Doctor Who’s TARDIS spins to Disney+ in South Africa as part of a new BBC-Disney TV deal.

by Thinus Ferreira

As part of the time-warp of the times the British science fiction series Doctor Who is the next TV shows jumping straight to streaming with the total travels of the TARDIS which will whirl from the BBC to Disney+ outside of Britain from 2023.

Following the switch from M-Net (DStv 101) of This is Us, Grey's Anatomy, Station 19 and other shows all moving from premium pay-TV and linear broadcast television to Disney+, the BBC and Disney announced that the complete library and new series of Doctor Who will be switching to Disney+ outside of the United Kingdom as well in 2023 as part of a new partnership contract.

David Tennant will play the 14th Doctor for three upcoming Doctor Who TV specials at the end of the year, before Ncuti Gatwa takes over the role as the 15th Doctor. 

In South Africa Doctor Who used to reside on BBC Studios' linear TV channels like BBC Entertainment and BBC Brit for a number of years, after which MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax acquired a few seasons that were co-incidentally filmed in South Africa while Jodie Whittaker was the Doctor, but it lasted only a short while after which Showmax dropped the series from its catalogue. 

South African viewers have been left Doctor Who-less for a number of years with the series which didn't return to the BBC's linear pay-TV channels, but viewers will now be able to catch up and continue the show on Disney+ from next year.

The BBC and Disney Branded Television say they're bringing Doctor Who to Disney+ as they are working together to "transform Doctor Who into a global franchise for UK audiences and the rest of the world" as part of a new collaboration around the show which is produced in Wales by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios Production.

"I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK," says Russell T. Davies who is returning to Doctor Who as showrunner in 2023 after he helmed the reboot of the series in 2005.

Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer, says "We are thrilled to announce this exciting global partnership with Disney who are the perfect partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the world".

"Russell T. Davies' vision for Doctor Who has always been out of this world and we are committed to ensuring that audiences across the globe get the opportunity to enjoy the Doctor's epic adventures with the scale and ambition that they deserve.

"Joining forces with Disney will elevate the show to even greater heights and reach new audiences so it's an extremely exciting time for fans in the UK and across the world."

Alisa Bowen, Disney+ president, in the statement says "We're excited by the opportunity to bring new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introduce the show to the next generation of audiences in more than 150 markets around the world."

"The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalogue of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling."

Ayo Davis, Disney Branded Television president, says "Doctor Who has captivated the imaginations of families around the world for the past six decades. We are so excited about this collaboration with the BBC, and the opportunity to bring this iconic franchise – and Russell T. Davies' brilliant vision – to life for a huge new global audience".

Jane Trantor, Bad Wolf executive producer and co-founder, says "For Doctor Who to have the backing of two of the most innovative and respected media organisations in the world is a testament to the unique drive and vision at the heart of this show".

"Bad Wolf are beyond delighted to be once again working with the genius that is Russell T. Davies and, with the exciting new partnership between the BBC and Disney, we can together reach to even greater heights, producing from Wolf Studios Wales ambitious stories through time and space for audiences across the globe."

BBC announces Ncuti Gatwa as the 14th Doctor Who.

by Thinus Ferreira

The BBC has announced that actor Ncuti Gatwa (29) is taking over from Jodie Whittaker as the 14th Doctor in its Doctor Who British science fiction series, making him the first black actor in the history of the role.

The Scottish actor who was born in Rwanda, is known for his role as Eric Effiong in the Netflix series Sex Education and is replacing Jodie Whittaker who took the role in 2017.

In a press statement from the BBC, Ncuti Gatwa says "There aren't quite the words to describe how I'm feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared".

"This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my utmost to do the same."

He says showrunner "Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger. An actor's metaphorical playground".

"The entire team has been so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so as much as it's daunting, I'm aware I'm joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show."

In the press release Russell T Davies says "The future is here and it's Ncuti! Sometimes talent walks through the door and it's so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars".

"Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds. It's an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can't wait to get started. I'm sure you're dying to know more, but we're rationing ourselves for now, with the wonderful Jodie's epic finale yet to come. But I promise you, 2023 will be spectacular!"

Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer, says "Ncuti has an incredible dynamism, he's a striking and fearless young actor whose talent and energy will set the world alight and take Doctor Who on extraordinary adventures under Russell T Davies' new era."

South African viewers are unable to watch Doctor Who. 

South African viewers used to watch Doctor Who on BBC Studios Africa's BBC Entertainment channel on MultiChoice's DStv, then the BBC First and BBC Brit channels, and then suddenly in a non-sensical move to MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax for its 10th and 11th seasons, after which Showmax dumped Doctor Who. 

Doctor Who isn't available on the BBC's streaming service Britbox, neither is it available on Netflix SA.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK. Who caused this? DStv subscribers short-changed as Doctor Who suddenly swirls back for its 11th season - but to Showmax, not BBC First - with the never-shown 10th season suddenly becoming a phone booth burn-off.

Jodie Whittaker quits the BBC's Doctor Who as Thirteenth Doctor along with showrunner Chris Chibnall, will be seen in season 13 and 3 film-length specials in 2022.

by Thinus Ferreira

Jodie Whittaker is leaving the British science-fiction series Doctor Who after the end of season together with showrunner Chris Chibnall who revealed in a BBC press release on Thursday that they both decided years ago that they will both quit after three seasons.

Jodie Whittaker will remain as the Thirteenth Doctor in season 13 and 3 feature-length specials in 2022.

The first of the three Doctor Who specials will be released on 1 January 2022, followed by a second episode a few months later. Jodie Whittaker's final appearance will be towards the end of 2022 to coincide with the BBC's Centenary celebrations. 

Jodie Whittaker joined Doctor Who in 2017 as the Time Lord for the 11th season that was filmed in Cape Town and the surrounding area when MultiChoice's Showmax took over the African rights of the series from BBC Studios' BBC Brit channel on DStv, along with big hype for her first season in 2018.

After that BBC Africa and Showmax suddenly fell completely silent as the series completely disappeared after all the manufactured PR fanfare due to underwhelming viewership figures on Showmax, leaving fans stranded without answers or any options to continue watching it.

Jodie Whittaker was cast as the first female Time Lord by Chris Chibnall who in return replaced Steven Moffat’s shoes as the Doctor Who showrunner four years ago.

Chris Chibnall added Tosin Cole (Ryan), Mandip Mandip Gill (Yaz), as well as Bradley Walsh (Graham) as her new companions, and eventually also Sacha Dhawan as The Master and Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor.

"Jodie and I made a three series and out pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast. So now our shift is done, and we're handing back the Tardis keys. Jodie’s magnificent, iconic Doctor has exceeded all our high expectations," says Chris Chibnall in the BBC press release announcing that he's quitting Doctor Who - an open secret inside Doctor Who fandom for months.

"Jodie's magnificent, iconic Doctor has exceeded all our high expectations. She's been the gold standard leading actor, shouldering the responsibility of being the first female Doctor with style, strength, warmth, generosity and humour."

"She captured the public imagination and continues to inspire adoration around the world, as well as from everyone on the production. I can't imagine working with a more inspiring Doctor – so I'm not going to!"

Olly Alexander has been widely rumoured to take over as the next Time Lord in Doctor Who when Jodie Whittaker's take on the doctor renegerates.

"Jodie Whittaker says "In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them."

"My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life".

"I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories. We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had. I don't think I'll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I've learnt forever."

Piers Wenger, BBC drama director, says "Over the last four years Chris and Jodie have made Doctor Who history and their time on the show is indelibly marked on our memories".

"From Rosa Parks to Ascension of the Cybermen, Chris and Jodie have given Doctor Who some of its most life-affirming and tear-jerking moments to date and we are beyond excited to see what they have in store for us in the new series this autumn."

"Jodie's final adventure to mark the BBC's Centenary in 2022 is set to be a Doctor Who Special to remember. I'd like to thank them both for their incredible work on the show."

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 12 November 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ Insiders at Fox News (StarSat 261) wonder what's next as they try to acknowledge Joe Biden's victory in America's 2020 presidential election without turning away Donald Trump viewers. (subscription required)

- Split screen: Fox News (StarSat 261) swings from refuting to hyping - when the sun is out Fox News calls Joe Biden the next American president; after dark conspiracy theories.

■ MSNBC (StarSat 263) cuts off crass correspondent Ken Dilanian who goes "s***" and "f***" on-air.

■ Study: A third (33%) of people sign up to a video streaming service just to watch 1 new show.

■ The churn is starting at Disney+ as free promotional periods ends after a year.

■ Will these ViacomCBS executives be able to save legacy pay-TV channel brands like MTV and Comedy Central revive them for the video streaming era?

■ Doctor Who that has completely dropped off from Showmax and disappeared from BBC Brit (DStv 120) starts filming on the new season.

■ After Donald Trump, American channels like Fox News (StarSat 261), CNN International (DStv 401) and MSNBC (StarSat 263) are all facing their own challenges when it comes to their audiences.

■ South Africa's current minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, again says that the ANC-led government is against the bloated and overstaffed SABC's plan to get rid of workers.

■ The SiSwati and IsiNdebele TV drama Bukhosi promises royal intrigue.

■ Chicago Fire seen on M-Net (DStv 101) suspends production after multiple positive Covid-19 cases.

■ While Nigerian TV news channels insist that they're broadcasting #EndSARS footage from their own camera crews and not doing any false reporting, Nigeria's corrupt censorship body, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) again attacks the country's struggling broadcasters trying to do their job.

■ Netflix says it's actually just like a standard broadcaster when it comes to cancelling shows.

As the litany of shows cancelled by Netflix start to rack up, the streamer says it just makes "disproportionally" news when it cancels a show.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 11 August 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:


■ BBC News finally apologises over its use of the "N"-word racial slur in a report - after 18600 complaints - and after a black BBC radio presenter had to quit.....
- After first defending the decision, outgoing BBC director-general now admits: "We should have taken a different approach". "We are very sorry for that".


■ South Africa's parliament again asks the SABC to stop its retrenchment plan at the South African public broadcaster.

■ Netflix is killing Christianity.
Instead of being out and about missionaries are sitting home binge-watching.

■ SABC foreign editor Sophie Mokoena accused of bribery and taking American money to tarnish Zimbabwe's image.

■ Meet the fund manager who doesn't like Netflix and won't touch it with investments.
"While Netflix can continue to add paying subscribers, they will never be able to deliver a high level of return on investment capital because a lot of that money is going to buy up new content."


■ Nigeria's disastrous and destructive National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) does propaganda for its controversial changes to the country's broadcasting code and banning pay-TV operators from acquiring exclusive content.
- Incompetence will destroy pay-TV in Nigeria.
- Confused director-general Armstrong Idachaba goes on a crazy rant against Iroko.
-  Armstrong Idachaba doesn't understand how English Premier League (EPL) rights work and are sold globally; gives non-sensical answer when confronted and told why pay-TV operators like MultiChoice and Supersport buy sports content in the first place.


■ There are 42 Easter eggs hidden in the second season of an Umbrella Academy on Netflix.
- Show creator responds over Umbrella Academy anti-Semitism claims.

■ Kenya DStv subscribers and GOtv subscribers furious at MultiChoice Kenya after shocking DStv price hike.

■ After both The Good Doctor and Grey's Anatomy will prominently address the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in storylines in their upcoming new seasons, New Amsterdam will now as well.
All three American medical drama series seen on M-Net (DStv 101) will now incorporate Covid-19. The New Amsterdam change comes after the series pulled an unaired flu pandemic episode from broadcast earlier this year.

■ Netflix subscribers complain that there's nothing really worth watching (subscription required).
Video streaming services like Netflix promised near-endless choice. So why are viewers complaining and finding that there's nothing left worth watching?

■ The reality real estate star Ryan Serhant of Million Dollar Listing New York on VUZU (DStv 116 / Lifetime 131) turns to New Zealand after New York's housing market tanks because of Covid-19.

■ "Here's a question you shouldn't be able to answer: Computer, what is the nature of the universe?"
Voice search becomes more conversational.

■ MultiChoice's problem isn't going away as angry DStv Premium subscribers say the offering continues to be diluted and continue to flee DStv in droves.
"I'll soon wave goodbye to DStv."

■ Is Uyajola 9/9 on Moja Love (DStv 157) perpetuating negative stereotypes around black love?

■ Christopher Eccleston returns as BBC's Doctor Who - in radio stories.

■ Pakistan TV is changing: Lesbian lovers and a boxer in a burqa.

■ Disney is making its first Southeast Asia launch of its Disney+ streaming service.
Disney+ will launch on 5 September 2020 in Indonesia as Disney+ Hotstar.
- And: How Netflix went from foe to friend in Indonesia (subscription required).

■ Sundance, sunset: Is it over for independent film festivals?

■ Americans who no longer pay their monthly bills because of Covid-19 say they no longer pay their pay-TV account.

■ Creative TV creators should use the Covid-19 lockdown period as their moment to reinvent.

■ Formula 1 CEO confirms there will be a third season of the F1 reality documentary series Drive to Survive on Netflix.

■ South Africa's disgraced minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, responds to photo of barefoot man in Eastern Cape kneeling in front of her as she wears Nike.


■ Global media and video streaming giants are putting the squeeze on smaller local media's plans for their own streamers.
As international TV business companies start to keep their library content for themselves and put new content on their own video streaming services, localised country and territory streaming services will have to evolve fast if they want to continue to try and compete against the world’s most powerful technology and entertainment companies.

■ Dan Levy says that his work as a red carpet correspondent was soul-crushing (starts at minute 5:35).
"It takes a very particular person to not be soul-crushed by the experience of interviewing on the red carpet. You're inherently not the person that the person answering questions wants to talk to."

'Twas the day before Christmas, so here are 10 really great streaming TV series to binge-watch during the holiday period.

'Twas the day before Christmas, so here are 10 TV shows on Netflix, Showmax, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and DStv Now that you can stream watch and will definitely enjoy during the Christmas holiday season.

1.A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 1 & 2)

Netflix

Perhaps you know the brilliant book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett. Perhaps you don't. Perhaps it's actually better if you don't. It's so sad and about orphans, and death, and disaster. A lot of disasters actually. The wonderful series stars Neil Patrick Harris as the evil Count Olaf, constantly scheming to get his hands on the inheritance of the Baudelaire children, Violent, Klaus and little Sunny (who bites). Before the third and final season covering the last books, catch up on the first and new second seasons of this beautifully done story.

2.Vikings (2nd half of season 5)

Showmax

While you're waiting for the final season of Game of Thrones coming to M-Net (DStv 101) in 2019, use this time to catch up on this Nordish "game of thrones". Showmax is adding the episodes weekly of the just started second half of the 5th season of this series about vikings that is inspired by the legends of one of the best-known Norse heroes, Ragnar Lothbrok. 

The characters are rich and multifaceted, the plot unexpected, and if you love Thrones we can fully guarantee that you will love this viking drama spectacle.

3.Doctor Who New Year's Special 2019

Showmax

Daleks will probably come hunt the BBC for this but the Beep has broken with tradition. No, not for choosing a woman to take over from a man (here's looking at you Jodie Whittaker) from the current 11th season, but for moving the traditional Christmas Day episode to New Year's Day.

This year the season ender special additional episode that used to be on Christmas Day is moving to 1 January 2019, with Showmax that will have it on 2 January. This time it's actually set on, and taking place on New Year's Day and the producers are promising "a big, thrilling, explosive, moving, cheeky, surprising treat".

4.Origin

YouTube

There's been basically no publicity for this but that's why we're here to tell you about Origin, a brand-new YouTube Original series that was filmed in Cape Town. Set in space, you can watch the first two episodes of this 10-episode drama series for free on YouTube. A group of people wake up aboard a space ship heading for a far-flung planet to colonise, after some type of a disaster. Oh, let's end the suspense - something is onboard! A mysterious alien thing. The survivors have to figure out who the alien inhabited, and it has a weak spot: memory. Tom Felton who was Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter is all grown-up (and still rude and ugly to everyone). Is he the alien?

5.Elite

Netflix

Imagine The OC, Gossip Girl, Beverly Hills 90210 and How to Get Away with Murder all rolled into one, set at an elite (hence the title) private high school where one of the pupils have died.  This new 8-episode teen drama series is utterly compelling and there's something you don't have to worry about: It's Spanish, but you can watch it with an English soundtrack (that doesn't sound "telenovela dubbing" like at all, and there are also English subtitles.

This "whodunnit" series wonderfully playing and subverting every teen TV show trope you thought you knew in a whole new way, is absolutely brilliant and will keep you guessing right until the end. Three working class students, after their school collapsed due to faulty construction, get the chance to go to the private school Las Encinas. Now mix together the jock, the Muslim girl, the blonde girl, the "teen queen" popular girl, the working class good guy, the working class guy's best friend, the sports star and an array of others for an addictive murder mystery. Who is gay, who is pregnant, who is addicted, who is getting murdered? We won't answer those questions but you'll find out who died at the end of the first episode.

6.The Bureau of Magical Things

DStv Now Catch Up

This new Nickelodeon teen series filmed in Australia revolves around the teenager Kyra who discovers a magical world existing right alongside the real world, filled with fairies, elves, and other creatures. How to do high school while helping bookstore owner and Professor Maxwell who is a teacher of magic at the Department of Magical Intervention (DMI)?

7.Condor

Showmax

The very best spy drama of the year is this new 10-episode series that has been renewed for a second season and is a modern-day version of the 1975-film, Three Days of the Condor, based on the 1974-novel. 

Max Irons (the actor-model son of Jeremy Irons), is the young CIA analyst Joe Turner literally running for his life, trying to solve a vast conspiracy within the CIA as vicious assassins are hot on his trail in a frenetic, Terminator 2-like chase that's seemingly without end. William Hunt and Mira Sorvino bring ballast to the cast, and the tension, and unexpected twists and turns will have you gasping.

8.Jack Ryan

Amazon Prime Video

The year's second best spy drama is this excellent and gripping modern-day version of the Jack Clancy's Jack Ryan character, this time with John Krasinski in the lead role of this 8-episode season executive produced by Carlton Cruse and Michael Bay, and that has been renewed for a second season.

The "desk job" CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a series of dubious bank transfers done by terrorists. Quickly he becomes drawn into an international spy operation, while he finds new love, deals with trauma from his past, and ends up having to try and save the live of the American president.

9.Vanity Fair

Showmax

This beautiful 7-episode British period drama miniseries is a retelling of William Makepeace Thackeray's famous 1848 novel about Becky Sharp (Olivia Cooke), a ruthless (but in a good way) social climber who uses her charms and intelligence to fascinate and seduce upper-class men to improve her position and circumstances in life.

Until that new Downton Abbey movie in 2019, the costumes, clever story, great acting, and sumptuous backdrops will give you all the feels about that wonderful bygone 19th-century British society era.

10. Marvel's Runaways (season 2)

Showmax

The 13-episode second season of this drama series that became available for streaming on Friday in America will drop on Showmax from 24 December. In the first season, 6 teenagers going to the same school, trying to solve a murder mystery, discover that their parents have secret superhuman powers and are hiding dark secrets.

The nerd, the goth, the jock, the blonde girl, the socially-shy girl and the one with the purple hair all band together in the new season as they are on the run. They find a new place to live, as they attempt to use their new superhuman abilities as a group.

BBC Studios' Doctor Who on Showmax taking an unexplained year-long break on TV screens, next season to only arrive sometime in 2020.

The British science fiction series Doctor Who from BBC Studios that jumped to Showmax will be taking a year-long break from TV screens and only return sometime in 2020 for its 13th season.

The 11th season with actress Jodie Whittaker as the new doctor and first female Time Lord, just concluded, with a bonus New Year's Day episode coming on 1 January 2019 and replacing the traditional Doctor Who Christmas day special.

The series filmed the initial few episodes of the 11th season in and around Cape Town and in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Jodie Whittaker, along with her character's three new companions played by Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gil and Tosin Cole, will all reprise their roles for the 13th season.

The BBC and the Doctor Who producers haven't as yet given any explanation for the much longer than usual break.

"We're off again! Well we never actually stopped," says Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who executive producer and head writer in a statement.

"As Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we've been busy with a whole new set of action packed adventures for the 13th Doctor."

"We adore making this show and have been blown away by the response from audiences, so we can't wait to bring more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole."

The statement is in response to articles that started circulating that both Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall are leaving Doctor Who.

Charlotte Moore, BBC director on content, says "We're delighted that the Doctor and her friends will be returning to thrill audiences in 2020. I know Chris and the whole team are already working on a whole new set of exciting adventures. In the meantime we've got a very special episode on New Year’s Day for everyone to enjoy."

TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK. Who caused this? DStv subscribers short-changed as Doctor Who suddenly swirls back for its 11th season - but to Showmax, not BBC First - with the never-shown 10th season suddenly becoming a phone booth burn-off.

It's not a diabolical Dalek plan; it's more an outcome of what is increasingly becoming the chaos of a nonlinear system.

Doctor Who is coming back for South African viewers after a very long absence, but coming back in the "wrong" way.

Unfortunately this "took-way-too-long" development - of which the net effect in the end is positive - is actually very bad for a particular type of South African consumer.

Distilled down the loser is ... the DStv subscriber who used to watch Doctor Who on BBC Worldwide Africa's (now BBC Studios Africa) BBC First channel on MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV service.

Let's start in the past with the background, then the present and what's happening now, before we get to what the problem is.


First the past

The joy was great when, in the mid-2000's, the BBC revived the British science fiction series, Doctor Who and MultiChoice and BBC Worldwide announced that the new series would also be shown on the BBC Entertainment channel on DStv.

That carried on until season 9 of Doctor Who in 2015 with Peter Capaldi that was shown on BBC First (DStv 119) when the BBC relaunched its channel set on DStv in South Africa.

Everything was hunky-dory, and you couldn't really justifiably criticise anything the BBC and DStv did around Doctor Who, except perhaps a few too long breaks between seasons where BBC Worldwide took just a tad too long to show the next season and South Africa was mostly a season behind.

In 2014 I got upset at the BBC's so-called "global tour" of Doctor Who when the 12th Time Lord, Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman went on a "global" tour to every continent - except for Africa.

African viewers, it seemed, were not really good enough for Doctor Who.

After the 9th season, Doctor Who on DStv's BBC First also just stopped.

Since then it's been the longest wait, of course with the expectation that Doctor Who would return, but not knowing when. I also knew also that the BBC didn't really consider the Doctor Who ratings "good enough", which is why it wasn't a priority to really buy and schedule Doctor Who's 10th season.

In July I still asked the BBC in Africa when Doctor Who would return, and was told there's nothing definite yet.


Now we get to the present

Imagine my surprise when, in late-August, BBC Studios Africa suddenly announced that it will be hosting a special Doctor Who experience at Comic Con Africa 2018, with Naspers' subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service, Showmax.

The announcement also included that Doctor Who's upcoming 11th season is going to be on Showmax with Jodie Whittaker as the "new" doctor.

(Keep in mind South Africans haven't even seen the 10th season yet on DStv, or the exit of Peter Capaldi, who, according to what we saw last, is still the doctor and will be for a whole season.)

"Whovians and new fans from across the continent can come to Johannesburg and celebrate the return of one of the BBC’s most successful franchises with an immersive TARDIS experience, ahead of the launch of the all-new series starring award-winning actress Jodie Whittaker," said BBC Studios Africa.

"The new series heralds a brand-new era for Doctor Who with a world-class team at the helm."

"Bigger and bolder than ever, Series 11 marks the arrival of the Thirteenth Doctor – a super-smart explorer of the universe, alongside a team of new friends and delightful characters," said the statement, adding that "it will be available exclusive to Showmax later this year."

At Comic Con Africa 2018 "fans of the show will be able to come together and enjoy a screening of the final episode of Series 10, where the new Doctor makes her first appearance."


Now the sad and disappointing problem

Firstly, I don't blame Showmax.

It's a new player in a new video world and all sharks have to keep swimming or die.

Showmax bought BBC Studios content and BBC Studios was willing to sell Doctor Who to Showmax - just like it sold Doctor Who to Cell C's black SVOD service which is where I watched Doctor Who last two months ago.

Furthermore Showmax, marketing-wise, wants to do an "activation" and have a type of a physical brand presence at Comic Con Africa 2018 (with BBC Studios maybe as well) - and again, nothing wrong with that.

I also don't really "blame" BBC Studios and BBC Studios Africa. I really like and respect what BBC Studios Africa keeps accomplishing in South Africa and Africa. Also, BBC Studios produces shows, has shows and wants to sell those. Companies exist to sell.

The problem is maybe that BBC Studios should have sold Doctor Who first to the BBC's channels instead of Showmax, but if the channels part of a company doesn't want it, and you can get money for it elsewhere, who isn't going to sell it to a buyer who wants it?

Here is the bad problematic part though: I have a big problem with what it means for dedicated DStv subscribers and BBC viewers who have been loyal and who have paid for over a decade to watch Doctor Who on MultiChoice's DStv and who now can't watch or follow it anymore.

After first cultivating and creating an audience - something DStv and the BBC did together, these subscribers' are having their show ripped away from them which is now continuing on another platform.

M-Net has done somewhat the same by starting certain shows on certain of the M-Net packaged channels on DStv - mostly M-Net (DStv 101) - and then after a few seasons flinging them away to other channels or higher-tiered channels where subscribers can no longer see them, don't know where to find them, or don't know that new seasons have started elsewhere.

That's not as bad though as having a long-running and existing show jump from a channel on DStv to Showmax.

While some DStv subscribers might get free access to Showmax, they still have to pay data costs to stream episodes.

Secondly, while the deal for season 11 also includes season 10 for Showmax, it's beyond ridiculous  how the 10th season of Doctor Who is being downplayed as merely a phone booth burn-off to just get through, to now get to the ooh-so-exciting season 11.

It comes across as a desperate corporate marketing attempt to make it look as if South Africa is/has always been one of the kids in class who also have the latest pair of Nike.

Meanwhile the truth is that the powers that be could be bothered less with Doctor Who, while real, ardent fans waited and waited and waited.

It took two and a half years since season 9 for South Africans to get access to season 10, and now viewers must suddenly "binge" through it in days - and not on DStv's BBC First but on Showmax - just to be cool enough for Comic Con. That ain't right, Face of Boo.

Thirdly, why is Doctor Who suddenly cool enough for Comic Con Africa (and yes, it is) when it didn't matter before?

All of the sudden fuzz - "ooh, Jodie!", "ooh, one of the BBC’s most successful franchises" - sounds fake and put-on given that South Africans and DStv subscribers heard and were basically told nothing about the show for over two years.

The fact is that Doctor Who wasn't supported in South Africa, fans were not deemed worthy enough of answers about where the show is and when it' would be coming back and it didn't matter enough to comprehensively keep them or the media up to date.

Now there's a flurry of announcements, an activation and whatnots. But why does it feel like it has such a sense of fakeness to it?


A final River Song

I love science fiction; I like Doctor Who.

There are however episodes I hugely love but I can't say that I'm in love with the series.

I have however watched all of the episodes of the 2005 series onwards  - every season - and I have rewatched a lot of episodes on in-flight entertainment systems, and DVD box sets, and will continue following, watching and tracking it.

But there are real fans of Doctor Who, people who really love the show.

There are DStv subscribers who possibly subscribed and remained subscribed to DStv in order to see the show as part of the matrix of shows making it worthwhile for that person to have DStv.

I feel bad for them, and for DStv subscribers who watched Doctor Who, and for DStv subscribers who tuned to a BBC channel because they watched it there, expect(ed) it to continue to be there, and who are experiencing a show being ripped away from them - exclusively - after they waited for it to return for almost 3 years.


So, Who caused this? Who is at fault? No-one really and everybody really. A system with too many options, players, available avenues, and verticals led to it. Welcome to the TV world as it is now, and changing even more.

Unintended effects are part of complex systems and with South Africa's TV-archology adding more and more constantly moving parts that all interact with each other, it's likely that things like this are going to happen even more and more in the future.

If you're very loyal to a particular TV show and want to see how its story continues or concludes, get ready to have to work even harder, and to pay even more for more different things, if you truly want to keep following it.

'BBC WORLDWIDE ARE C****' - Angry Doctor Who writer slams BBC Worldwide and publisher Panini in a vulgar, hidden magazine message.

An angry and upset writer for the BBC's Doctor Who Magazine, published by Panini, has worked in a hidden, vulgar message slamming Panini and BBC Worldwide.

Using the first letter of every sentence in a one-page article, the disgruntled writer spelled out the sentence "PANINI AND BBC WORLDWIDE ARE C****"

At the end of the article in the latest issue that is currently on sale and that was written by The Watcher - who is very likely no longer employed by the Doctor Who Magazine - he writes: "IN A NUTSHELL: If you look hard enough, there's always something hidden in plain sight".

Clever readers did notice and figured it out yesterday, when they checked the first letter of every sentence that appear in the entire body copy of the article.

The online version of the article has now been changed. There's been no comment so far from either Panini or BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide runs and distributes channels like BBC First, BBC Brit, BBC Earth and CBeebies to pay-TV operators like MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa and Africa.

In South Africa Doctor Who is broadcast on BBC First (DStv 119).

Jodie Whittaker will make her appearance as the Thirteenth Doctor - the first woman in the Brit sci-fi show's run in the Christmas day special entitled "Twice Upon a Time" on the BBC in the United Kingdom as the final episode of the 10th season.

It's not yet known when that episode will be broadcast on BBC First.

A starting date for the new 11th season has not yet been announced.

Brit sci-fi show Doctor Who finally goes where no man has gone before: Jodie Whittaker cast in Doctor Who title role as first woman and 13th Time Lord.

The iconic British science fiction series Doctor Who is finally going where no man has gone before, getting its first female doctor with Jodie Whittaker who has been announced as the 13th Time Lord and the first woman given the title role.

Jodie Whittaker (35) was revealed as the new Doctor Who on Sunday night in the United Kingdom and will take over the starring role in the BBC show that is seen in South Africa and Africa on BBC Worldwide's BBC First (DStv 119).

The former Broadchurch actress will take over from Peter Capaldi after three years when the doctor, traveling through time and space, regenerates into his latest form, and will make her first appearance in the 2017 Christmas special in a few months' time.

Together with Jodie Whittaker, Chris Chibnall is taking over the reigns as Doctor Who's new head writer and executive producer with David Moffatt who is leaving. Of course the Doctor's current companion is the black lesbian woman, Bill Potts (played by Pearl Mackie).

Also keep in mind that Chris Chibnall is the creator of Broadchurch, so the new season of Doctor Who will be basically a reunion for the two jumping to the new science fiction show.

"It is more than an honour to play the Doctor," Jodie Whittaker told the BBC. "It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can't wait."

"It feels completely overwhelming, as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you're told you can and can't be."

She said "this is a really exciting time and Doctor Who represents everything that's exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one."

"I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman," says Chris Chibnall in a statement, saying that Jodie Whittaker's "audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away. Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role. The Thirteenth Doctor is on her way."

Besides a female Doctor, the new Star Trek Discovery will kick off on Netflix worldwide on 24 September and revolving around the adventures of Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham, the female first officer of the starship USS Shenzhou.

Peter Capaldi done with BBC's Doctor Who on BBC First in a shock announcement; will leave the Tardis at the end of 2017.

Peter Capaldi is done with the BBC's Doctor Who, becoming the latest exit for the BBC facing an ongoing exit of high profile on-air talent from TV shows ranging from Top Gear to The Great British Bake Off.

Peter Capaldi (58) made the shocking and surprising announcement on the BBC's BBC Radio 2 on Monday saying that "I've never done one job for three years before and I feel it's time for me to move on to different challenges".

Peter Capaldi's exit from Doctor Who comes after a dramatic viewership loss for the science fiction series the past few seasons, with Capaldi blaming the BBC for moving it to a later timeslot, and slamming the BBC for "undoubtedly" taking Doctor Who for granted.

The Scottish actor will finish out the year at Doctor Who, seen in South Africa and 6 other Southern African countries on BBC Worldwide's BBC First (DStv 119) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

The new season of Doctor Who will start in April, and Peter Capaldi will leave after the conclusion of the Christmas 2017 special episode.

Peter Capaldi told the shocked BBC radio presenter that his upcoming last season of Doctor Who will be "a huge event" with an "unexpected" turn of events. The season will "roll along in a vintage way" before it turns dark and emotional.

After three seasons of playing the space and time traveller since 2013, Peter Capaldi will exit the British science fiction series at the same time at the end of 2017 as the Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat who has been with the show since 2010 as lead writer and executive producer.

Peter Capaldi is the fourth actor to play Doctor Who since the BBC relaunched the sci-fi series in 2005, taking over after Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith played the inhabitant of the British blue police phone box.

In a statement that Steven Moffat released after Peter Capaldi's announcement, Moffat says "Peter's amazing, fiery, turbulent Doctor is still fighting the good fight, and his greatest adventures are yet to come. Monsters of the universe, be on your guard - Capaldi's not done with you yet!"

"Like Peter, I'm facing up to leaving the best job I'll ever have, but knowing I do so in the company of the best, and kindest and cleverest of men, makes the saddest of endings a little sweeter."

Now viewers are wondering who the 13th Doctor will be, and whether the BBC will finally cast a woman, a black man, or someone other than a white man in the iconic Timelord role.

BBC creating a young adult Doctor Who spinoff entitled Class written by young adult author Patrick Ness; will film in Wales for broadcast in 2016.

The BBC has commissioned a young adult spin-off of the science fiction show Doctor Who, entitled Class set in contemporary London.

In South Africa and across Africa the iconic British series has been seen on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) on MultiChoice's DStv and will be seen on BBC First (DStv 119) when that channel launches on 18 October.

BBC Worldwide's so-called "global" Doctor Who tour last year infamously shunned Africa and went to every big inhabited continent except for Africa when neither Johannesburg, Lagos, Cape Town or Nairobi were good, safe or important enough for Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and executive producer Steven Moffatt.

Now Doctor Who is getting a spin-off with Class which is produced by BBC Cymru Wales in association with BBC Worldwide, written by young adult author Patrick Ness.

Class will start filming around Wales and is set for broadcast in 2016 with a first season of eight 45-minute episodes.

Class is the 4th Doctor Who spin-off, following Torchwood which ran for four seasons before getting cancelled, the animated series K-9, and The Sarah Jane Chronicles of five seasons.

"No one has documented the dark and exhilarating world of the teenager like Patrick Ness, and now we're bringing his brilliant story-telling into Doctor Who," says Steven Moffat in a statement. "This is growing up in modern Britain - but with monsters!"

"I'm astounded and thrilled to be entering the Doctor Who universe, which is as vast as time and space itself," says Patrick Ness.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 21 September 2015

SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng embroiled in staff intimidation.
Case opened at Brixton police station last week. Nadiva Schraibman told to stay quiet and not talk to the media. Got a threatening message while working on documentary about Desmond Tutu, purportedly from the SABC's chief operating officer (COO).

StarSat will broadcast the FIFA Under/17 World Cup matches.
but can't bother to tell South Africa's TV critics or the press after StarTimes acquired the sport rights.

ITV's Downton Abbey draws lowest viewership ever for a season premiere episode.
The 6th and final season's first episode had 7.6 million viewers in the United Kingdom.

Jana Bennett now the president and general manager of A+E Networks' History (DStv 186).
The former BBC Worldwide president immediately promoted to being the boss of History, based in New York.

Trailer for The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story.
Flat acting but looks good. No broadcasting dates yet for this upcoming movie and the 90210 one on Lifetime (DStv 131) in South Africa.

Stop meddling with the BBC says Europe's media bosses.
Urge the United Kingdom to stop breaking the BBC and to protect its independence.

DStv subscribers flock to MultiChoice demanding compensation.
MultiChoice no longer repairs or supplies old SD PVRs or DualView decoders and won't repair or replace them. Tele marketing agency On Air takes weeks to help DStv subscribers and consumer columnist has to help.

Trevor Noah tells Stephen Colbert that Jon Stewart is "the Jewish Yoda".
"You can't live up to Jon Stewart. It's insane," says Trevor Noah who takes over The Daily Show next week on Comedy Central (DStv 122).

Jenna Coleman has dumped Doctor Who on the BBC.
Confirms that she has filmed her last scenes as Clara.

National Geographic Channel (DStv 181) will have a second season of
Years of Living Dangerously. Will play out in 171 countries, including South Africa.

SHOCKER. Africa not good enough for Doctor Who, as the British scifi TV show goes on a 'global' 7 cities tour but blatantly shuns one continent.

Not the Face of Boo. Just Boo. Despite being able to regenerate and travel through time and space there's very clearly one place that blue box and Doctor Who can't and won't go: to Africa.

Doctor Who on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) shown on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform across Africa is going on a "global" 7 cities tour - London, New York, Seoul, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney in August.

But see if you can spot the conspicuously absent city and the missing continent on the list of BBC Worldwide's "global" Doctor Who tour.

Yes, Africa, Africans and a big African city like Johannesburg, Lagos, Cape Town or Nairobi simply do not feature - because clearly Africa doesn't matter or exist to Doctor Who, or it would have been included.

While South African and African viewers are apparently just good enough to watch Doctor Who on the telly, they're not up to standard to actually ever meet him in person.

The 12th Time Lord, Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are visiting the seven cities on their "global" tour over 12 days in August and executive producer Steven Moffatt will join them in some of the cities (but not all).

It is really utterly pathetic of BBC Worldwide and Doctor Who to say the least, to cut out Africa and African viewers from this "global" experience.

It's shocking in fact, to so arrogantly and with blatant global discrimination make it painfully obvious that Africa is apparently "not good enough" for British science fiction and a British sci-fi TV show.

Is Mexico City and people watching Doctor Who there better than Johannesburg? If so, why?

Is Rio de Janeiro better than viewers watching this show in Nairobi? How?

It's mind-boggling that Sydney in Australia can be included in a Doctor Who stop-over but not Cape Town in South Africa.

This TV critic has been to Sydney and lives in Cape Town. The cities are almost identical.

This TV critic has been to several cities in several South American countries. They're very much the same to the several African cities I've been to across the African continent.

If you can go to Seoul, Sydney and Mexico City you can at the very least also go to Johannesburg, or Cape Town.

We also drink tea and eat scones, watched Kate Middleton's wedding and want to bring butlers back because we've seen it on Downton Abbey. And wouldn't you know, we even have running, save-to-drink water coming out of (gasp!) taps (true).

Grow up BBC, grow up BBC Worldwide, and grow up Doctor Who.

On what godforsaken place were those nine and thought lost forever episodes of Doctor Who found last year? In Africa. In a friggin storeroom in Africa. In Nigerian in a TV station. Episodes from 1967 and 1968.

That's how long back Doctor Who has been shown on African television.

Are you scared of Africa? Are you scared of Africans? Is it too far, too difficult, too logistically challenging or is the BBC show deemed to have too few fans in South Africa and Africa to make an African visit and stop-over worth your while?

I thought a T.A.R.D.I.S. could go anywhere and do anything. Now Doctor Who and the people behind it just look tardy.

Please come to Africa and to South Africa, Doctor Who.

Please visit this remote place in the universe and acquaint yourself with the people, the fans and the many viewers of the show who live here, and who knows what that thing is that we call te-le-vi-sion that we watch with this thing called e-lec-tri-ci-ty.

We don't have Daleks (promise!) but we do have many, many dialects. And I promise you, you will love them.

In a press statement Amanda Hill, the chief brands officer at BBC Worldwide, says: "We were so bowled over by the global reaction to the 50th episode last year that we thought what better way to introduce the new Doctor than to take the team around the globe".

The saddest thing and most disappointing thing is that BBC Worldwide is taking Doctor Who around the globe but not the full globe. Not to Africa.

The irony is that the BBC and Doctor Who requires fans to embrace every subsequent regeneration of the Doctor (and we do!) when the actor changes.

Unfortunately BBC Worldwide and Doctor Who are showing themselves as being much slower to embrace a prosperous, growing (and Doctor Who watching) continent called Africa; a continent in the midst of a wonderful regeneration of its own.

Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode to be shown on BBC Entertainment in South Africa on 23 November at the same time as 75 countries.

South African TV viewers will be able to see the special 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who on 23 November on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) as the same time as it's being show in the United Kingdom, with viewers in 75 countries across six continent who will be able to watch the episode at the same time.

BBC Worldwide says Africa, Europe and Latin America have all signed up for the global simulcast together with Australia, the United States and Canada.

It means that South African viewers will be able to see Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman in the once-off Doctor Who special entitled "The Day of the Doctor" at exactly the same time as millions of viewers across the globe tune in on 23 November.

The former Time Lord David Tennant as well as Billie Piper, and John Hurt will appear in the 50th anniversary episode.

"Few TV shows can still lay claim to being appointment viewing but Doctor Who takes this to another level," says Tim Davie, the CEO of BBC Worldwide which issued a statement late on Tuesday night.

"We wanted to create a truly international event for Doctor Who fans in as many countries as possible and the simultaneous broadcast across so many countries will make for a fitting birthday tribute to our Time Lord."

"The Doctor has always been a time traveller - now he's travelling time zones," says Steve Moffat, the showrunner for Doctor Who and the executive producer of the 50th anniversay episode in the statement.

"On 23 November it won't be the bad guys conquering the Earth - everywhere it will be The Day of the Doctor."

Doctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver soon available as a universal TV remote to humans.

BBC Worldwide issued a hilariously clever press release (well done!) announcing that the Sonic Screwdriver from Doctor Who (seen in South Africa on BBC Entertainment, DStv 120) will be available to buy as a TV remote control from 31 August.

"Ever since Patrick Troughton, the Second Doctor, first produced it from his jacket, the sonic screwdriver has been the Doctor's most trusted tool," says the press release.

"A high quality metal replica of the Mark VII Sonic Screwdriver currently used by the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, the new Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control is a gesture-based universal remote control that utilises infrared (IR) technology to manipulate almost all earth-based home entertainment systems - from TVs and iPod docks to DVD/Blu-ray players and beyond."

"With a green flashing top and an impressive four operational modes - including a practice mode - and three memory banks, a total of 39 commands can be stored in the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control, giving aspiring Time Lord's the option of operating multiple home entertainment devices with different flicks of the wrist."

"Control is straightforward - even for humans. The Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control works through a series of 13 short gestures, such as rotating, flicking or tapping, and a guided set-up procedure uses spoken prompts to match gestures to commands learned from existing remote controls."

"For fans who wish to transport a little more of the Doctor into their homes, the FX operational mode features a range of authentic vintage Doctor Who sound effects."

"All unauthorised alien usage of this device can be avoided, as the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control comes with an inbuilt security setting - a three digit PIN can be set by the primary user - offering ultimate human control of the ultimate alien device."

"As time travel is not readily available to most humans, Doctor Who fans will have to wait until 31 August 2012 to own a Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control."

BREAKING. BBC Entertainment has Doctor Who special with Kylie Minogue.

You're reading it here first.

BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) has finally decided to show the 2007 TV Doctor Who Christmas special, Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned starring Kylie Minogue.

The once-off special episode set on a Titanic-in-space (wait until you see the spaceship) has David Tennant as the Doctor and Kylie Minogue who agreed to play waitress Astrid Perth. Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned will be broadcast on Sunday, 4 April at 18:10 on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120).

For sci-fi junkies: The episode plays out on Christmas Eve 2007 and a spaceship, the RMS Titanic is transporting passengers to Earth. Passengers and crew are dressed in clothes replicated from 1912. Of course the Titanic is hit by a meteor and then . . . chaos.