Going dark on DStv: Disney's FOX Life and Disney XD the next TV channels leaving MultiChoice's pay-TV service at the end of September 2020.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Disney-run TV channels FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133) after 4 years and Disney XD (DStv 304) after 9 years are both ending on MultiChoice's DStv at the end of September when DStv subscribers will lose another two TV channels on the pay-TV service.

FOX Life will also exit the StarTimes pay-TV service operating under the StarSat brand in South Africa. StarSat told TVwithThinus that "due to FOX's channel strategy change, FOX will soon cease production of FOX Life" and that "FOX Life will be taken offline on 30 September 2020".

The channels' termination is most likely because of Disney's ongoing global corporate brand realignment efforts after acquiring 21st Century Fox, as well as Disney's big new emphasis to prioritise and shift its focus to its own video streaming endeavours.

With less than a month to go before DStv subscribers lose access to FOX Life and Disney XD MultiChoice has not issued any statement to its customers yet. MultiChoice hasn't responded with any statement or provided answers to questions posed by TVwithThinus about FOX Life and Disney XD by the time of publishing this report.

However, in a note to DStv subscribers who also asked about it, MultiChoice - without giving specifics - said that "as of 30 September Disney XD and FOX Life will stop airing on the DStv platform. The change is as a result of an ongoing review of channels by content providers and platform partners".


UPDATE Monday 7 September 2020 12:22: MultiChoice in a statement to TVwithThinus says that the "MultiChoice Group confirms that as of 30 September 2020 at 23:59 Disney XD (channel 304) and Fox Life (channel 126) will stop airing on the DStv platform".

"The change is as a result of ongoing review of channels by content providers and platform partners."

"Favourite Disney XD content will migrate to the Disney Channel (channel 303). Retained programming will include live-action, animation and key franchise series, movies and stunts." Current shows like Phineas and Ferb, DuckTales, Big City Greens, Supa Strikas, Disney 11, Lab Rats, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Gravity Falls and Big Hero 6 will continue, as well as a host of new series which will be announced in the coming months."

MultiChoice says that it "and its content providers and partners continue to review their channels and viewer consumption to ensure the freshest and best-available content from around the globe. This process sometimes results in the termination of channels, but it also ensures the best possible experience for its customers."

Publicity executives at The Walt Disney Company Africa respectively responsible for communication about the Disney XD and FOX Life channels and who were also asked, didn't respond to individual media enquiries about the termination of FOX Life and Disney XD at the time of publication of this report on Monday.


UPDATE Monday 7 September 2020, 12:00: "We can now now confirm that the Disney XD and Fox Life channels will close at midnight on Wednesday 30 September," The Walt Disney Company Africa told TVwithThinus on Monday afternoon in a statement.

"As the television landscape and viewer consumption evolves, we continue to develop and review our products and services - including with our platform partners - to ensure we are offering the best possible experience for consumers."

"Whilst Disney XD will no longer air, some of the channels most popular and iconic animated and live action series will be brought to Disney Channel, expanding the channel’s programming offer to viewers. 

"Whilst Fox Life will no longer air, we are excited to continue to entertain DStv viewers with world-class series and programming from Fox Channel. We are excited to continue to bring our viewers popular and iconic programming from our extensive media networks channels."

In late-August when TVwithThinus asked Disney Africa if Disney XD is shutting down and why content that was on Disney XD is being moved over and duplicated on The Disney Channel (DStv 303), Jared Stokes, senior communications manager at Disney Africa, said that "we are currently going through some schedule and programming changes as per our ongoing review of our channel offering".

He said that Disney will share more details in coming weeks.

Disney XD meanwhile has continued to move over and duplicate existing Disney XD specific shows on The Disney Channel, effectively rendering Disney XD redundant. Disney XD has also not shown any noteworthy new content.

The demise of Disney XD that launched in May 2011 on MultiChoice in South Africa with shows like Phineas & Ferb after the channel started in 2009 globally and that MultiChoice and Disney at its South African launch on DStv called "a phenomenal success", leaves The Disney Channel and Disney Junior (DStv 309) as its two remaining linear Disney TV channels for children available on DStv.

FOX Life started on DStv and StarSat in September 2016 with Fox Networks Group Africa and DStv that at the time promised hundreds of hours of "fresh new programming for the schedule, focused on localised storytelling, created specifically for African viewers". Very little of that came to pass.

In October 2017 FOX Africa did a "refresh" for FOX Life with a new on-air look and more promises of new and localised content.

The past few months FOX Life has been on virtual life-support with a schedule that suddenly became stacked with reruns and old content.

DStv and StarSat subscribers noticed, complained, and it led them to speculate that FOX Life is on its way out given the lack of attention and the stacking of rerun content on the channel.

In addition, very little to no new international of locally-produced series were made or appeared on FOX Life recently, despite FOX channel executives once promising an ongoing slate of exciting new South American and Turkish telenovelas.

The termination of FOX Life comes 19 months after Disney's billion dollars takeover of 21st Century Fox that included the Fox Networks Group.

At MultiChoice's 2020 DStv Showcase media event in August the pay-TV operator's executives made no announcement to the media that Disney XD and FOX Life will be ending a month later on DStv.

Interestingly, it is shaping up to be a record year over the past year for TV channels going dark on DStv, with the past year that has seen the loss of channels ranging from A+E Networks UK's Crime+Investigation channel to SundanceTV, ITV Choice, SABC Encore and Fashion One to BBC First on DStv, as well as a reduction to fewer M-Net Movies channels.


The likely reasons
Two different reasons are likely driving the shuttering of the FOX Life and Disney XD channels.

Firstly, Disney wants to phase out and get rid of  the "Fox" name everywhere it is used. Disney has been busy and slowly ramping up its strategic global makeover of the legacy-acquired "Fox" brands that have become part of the bigger Disney brand. 

Last month Disney Television Studios rebranded its acquired 20th Century Fox as 20th Television, and Fox 21 TV Studios that is becoming Touchstone Television.

Before that the FOX Sports channels were rebranded as Disney's ESPN channels, effectively returning ESPN to Africa not because ESPN really wanted to return to Africa but because of a corporate takeover change. ESPN dumped Africa and got out of the continent 6 years ago in July 2013.

Regarding the full-on Supa Strikas kick to the curb of Disney XD, it has become very clear that Disney is basically done with putting the amount of energy and focus behind its legacy linear international Disney pay-TV channels as it had done for decades.

Shifting its own importance away from its Disney TV channels, Disney has dramatically realigned its focus the past year towards video streaming and particularly its own Disney+ subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) endeavours like Disney+.

Disney however hasn't yet made any announcement about when it will make Disney+ available in South Africa or Africa.

Over the past few months Disney has abruptly ended carriage agreements of its linear Disney pay-TV channels in big and comparable markets like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand all because of video streaming.

It's very likely that the decision to end Disney XD in the South African and African markets are as a result of this bigger corporate sea change around Disney's TV channels.

Coronavirus: Disney delays second season final episodes of Big Hero 6 on Disney XD, new episodes of Fancy Nancy Clancy on Disney Junior delayed and pushed out.

by Thinus Ferreira

Disney has been forced to change the channel schedules of Disney XD (DStv 304) and Disney Junior (DStv 309) with the final set of episodes of the second season of the animation series Big Hero 6: The Series and new episodes of Fancy Nancy Clancy that have been delayed and pushed out.

The final set of episodes of the second season of Big Hero 6: The Series on Disney XD that was meant to premiere from 27 April 2020 to 1 May at 17:00 has been delayed, Disney says.

Instead Disney XD is scheduling a Toon Festival with Phineas and Ferb episodes as well as various other animation series on weekdays until 1 May from 09:00 to 17:00.

On Disney Junior new episodes of Fancy Nancy Clancy which would have premiered episodes on weekdays from Monday 20 April at 17:00 has been pushed out as well.

Instead Disney Junior will now do stacked repeat episodes on weekends of Fancy Nancy Clancy, PJ Masks, Vampirina, Sofia the First and T.O.T.S.

Disney and Lucasfilm's Star Wars Resistance on Disney XD abruptly cancelled after 2 seasons; animation series reveals its ending in new second season trailer.

In a shocking move, Disney and Lucasfilm revealed that they've abruptly cancelled its animation series Star Wars Resistance on Disney XD (DStv 304) after just two seasons, with the revelation about an "epic conclusion" being made in the new second season trailer that was released on Thursday.

"The final season of Star Wars Resistance takes place during The Last Jedi and leading up to the events of The Rise of Skywalker," Disney said in a statement announcing the show's cancellation. "With the movie coming up in December, this was a natural place to end the show with an epic finale."

Star Wars Resistance that started in 2018 did well enough to earn a second season renewal from Disney but is now suddenly cancelled, with the new second season trailer indicating that the series is ending with the second season that will start on 6 October 2019 in the United States.

Disney very likely ordered Star Wars Resistance cancelled so that it can pool its upcoming Star Wars TV series exclusively on its subscription video-on-demand service (SVOD) service Disney+ as a video streaming destination, where new series like The Mandalorian and a revived 7th season of Star Wars The Clone Wars will roll out.

Unfortunately, Disney+ won't be available in South Africa or Africa when it launches on 12 November in the United States.

Star Wars Resistance followed the young pilot Kazuda Xiono (Christopher Sean) who worked as a Resistance spy in a new story set within the Star Wars universe, just before the events of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens film.

In the second season, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (voiced by Matthew Wood) will make an appearance, with Joe Manganiello (Ax Tagrin), Daveed Diggs (Hamilton), and Lucy Lawless as the Aeosian Queen who have joined the show's voice cast.

The second season will take place concurrently with the Star Wars: The Last Jedi film, and build to the release of the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film.

Now all in space aboard the Colossus as a travelling space station, Kaz and everyone else aboard the Colossus are on the run from the First Order following their escape at the end of the first season but they are still being pursued by Agent Tierny and Commander Pyre, who are threatened by Kylo for their failures.

The trailer indicates Kaz and his friends are looking to find a permanent home for the Colossus, which will lead them to meet some new allies and enemies including visiting several exotic new locations and meeting new characters.

"The story picks up after a harrowing escape from the First Order, as the Colossus and all its residents find themselves lost in space, pursued by Agent Tierny and Commander Pyre."

"Kaz and team also face a myriad of new dangers along the way including bounty hunters, a suspicious Hutt, General Hux, and Supreme Leader Kylo Ren."

"Meanwhile, Tam grapples with her future and where her true allegiance lies, with her friends or the First Order. The thrilling final season will showcase how the unlikeliest of heroes can help spark hope across the galaxy," says Disney.

After MultiChoice says Disney XD is planning on rebranding to Marvel HQ on DStv later in 2019, Disney Africa denies it and says 'there are no plans to change Disney XD for its current format'.

Walt Disney Africa tells TVwithThinus there are no plans at the moment to change its Disney XD (DStv 304) channel from Disney XD to Marvel HQ or anything else on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa and Africa.

It comes after growing speculation,  after Disney decided to flip its boy-focused kids channel in India from Disney XD to Marvel HQ since 20 January.

Currently only Disney XD in India changed to Marvel HQ, but according to Disney, the change could be replicated in other territories and markets "depending on market demand".

The 10-year old Disney XD is apparently facing ratings problems internationally, with Disney that has also started shifting some shows from Disney XD to the Disney Channel (DStv 303), and with Disney XD that shuttered at the beginning of the month in Australia and New Zealand.

Weirdly complicating and confusing matters are MultiChoice - itself as carrier of Disney XD - telling at least one person that Disney XD in South Africa will be changing to Marvel HQ but not giving any date or specifics.

MultiChoice on its DStvCare Twitter handle, when asked if Disney XD is going to change in South Africa and Africa as well, told a viewer that "we can only confirm that Disney XD is planning on rebranding to Marvel HQ, we can't confirm the exact time when this will be taking place".

After being told by MultiChoice that Disney XD will be changing to Marvel HQ later in 2019, the viewer reached out to TVwithThinus asking what's going on.

TVwithThinus on Monday asked The Walt Disney Company Africa for clarity and whether Disney XD will be changing to Marvel HQ, and if so, when - or not - and got another message.

A spokesperson said: "Currently there are no plans to change Disney XD from its current format on DStv".

Star Wars: Resistance on Disney XD renewed for a second season.

Disney on Wednesday announced that it has renewed the new kids animation series, Star Wars: Resistance, seen on Disney XD (DStv 304) for a second season that will start in autumn of this year.

While the second season is in development, Disney has not given any premiere date.

The last few episodes of the first season of Star Wars: Resistance resumes on 13 January in the United States and will then be shown on Disney XD in South Africa and Africa.

Star Wars: Resistance is set before the events of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and revolves around the young pilot Kaz who's recruited to spy on the growing threat of the First Order.

Also on Wednesday together with the renewal news, Disney dropped a first season midseason trailer for Star Wars: Resistance containing new scenes from the last few upcoming new episodes.

Disney makes Disney XD a 24-hour kids channel on DStv from 1 August as the channel is aligned with the wider Disney XD channels in the region.

Disney XD (DStv 304) is switching to a full 24-hour programming schedule from 1 August on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform with the kids channel that will be offering through-the-night repeats starting Wednesday evening as the channel adjusts to a new regional feed.

Since its addition, Disney XD, Disney's boy-focused by girl-inclusive channel, used to shutter at 22:45 nightly.

It means that Disney XD joins Disney Channel (DStv 303) and Disney Junior (DStv 309) as a 24-hour feed on DStv.

Disney XD was the only kids channel on MultiChoice that closed down until the addition of eMedia Investment's eToonz (DStv 311) that also shutters at 22:00.

Instead of starting at 6:00 in the morning, Disney XD will now be a 24-hour kids channel, similar to Viacom International Media Networks Africa's (VIMN Africa) Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons, BBC Studios' CBeebies, Turner Broadcasting Africa's Cartoon Network and Boomerang, and its sister Disney channels that have all been running non-stop.

Disney Africa told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that "we can confirm that Disney XD (DStv 304) will be extended to a 24 hour feed from 1 August 2018, this is in line with our feeds across the region. The feed is being aligned with the wider Disney XD channels in the region."

Disney commissions a new Star Wars animation series, Star Wars Resistance, that will be a prequel series set before Star Wars The Force Awakens and follow pilots on a secret mission.

Disney has commissioned a new Star Wars animation series, with production that has started at Lucasfilm Animation on Star Wars Resistance that will roll out Disney XD (DStv 304) worldwide.

Star Wars Resistance will be set as a prequel series before the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The anime-inspired Star Wars Resistance will follow Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot recruited by the Resistance and tasked with a top-secret mission to spy on the growing threat of the First Order.

Disney will first show Star Wars Resistance in the Disney Channel in America, and thereafter on Disney XD around the world.

Star Wars Resistance will feature the droid BB-8 alongside ace pilots, colourful new characters and appearances by characters including Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma, voiced by actors Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, respectively.

Star Wars Resistance was created by the renowned Lucasfilm Animation veteran Dave Filoni of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels and is executive-produced by Athena Portillo, Justin Ridge and Brandon Auman.

"The idea for Star Wars Resistance came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and fighter pilots," says Dave Filoni in a statement.

"My grandfather was a pilot and my uncle flew and restored planes, so that's been a big influence on me. There's a long history of high-speed racing in Star Wars, and I think we've captured that sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do for a long time."

Marc Buhaj, the senior vice president, programming and general manager at Disney XD, says "Our colleagues at Lucasfilm have created a compelling narrative for an untold moment in the Star Wars galaxy, and we are excited to partner with them again on this new original series. Star Wars Resistance will bring viewers across generations an engaging story with heart, humor and both new and familiar characters."

Former Disney star, Adam Hicks of Disney XD's Zeke and Luther arrested and charged after a string of armed robberies.

The former Disney star Adam Hicks who appeared in the comedy Zeke and Luther on Disney XD (DStv 304) has been arrested after a string of armed robberies.

USA Today reports that Adam Hicks (25) who appeared as Luther in Zeke and Luther and who plays Diesel Turner in the series Freakish was arrested on Wednesday in Burbank, California.

He was arrested together with a woman called Danni Tamburo (23) in connection with a series of 4 armed robberies.

TMZ reported that Adam Hicks and Danni Tamburo who is apparently his girlfriend, went up to several people and put a gun in their face, demanding money.

Disney expands its DStv footprint as Disney Channel is tiered down; 3 Disney channels are added to DStv Now streaming service.

Disney is expanding its DStv footprint as the Disney Channel has been tiered down to be made available to two more cheaper DStv subscription offerings and with the three Disney channels on DStv now being made available MultiChoice's DStv Now streaming service as well.

MultiChoice and The Walt Disney Company Africa have decided to reduce the exclusivity of The Disney Channel (DStv 303) and has made the premium kids entertainment channel available to more than just top-tier DStv subscribers from 1 December.

With the streaming rights secured, MultiChoice also added all three of the current Disney channels - Disney Channel (DStv 303), Disney XD (DStv 304) and Disney Junior (DStv 309) to its DStv Now streaming service from 1 December.

Whereas The Disney Channel was previously only available to DStv Premium subscribers, the channel's exclusivity to top-tier pay-TV viewers has now been dropped and made available to DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact subscribers as well - similar to brother channel Disney XD that has been available to all three subscription tiers already.

"We're delighted to offer our DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact customers more entertainment for the kids, especially in the form of the ever-popular Disney Channel," said Aletta Alberts, MultiChoice general manager for content in a statement.

"Now families have got so much more to look forward to these December holidays - and the entertainment won't stop as Disney Channel is now part of our Compact Plus and Compact packages."

With the Disney channels being added to its DStv Now streaming facility, MultiChoice continues to build out and get closer to creating a parallel streaming service through the internet mirroring its existing satellite direct-to-home (DTH) service.

"We've been focusing in expanding our DStv Now service to mirror the service our customers get when they are at home - adding the Disney family of channels to DStv Now brings us closer to that goal," says Graeme Cumming, DStv Digital Media general manager.

"We're delighted to offer this to our customers over the holiday period,so they can keep the kids entertained on long road trips, and when they visit family and friends."

RIDICULOUS. The mind-boggling reasons Kenya's censor board gives for why it banned cartoons on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney XD on DStv.

The outright ridiculous reasons are now surfacing as to why Ezekiel Mutua, the censorship tsar of Kenya's censorship board, last week abruptly banned 7 cartoons on Nickelodeon (DStv 305), Disney XD (DStv 304) and Cartoon Network (DStv 301) for being "pro-gay".

The bisarre reasons provided by Kenya's Film Classification Board (KFCB) it seemingly took straight from the internet without having actually watched and screened the various kids cartoons, are mind-bogglingly insane and shockingly unbelievable.

Ezekiel Mutua, KFCB CEO, told MultiChoice Africa the 7 cartoons singled-out, must be off the air on the DStv and GOtv satellite pay-TV platforms over seemingly-insane reasons, ranging from one character "who has a dick for a head", to two characters who go on an (unseen) "implied romantic vacation".

While on a superficial level Kenya's censorship and banning of kids cartoons might seem silly, it has systemic and operational real-world consequences for South African and African TV viewers far beyond the borders of the East African country.

Since channel distributors often only has one TV channel broadcast feed for Africa, a ban of content on a channel in one country, like Kenya or Nigeria - that a channel distributor then must agree to - means one of two things.

Either the whole channel must be completely blocked and be made unavailable in the affected country, or the content deemed offensive on the TV channel must be removed from the linear broadcast schedule.

Since there's only one similar channel feed for more than one country, this means that the content is taken away not just from viewers in the country affected, but from millions of DStv subscribers right across several African countries, including South Africa.

I asked the KFCB when the censor board saw the actual shows to properly evaluate their content since the majority of the now-banned shows are not even being broadcast on the various channels across DStv at the moment anyway.

The KFCB failed to answer when the 7 cartoons were actually broadcast and watched by the board and responded to the question in a non-sensical fashion by saying, in part, that broadcasters must "ensure that Kenyan identity is developed and maintained in programmes" and that they "observe standards of good taste and decency".

The 7 cartoons are now abruptly banned, with the KFCB's shocking censorship that is creating problems for not just MultiChoice and DStv, but also the channel and content providers Walt Disney Africa, Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) and Turner Broadcasting EMEA that respectively run and programme the Disney XD, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network channels.

Some of the cartoons are not even airing anymore and ended years ago - for instance the now-banned The Legend of Korra that finished its run in 2014.

Yet it seems as if the KFCB, on an apparent gay hunt, did a basic desktop Google-search to find possible justification for a ban on the shows, and then decided to ban them based on what the internet sites it visited, said.

Responding to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus, the KFCB says the 7 cartoons -  Loud House, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold, Clarence, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Star vs the Forces of Evil are TV children programmes "with homosexual themes".

The KFCB says it doesn't matter that the shows don't include or show any overt on-screen "gayness".

If a show's creator said a character is gay - in the way that JR Rowling after the conclusion of the Harry Potter series said that Prof Dumbledore is gay - that is enough for Kenya's censors to order a ban on a kids cartoon on MultiChoice's DStv platform.

The KFCB was specifically asked why content is banned that's not even being aired and isn't on-air currently.

The KFCB says its "investigations focused on both current and previous programmes that are not suitable for children. The fact that some of the programmes are 'no longer airing' does not negate the fact that they are unsuitable for children". 

The KFCB - that said it banned the cartoons because it believes that the Nickelodeon, Disney XD and Cartoon Network shows "are intended to introduce children to deviant behaviour" - was asked what this "deviant behaviour" is that it is referring to, and also how this children's programming is doing that.

The KFCB didn't offer up any explanation or clarity, and in response to the question says that it is "mandated to regulate film and broadcast content to protect children from exposure to inappropriate content. Promoting cultural and moral values through also constitutes our mandate."

The KFCB that said the cartoons are against its "understanding of the institution of family", was also asked what the KFCB's definition of family is and when this definition was decided upon.

The KFCB says Kenya's constitution "only recognizes marriage between people of the opposite sex. From these references to the Kenya Constitution 2010, it is clear that homosexuality is not part of the culture, national values and the concept of a family."

"Further, it is important to note that South Africa is the only African country that recognizes same sex marriages. Indeed, the Kenyan government has a responsibility to protect children against harmful exposure to negative media content and this is what the KFCB is doing as part of its mandate."

The KFCB provided the following reasons for why it banned each of the 7 cartoons on Nickelodeon, Disney XD and Cartoon Network: 

Provider	Channel	Programme	Description
DStv	Nickelodeon	Loud House	The animated TV show airs on weekdays between 11am and 3pm and features a married, inter-racial same-sex couple, Howard and Harold McBride parenting ten year old Clyde McBride. While the program does not make a big deal out of the fact that this couple is homosexual, we find that this is a veiled attempt by the creators of the show to pass off this kind of relationship as normal.  The homosexual couple debuted on the show in July 2016 in an episode dubbed “Overnight Success” in supporting roles but they have continued to constantly feature in the show that Nickelodeon has rated 7+.
GOtv	Nickelodeon	Loud House
DStv & GOtv	Disney XD	Star Vs the Forces of the Evil	A gay couple share a kiss in one of the episodes of the animated program in the children’s network. In yet another episode, two lesbian couples are seen cuddling.
Dstv	Nickelodeon	Legend of Korra	The creators of the program state that the star and her co-star both of who are female cartoons are a lesbian couple. In one scene they are seen walking through a portal into the spirit world for an implied romantic vacation.
DStv	Cartoon Network	Adventure time	The creator reveals that two main characters, Princess Bubblegum and vampire Marceline are in a gay relationship.
DStv	Cartoon Network	Steven Universe	The show depicts two lesbian couples Ruby and Sapphire and Pearl and Rose Quartz.  The creator of the show explains the reason as to why she put gay characters in the series is that you can’t wait for children to grow up to let them know that queer people exist.
DStv	Disney XD	Gravity falls	The jokes in the cartoons are adult oriented for example one cartoon calls the other ‘bitch’, porn watching and gay cops.
DStv	Nickelodeon	Hey Arnold	Arnold is taught the wonders of sexual stamina and given stories about sex. Arnolds grandpa had a dick for a head – head is in the shape of a penis and somewhere in the scene there is a poster written "try my sausage".

Loud House

The KFCB is so uninformed that it missed the announcement of self-censorship by VIMN Africa in mid-2016 when Viacom International "assured" DStv subscribers that it won't be broadcasting on television anywhere in Africa the "Overnight Success" episode on the Nickelodeon channel featuring the flash-appearance of two gay dads.
The KFCB has now banned the Loud House series over an episode that was never even broadcast in Kenya in the first place.

Star vs the Forces of Evil

It's strange that the KFCB would ban a cartoon it couldn't possibly have seen yet.
Disney XD just started showing the second season of the show on the channel across Africa and is now at episode 8. It will be quite a while before episode 20, "Just Friends", makes it to actual TV screens that does contain a fleeting kiss - if you know where to pause and look closely in the background.

Legend of Korra

The KFCB decided to ban The Legend of Korra since the creator, after the conclusion of the show in 2014, said that two characters are lesbian. Yet nothing romantic during the duration of the show was ever shown on-screen.

Legend of Korra is banned although it isn't even showing on Nickelodeon currently.

Adventure Time

The KFCB decided to ban Adventure Time on fake reasons and alleges that "the creator said the two main characters are in a gay relationship".
Not only are Princess Bubblegum and Marceline not the main characters as the KFCB alleges, but the creator, Pendleton Ward, has never said anything to that effect ever.

The closest is actress Olivia Olsen voicing the character of Marceline, at a book signing, who said that in her personal opinion Marceline is likely lesbian but that the show will never venture into that territory since "in some countries where the show airs, it's sort of illegal".

Steven Universe

The KFCB found a correct quote from an interview with the website Movie Pilot with the show's creator. Ruby and Sapphire are indeed lesbians, according to the show's creator, but viewers will have to watch the show with that specific subtext to see that.
The KFCB however seems to read a lot of fanfiction. Is Pearl and Rose gay? Nobody knows for certain and the show has never said that.

Gravity Falls

Explaining why it banned this cartoon, the KFCB again lies and says a character calls someone "bitch". Nobody says this to another character and the word is never spoken. 

What happens is that a character called Grunkle Stan once says "son of a ..." before the scene cuts away.

The KFCB also lies when it says the characters watch porn. It's never happened.

The show also finished in 2016 already. Like The Legend of Korra, the show's creator, after the conclusion of the series, said Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durand are gay, although its never ever mentioned or explored in the show.

Hey Arnold

The KFCB says "Arnold is taught the wonders of sexual stamina and given stories about sex". Nowhere in the series does that ever happen.

As proof of these and other simply not there things, the KFCB seems to have found a website that tries to find so-called "dirty jokes" in the cartoon.

The KFCB says Arnold's grandpa "had a dick for a head – head is in the shape of a penis and somewhere in the scene there is a poster written 'try my sausage".

To see a penis you have to take a pen and draw on grandpa's face in just the right way to create a penis, and you won't believe how a penis will then pop out. It's real, definitive proof according to the KFCB that Hey Arnold isn't meant for children.

Luckily Hey Arnold isn't even on Nickelodeon currently, so the KFCB didn't have to bother to watch actual episodes before banning the cartoon.

The KFCB didn't ban the evil Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, those anthropomorphic turtles who are luring unsuspecting kids to go live in the sewers, or The Powerpuff Girls where Donny the transgender pony who isn't horny believes that he's actually a unicorn - but it's probably just a matter of time.

Star Wars Rebels cancelled; upcoming 4th season the last on Disney XD; final 15 episodes will 'be darker in tone'.

Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 304) has been cancelled, with the upcoming 4th season that will be the animation show's last.

Star Wars Rebels executive producer Dave Filoni made the announcement of the cancellation of Star Wars Rebels at this past weekend's Star Wars 40th Anniversary Celebration in Orlando Florida.

He hinted at a return of the character Ahsoka Tano whose fate was left unshown following the second season finale cliffhanger in which Ahsoka Tano faced off with Darth Vader.

After Disney was reluctant to give Star Wars Rebels a 4th season with only a muted announcement last month that it was actually renewed, Dave Filoni said it's better to end a show when you can end it on your terms, alluding to the shock cancellation of his previous animation show Star Wars The Clone Wars that had several stories and episodes in development that were never finished.

"I firmly believe that each generation needs to have their own piece of Star Wars, and this show, for a lot of kids growing up with it, is as much a piece of Star Wars as any of the movies," said Dave Filoni.

The final 15 episodes of Star Wars Rebels "will be darker in tone, with a Rogue One aesthetic," said Dave Filoni.

Obi-Wan Kenobi coming to Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD in a final duel with Darth Maul on Tatooine.

Obi-Wan Kenobi will make an appearance on Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 304) when the third season continues after the midseason break, in a (final?) epic light saber duel against Darth Maul.

What makes it newsworthy is that Obi-Wan Kenobi will appear as his older, Alec Guinness version. The younger character as portrayed by Ewan McGregor previously appeared in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars The Clone Wars.

Maul has relentlessly been seeking Obi-Wan Kenobi and got his answer in the last episode by again using and exploiting the Character of Ezra Bridger: "a desert planet with two suns" - a reference of course to Tatooine.

We don't know when in the remaining set of episodes Obi-Wan Kenobi will appear, or when he and Darth Maul will fight in their "rematch" of sorts - but it will be a big pay-off.

Maul was first re-introduced back into the Star Wars narrative in Star Wars The Clone Wars since The Phantom Menace, and since then questions abound about his "new" final fate.

Of course Obi-Wan Kenobi was only really "discovered" by Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, meaning that sooner or later, if Maul does find Obi-Wan (and now we know he does), he surely can't remain alive to tell anyone about it.

The Star Wars Rebels third season midseason trailer is filled with all kinds of must-seen amazingness:

FIRST LOOK. Disney reveals the first image of the new animation version of DuckTales that will start on Disney XD in 2017.

The Walt Disney Company through its Disney Television Animation division has revealed the first image of how the new DuckTales will look that will start on Disney XD (DStv 304) in 2017.

Disney is resetting and restarting DuckTales that saw 100 episodes made between 1987 and 1990.

The Disney film Big Hero 6 is also being turned into an animation TV series that will also start in 2017 on Disney XD. The Lion Guard, based on The Lion King will start in April on Disney Junior (DStv 309).

The new DuckTales, just like the original, will revolve around the adventures of Scrooge McDuck and his three grand nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie.

Other DuckTales characters include Duckworth, Gyro Gearloose, Launchpad McQuack, Flintheart Glomgold, Magica DeSpell, Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys,Mrs Beakley and Webbigail Vanderquck.

"DuckTales has a special place in Disney's TV animation history," says Marc Buhaj, the senior vice president for programming and general manager of Disney XD.

"It drew its inspiration from Disney legend Carl Bark's comic books and through its storytelling and artistic showmanship, set an enduring standard for animated entertainment that connects with both kids and adults."

"Our new series will bring that same energy and adventurous spirit to a new generation".

Disney's Big Hero 6 becoming the latest animation film being turned into an animation TV series for 2017 on Disney XD on DStv.

Disney's Big Hero 6 is the mouse house's latest animation film being turned into a TV series that will start on Disney XD (DStv 304) in 2017.

The film that won an Academy Award for best animation picture and based on the Marvel comics with the same name, is being turned into an animation TV series for the Disney XD channel in 2017.

The Big Hero 6 series will continue immediately after the end of the events of the film, with the 14-year old techno genius Hiro and his lovable robot Baymax experiencing all kinds of adventures while they're saving the world.

Joining the two are control-freak Wasabi, scientist Honey Lemon, fanboy Fred and no-nonsense Go Go, who together form the Big Hero 6 superhero team.

As the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, Hiro faces daunting academic challenges, not to mention the social trials of being the little man on campus. The stakes are also raised for the high-tech heroes when they must protect their city from an array of scientifically enhanced villains.

"Our colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios have created a brilliant new world, inspired by Marvel, with vivid, unique characters," says Gary Marsh, the president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop these characters into a world class animated series - full of fun, action and the kind of endearing storytelling that only Mark, Bob and Baymax can deliver".

Big Hero 6 is executive produced by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley who also created Kim Possible for the Disney Channel.

The Big Hero 6 TV series follows a raft of new animation TV shows developed from existing and beloved films.

The Lion Guard, based on The Lion King will start on in April on Disney Junior (DStv 309) and an animated Tangled TV series, based on the Rapunzel film of 2010, will also start in 2017 on the Disney Channel (DStv 303).

BREAKING. 'Grossly negligent' MultiChoice, Disney XD, Nato Geo Wild slapped with massive fines over unsuitable promos on DStv.

MultiChoice has again been slapped with fines by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) for yet again showing unsuitable content on a Disney channel and a horror promo for FOX's zombie drama The Walking Dead on the Nat Geo Wild channel on DStv.

The BCCSA called MultiChoice "grossly negligent" in both cases.

MultiChoice and The Walt Disney Company's Disney XD (DStv 304) which was fined R5000 in June last year for unsuitable content was yet again found guilty of transgressing the Broadcasting Code of Conduct and was fined R15 000 for showing an inappropriate promo on the kids channel after a complaint. MultiChoice has to pay the R15 000 fine before the end of February.

The inappropriate promo about movies on other DStv channel broadcast on Disney XD showed violence, intimate kissing, and unsuitable scenes which are not supposed to be shown and which parents and children are not expected to see on such a channel.

MultiChoice told the BCCSA that the unsuitable promo on Disney XD was "human error" and was shown after a MultiChoice staffer "inserted the promo as a gap filler" after an advertiser withdrew an advertisement that was scheduled. The BCCSA found MultiChoice was "grossly negligent".

The BCCSA said MultiChoice's broadcasting contraventions "is compounded by the fact that it seems that this type of contravention is becoming a part of a pattern of contraventions of this nature".

In another case MultiChoice was fined R25 000 for showing a "gruesome" zombie promo for The Walking Dead on Nat Geo Wild during the middle of the day while a woman was watching the DStv channel with her children aged between two and seven. Again MultiChoice blamed the mistake on "human error".

MultiChoice told the BCCSA that the satellite pay-TV platform "concede that the promo was not suitable for younger viewers and that it should not have been broadcast before the watershed period and not during the programme classified as suitable for family viewing".

MultiChoice told the BCCSA that "there are many TV channels for which MultiChoice is reponsible and that this entails considerable administrative work". MultiChoice said "the responsible person at the broadcaster did not check the right schedule for the broadcasting of this promo and there was negligence involved in the internal control".

The BCCSA said MultiChoice's promos which were broadcast inappropriately were "harmful to children". MultiChoice argued that it has no control over programming of promotional material in some instances.

The BCCSA said "this argument is not acceptable as MultiChoice has to take responsibility for all of its broadcasts in terms of its broadcasting licence".

The BCCSA slammed MultiChoice for what it says is becoming a bad pattern and that these kinds of contraventions will not be tolerated.

"From these and other similar cases, it is clear that negligence on the part of the broadcaster, and not technical problems, is mostly the recurring cause of contraventions of the Code of Conduct as far as the watershed rule and classification of programming is concerned."

"In other words, the broadcaster seems to have a problem with human error," said the BCCSA.

Star Wars: Rebels starting 11 October on Disney XD on DStv rich in scope; multi-layered new story well worth following in that galaxy far, far away.

"In time, a new hope will emerge."

Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi says these words - complete with a built-in reference to Star Wars arcana for the faithful - in the first episode of Star Wars: Rebels starting on Disney XD (DStv 304) on Saturday, 11 October at 09:20.

And too say too much more, if anything, about this brand-new Star Wars TV series following in the footsteps of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, would be giving too much away to viewers who should discover the little holocrons it contain for themselves.

But having watched the first hour long double episode of Star Wars: Rebels entitled "Spark of Rebellion" (part I and II) its clear that those not familiar with George Lucas' sprawling galaxy far, far away, will definitely like watching this finely crafted show. Those familiar with it, will love it.

Beneath the surface Star Wars: Rebels is an incredibly rich show in terms of storytelling.

To say why the motley crew is going to be pursued across the galaxy, to explain the establishment of the relationships between the various characters, who outs himself as what and why, and how it all fits together, would be to spoil something that true Star Wars fans need to discover to their own delight for themselves when the new animation series starts on Disney XD.

Star Wars: Rebels is every bit as intricate, finely-crafted, intriguing and multi-layered as what Star Wars: The Clone Wars was in its latter seasons - a joy to watch for the way it yield small clues and tantalising glimpses to fill in the bigger Star Wars universe, with an incredibly mature and richly textured story.

Star Wars: Rebels works for kids, but although not sold and marketed as such, its an even more rewarding experience for adults, and for adults and young people who've watched the Star Wars films and series like Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

When a character spray-paints a random symbol, you recognise it as the very first beginning of what it will become later if you've seen the movies.

There's the excited start of a master-apprentice relationship (already spoiling too much), steeped in tradition and a fast receding past - with a link to history and the future - and it's all these things, meshed together in a well-crafted story, that makes Star Wars: Rebels great television.

The one "bad" thing in Star Wars: Rebels is the characters' hair.

From Ezra to the multiple Wookies the animation looks tragically unrefined compared to the hyper realistic shadows, explosions, planetscapes and ship interiors, something the producers probably sacrificed because of time and the daunting task of the multiple episodes that will have to be produced.

All the rest though more than makes up for a few bits of animation - it's the story of Star Wars: Rebels you should tune in for which will start to grab you at around the 15 minute mark of the first half hour and positively keep you glued during the entire second episode where major character revelations and developments start to occur.

Another huge plus point is that Disney is working globally to bring Star Wars: Rebels very quickly to viewers around the world and also South Africa.

Disney XD is literally going to show episodes on the heels of it being shown in America, unlike Turner Broadcasting System which showed very little love to Star Wars: The Clone Wars on the Cartoon Network and took longer than a year to show every season.

Will Ezra become the new Asokha (sorry, uninitiated readers)? What is Kanan's history as a, well, something?

Star Wars: Rebels has zero pandering in its story telling, the tone is mature with themes of loss and loyalty, courage, individuality and belonging, standing up for what is right and trying to make a difference.

If you like Star Wars, you will like Star Wars: Rebels. If you watch it on Disney XD from Saturday on DStv, its completely guaranteed that you will grow with it as the story in that amazing galaxy keeps expanding.

BREAKING. Star Wars Rebels starting on Disney XD on DStv on Saturday 11 October at 09:20.

You're reading it here first.

Many rebels died bringing padawans everywhere and their fathers this message: Star Wars Rebels, the brand-new animation TV series set in that galaxy far, far away will start on Disney XD (DStv 304) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa and the rest of Africa on Saturday 11 October at 09:20 as a double-episode, one hour TV movie.

Star Wars Rebels (the double-episode movie is entitled Star Wars Rebels: Spark of the Rebellion) will repeat on the Disney Channel (DStv 303) on Friday 17 October at 17:00.

After that the first season's episodes will roll out with one episode from Saturday 18 October at 09:20 on Disney XD.

Where South African viewers had to wait over a year every time for seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars to finally unspool on Turner Broadcasting's The Cartoon Network (DStv 301), the new Star Wars Rebels will be broadcast in South Africa and Africa nearly instantaneously as part of a global roll-out of the show by Disney and LucasFilm.

Star Wars Rebels is set between the movies of Episode III and Episode IV and will look stylistically very much like the very first, original Star Wars movie.

The new animation show, the precursor to a live action Star Wars TV drama still to come, starts with the teenager Ezra on a remote planet who has to fend for himself.

Ezra quickly meets up with the motley crew of the starship Ghost (imagine Han Solo before Han Solo) like Kanan (who is actually secretly a Jedi at a time when the Jedi have been eradicated by the Empire all across the galaxy), and an assortment of other characters.

They're going to be pursued by a new evil character, the Inquisitor, as they experience adventures across the galaxy and as viewers are filled in on more of the background events, and get an inkling of how the Rebel Alliance was eventually formed.

Star Wars Rebels is created by Dave Filoni who also did Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

BREAKING. Disney XD on DStv fined R5 000 for showing horror promo to young children without proper age restriction.

You're reading it here first.

Disney XD (DStv 304) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform has been fined R5 000 by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) for showing a horror promo to children in the morning and without a proper "13" age restriction.

"The rights of parents and caregivers of smaller children have been violated" by Disney and MultiChoice the BCCSA found and imposed a fine of R5 000 which must be paid before 30 June.

The BCCSA tribunal found that Disney XD and MultiChoice violated the Code of Conduct through the absence of an adequate warning which protects the rights of parents and caregivers to be informed about the nature of material to which their children are exposed to on television.

Disney XD showed a promo in the morning of the British TV series Wolfblood about werewolves, in which teeth and fingernails grow "conjuring up memories of the well-known Dracula films" according to the BCCSA.

MultiChoice and Disney conceded that younger children might have found some scenes disturbing. The BCCSA which viewed the promo several times found that "scenes are fleeting and out of context".

"Maybe the producers of these promos are not concerned with context and strive only to show scenes that would attract the attention of potential viewers," the BCCSA tribunal found.

"Our impression of the promo is that the broadcaster is busy promoting a horror movie. The film might be an innocent youth fantasy drama, but this is not the message that the promo conveys," the BCCSA tribunal says in its ruling.

"Parents and caregivers of younger children have a right to be warned about what is to be broadcast so that they can make the choice whether their children should be seeing that or not," says the BCCSA.

MultiChoice conceded that the promo on Disney XD should have carried an age warning on 13.

"MultiChoice has taken steps to ensure that the promotional material will be broadcast with a 13 age restriction and appropriate warnings".

Teen superhero comedy series, Mighty Med on Disney XD, renewed for a second season.

The teen superhero comedy series, Mighty Med on Disney XD (DStv 304) has been renewed for a second season.

Disney announced in a press statement that Disney XD has ordered a second season of Mighty Med which will start production in July.

"The show's clever take on the popular superhero genre has made this show a hit with Disney XD viewers," says Adam Bonnett, the executive vice president of original programming for Disney Channels Worldwide.

Mighty Med which earlier this year started its first season on Disney XD in South Africa, revolves around the after-school adventures of teenage best friends Kaz and Oliver, who land dream jobs at a secret hospital for superheroes, sci-fi and fantasy characters.

Without powers of their own, these two seemingly ordinary boys realize that the power of friendship gives them the ability to become heroes themselves and save the people who save people. Mighty Med is produced by It's A Laugh Productions.

Lab Rats on Disney XD renewed for a 4th season; production set to start in October.

Disney XD (DStv 304) has renewed the science fiction teen comedy series Lab Rats for a 4th season.

The fourth season of Lab Rats will start on Disney XD in 2015, with production set to start in October. The show is produced by It's A Laugh Productions.

The fourth season of Lab Rats will start with the characters of Leo, Bree, Adam and Chase moving and joining the secret Davenport Bionic Academy after the destruction of their Lab in the third season.