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Roundups #28: M-Net Working On More Short Form Series As Lingashoni And The Queen Are Axed On 1Magic And Mzansi Magic, SABC Planning To Restructure Their Offering Ahead Of The Launch Of Its Unnamed OTT Service And, The Triplets Alongside New Episodes Of Roary The Racing Car Launches This April On JimJam Africa

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M-Net calls it quits for these two series

“The Queen’s producers, Ferguson Films, will shoot Season 7 of the show, which will premiere in July 2022 and viewers will continue to enjoy the telenovela on their screens until its final episode airs on 13 January 2023,”.

“The 1Magic telenovela Lingashoni, produced by Stained Glass TV, will come to an end after its second season concludes on 16 March 2023. This follows the season’s premiere on 21 March 2022.”

A new telenovela will plug the gap on the weekday 9pm slot, replacing The Queen from January 2023. The new content, which is under development, will be announced in due course.

Meanwhile The River, a multi-award winning production, has been renewed for Season 5.

“Our replacement for Lingashoni will be announced in due course. The business has reviewed our approach to focus on stabilising the channel slate with limited high-end series and realities.”

Also read:
- The Scent Of Passion coming soon to Telemundo
- April on Honey
- March on TNT
- 7 Year Stitch coming soon to E!
- March on Curiosity
- March on Universal TV
- March on Studio Universal
- Simply Maria has a release date on TLNovelas
- Second batch of rumoured series coming to M-Net, 1Magic, Me and Showmax
- March on E!
- March on CBS Reality and CBS Justice
- March on History

Potential lineup changes coming to the SABC channels

As reported in the past week, the public broadcaster has pushed the launch for its new channels and OTT service to the next financial year which will end by March 2023.

These new channels are said to be made available on the untitled OTT service as predicted and plans are underway to redevelop the offering across all their television channels and radio stations ahead of the launch.

The public broadcaster wants to have a multi-OTT presence and just like Discovery Inc's Discovery+ they're not setting out to surpass Netflix or Showmax but to be sustainable for the years to come.

As mentioned a couple of times, the rumoured SABC Encore could be different to the one formerly seen on DStv and this info kind of proves my suspicions were pretty accurate.

Also read:
- SABC wants to launch a second sports channel
- Trollstopia coming soon to e.tv
- eExtra , eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz to stop airing on DStv
- Dokter Ali S2 coming in April to eExtra
- SABC will launch more HD channels and streaming service
- What to possibly expect on SABC's streaming service?
- Should eReality merge with News And Sport?
- Racing240 expands to Openview this April
- Doodsondes returning for a fourth season on eExtra
- Saloni and East Meets West coming soon to SABC 2

More kids entertainment for Easyview customers

PBS Kids which was available to DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family and Access package will also be available on Easyview when eToonz goes off air from April meaning viewers get hours of Arthur, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts and more.

JimJam is also available on channel 310 and kids can look forward to the following titles in April:
• The Triplets S1
• Roary the Racing Car (new episodes)

Also read:
- Press release of DreamWorks Channel on DStv
- March on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
- March on Cartoon Network
- We Bare Bears coming to Cartoon Network in April
- Da Vinci Kids acquired rights to The Deep
- March on Da Vinci Kids
- Drafted results for Cartoon Network in March include Lego Batman
- March on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons
- Cartoonito expected to return to EMEA by mid 2022

Roundups #27: Keanu Reeves Cast As Batman In Upcoming D.C. Movie, Dr. Teeth And The Electric Mayhem Star In A New Disney+ Muppet Series, Snow Day Musical Revival In The Works With Jerry Trainor And A Titanic Horror Film Titled Titanic 666 Is In Development

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John Wick cast as Batman in upcoming DC Movie

Warner Bros. Pictures has dropped a brand new trailer for its upcoming action-comedy animated film DC League of Super-Pets, featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson as Krypto the Super-Dog and Kevin Hart as Ace the Bathound. It will arrive in theaters on Friday, May 20.

The DC League of Super-Pets trailer highlights the partnership between Ace and Batman, who is officially being voiced by John Wick star Keanu Reeves. This comes after the theatrical premiere of the Robert Pattinson-led The Batman film last Friday, which opened to a gross of over $248 million at the worldwide box office, making it the studio’s biggest pandemic opening.

“In the film, Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side,” reads the synopsis. “When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the Super Heroes.”

Also read:
- DreamWorks working on a batch of preschool series
- List of Sonic The Hedgehog projects in development
- Disney and several other companies halt theatrical releases in Russia
- Killing Eve star Sandra Oh returns in new horror film Umma
- Piece Of Her coming to Netflix March 24th
- Could Masha And The Bear be on the chopping block just like all Russian stations?
- CNN and Netflix pull out of Russia, could more businesses follow?
- Pinocchio: A True Story launches in theatres this month

More Muppets projects are coming to Disney+

Disney announced its plans to produce The Muppets Mayhem, a new show from The Goldbergs creator Adam F. Goldberg, starring Canadian Lilly Singh alongside Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the Muppets’ longtime house band.

The Muppets Mayhem will follow Dr. Teeth and the band attempt to record its first proper album under the guidance of Norah, a young A&R executive. The show is also set to be executive produced by The Muppets Studios’ David Lightbody.

Nickelodeon is bringing back a classic

Also read:
- NCIS: Los Angeles might be cancelled
- Paramount+ and Nickelodeon expand kids and family slate
- DreamWorks working on four new series
- The Wendy Williams Show cancelled on BET
- Gloomy Sunday, the Hungarian suicide song
- The truth about Disney's beloved fairytale princess Pocahontas
- Serena Williams is not giving up on Grand Slam Record Chase
- Ice Age: Scrat TV series coming in April to Disney+
- CBeebies working on new cooking show

Production has begun on the upcoming movie musical Snow Day! which is based on the 2000 comedy of the same name stars iCarly's Jerry Trainor and Bunk'd's Shelby Simmons.

Siblings Hal and Natalie Brandston discover that anything is possible on a snow day when a surprise winter whiteout offers them the chance to break routines, take giant risks and follow their dreams. Inspired to pursue his crush, Claire Bonner (Simmons), Hal enlists the help of his best friend, Lane, to help him express his feelings, and Natalie decides she must challenge her arch nemesis, the Snowplowman (Trainor), if she wants to pull off the task of creating a second snow day.

The film is set to air later in the year on Paramount+.

Titanic is getting a horror movie

One hundred and ten years after its namesake’s fateful journey, the Titanic III’s maiden voyage will land at the original site of the wreck. Although a faithful replica of the original, this mammoth cruise ship is built with the most advanced technology, ensuring that it has no chance of sinking. But when the Titanic III arrives at the tragic site, strange events begin to occur, as dark forces from the deep rise to the surface, terrorizing all aboard and threatening to repeat one of history’s greatest disasters.”

Annalynne McCord will star in Titanic 666, alongside Keesha Sharp (Power Book II: Ghost), Lydia Hearst (Z Nation) and Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica).

Also read:
- Xtreme League Football founded by WWE's Vince McMahon returns in 2023
- Telemundo working on new series Until Money Do Us Apart
- March on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
- March on Cartoon Network
- SWAT Katz is back with a new series
- Chris Evans and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson working on new film, RedOne
- 50 Cent working on Hip-Hop Docuseries
- Agent Binky: Pets Of The Universe returning for a third season
- WWE was almost sold to FOX

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Serena Williams Is ‘Not Giving Up’ On Grand Slam Record Chase

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In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams talks about her rise to tennis stardom, changing the narrative around her father, overcoming racism in tennis and the double standards that exist within the sport.

“I should have been at like 30 or 32” [grand slam singles titles]…I should have had it [the record], really, I've had many opportunities to have it. But I'm not giving up,” Williams tells CNN, and says she’s still aiming to beat Margaret Court’s record of 24.

Although she was forced to miss January’s Australian Open following the advice of her medical team, Williams says she will play at the French Open in May if her body allows.

Williams tells CNN how they aimed to change the narrative that has been grown up about their dad, Richard Williams, through the Hollywood film “King Richard,” which Williams and her sister Venus executive produced.

Also read:
- Obi-Wan limited series coming in May to Disney+
- March on Cartoon Network and Boomerang (finalized)
- March on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons
- Sonic The Hedgehog 3 + Earthworm Jim + Crazy Mr. Dong + The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare = APK Download
- International companies postpone the release of their products to Russia
- Kevin McCallister working on travel series
- March on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
- Possible channel closures from Warner Bros. Discovery
- Iron Chef reboot is coming to Netflix
- Paramount+ working on Knuckles TV series and Seal Team feature film

“Unfortunately, entering a new sport where it's predominantly, you know, White and having my dad have like this villain character, when it just wasn’t true, just having to deal with that my entire career, from day one to the very end, was just really important for us just to tell the truth,” she says.

Williams also talks about how her and her sister overcame the racism that they experienced as tennis players in a predominantly White sport, saying: “We changed it from being two great Black champions to being the best ever, period. And that's what we did. We took out color, and we just became the best.”

Williams has been heavily criticised for showing anger with umpires on the court on different occasions. Williams said: “There is absolutely a double standard,” given men routinely act out at umpires.

Lastly, she tells CNN: “I am who I am, I love who I am -- I love the impact that I’ve had on people, that I continue to have on people.”

Key quotes from the interview:

Williams on whether she’s still committed to beat Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles:

“I don't know, I still play tennis obviously and I still train and you know, but I think I'm the kind of person who's like, well, honestly, I should have been at like 30 or 32… I've had many opportunities to have it, but I'm not giving up to answer your question.”

Also read:
- YouTube bans Russia Today from generating revenue
- Captain America and Black Adams team up for new Amazon film
- Big Cook Little Cook is back on CBeebies
- WildBrainTV launched in Canada, could it expand to more regions?
- Megamind and Abominable TV series currently in development for 2023
- The Casagrandes will be folded under The Loud House
- More Sonic The Hedgehog projects underway plus a free android game
- Jimmy Neutron revival might be on the cards
- DreamWorks Jr. greenlit several preschool content

Williams on changing the narrative around her father, Richard Williams, through the Hollywood film “King Richard”:

“You know, in order to be an athlete, especially in a single sport, it takes a lot of work, and it takes a lot of dedication, and I look at my daughter and I say, wow, I don't think I could do what my dad did every single day. It's a lot of work.”

Williams on how her and her sister Venus perceived and overcame the racism they experienced in what is a predominantly White sport:

“We changed it from being two great Black champions to being the best ever, period. And that's what we did. We took out color, and we just became the best.”

“We never looked at it as a color thing, or we knew that we were entering an all-white sport, but for us it was like we're entering tennis and we're here to win. And yeah, we had to play harder and we had to be better, but it made us better. And at the end of the day, every time we faced a challenge and every time we overcame that challenge, it created Venus and Serena.”

Williams on the impact she has had on people throughout her career and her passion for what she does now:

“I am who I am and I love who I am, and I love the impact that I've had on people. I love the impact that I continue to have on people. Now the impact that I can have on people through companies that I invest in and having an opportunity to invest in women and people of color, and that is, if I didn't have the passion that I have on the tennis court, I wouldn't have passion for what I do now, and I accept it and I'm excited to continue to have that passion.”

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Netflix And CNN International Pull Out Off Russia With More International Businesses Likely To Follow

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Netflix and possibly various other streamers halt services in Russia

Earlier this week, the streaming service had announced that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, joining a growing list of companies that have cut ties with the country. Netflix had four Russian originals in the works, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has since been put on hold. Netflix also recently refused to carry 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels that it was required to host under Russian law.

Now, the company is taking an additional step in shutting down its service entirely.

“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson for Netflix said.

The economic blowback that Russia has faced in the wake of its decision to go to war with Ukraine has been intense. Not only is the country grappling with extensive sanctions, but many corporations and organizations have pulled out of Russia. Companies like Microsoft, Apple and Dell have announced that they have suspended sales in the country, while Ikea has closed stores and Nike has said it will no longer fulfill online orders. On the entertainment front, all of the major studios have announced they will stop releasing their films in Russia.

CNN International, Bloomberg and various other news channels halt production in Russia

Global news media said they were temporarily suspending reporting in Russia to protect their journalists after a new law cracking down on foreign news outlets was passed that threatened jail terms of up to 15 years for spreading “fake news”.

BBC said on Friday it had temporarily halted reporting in Russia, and by the end of the day, the Canadian Broadcasting Company and Bloomberg News said their journalists were also stopping work. CNN and CBS News said they would stop broadcasting in Russia, and other outlets removed Russian-based journalists’ bylines as they assessed the situation.

Not long ago, sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union had led to the global distributor of Russia Today to halt broadcast of the channel to all suppliers, including MultiChoice and TelkomOne.

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Meet Paquita Gallego The Woman Behind One Of Telemundo Africa's Most Popular Series My Heart Beats For Lola

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Telemundo is expected to air My Heart Beats For Lola (Mi Corazon Insiste En Lola Volcan) later in the week and although some can't stand the near sight of the salamander here's a series I recommend you to watch which is the 1998 classic I Love You Paquito Gallego (Yo Amo A Paquita Gallego).

Also read:
- Simply Maria has a release date on TLNovelas
- The Scent Of Passion coming soon to Telemundo
- More about TLNovelas upcoming series Keeping My Family Together
- Overcoming Fear coming soon to TLNovelas
- Malverde: The Patron Saint coming soon to Telemundo Africa???
- Overcoming Heartbreak and Overcoming The Past coming soon to TLNovelas
- In March, E! will also be hosting the Oscars live from the red carpet and launch the cover bands
- The Search For Frida March 2022 teasers
- Upcoming programming for Telemundo Africa
- Nurses March 2022 teasers
- The Homemaker, The Accidental Mayor and Happily Ever After coming soon to Star Life

Believe it or not most of Telemundo's popular shows were derived from somewhere. Take for instance, Lord Of The Skies (El Señor De Los Cielos) which was based on the life of Amado Carillo Fuentes known to viewers as Aurelio Casillas and Queen Of The South which was derived from a book of the same name.

My Heart Beats For Lola joins the never ending list of shows that never ending list with I Love You Paquita Gallego and before you feel like skipping this article take some time to do research on the show and you'll discover a lot more to that series.

Cristina Umaña played the titular character which resembled Carmen Villalobos' Lola Volcan. The only difference was the identity of her father was never revealed as her mom who apparently was a rape victim who died later on the series alongside her aunt died and Paquita had a skin rash forcing her to be homeschooled.

Also read:
- Could Timeless Dizi Channel and possibly tvN return to replace eExtra on DStv?
- Lord Of The Skies season 8 has been confirmed
- List of Korean series to likely air on tvN Africa should it return
- Kara Sevda and Kuzgun airing on Timeless Dizi Channel
- Globoplay and Televisa upcoming programs
- Studio Dragon unveil a list of Korean dramas part of which are for tvN
- The Daughter-In-Law coming soon to Zee World while a repeat of The Vow debuts on Zee One
- tvN unveils a bunch of music and variety shows
- This City Will Come Behind You coming soon to Timeless Dizi Channel
- Pantaya working on several new shows featuring several Telemundo and TLNovelas cast members

Compared to The Search For Frida, the changes Telemundo made when adapting I Love You Paquita Gallego is very remarkable. If I had to be honest, I'd rather watch the original as the show appears to be more darker.

As mentioned, Paquita's mother died earlier in the show while Lola's mother was there till the very end but was distant throughout the show as she was held prisoner by the lost love. Who do you think filled that plot of Lola's mother in I Love You Paquita Gallego seeing that she passed on?

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TRAGEDY 💔: The True Story Of Disney's Beloved Fairytale Princess, Pocahontas

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Many tales have been told about Pocahontas, but not all of them are true.

Pocahontas has been romanticized throughout American history, thanks in no small part to the accounts of English settlers John Smith and John Rolfe, and of course, the 1995 Disney animated movie. But who was the real Pocahontas?

To help dispel the many myths surrounding the popular Native American figure, here are some facts that originate from Native American oral history and contemporary historical accounts.

Pocahontas was actually her nickname

Born around 1596, Pocahontas was actually known as Amonute, and to those closest to her, Matoaka. The name Pocahontas, in fact, belonged to her mother, who died while giving birth to her.

Also read:
- Meet Madeleine McCann, the inspiration behind Telemundo's Where Is Elisa? and The Search For Frida
- The suicide anthem Gloomy Sunday

Devastated by his wife's death, Pocahontas' father, Chief Powhatan Wahunseneca of the Pamunkey tribe of Virginia, called his little daughter Pocahontas as a nickname, which meant "playful one" or "ill-behaved child."

A spirited young girl who liked to do cartwheels, Pocahontas grew up to be a brave and intelligent leader and translator on behalf of her people.

There was no romance between Pocahontas and John Smith

By the time 27-year-old Smith and the rest of the English colonists arrived on Native American lands in 1607, Pocahontas was probably around 10 years old. Despite Smith embellishing the idea of a romance between them in order to sell books that he'd later author, they were never involved.
What is true is that Smith spent a few months with Pocahontas' tribe as a captive, and while there, he and Pocahontas taught each other basic aspects of their respective language.

Pocahontas would later marry Indian warrior Kocoum at age 14 and shortly give birth to their son "little Kocoum."

Also read:
- Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard - the woman who drugged and confined her daughter to a wheelchair

Pocahontas didn't warn Smith of a planned assassination against him

While Smith was being held prisoner, Chief Powhatan grew to trust him. In 1607 the chief decided to offer Smith a "werowance" role, which was the tribe's way of acknowledging him as an official leader of the colonies, giving him access to coveted resources such as food and better land.
Smith would later allege that while he trained to become a werowance, Pocahontas warned him of a deadly plot against him, and thus, saved his life. However, contemporary accounts show that if a Native American chief was honoring a man, there would be no threat to his life.

Additionally, children were forbidden to attend a werowance ceremony, so Pocahontas wouldn't have been present.

Pocahontas was not traded to the English; she was kidnapped and raped

With tensions rising between the Powhatan and the English, rumors spread that Pocahontas was a prime target for kidnapping. Hoping to prevent future attacks by Native Americans, English Captain Samuel Argall made those rumors a reality and took the Chief's beloved daughter away with him after threatening violence against her village.

Before leaving, Argall offered a copper pot to the tribe and later claimed the two parties had made a trade. Forced to leave her husband and small son, Pocahontas boarded an English ship, not knowing that colonists had murdered her husband Kocoum shortly after.

While captive in Jamestown, Pocahontas was raped by possibly more than one colonist — an act that was incomprehensible to Native Americans. She grew into a deep depression and had a second son out of wedlock. That son would be named Thomas Rolfe, whose biological father may have actually been Sir Thomas Dale.

Pocahontas was not an eager goodwill ambassador of the New World

The story of Pocahontas marrying tobacco planter Rolfe for love is highly unlikely, especially considering Rolfe was under great financial pressure to somehow forge an alliance with the Powhatan to learn their secret tobacco curing techniques.

In the end, he decided the best way to win over the Powhatan was to marry Pocahontas, who all the while was being forced to wear English clothes, convert to Christianity and adopt the name, Rebecca.

Out of fear of being kidnapped himself, Chief Powhatan didn't attend Rolfe and Pocahontas' wedding ceremony and instead, offered a pearl necklace as a gift. He'd never see his daughter again.

To help further fund the tobacco business in the colonies, Rolfe took Pocahontas and son Thomas with him to England to show the court the "goodwill" between the colonists and Native Americans. Thus, Pocahontas was used as a prop, paraded around as an Indian princess who embraced western culture.

Although she was considered in good health right before leaving England, Pocahontas suddenly fell ill and died after dining with Rolfe and Argall, the man who kidnapped her. The tribesmen who accompanied Pocahontas on the trip believed she was poisoned.

At the time of her death, Pocahontas was around 21 years of age. She was buried in Gravesend, England at Saint George’s Church on March 21, 1617. The location of her remains is unknown.

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Roundups #26: El Último Rey Coming Soon To Las Estrellas, Euphoria Likely Cancelled As Season 3 Is Scheduled For 2024, Pieces Of Her Streaming March 24 On Netflix And What Is Pinocchio: A True Story?

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A new biographical drama launches in Mexico

Based on the life of Vicente Fernández, the series tells the story of the former Mexican musician rise to stardom. Having recorded more than 50 albums and contributing to more than 30 films. His repertoire consisted of rancheras and other Mexican classics.

Pablo Montero takes on the lead role when it airs on March 14th on Las Estrellas - a sister channel to TLNovelas.

New thriller series coming to Netflix, Pieces Of Her

Based on the novel of the same name, the series follows the story of Andy who is caught in a deadly mass shooting at a local diner. Moments later, she witnesses her mother, Laura, violently eliminating the threat with ease. As Andy begins to unravel her mother's actions on that very day, her perspective on their entire familial relationship takes a new turn. Soon after, figures from her mother's past reappear, and she is forced to escape. While on the journey, she attempts to piece together the remnants of truth that her mother buried long ago.

Also read:
- The Scent Of Passion coming soon to Telemundo
- More about TLNovelas upcoming series Keeping My Family Together
- My Heart Beats For Lola coming soon to Telemundo
- Overcoming Fear coming soon to TLNovelas
- Malverde: The Patron Saint coming soon to Telemundo Africa???
- Overcoming Heartbreak and Overcoming The Past coming soon to TLNovelas
- The Search For Frida March 2022 teasers
- Nurses March 2022 teasers
- Simply Maria has a release date on TLNovelas
- Cast members from The Way To Paradise join upcoming Telemundo series Until Money Do Us Apart

The series starts streaming March 4th.

Euphoria returns for a third season in 2024

In February, it was announced that the popular drama series had been renewed for a third season, generating excitement amongst followers of the series. However, as the season 2 finale premiered, it was revealed that Euphoria won't return until 2024.

This wait will be made even more difficult thanks to that shocking season 2 finale, where Fezco's younger brother, Ash (Javon Walton), was killed by police as they raided his and Fezco's home. Meanwhile, many relationships were left up in the air, leaving fans to wonder the fate of couples like Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie (Sydney Sweeney).

Euphoria fans previously had to wait almost three years between the first two seasons, after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed filming on season 2. However, the hiatus was broken up by two specials that aired in the winter of 2020-2021.

New Pinocchio which features A-list stars

In this thrilling, humorous take on the classic tale, the wooden hero is a skilled acrobat who performs stunts with his beloved horse, the wisecracking Tybalt. He runs off to join a circus, where he falls for the ringmaster's daughter Bella. But when Pinocchio learns the circus is a cover-up for robberies, he must stop the crime spree in order to save Bella-and hopefully become human. The whole family will love this magical adventure.

Pinocchio is voiced by Pauly Shore
Geppetto is voiced by Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants)
Tybalt is voiced by John Heder

The movie is scheduled for release on March 18th.

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EVIL🔞: "Gloomy Sunday" The Song That Caused Suicides

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If you're under 18 then this isn't for you

“Gloomy Sunday,” came to existence during one of history’s bleakest moments. Written in 1933 by Hungarian pianist and composer Reszõ Seress against the backdrop of the Great Depression and an increasing fascist influence in Hungary, and originally recorded in 1935 by Pál Kalmár, the song is something of a plea for mercy as humanity is at its worst. Seress’ original published lyrics were titled “Vége a világnak,” or “The World Is Ending,” and reflected a growing sense of horror and despair at the state of the world. A key sample lyric translates to “Meadows are coloured red with human blood/There are dead people on the streets everywhere,” just to give a frame of reference for the level of darkness that Seress’ composition harbored. No wonder it’s been blamed for anywhere between 17 and over 100 suicides.

To hear “Gloomy Sunday” is to be blanketed in tragic beauty. The song’s minor key melody is at once incredibly catchy and ominously dark, crafted to evoke a sense of despair that transcends language. While Seress’ song became an international hit, eventually being recorded by Billie Holiday in what’s now probably the most famous version of the song, one need only hear the emotion in Kalmár’s gently aching voice to know the pain behind the verses. (Not to mention the vintage crackle of the nearly 90-year-old song gives it a particularly ghostly quality.) Yet its origins stem from something as simple as a breakup, Seress having written the song after the end of a relationship. That the song delved so deep into such harrowing personal feelings initially proved to be an obstacle for the songwriter in his attempt to have it published. One publisher reportedly said, “there is a sort of terrible compelling despair about it” about his reluctance to publish the song.

And yet, in spite of this, “Gloomy Sunday” eventually became a hit. More than that, it became a standard, recorded in many languages by countless artists, including Billie Holiday, Sinead O’Connor, Mel Tormé and Sarah Vaughn. But to hear the lore about the song, it’d seem to have some kind of sinister power over the people who hear it. It’s not even corporeal, but it has a massive body count. Some of the various accounts of its supposed, morbid misdeeds include: a shoemaker whose suicide note quoted the song; a girl in Vienna drowning while holding its sheet music; a man who shot himself after telling loved ones the song wouldn’t leave his head; a woman in London who overdosed while listening to “Gloomy Sunday”; sheet music was found in the apartment of a shopkeeper in Berlin who hanged herself—the list goes on, and those are only the apocryphal accounts that have managed to live on in the near-century since the song came into being. It’s a merciless fiend of a song, almost supernatural, like the video in The Ring you see before you die. Which, perhaps, makes my repeated listens to the song over the past week ill-advised. If it did, in fact, cause the carnage attributed to it.

Because of the epidemic of suicides in the aftermath of the song’s release, and possibly because of it, Hungarian authorities supposedly discouraged broadcast of the song. A more extreme version of the song was that it was banned, and an even more extreme one yet was that it was even banned in the US and UK, where its popularity spread. None of this, at least according to Snopes, can be corroborated, but it’s entirely understandable if broadcasters and the government were a little on edge because of what they were hearing. And to be fair, it is a mournful song. Gloomy, even! It’s not at all surprising to hear that deathrock icons Christian Death later covered it or, for that matter, doom metal band Pallbearer, whose version is actually quite stunning. But it does take a certain frame of mind to hear this song and not feel a sense of dread. “Terrible compelling despair” doesn’t seem at all exaggerated in describing the song, though that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s quite pretty, and its earliest versions, particularly in the original Hungarian, are utterly haunting.

Also read:
- Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard - the woman who drugged and confined her daughter to a wheelchair

In some sense, the monstrous stories about “Gloomy Sunday” wreaking havoc seem to be a distraction from the genuine sadness surrounding the song. The landscape in which it was released was one of the darkest of the 20th century, as prosperity declined and iron-fisted hateful authoritarians rose. And we’re in a landscape now, globally, that mirrors the era in too many ways. And Hungary, up through the ’80s, had one of the highest suicide rates of any country in the world, which suggests that “Gloomy Sunday” was merely a reflection of the despair that surrounded it, rather than its cause. Most tragic of all, however, Seress himself dying after jumping off of a building in Budapest in 1968, which makes it the sole concrete connection among all of the stories out there. (There is also a story about the woman who broke up with him, initially inspiring the writing of the song, dying herself after hearing it, though there’s no evidence or documentation of this, just secondhand telephone games with the dead.)

Given all the baggage that “Gloomy Sunday” carries, it’s a song that’s easier to analyze than enjoy. Can one simply listen to a song that’s supposedly such a powerful, overwhelmingly dark presence without context. Can it be enjoyed for what it is? It can, possibly. But with the flood of information that’s already been disseminated, there’s more context than song, at this point. In 2019, it can’t be separated from its reputation as “The Hungarian Suicide Song,” for better or for worse. To hear it, however, it’s impossible to shake the lingering eerie feeling that it leaves with you. Beware of its hitchhiking ghosts.

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Roundups #25: Akshay Kumar Lives The Street Life In Zee Studios Upcoming Film Bachchhan Paandey, The Second Season Of Telemundo Africa's Upcoming Series Hidden Passions Is Available To Stream On WLEXT, Apple & Onion Ending After 2 Seasons On Cartoon Network And Sandra Oh Stars As Amanda In The Supernatural Horror Umma

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Bachchhan Paandey starring Akshay Kumar and Kriti Sanon will be out March 18th

Starring superstar Akshay Kumar in and as Bachchhan Paandey, the highly anticipated action comedy is set to release in theatres this Holi, 18th March 2022.

The trailer showcases a story of action, comedy
and crime. Packed with strong performances, the
trailer boasts of an amazing background score, top-notch action, Akshay Kumar's signature comic finesse and Arshad Warsi's outstanding.

Directed by Farhad Samji, the trailer takes audience through the heartland of India with larger-than-life visuals and Akshay Kumar in a never-seen-before avatar. Audiences can also expect great performances from talents including Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra, Abhimanyu Singh, Arshad Warsi and Jacqueline Fernandez.

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- Unforseen Love, Bold and Beautiful and Destined Love coming soon to Star Life
- Balaji Telefilms unveils new content possibly for Glow TV, Zee One, eExtra and Star Life
- The Homemaker, The Accidental Mayor and Happily Ever After coming soon to Star Life
- Two new series coming to Zee World: Luck In My Fate and Beauty And The Beast
- Upcoming programming for Telemundo Africa
- tvN pushing to become a permanent linear channel in Africa
- Zee World left out some content at the MultiChoice Showcase

Hidden Passions is available on WLEXT

WLEXT the no. 1 platform for telenovelas from Mexico and Latin America which also offer a range of international dramas and movies have uploaded the second season of Pasión De Gavilanes.

Taking place 20 years after the first season, the Reyes and Elizondo family will face new challenges that threaten their family. The death of a teacher shakes the family as evidence points to one of the sons of one of the couples as the possible culprit, triggering a series of heartbreaking events that will, once again, put their love and loyalty to the test.

In other telenovela based news, Telemundo will be airing The Scent Of Passion within the next month and My Heart Beats For Lola will begin in a few days.

Also read:
- More about TLNovelas upcoming series Keeping My Family Together
- Overcoming Fear coming soon to TLNovelas
- Malverde: The Patron Saint coming soon to Telemundo Africa???
- Overcoming Heartbreak and Overcoming The Past coming soon to TLNovelas
- The Search For Frida March 2022 teasers
- Nurses March 2022 teasers
- Synopsis for TLNovelas upcoming series Simply Maria
- Cast members from The Way To Paradise join upcoming Telemundo series Until Money Do Us Apart

Cartoon Network cancels another series

Apple & Onion focuses on its titular characters Apple and Onion and their adventures in a settlement inhabited by anthropomorphic food.

According to series creator, the series would be ending after the second season but the season wasn't filmed in the manner of a finale.

Killing Eve star is back for more horror

Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh serves as executive producer and stars in the supernatural horror Umma which follows Amanda (Oh) and her daughter living a quiet life on an American farm, but when the remains of her estranged mother arrive from Korea, Amanda becomes haunted by the fear of turning into her own mother.

It is scheduled to be released on March 18, 2022.

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- Obi-Wan limited series coming in May to Disney+
- March on Cartoon Network and Boomerang (finalized)
- March on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons
- The Powerpuff Girls Robo Storm available to download on Android devices
- International companies postpone the release of their products to Russia
- Kevin McCallister working on travel series
- March on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
- Possible channel closures from Warner Bros. Discovery
- Iron Chef reboot is coming to Netflix
- Paramount+ working on Knuckles TV series and Seal Team feature film

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