Discovery Networks International has suddenly postponed the debut of Thando Thabethe's new South African talk show, Thando Bares All, that was supposed to start this month on TLC (DStv 135) by 3 months to May without saying why.
Thando Bares All with Thando Thabethe and Carissa Cupido was supposed to start on Saturday 24 February at 20:55 on TLC but Discovery Networks CEEMEA has yanked the show, produced by Oxyg3n Media, from the schedule and moved it to May.
Discovery isn't willing to give any specific reason for the sudden move of the show 2 weeks before it was supposed to debut with the "slightly risque" 8-episode Thando Bares All that would be about with people about "body positivity" and "things that society might be afraid or embarrassed to speak about".
Topics in the 8 episodes of Thando Bares All will discuss polygamy, "naked attraction", outrageous style and body issues with themes borrowed and synchronising with other well-known TLC programming.
One strong possibility for the sudden postponement is that Discovery wants to prevent Thando Bares All - geared towards trying to capture a local female audience - from getting lost in the initial high audience sampling before ratings level off when a new TV channel launches.
Moja Love (DStv 157) from Siyaya TV starts on 14 February on DStv as a new TV channel and is a new direct competitor to TLC and A+E Networks Africa's Lifetime (DStv 131).
With a swarm of new locally produced female-driven talk shows on Moja Love that DStv subscribers will take for a TV test ride, Discovery likely thought to protect Thando Bares All from the cacophony of voices like Show Me Love starting on Moja Love that is based on the American talker The Real with KG Moeketsi, Unathi Msengana, Abigail Visagie and Nontobeko Sibisi.
Dilek Doyran, vice president of commercial development and country manager of Africa at Discovery Networks Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA), in late-2017 said "Thando Bares All is about bringing people together and tackling topics we know our viewers will have strong opinions on."
A potential problem with the delay is that episodes will be seen more than half a year after they were filmed in late-2017. In the 6 month gap some of the content might have become somewhat stale or irrelevant, with guests and what they have to say that might likely no longer be as current as when the in-studio sit-downs were taped.
Discovery doesn't yet have a new starting date for Thando Bares All. Discovery was asked whether the postponement was a production issue - for instance episodes not being finished in time, or a scheduling issue, or a combination of both.
Discovery told TVwithThinus the episodes of Thando Bares All have been delivered by Oxyg3n Media and that the postponement is purely a scheduling decision.
