenomenal work of executive producer Pete Michail and the show team."

"Seven seasons, one theatrical feature film, multiple specials, celebrity cameos, and no end in sight, this show has carved out its own lane in the acclaimed legacy established by the original Teen Titans animated series," he added.

 

Die Put renewed for second season

Doodsondes will be returning to e.tv for the fourth season when Droomvelore concludes in August. Also in the lineup for the month will be a new game show Die Kontrak and a brand new season of Die Put on eExtra.

In season 2, When the Koçovalı Family left Çukur, a formation that called themselves Karakuzular suddenly occupied the derelict Çukur. This group, led by Çeto and Mahsun, makes Çukur even more uncanny than it really is. They commit a massacre at the wedding of Celasun and Akşın, in the village house where Vartolu left to start a new life, in the coffeehouse where İdris, Emmi, and Paşa wanted to build a new pit. Nedret Koçovalı, Acar Koçovalı, Muhittin, and Paşa died as a result of these massacres.

Die Put airs weekdays at 21:30 on eExtra from 25 August.

 

eMedia Investments is currently hosting a competition dedicated to their Kuiertyd audience where they can win a trip to Istanbul home to the glamour, glitz and luxury of the Turkish series seen amongst their platforms.

Twist Of Fate's third spinoff arrives to Zee World

After months and months of waiting on the third instalment to the popular drama Twist Of Fate, Luck In My Fate. The series will finally make a debut on the channel under the title Unfortunate Love making it the first series to avoid the "Fate" brand.

Unfortunate Love tells the story of a small-town girl who will believe in dreams and love. She gets married to a young billionaire and her hopes will be shattered when she will learn that their marriage is part of a deal between their families.

Aishwarya Khare and Rohit Suchanti take on the lead roles of Lakshmi Rishi Oberoi (née Bajwa) and Rishi Oberoi. Other supporting characters include Munira Kudrati as Shalini “Shalu” Bajwa, Aman Gandhi as Ayushmann “Ayush” Chopra and Maera Mishra as Malishka Bedi.

The series is said to replace I Do when it goes on production break in the coming months.

Learn More About Zee World And Zee One's New Local Talk Show What Women Want With Revati Priya

Revati Priya, a young female entrepreneur that strongly stands for assisting women grow and take their businesses to newer heights, thus taking me to found a company called “What Women Want with Revati Priya”.

At What Women Want we offer a host of services ranging from Graphic Design, Digital and Print marketing, Social Media marketing and management, TV Production via our TV Show “What Women Want” and Photography and Videography, all offered at super affordable rates.

 

As a young proactive, detail-orientated and self-motivated female entrepreneur my aim is to assist businesses with growing via digital platforms and growing their women empowerment sector by hosting annual events, networking sessions, development and strategy programs to assist ladies in achieving their goals and dreams.

As dedicated hands-on team player possessing strong interpersonal expertise I build positive, sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders and communicate confidently and engagingly at all levels. I can add immense value to any organisation taking full entrepreneurial ownership in growing the brand via all sorts of marketing and taking the women of the organisation to newer levels.

What Women Want airs Fridays at 17:30 on Zee One and almost 24 hours later on Saturday at 12:00 on Zee World.

Angel Of The Poor Or Narco Saint, A Look Into Jesùs Malverde

In Mexico's northwest, between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the state of Sinaloa has been called the "cradle of the biggest [drug] traffickers Mexico as ever known." Its state capital, Culiacán, is the drug capital of the entire country. An average of two to three drug-related deaths are reported daily, and the drug violence between police and rival drug gangs is commonplace in the city. The children idolize either Culiacán native Julio César Chávez or the macho traffickers. However, just around the corner of the statehouse, on the wrong side of the railway tracks, a shrine exists as an amalgamation of the region's narcocultura and its Catholicism. There, homage is paid to Jesús Malverde, also called the narco-saint. A constant stream of people can usually be found there, placing candles near busts, leaving framed photographs of loved ones they wish healing or protection upon. One can pay for music to be played in thanks for bountiful harvests of marijuana and poppy, in hopes for a safe drug run up north, or for a timely cure for someone's illness.

According to one legend, Jesús Malverde was a Robin Hood figure of the early 1900's who was hanged by the governor. He himself did not traffic drugs, but after his death his reputation for working miracles drew faith strongest among Sinaloa's poor and highland residents, the classes from which narco-traffickers emerged. Malverde has become the patron saint for many drug smugglers, though the local diocese says the Malverde chapel is an embarrassment. The priests lament the glorification of a man who robbed and killed, though citizens of Sinaloa have found it harder to have faith in a political system that enforces a drug war responsible for the many deaths of their own people. Historians cannot seem to find documentation of his existence, but even still miracles such as the healing of the blind and crippled, the returning of lost cattle, and the saving of a drowning man have been attributed to him. One theory is that the governor who wanted him arrested actually invented the Malverde legend to keep in check the abuses by his more brutal hacienda owners. If that is true, it is highly doubtful the governor could have envisioned the cultural iconography he inspired.

 

Today at Malverde shrine, visitors rub concrete busts with his fabled image; dark eyes, black hair, thick mustache, square jaw, and ever-expressionless face. People from Southwest America and all over Mexico come to visit the shrine and pray. Sometimes they are housewives having taken an 11-hour bus ride solely for the purpose of grateful prayer and sometimes they are drug runners on a detour, asking not to be shot again. The poor and those made wealthy in the drug smuggling industry come together at this place to be blessed by Jesús Malverde. Corridos dedicated to his memory can be bought on cassette tape, and velvet paintings and busts are sold to bring his likeness home, along with trinkets, medallions, and cards. The many ballads written in his honor portray him to be a contemporary Heraclio Bernal, a nineteenth century bandit often sung about in corridos, also from Sinaloa.

When the statehouse was being built during the 1970s over the original site of the shrine, opposition was so fierce that Sinaloan officials had to provide land for a larger, roofed chapel. Ethnographer Sam Quiñones writes:

They say all of Culiacán turned out to see the demolition of the pile of pebbles that supposedly marked the place where Malverde was buried. They say, too, that the pebbles began to jump like popcorn and that the bulldozer operator had to get drunk to have the guts to roll over it and that finally the machine broke down when it touched the grave.

Roundups #76: The Boys Spinoff Gets Official Title, The Little Mermaid Preschool Series Is Rumoured To Be In Development And Nintendo To Launch Animation Studio

Gen Z is currently underway on Amazon Prime Video

Get your superhero suits ready and head on down to Vought International because Amazon’s college-based spinoff of “The Boys” has an official title: “Gen V.”

The title is a clever reference to today’s youthful Gen Z and the show’s super power-giving chemical known as compound V. Cast members announced the title in a new video shared on social media.

Set at America’s only college exclusively for young-adult superheroes (owned and operated by Vought International, of course), “Gen V” is “an irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive Supes as they put their physical, sexual and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities,” per Prime Video. It’s part college show, part “Hunger Games” with the same raunchy satirical tone of “The Boys.”

 

The Little Mermaid is preschool

According to some new trademarks that have been listed, Disney Junior is also working on a new project, called “Ariel”, which is likely to be a new version of “The Little Mermaid” for pre-school ages.

There are a number of trademarks being applied for, including for entertainment services; education services; distribution services and production services.  In addition to trademarks for a large number of merchandise items, clothing, footwear and headwear.  In addition to paper products and non-medicated cosmetics.

Disney hasn’t officially announced that it is developing a new pre-school series, “Disney Junior Ariel”, but with the new live-action film and it being over 30 years since the original animated film was released, these trademark listings do indicate that Disney is planning a major new campaign of merchandise and entertainment services.

 

Nintendo becomes an animation studio

Nintendo has announced the acquisition of Dynamo Pictures, an animation studio in Tokyo that collaborated on several animated Pikmin shorts that premiered on the Nintendo 3DS. Renamed Nintendo Pictures, the studio will continue to work on the “development of visual content utilizing Nintendo IP,” according to the company’s press release.

“Nintendo has decided to acquire 100 percent of the outstanding shares (excluding treasury shares) of Dynamo Pictures and make it a wholly owned subsidiary to strengthen the planning and production structure of visual content in the Nintendo group.”

They have a working relationship with Illumination, the studio behind the popular Minions franchise. The animated Chris Pratt-led Super Mario Bros. movie spawned from that partnership will release in 2023, barring any future delays.

‘Powerpuff Girls’ & ‘Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends’ Animated Series Reboots From Craig McCracken In Works At Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe

Craig McCracken, Emmy-winning creator of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends, has teamed with Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe to bring new animated versions of the classic series back to the small screen. McCracken, who first began his career at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons 30 years ago, is developing animated reboots of both series at the studio.

The Powerpuff Girls reboot revisits and expands upon the world of the original series as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup face off against a gallery of villains comprised of familiar foes and new threats. The original series debuted on Cartoon Network in 1998, earned two Emmy Awards and numerous animation honors throughout its 78-episode run. The Powerpuff Girls centers on three sugar-coated superheroes — Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup — whose mission in life alternates between going to school, fighting crime, winning at hopscotch, and saving the world before bedtime.

 

A live-action reboot based on the original Powerpuff Girls Cartoon Network series remains in development at the CW. The network announced last year that the pilot was being re-worked and re-piloted off cycle. Talent deals for cast have lapsed but the project, from Warner Bros TV and Berlanti Productions, remains alive at the network.

The beloved Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends will return as an original preschool animated series with a new cast of preschool-aged imaginary friends, promised to be “as silly and playful as the original bunch.” The original series ran for six seasons from 2004-2009 on Cartoon Network, earning six Emmy awards during its run.

McCracken serves as creator, producer and director, and Sarah Fell, VP, Original Kids and Family Animation, Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, will oversee development of both projects at the studio.

 

“The Hanna-Barbera homecoming of Craig was an opportunity we could not pass up,” said Sam Register, President of Cartoon Network Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. “Along with his unparalleled sense of fun and imagination, he’s bringing two of his greatest works in The Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and we are so excited for these characters to be a part of the new legacy taking shape at the studio.”

Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe is currently in production on The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe and the anticipated The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie! (wt) and The Amazing World of Gumball: The Series (wt) for HBO Max. Recently announced development includes a stop-motion animated reboot of Wacky Races starring Dastardly and Muttley.

Roundups #75: Close Enough Cancelled After Three Seasons On HBO Max Banni Chow Home Delivery Airing On StarPlus International Just Not Africa, Part 2 Of WFO Titans National Extreme Euro Championship Coming Soon To Ignition

Another one bites the dust

HBO Max is not proceeding with a fourth season of adult animated comedy Close Enough, from Regular Show creator JG Quintel and Cartoon Network Studios. The decision comes a little over three months after the release of the second season on April 7.

“After three great seasons, Close Enough is coming to an end,” HBO Max said in a statement. “We are so proud of the series and grateful to creator JG Quintel and our partners at Cartoon Network Studios, who made this show an instant fan favorite on HBO Max.”

Close Enough, a surreal take on transitioning from twentysomething to thirtysomething, revolves around a married couple juggling such everyday challenges as parenthood, friendship, ham theft, stripper clowns and choosing the right day care.

 

Banni Chow on airing on StarPlus Africa

Banni Chow Home Delivery follows Delivery-girl Banni is a strong, young, good hearted soul, who delivers her delicious food around the neighbourhood. She soon crosses paths with Yuvan, a mentally disabled man, and thus forms a change in her simple life.

It is based on the Bengali drama series from Star Jalsha titled Khukumoni Home Delivery which aired later in 2021 with the Hindi adaptation to follow 6 months after its launch on StarPlus.

 

Unfortunately, Disney Star doesn't supply the show in Africa due to an issue with the title. If you read the title of the show it sounds exactly like Bunny Chow which could the cause for the delay so maybe the series will be shortened to Home Delivery makes sense at this point.

More adrenaline for Ignition

Enduro enthusiasts will have numerous opportunities to see the highlights from round 2 of WFO Titans National Extreme Euro Championship that was held at the home of Titans Racing in Broederstroom, South Africa on the 25th of June.

Update: BBC World News To Close Later In 2023, To Be Replaced By BBC News

BBC News has set out further details of the new TV news channel which will launch next year, replacing its two existing separate news channels for UK and global audiences. The channel, which will be called BBC News, is expected to launch in April 2023.

This forms part of the plan announced earlier this year to create a modern, digital-led and streamlined organisation that drives the most value from the licence fee and delivers more for audiences.

BBC News Digital Director Naja Nielsen says: “Our aim is to create the best live and breaking video news service in the world - on our web pages, our apps, on BBC iPlayer and on our new TV news channel.

“The way audiences consume news is changing. In recent years we’ve seen a huge surge in audiences coming to our live coverage, with tens of millions following live pages when big stories and events unfold.

 

“As the world’s most trusted source of news, with a huge depth and breadth of expertise, the BBC is uniquely placed to offer audiences the best analysis and explanation as these stories are unfolding. So we are investing in new capability to cover breaking news stories, and our news channel and digital teams will work hand in hand to bring the best journalism to audiences both at home and abroad.”

The channel will be broadcast around the world, bringing the BBC’s trusted journalism to international audiences and providing licence fee payers in the UK with ad-free access to a huge range and breadth of international coverage which hasn’t previously been available to them. It will feature new flagship programmes built around high-profile journalists, and programmes commissioned for multiple platforms.

UK viewers will receive specific content at certain times of the day, and during certain news stories. A new live and breaking news team will provide universally available coverage of global breaking news, and – when relevant - a domestic-only stream for UK-specific news events, ensuring that audiences get the best live video coverage of the news that matters most to them.

Further details of the plans include:
- The channel will be broadcast from London during UK daytime hours, and then Singapore and Washington DC. The BBC will invest in new on and off-screen journalism roles in Washington DC.
- Sports programming will be a mixture of the UK-facing Sportsday and new global-facing sports programmes.

 

The BBC will invest in visualising programmes based on popular radio shows, with new technology and studio capacity to do so. This will begin with the BBC Radio 5 Live Nicky Campbell programme, which will be broadcast on BBC Two on weekday mornings as well as on the UK stream of the new channel.

BBC Studios will continue to have responsibility for securing commercial revenues from the channel outside the UK, primarily through advertising, returning funding to the BBC that can be reinvested in public service journalism. The channel will remain ad-free in the UK.

These plans are now subject to consultation with staff and trade unions.

‘Iyanu: Child of Wonder’ Animated Series Greenlit At HBO Max And Cartoon Network

HBO Max and Cartoon Network announced a 2D animated adaptation of “ Iyanu: Child of Wonder ,” a Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel series heavily influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The project will be financed and overseen by Black-owned animation studio Lion Forge Animation.

“Iyanu: Child of Wonder” is a superhero tale set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, which draws from Nigerian culture, music and mythology. The series follows Iyanu, a teenage orphan who spends her days studying Yoruba history and ancient arts but yearns for a normal life. One day, responding to danger, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, the likes of which have not been seen since the Age of Wonders. With newly discovered superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two other teenagers as they embark on a remarkable journey to discover the truth about the evil lurking in her homeland. Throughout her adventure, she’ll uncover the truth about her past, her parents, and her ultimate destiny to save the world.

 

The series is created by Roye Okupe, who will also write and direct multiple episodes. Lion Forge head of production Saxton Moore serves as supervising director. The writers room is led by Brandon Easton. Executive producers include Okupe, Doug Schwalbe, Carl Reed, Lion Forge’s David Steward II and Matt Heath, Impact X Capital’s Erica Dupuis and Forefront Media Group’s Ryan Haidarian.

The greenlight of “Iyanu: Child of Wonder” is notable as it continues signaling the emergence of Africa as a player in global streaming. Much of this growth begins in the kids and family space — for example, Lupita Nyong’o became an equity partner in Nairobi, Kenya-based production company Kukua in 2021 and stars in its YouTube Originals animated series "Super Sema.” African titles made for older audiences are also beginning to cross over, such as Netflix’s South African drama “Blood & Water,” which debuted in 2020 and made Netflix’s Top 10 list in the U.S. Netflix also recently released “Blood Sisters,” the streamer’s first original series from Nigeria.

“‘Iyanu: Child of Wonder’ has it all – vast world-building, authentic characters, a strong, African female hero at the center, and a first-class team of stellar creators and producers,” said ​​Amy Friedman, head of kids and family programming at Warner Bros. “While created for kids, the series will resonate with anyone looking for an adventure filled with surprise, magic, lore and legend. We feel so lucky to be the home of ‘Iyanu’ and partnering with this team.”

 

“The authenticity of the ‘Iyanu’ story means everything to us and aligns perfectly with our mission to create and deliver inclusive content to global audiences,” said Steward, founder of Lion Forge. “A powerful means of accomplishing and sustaining this is through franchise building, and the depth and layers of the Iyanu world allow us to explore and create a beautiful universe on-screen alongside tremendous partners.”

“When I set out to create ‘Iyanu’ for a global audience, I wanted to develop a world that combined everything I love about the fantasy genre with the majesty and awe that is ancient West Africa,” said Roye Okupe. “On top of that, working with Godwin Akpan, who illustrated the books, as our art director and collaborating with a thoughtful studio like Lion Forge Animation that prioritizes authenticity and diversity, is beyond belief.”

SpongeBob Learns How To Speaks Zulu With Nicktoons

Nickelodeon is about to make history again as they become the first international brand for children in South Africa as SpongeBob SquarePants has just learnt another language, Zulu.

SpongeBob SquarePants follows the adventures of a yellow sea sponge of the same name who enjoys being a cook at Krusty Krab, lives in the Pacific Ocean. He embarks on various adventures with his friends at Bikini Bottom.

 

Since its inception in 1999, the series has become a top ranked show for children accumulating every Nickelodeon KCA it could grab its hands on. It also accumulated several video games, feature films and shortly after creator Stephen Hillenberg's passing spinoffs.

You can kind of get why SpongeBob would be their first pick. Despite being the eldest in their stable, it has managed to live longer and remain relevant than most shows on the channel that live on through memes used on The Rise And Fall Of Nickelodeon (TRAFON)

 

Aside from SpongeBob, Paramount also supplies an Ethiopian dubbed Nick Jr. alongside a Portuguese dubbed Nickelodeon channel for viewers in some parts of Africa with its focus within South Africa continuously expanding following the launch of NickMusic last year.

Nicktoons will telecast the first Zulu episode to SpongeBob SquarePants from the 14th of July at 17:30.

Journey Into The Unknown With CBS Reality And CBS Justice Africa - August 2022 Highlights

CBS Reality:

WOMEN ON THE FORCE
Season 1 & 2
Channel Premiere
Weekdays at 07:30,12:45, 21:35, from 1st to 22nd August.
With unprecedented access to West (Season 1) and North (S2) Yorkshire Police, from the Chief Constable to emergency response officers on the frontline, this landmark series reveals the realities of policing in Britain today and the everyday pressures and challenges which women officers at every level have to confront.
Each episode charts the unfolding stories of three women across a week long shift for the force. With frontline policing tougher than ever, every shift gives an insight into the demands the job can place on their lives – both while on duty and at home.
Over the past 20 years frontline policing in Britain has been transformed and the percentage of women on the force has almost doubled. But the dangers these officers face and the impact the job has on their private lives have also increased.

MY EXTREME OCD LIFE
2x60min
Channel Premiere
Saturday, August 20th and Sunday, August 21st, at 07:05 and 20:40.
In this powerful documentary mini-series we follow the lives of 8 young people as they attempt to live a normal life in the face of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. These extraordinary first-hand accounts reveal young people whose daily lives are consumed by routine and ritual. They fight an internal and often secret war with frightening intrusive thoughts, which compel them to complete endless rituals- convincing them that terrible things will happen if they don’t. We meet them as they take those first steps into adulthood battling to conquer their OCD demons.

 

EATING OURSELVES TO DEATH
1x60min
Channel Premiere
Saturday, August 27th at 07:05 and 20:40.
The obesity epidemic is becoming a crisis. It currently kills more people than road traffic accidents, terrorist attacks and Alzheimer’s disease combined.
And for Darren who is super morbidly obese his weight is now a matter of life and death. His fast food lifestyle has led to serious heart complications and the problem is, surgeons fear his huge weight will mean he won’t survive surgery. We follow Darren on his journey to lose weight as the clock is ticking.
Mum of two Alice now tipping the scales at 35 stone (over 220kg) is worried that she may not live to see her children grow up. But unable to change her ways, will an ultimatum from husband Mark give her the jolt she needs to turn her life around?
In Falkirk, Alex’s love life has been destroyed by his food addiction. Now a virtual recluse, he needs a cocktail of drugs every day just to keep himself alive. Ex-boyfriend Ben is worried that Alex is eating himself to death, can he step in in time to break his downward spiral?

MY OBESE LIFE
1x60min
Channel Premiere
Sunday, 28th August at 07:05 and 20:40.

In this film we follow three extraordinary young women who have all battled with their weight. As they fight perceptions, and their demons head on, we hear how the simplest things derailed their body image. They are learning to love their bodies and to overcome what others think. Nearly 3 million 16- 24 year olds and around half of all women of childbearing age tip the scales beyond their recommended BMI weight. We meet 20 year old Shannon, she is a size 22 and celebrates her curves by selling lingerie products to the larger ladies; we also hear from 24 year old Naomi, who has been a secret eater for most of her life and is desperate to stabilise her weight; and we join 24 year old Jess, who comfort eats to cope with stress, as she tries to shed some pounds.

 

CBS Justice:

KILLER SIBLINGS
Season 2.
Channel premiere.
Weeknights at 19:00 from 15th until 29th August.
"Killer Siblings" delves into the disturbing true stories of some of the deadliest
siblings of all time. Featuring exclusive interviews and firsthand accounts, the
series explores the minds, upbringings and motivations of family members
who were driven to kill. Each hour-long episode profiles a different set of
siblings and the brutal crimes they committed, offering insight into their
murderous bond and what led them down a path to murder.

THE REAL PRIME SUSPECT
Season 1 & 2.
ORIGINAL TRUE CRIME SERIES
CBS Justice celebrates Jackie Malton, host of “The Real Prime Suspect”
On weeknights at 20:00, from Monday August 2nd until August 22nd.
Jackie Malton is a former Scotland Yard detective and an inspiration for the character of DCI Jane Tennison, portrayed by Helen Mirren in the award winning drama series “Prime Suspect”.
Jackie joined the force in 1970 and spent most of her service in the Criminal Investigation Department, probing all aspects of crime including armed robberies, rape, murder, fraud, arson, and blackmail. She served on The Flying Squad as the only female amongst forty men at one point, and is a trained hostage negotiator.
A recovering alcoholic, Jackie has an MSc in Addiction Psychology. For the last thirteen years, she has voluntarily facilitated weekly addiction groups in a male prison, plus 1-1 therapy work. Jackie also continues to support the men in the community and recovery process after their release.
In “The Real Prime Suspect”, Malton gets access to case files and revisits investigations into infamous crimes with the police, detectives, and other professionals who experienced them first hand.

AMC+ To Launch Streaming Service Across Europe In 2023, No Indicator On When Or If It Will Roll Out In The UK And Africa

Even more American prestige TV is headed to Europe. This week it was announced that AMC+ will find its way onto small screens in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets.

AMC Networks’ executive vice president Levente Málnay — who was speaking at the NEM Dubrovnik European TV conference — revealed that the streaming platform will be available to CEE customers in 2023.

The streaming service combines original programming along with series and movies from various other AMC-owned streamers and studios, including Shudder , Sundance Now, BBC America, IFC, and more. So the content on the service already has significant international influences but Málnay added that as AMC+ expands, it would focus on balancing specific regional content with its own U.S.-based programming.

 

The news comes at a time of expansion for the fledgling platform. AMC+ began streaming in June 2020 and grew its reach to the Australian market last year. As of the end of the first quarter, AMC’s combined streaming services — both under the AMC+ umbrella and the individual services — have reached 9.5 million global subscribers.

Málnay indicates that the streamer will take “baby steps” when planning larger-budget offerings, but he also suggested that local dramas may be in development as well. In Q1, AMC saw 3% year-over-year revenue growth, but profits dropped by almost 15% for the same period, due in large part to the enhanced investment in content creation. Domestically, AMC has also worked to ensure subscribers can easily find its streaming channels, making them paid add-ons to services such as Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV.

 

An AMC+ release will bring hit shows like modern classics “The Walking Dead ,” “Better Call Saul,” and “Mad Men” to CEE.

Additionally, in April, AMC+ announced that it would be enhancing its offerings by bringing a new movie from corporate sibling IFC Films to the streaming service every week immediately following its theatrical release.

AMC+ is a premium streaming bundle that includes the best from AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited containing original, award-winning series, popular movies, festival favorites, plus horror, sci-fi, true crime, and thrillers. You can subscribe to AMC+ for $8.99/month (R153.84/month) or save over 40% with the annual plan for $59.88/year (R1005.88/year).

Development Hell: The Pending The Third Season To Star Life's The Evil Eye

The Evil Eye was the first and one of the few attempts Africa got to supernatural on Star Life alongside A Magical Love Story which came amidst a pandemic with the second season was also filmed in such a climate.

Since its abrupt end, some viewers can't stop boasting about the show that it got to a point where they advertised fake repeats and even listed Bengali adaptation Nojor (pictured above) as The Evil Eye season 3.

Ever since A Magical Love Story ended, there hasn't been a site of venomous snake or anything supernatural on Star Life even on Zee World as regional stations are the closest to viewing them dubbed while others are distributed in their original language with subtitles.

 

Amidst the phasing out of these shows sources state that Star Life picked up Bold And Beautiful and The Evil Doom which were scheduled for a late 2021 to mid 2022 release which never came to pass.

Joining that trio was the fake third season of The Evil Eye which is now considered a new season but supposedly on a new Indian entertainment channel that was set to replace Star Life.

This supposed channel was said to focus on Bengali which is similar to Hindi in an attempt to "differentiate" the offering from StarPlus but hey some of the content from Bengali are remakes to the Hindi content and vice versa.

 

The thing about this was Disney Star the owners of these brands already operated a Bengali channel Star Jalsha which is niche I mean every market has their niche. In South Africa, it is Tsonga, Sepedi and Siswati as Zulu, Afrikaans and Ndebele dominate the region.

The question would have to be why trade one group for another if the plan was to replace wouldn't it be better to source areas like Telegu, Tamil and Malayalam as they also reside in the Bollywood community under the Disney Star.

Zee TV had every chance to launch such a channel but instead opted for reruns channel, Zee One.

Roundups #74: Magnum Pi Revived By NBC For Two Seasons, eVOD Welcomes Two New Local Productions An Eye For An Eye And uMbali, And StarTimes Upload New Channel W-Sport

Magnum lives on for another two seasons

NBC has ordered two seasons of “Magnum P.I.” following the drama’s cancellation at CBS in May after a four-season run.

The broadcaster has ordered 20 new episodes of “Magnum P.I.,” which an option for more, and intends to break those up into Seasons 5 and 6 of the series.

The reboot of the beloved 1980’s action series debuted Season 4 back in October on CBS. The show is described as a modern take on the original series centering on Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez), a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator.

 

eVOD loads to two new local productions

Since it's inception in 2021, eMedia Investments mentioned spending R100 million on local productions with 10 movies rolling out on a yearly basis of which 6 have been released with a further 2 being released this month, An Eye For An Eye and uMbali.

An Eye For An Eye scheduled for release on 19 July follows the story of a man who was framed for his brother and police officer's death while uMbali will be released two days after An Eye For An Eye follows the titular character who murdered a man who attempts to raped her.

The movies are said to contain a lot of life lessons and characters viewers can relate to. On top of that, both productions will carry intriguing chapters leaving viewers curious to find out what's happening next.

A new sports making a surprising debut on the StarTimes platform

 

Earlier in the year, the female based sport channel W-Sport was added on the StarTimes app as part of what appeared to be a trial phase as they worked on rolling out the sports channel on other platform.

After 7 months, consumers on StarTimes will get access to England’s Barclays Women’s Super League, Germany’s Frauen Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, the Netherlands Vrouwen Eredivisie, Australia’s W-League and the recent ICC tournament.

“W-Sport’s vision is to be the global leader in women’s sports broadcasting and to passionately champion equality and diversity. W-Sport’s content will entertain, engage and inspire audiences and the next generation of young female athletes and players” said Kelly Butler, CEO W-Sports.

More Reasons To Believe eToonz Is Performing At Max Capacity

eToonz is currently the only kids channel to be based in South Africa following the discontinuation of M-Net's K-TV and StarSat's (formerly Top TV) Top Kids channel. The brand is currently operated by eMedia Investments on the free-to-view Openview platform.

eToonz doesn't offer original content but its free-to-air status deems it reliable but some consumers mainly children with shows like Thomas And Friends, Peppa Pig and Bob The Builder for preschoolers while older kids get Power Rangers, Winx Club and Dawn Of The Croods.

Since its inception to the market, eToonz hasn't gotten much praise as consumers complain about the bulk of rehashed content on e.tv and the content which is exclusive can be tiresome not because of the content in general but how the general chooses to rollout content.

 

eToonz is not the only kids channel in the globe to rollout on a 24 hour basis and have less weekday programming even China Central Television (CCTV) CCTV 14 roll out content in that form while other brands found on pay platforms will roll them out 5 days a week.

Despite the outcome of the channel, it happens to be the least watched or underrated brands amongst eMedia's stable that it's hardly spoken of in annual results and its also one of the longest running channels beside eMovies while eNCA is registered under their pay company e.Sat.

All the details presented make it seem like an underachiever but what if there was more reasons the channel is still on and getting content what if eMedia found another way to determine its performance in the market even without DStv.

 

In the United States, a general entertainment channel like HBO can pull 5 million viewers while kids brand like Cartoon Network can generate almost half a million viewers. Could that be the case for most kids brands in South Africa particularly eToonz I mean Cartoon Network generates over 300000 views a month?

Most consumers that watch TV are adults as they are the ones paying for these devices and not all of them have children and ones that do either let them hog the screen for a limited time while others are doing basic kids stuff like playing outside or finishing up schoolwork.

Taking that to account, eToonz is performing at max capacity or at least for most kids stations if anything it being regional clouds it from its full potential and with DStv it kind of helped eased the burden.

Olympic Channel To Close By The End Of September

The decision, which comes a year after the Comcast-owned broadcaster folded its domestic NBCSN sports network, is seen as reflection of the decline in interest for some linear channels in favour of the streamers.

 

It has yet to be decided where NBC will place the Olympic Channel content – the games themselves remained with the broadcast network – though a candidate could be NBC’s own streaming service Peacock. Earlier this year, Peacock streamed all live events from the Beijing games.

Olympic Channel offers original programming, live sports events, news and highlights including the various world championships for Olympic sports which was distributed internationally through the likes of SuperSport.

The Durban FilmMart Institute Announce Its Official Animation Programme For The 2022 Edition

After expanding into the animation space in last year’s edition, the animation focus at the 13th Durban FilmMart has grown substantially with the help of funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut to support the cultural and creative industries (CCI) in South Africa and a number of other countries in Africa and the Middle East through various projects since 2018.

“Over the last few years there has been an exponential increase of animation productions in Africa. Despite the scarcity of training and development opportunities for animation professionals, there has been notable interest by international networks and broadcasters to purchase African animation content as they see the huge potential of unlocking African consumer markets,” says Magdalene Reddy, General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “Recognising the growth, skills and energy of the animation industry and the value it brings to the creative economy, DFM has opened up an enlarged space for animators in the 2022 programme.”

The animation programme includes a partnership with Tshimologong through which 10 animation creatives will be given the opportunity to participate at the DFM Pitch and Finance Forum.

 

“Tshimologong is proud to partner with DFM. This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate festivals collaborating to raise the opportunity and voice of digital creatives in Africa. We have got to create a clear value chain of how a creative can determine the pathway of getting support for their projects based on its stage of development. The broader ecosystem is strengthened through this form of partnership,” says Lesley Donna Williams, CEO Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.

The animation projects in the market are as follows:

Fiction series:
Aminah's Journey (Nigeria) - Producer and Director: Brian O Wilson
Grit (Nigeria) - Producer and Director: Ajibola Adewole-Oyebokun
Hovers (South Africa) - Director: Bokang Koatjia
Knittyville (South Africa) - Producer and Director: Clare Louis
Lolo (South Africa) - Producer: Sithembiso Mpehle and Director: Jeani Varty
The Memory Keepers (South Africa & Côte d'Ivoire ) - Producer: Deidre Jantjies and Director: Roland Oka

Documentary Series:
Jupiter's Cogitations (Burkina Faso) - Producer: Stephanie Launay Director: Moumouni Sodré
Fiction Features:
Kinafo (Côte d'Ivoire) - Producer: Alexandre Charlet Director: Adja Mariam Soro
OKIKI - The Legend of The Half God (Nigeria) - Producer: Joseph Eseme Director: Brian O Wilson
PTD (Prepared To Die) (Nigeria) - Producer and Director: Esther Kemi Gbadamosi
Prior to the Pitching Forum the 2022 DFM projects will receive mentorship assistance from producers and professionals. The mentors for this year are - Vanessa Sinden, award-winning producer of both live action and animated films with more than 20 years of filmmaking experience, and Oliver Catherin who has produced, among others, Kiki of Montparnasse, which won a César for best short animation film. He is also one of the co-founders and administrators of the European Animation Awards (Emile Awards).

 

In collaboration with African Animation Network, the Animation industry sessions at this year’s DFM will feature across both the virtual and physical events; the virtual stream will focus on distribution, production, funding and gaming, while the physical stream will look at distribution, and industry development in the film industry within South Africa. The animation discussions will highlight not just the nuanced differences between animation and live action terrains but engage on the challenges and opportunities that exist for film professionals through animation storytelling mediums.

The speakers for the online segment of Animation @DFM will include discussions with Jérome Soffo Simo (Yaoundé African Cinema Animation), Ariane Suveg (Cartoon Network), Diana Rosu (Accra Animation Film Festival), Tendayi Nyeke (Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire), Francis Y Brown (Animax FYB Studios), Nick Wilson (Fupitoons) and Ziyanda Macingwane (KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission). Emmy-nominated animation writer and director Mike de Seve from Baboon Animation INC, will present in the DFM Conversation series. de Seve has worked extensively in both television and feature films, has been named as a headline speaker in the DFM Conversations stream. A director and writer at Dreamworks, he has honed his craft as a story consultant and project developer across the globe.

REGISTER NOW
DFM 2022 will be presented under the theme ‘Revolution Evolution: Changing the Narrative’ as both an online and physical programme during the period 22-31 July. Registrations are open for both online and physical participation at Durban FilmMart. Visit https://
durbanfilmmart.co.za/dfm-event-2022/ to review the participation options, and to explore the full programme of activities and opportunities on offer.

 

The DFM animation programme is supported by the project “Cultural and Creative Industries”, which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and in cooperation with the Goethe-Institute. By promoting the development of entrepreneurial, digital, creative, and technical skills through training programmes and by strengthening the ecosystem, the project aims to improve employment and income opportunities for creative professionals Africa and in the Middle East.

The Durban FilmMart Institute receives principal funding from the Durban Film Office and the eThekwini Municipality. The DFM 2022 event is kindly supported by the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and Wesgro.