Tuesday, September 17, 2024

M-Net cancels Mzansi Magic's troubled and low-rated Gqeberha: The Empire produced by Tshedza Pictures after 2 seasons and 520 episodes.


by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has cancelled the troubled and low-rated isiXhosa Gqeberha: The Empire telenovela on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), produced by Tshedza Pictures, after two seasons and 520 episodes.

Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, confirmed that Gqeberha: The Empire has been cancelled, with the show filmed in the Eastern Cape province that was beset by production problems and issued when it launched two years ago.

According to Shirley Adonisi, Mzansi Magic is "preparing to close the chapter" on Gqeberha: The Empire.

"We extend our heartfelt thanks to the producers, cast and crew of Gqeberha: The Empire," Shirley Adonisi says in a cancellation announcement.

"Their unwavering dedication and exceptional talent have delivered spellbinding storylines in one of the most fiercely competitive primetime slots. As we approach the grand finale, we eagerly anticipate witnessing the culmination of this extraordinary journey."

Gqeberha: The Empire drew at most 570 793 viewers in August to Mzansi Magic and was renewed for a second season late in 2023.

From before its launch to now two years later Mzansi Magic publicity and PR for Gqeberha: The Empire was basically non-existent, with little to no effort from M-Net to market and promo the show under the media.

That led to little attention and coverage in the press and DStv subscribers who didn't seem to care for it, similar to the cancelled Champions telenovela - co-incidentally also produced by Tshedza Pictures.

TV RATINGS AUGUST 2024. SABC2's Muvhango plunges, Bonang Matheba's B'dazzled a SABC3 flop while The Lion King roars for e.tv


by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC's struggling Muvhango lost close to a quarter million viewers and a further fifth of its SABC2 audience when it resumed in August, and while Bonang Matheba's B'dazzled attempt at a reality TV return on SABC3 was a flop, The Lion King roared for e.tv.

Following the break between season 25 and the delayed start of season 26 of a "new" Muvhango, the Word of Mouth Pictures show shed over 241 000 viewers after it fell from an already low 1.32 million viewers on SABC2 in July to just 1 084 399 viewers at most in August after it returned.

The SABC announced that it signed a new contract with Word of Mouth Pictures and that Muvhango would return on 5 August, but it then didn't and only resumed a week later on 12 August and without the SABC's promised new opening sequence and updated logo

Only two weeks later on 27 August did Muvhango notch its highest viewership of last month at just over a million viewers - a loss of a further 18% of its viewers and another fifth of its total audience gone.

More concerning is that although SABC2 is publicly available, it has now become the SABC's second of its three TV channels (following SABC3) where its most-watched regular show has fewer viewers than a pay-TV channel like Mzansi Wethu's Sibongile & the Dlaminis.

Bonang Matheba's little publicised reality TV return was a flop for SABC where B'dazzled eeked out a meagre 331 238 viewers at most in August - less than the umpteenth repeat at 12pm of the 1980's American series The A-Team and Knight Rider, and even fewer viewers than repeat episodes of SABC3's Deal or No Deal SA.

The 2024 Miss South Africa pageant on Saturday 10 August at 18:00 - co-incidentally hosted by Bonang Matheba as well, however lifted SABC3 to 1 032 596 viewers. 

Although her reality show flopped, Bonang did bring SABC3 for the month very close to SABC2's  Muvhango viewership numbers.


Top soaps largely steady
SABC1's Uzalo dropped from 5.63 million viewers in July to 4.93 million - a loss of over 600 000 viewers, although it remains the most watched show on SABC1 and the whole of South African television.

Generations - The Legacy remained in second place and dropped from 4.75 million to 4.42 million viewers in August. 

Skeem Saam was slightly up from 4.31 million to 4.37 million viewers in August as South Africa's third most-watched show in South Africa, followed by e.tv's House of Zwide in fourth place which sagged from 4.66 million to 4.15million viewers in August.

Scandal! on e.tv lost further ratings ground from 3.68 million to 3.45 million viewers in August opposite Skeem Saam in the same timeslot.


The Lion King roars for e.tv
The Zulu TV news bulletin on SABC1 held steady with 2.49 million viewers as South Africa's most-watched newscast.

The rugby match between the Springboks and New Zealand on 31 August which SuperSport simulcast on SABC2, led to it being SABC2's most-watched content during last month with 1.38 million viewers.

Morning Live grew from 454 293 to 480 663 viewers in August on SABC2, while the Afrikaans TV news when it was suddenly placed back on SABC2 over weekends, drew 479 914 viewers.

On SABC3 the latest season of MasterChef SA fell to 325 191 viewers at most, and the English TV news bulletin had 681 408 viewers. 

On e.tv the English News @ 8 had 1.69 million viewers, Isitha - The Enemy dropped from 3.73 million to 3.36 million viewers, while Isiphetho held steady at 2.68 million viewers. 

An umpteenth reshowing of Leon Schuster's Mr Bones netted e.tv a big 2.57 million viewers, while a special reshowing of Disney's The Lion King for its 30th anniversary lured a handsome 2.5 million viewers on 17 August.

On MultiChoice's DStv Sibongile & the Dlaminis had 1.344 million viewers - more viewers than Muvhango on SABC2 although Sibongile & the Dlaminis is on Mzansi Wethu as a pay-TV channel.

Umkhokha The Curse lured 847 169 DStv subscribers, while Isencane Lengane on Moja Love (DStv 157) lured 684 716 viewers in August and X-Repo 602 758.

Veteran actor Paul Lückhoff dead at 71 after short illness


by Thinus Ferreira

The veteran South African film, stage and TV actor Paul Lückhoff died Tuesday morning after a short illness. He was 71. His cause of death is not yet known.

With a storied acting career, Paul Lückhoff was recently most well-known among Afrikaans TV viewers for his role as Wimpie du Toit in the soap Binnelanders on kykNET (DStv 144).

Fellow Binnelanders actor Germandt Geldenhuys on Tuesday in a statement said "Paul leaves a big gap not just in South Africa's entertainment industry but also in the hearts of his friends, colleagues and viewers who supported him over the years". 

Paul Lückhoff started his career on stage in the late 1970s in Stryd met Engele, Atlantis, Atlantis!, Die Vasvat van 'n feeks, Die leeu in die winter, Ek, Anna van Wyk and Die Koggelaar

On South African television Paul Lückhoff appeared in multiple TV shows over decades, ranging from SABC2's Arsenaal and Dryfsand, Fynbos, Meisie van Suidwes, Moord op die Lug, ReccieErfsondes, Feast of the Uninvited, Hopeville, Kooperasiestories, Moeggeploeg, BegeertesOnder Draai die Duiwel Rond and Ietermago, as well as kykNET's Plek van die Vleisvreters, and Siende Blind

He also had a role in M-Net's Egoli as cult leader Menasse. In The Visual Bible: Acts he played Simon.

In film Paul Lückhoff starred in 1983's The SkullVerraaiers, Platteland, Stargazer, Broer Matie 2003's Stander, 2011's Roepman and Triomf

Anele Mdoda on why South Africa needs the SABC to not fail and be successful


by Thinus Ferreira

The multi-hyphenate producer-presenter Anele Mdoda says South Africa's TV and film industry requires a strong South African public broadcaster that doesn't fail and an SABC that is successful.

Anele Mdoda spoke at the Primedia Studios-sponsored Women in Entertainment breakfast held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) where she was the keynote speaker and addressed a room of women who attended the MIP Africa 2024 TV market.

"We need a SABC. We need to work together to ensure that the SABC not fail, survives, works and is successful," she noted. 

"The BBC in the United Kingdom - the national anything - the vehicle through which we speak to the most people in South Africa - it is our job as creatives and as women in this industry to ensure its success. Regardless of whether anyone or anything is in competition with the SABC or not," she said.

Through her Rose and Oaks Media production company, Anele Mdoda in partnership with Primedia Studios is producing a localised format version of The Masked Singer SA as well as Ready, Steady, Cook for SABC3. 

Primedia Studios is also doing Wheel of Fortune SA, Deal or No Deal SA, and a new season of MasterChef SA through Homebrew Films for the SABC TV channels. 

"The people and places at the top are not competing. They are collaborating," Anele Mdoda said.

"This is how Primedia Studios gets into a deal with the SABC. Everyone was 'How is Primedia Studios there with SABC which is the enemy?"

"Jonathan Procter who is our CEO, simply said 'We are going to make content as Primedia Studios and we are going to give it to the SABC and we're going to sell it, and we're going to make money and we're going to help get the SABC out of its rut because if the SABC collapses then all of us are also done."

"Look at MultiChoice - who can we talk to over there? We've got this thing. Can we do this there? Give us that and we'll do it there or here. This whole thing of 'We don't talk to each other' - it won't take any of us anywhere," Anele Mdoda remarked.

"Put your hands up if you've worked at one media place your entire career. Put your hand up if you've worked at more than one media place in your career," she said as many hands went up.

"If you do things where you block people from doing something, you're cutting yourself off. Do not worry about what you're not. Surround yourself with the people who do it the best. It's an orchestra. It's an ensemble."

"We're all good. We are all playing different instruments. Pick up your instrument and shine at that. Don't worry about the harp if you're not the harp. Don't worry if you're not the violinist. Go where you are skilled and piece it all together and then everyone is going to succeed."

Monday, September 16, 2024

Actor Sello Motloung dead at 53 after he collapsed at home.


by Thinus Ferreira

The South African actor Sello Motloung has died late on Sunday afternoon after he collapsed at home. He was 53.

In a statement, his family says "We are devastated to inform you of the sudden passing of Ntate Sello Motloung on Sunday 15 September. His family is in shock and we ask that you give them space at this time".

His management Artist Connection says Sello Motloung "collapsed at home and his wife took him to hospital, and he passed at about five yesterday".

The veteran stage and TV actor had roles in 1996's Tarzan: The Epic Adventures and La Ferme du Crocodile that same year, Justice for All, SABC1's Soul City and SABC3's The Lab and Jozi H, the ITV series Wild at Heart, as well as Chikin Biznis, SABC2's Skilpoppe, e'tv's Backstage as Mpumi and in eKasi: Our Stories.

He appeared in the controversial SABC1 miniseries After 9 and the SABC1 teledrama Second Chance, M-Net's Jacob's Cross, as well as in the Canadian miniseries Human Cargo, and in SABC2's Lithapo as Thapelo.

In 2015 Sello Motloung joined SABC2's Mamello as Mr Thobejane for three seasons and appeared as Thabelo in the Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) telenovela Ring of Lies for two seasons since 2016. In 2021 he joined Clive Morris Productions' telenovela The Estate on SABC3.

Other TV roles ranged from Madam & Eve, Scoop Schoombie, Interrogation Room, KhululekaThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency of M-Net, to SABC2's 90 Plein Street, Fathers MatterSokhulu & Partners, 2011's Home Sweet Home, Vuka Mawule, Thola, uSkroef noSexy, 2014's Rockville on Mzansi Magic, SABC1's Generations, SABC3's Isidingo, Kota Life Crisis, Matatiele, e.tv's Rhythm City, Tempy Pushas, as well as two seasons of Ring of Lies

Sello Motloung also appeared on TV in Netflix South Africa's Queen Sono and Yoh! Christmas, Showmax's Blood Psalms, Mzansi Magic's The Queen and The Republic, the third season of The Wife, as well as Paramount Africa's third season of Black Tax on BET Africa.

In film, Sello Motloung starred in The Long Run, Askari, Zulu Love Letter, Man to ManFaith's Corner, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, Invictus, 2010's Im Brautkleid durch Afrika, TirzaHow to Steal 2 Million, 2016's Happiness is a Four-letter Word and an Act of Defiance in 2017 as his last big screen role. 

On stage Sello Motloung appeared since 1990 in Street Cleaners (1990), The Awakening (1991), The Good Woman of Sharkville (1996), The Cherry Orchard (1997), Master Harold and the Boys (1998), Cold Stone Jug (2004) and Socks & Toothpaste (2006).

BBC News ramps up coverage of United States 2024 presidential election, expands BBC World News America, adds Path to the Presidency roundtable show


by Thinus Ferreira

BBC News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256) is ramping up its coverage and airtime of the upcoming 2024 Unites States presidential election between vice president Kamala Harris and former American president Donald Trump, expanding World News America and adding a weekly Path to the Presidency roundtable show.

BBC News is adding extra hours of programming focusing on the upcoming US presidential election, including an expanded version of World News America anchored by Sumi Somaskanda and Caitriona Perry.

From 30 September World News America will be expanded from its 30 minutes to 90 minutes in total per day, airing at 23:00 for half an hour as the existing strand, and adding another hour from 01:00.

Sumi Somaskanda and Katty Kay are now also anchoring a limited-run, weekly roundtable show, Path to the Presidency at 00:30.

Sumi Somaskanda, Katty Kay and Caitriona Perry are also presenting the Swing State Voter Voices series, alongside correspondents Helena Humphrey and Carl Nasman in which swing state voters are interviewed about their opinions and concerns ahead of the election day.

Saturday, September 14, 2024

Darlington Michaels dead at 78 after short sickbed


by Thinus Ferreira

The veteran South African actor Darlington Michaels, best known for his role as flamboyant gangster Georgie "Papa G" Zamdela in SABC3's cancelled Isidingo, died on Friday after a short sickbed. He was 78.

Darlington Michaels was admitted to the Chris Baragwanath hospital in Soweto this week suffering from breathing problems.

He was born in Pimville, Soweto, the son of a Lesotho mother and an East London father, after which they moved to Sophiatown and then White City. His Michaels surname comes from his grandfather who was a coloured man.

In 1984 Darlington Michaels wrote and starred in the play Survival about South Africa's apartheid prison system. For it he was arrested in Nelspruit and spent three months in prison without trial. After he was released, he continued to do theatre work.

Besides his iconic Isidingo role which he started with in 1997 after he got the part, Darlington Michaels portrayed the role of Daliza in the 2012 sitcom Chandies on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), and he was Pipe Man in the first season of Gaz'lam.

He appeared in Netflix's second season of How to Ruin Christmas, portrayed Themba Mashinini in Mzansi Magic's The Road telenovela in 2015 and appeared as the township gangster Gab in Mzansi Magic's 2020 drama series Vula Vula.

In film Darlington Michaels had roles in 1986's Strike Force, 1988's Mapantsula and in 1995's Hearts & Minds as well as Cry, the Beloved Country.

He also appeared in 1999's Chikin Biznis ... The Whole Story, 2006's Bunny Chow: Know Thyself, and was Rev. Reynolds in 2015's The Jakes are Missing

In 2013 Darlington Michaels suffered a stroke in Cape Town during a work trip and spent three months in Cape Town's Groote Schuur hospital.

Darlington Michaels created his own production company, Melisizwe Productions specialising in community theatre. He is survived by his wife and two children.

The SABC in a statement says the broadcaster "is deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary Darlington Michaels. His immense contribution to the entertainment industry will forever be remembered".

Friday, September 13, 2024

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will be on M-Net on Monday but NBCUniversal dumps its Live red carpet coverage on E! for DStv subscribers before it.


by Thinus Ferreira

America's 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday will be broadcast live in South Africa on M-Net although pre-coverage of the ceremony’s red carpet arrivals won't be shown live on E!.
 
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards is done from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles with the father-son duo and Shitt's Creek co-stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy and will be broadcast live on Monday morning 16 September at 02:00 in South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101). 

M-Net is doing a primetime broadcast of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night at 21:00.
 
NBCUniversal will again not show its traditional E! live red carpet coverage of the Emmys in the run-up to the ceremony as a live broadcast in South Africa. 
 
In past years, NBCUniversal showed DStv subscribers both the Live from E!: Countdown to the Emmys as a live broadcast block, followed by a live broadcast block of E! Live from the Red Carpet.
 
NBCUniversal is not showing Live from E!: Countdown to the Emmys with Zuri Hall, Zanna Roberts-Rassi and Christian Siriano to DStv subscribers this year at all, while Live from E!: Emmy After Party as a wrap-up show is also not on the schedule for E!'s DStv subscribers in South Africa.
 
NBCUniversal gave no explanation for pulling back on both the broadcast volume of its pre-programming of Emmy coverage on E! shown in South Africa, and for no longer showing the part of pre-programming that it will actually have of the Emmys, as a live broadcast.
 
Instead, DStv subscribers will only see the 2-hour E! Live from the Red Carpet: The 2024 Emmy Awards pre-show as a recorded show and long after the Emmys ceremony.
 
South Africa's DStv subscribers will see E! Live from the Red Carpet: The 2024 Emmy Awards for the first time as a recorded broadcast on Monday late afternoon at 17:00 on E! (DStv 124). 

This will be followed by repeats on Tuesday morning at 02:40 and 08:10.
 
Laverne Cox, Heather McMahan and Keltie Knight will the presenters of E! Live from the Red Carpet: The 2024 Emmy Awards, which is produced by Den of Thieves with Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan  Prager and Barb Bialkowski. 
 
Tuesday night's E! News at 22:00 on E! – the first original edition of this programme for the week – will then feature a wrap-up of Sunday's Emmy news and interviews.
 

Telkom to try and compete with MultiChoice's DStv - again - with a 'content mall' of bundled streaming curation.


by Thinus Ferreira

It might be a case of third time lucky for Telkom which plans to once again compete with MultiChoice's DStv by creating a curated, bundled video streaming offering through a "content mall" that's cheaper than subscribing to streamers directly, after attempts over the past decade to create its own satellite TV service and then its own streaming service both failed.

Lunga Siyo, Telkom consumer CEO, told the ITWeb On The Road podcast that the telecom is busy setting up its own "content mall" through which it wants to bundle various video streaming services at a bundled price that's cheaper that subscribing to each streamer individually.

Multiple American studios and streamers are currently exploring and working on the same idea of offering bundled streaming services similar to the traditional satellite pay-TV bundle, as the industry starts to consolidate and consumers are saying they no longer want to pay for a bunch of different streamers.

In this Telkom "content mall", Telkom customers would be able to subscribe to streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and others at a cheaper price than subscribing to those streaming services directly.

"Instead of investing in content and becoming a content producer, we've taken a position that we create a content mall. So we become the access. So in our own platform you're able to subscribe to these platforms, for a fee, which might be cheaper than if you were to go directly."

"So we will aggregate all of these services, and offer it you it to you as a bundle," Siyo said.

"They bring their own content, we bring our own platform."

Telkom's latest plan might be easier said than done. 

Not only has MultiChoice stalled in its own plan three years after announcing that it was creating a "one-stop shop" for streaming services through its DStv platform, but Telkom has struggled and gave up on both its previous tries to create a traditional and streaming video service.

In 2006 Telkom was one of the few successful bidders for new satellite TV service licences in South Africa and set up Telkom Media into which hundreds of millions of rand was poured with executives appointed and international content agreement signed.

After planning to invest over R7 billion, Telkom then abruptly decided to pivot Telkom Media which never launched, into an IPTV service instead of traditional satellite pay-TV and, two years later in 2008 slashed its funding.

After another year, Telkom dumped Telkom Media in 2009 which was sold off to Shenzhen Media Group which never launched and shuttered.

In November 2020 Telkom tried for a second time with launching its own video service when TelkomONE was launched into which Telkom again poured hundreds of millions of rand.

Barely two years later in November 2022 Telkom decided to get rid of TelkomONE and abruptly shuttered it and sold it off to the SABC for the South African public broadcaster to create its SABC+ streamer.


Streaming bundling future
MultiChoice had the same idea as Telkom a few years ago but MultiChoice's attempt has not fully come to fruition - although in America studios, broadcasters and video service providers are realising they need to aggregate streamers and are trying to come up with new consumer bundling approaches and offerings.

Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice CEO, in 2021 said the traditional satellite pay-TV service would work to become a "one-stop shop" and a "super aggregator" for video entertainment services like streamers. 

Over the past three years MultiChoice has added third-party streaming apps through DStv like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and the recently shuttered BritBox but that's where its efforts stalled. 

Warner Bros. Discovery's Max isn't available in South Africa yet, and Paramount added its Paramount+ not as a stand-alone streamer in South Africa like elsewhere in the world but as a studio tile folded for free into MultiChoice's own Showmax streamer with a limited Paramount+ title offering.

Other global streamers like Apple TV+ and local streaming services are also not available on, or through DStv. 

In the United States, consumers who have had to subscribe to four or five different streaming services are cutting back as streamers from Netflix to Disney+ are aggressively hiking subscription fees, adding ads, and making it much more expensive to be a subscriber than when they launched.

Media companies, legacy pay-TV services and content providers like Disney are trying to figure out how to offer bundled streaming services where they don't cannibalise other offerings but provide consumer value in a way where they can drive sustained subscriber growth and profitability, while it also makes sense as a bundle.

Earlier this year Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney with its ESPN and Fox announced they would start a joint sports streaming service Venu which has quickly become mired in a court battle.