A TV critic's creative synopsis in the TV listings of an upcoming TV programme - the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump in America on Friday afternoon - is drawing global attention after he likened it to The Twilight Zone and a science fiction show set in "an ongoing alternative present".
TV critic Damien Love's TV listing in Scotland's Sunday Herald is now drawing attention around the world after he described the upcoming Trump inauguration and the next four years of his presidency, broadcast as a TV show, as "one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history".
President Trump: The Inauguration
After a long absence, The Twilight Zone returns with one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history. Sci-fi writers have dabbled often with alternative history stories - among the most common is the "What If The Nazis Had Won The Second World War" setting - but this huge interactive virtual reality project, which will unfold on TV, in the press, and on Twitter over the next four years, sets out to build an ongoing alternative present.
The story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017 in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible. Today's feature-length opener concentrates on the gaudy inauguration of President Trump, and the stirrings of protest and despair surrounding the ceremony, while pundits speculate gravely on what lies ahead. It's a flawed piece, but a disturbing glimpse of the horrors we could stumble into, if we're not careful.
In 2017 viewers can watch brilliant shows with people trapped in alternative realities - ranging from The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime Video to Emerald City on Vuzu AMP (DStv 103), Travelers and Parallels on Netflix, 12 Monkeys, Timeless, Beyond and the upcoming Time After Time.
Yet it's the real world with Donald Trump as an American president and things like a looming Brexit, that millions of people worldwide find hard to believe and difficult to understand and adapt to.
Damien Love's TV listing went viral when George Takei, famous for his role as Sulu in Star Trek, tweeted: "The Sunday Herald TV section wins today".
Where to watch Donald Trump's inauguration
South African viewers can tune in for President Trump: The Inauguration in Washington, D.C. that will be broadcast on BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256) on Friday from 17:00 to 21:00, anchored by Huw Edwards and Sophie Raworth.
CNN International (DStv 401) didn't release any details or programming times regarding the inauguration and the channel's EPG on MultiChoice's DStv shows no special coverage but CNN will likely also carry it live from sometime on Friday.
Sky News (DStv 402) will switch to inauguration coverage from 17:00 on Friday.
FOX News (StarSat 261) will switch to live Inauguration 2017 coverage from 18:00 anchored by Shepard Smith.
CNBC Africa (DStv 410) will broadcast The Inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday from 18:00 to 22:00 switching to the American CNBC feed with coverage anchored by Carl Quintanilla, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera and Kelly Evans.
MSNBC (StarSat 263) will start its inauguration coverage on Friday at 17:00 anchored by Rachel Maddow, Brian Williams and Chris Matthews in New York and NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt in Washington, D.C.
Bloomberg Television (DStv 411 / StarSat 264) under its Bloomberg Politics banner will also broadcast the inauguration on Friday from 17:00 to 20:00, as will India's NDTV (DStv 413 / StarSat 567) from 18:00 to 20:00.
Local TV news channels eNCA (DStv 403), SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN7 (DStv 405) didn't release schedules, programming notes or any coverage plans but are likely to dip into the live inauguration feed late on Friday afternoon as well.
eNCA says it will live stream the inauguration event online at enca.com from 19:00 on Friday.
