M-Net loses Grey's Anatomy to Disney+, new 19th season will debut on 26 October with weekly episodes three weeks after America.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has lost another iconic American series from its channel line-up with the Shonda Rhimes-produced Grey's Anatomy switching to Disney+ where the 19th season will debut in South Africa three weeks after the United States on 26 October.

The evergreen Grey's Anatomy is the latest American series M-Net lost in Hollywood's Streaming Wars, following shows like This Is Us and a swathe of others.

As American studios close down their international distribution pipelines to keep their content back for their own streaming services, traditional linear pay-TV channels like M-Net and pay-TV operators like MultiChoice are throttled with less access to premium American television content.

While South African viewers will now have to switch from M-Net (DStv 101) to Disney+ to continue watching the long-running American drama series, DStv subscribers and M-Net viewers elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa have no alternative since Disney+ has not yet launched outside of South Africa.

The new 19th season of Grey's Anatomy started this week in America, with new episodes which will be released weekly on Disney+ SA from 26 October. Besides season 19, Disney+ carries all the previous 18 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in its library carousel.

Season 19 of Grey's Anatomy in which Ellen Pompeo is scaling back her participation and will only appear during 8 episodes this season as she works on another new TV series, the story continues six months after the season 18 finale.

Five new interns are joining the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital staff, with Harry Shum Jr., Adelaide Kane, Alexis Floyd, Niko Terho, and Midori Francis joining the cast.

Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net renewed for a 19th season with star Ellen Pompeo and showrunner Krista Vernoff returning, new season to 'unlock new, untold stories'.

by Thinus Ferreira

The veteran American drama series Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) in South Africa has been renewed for a 19th season with star Ellen Pompeo and showrunner Krista Vernoff who have both signed a contract extension with ABC Signature studio that is a part of Disney Television Studios.

As part of her new contract Ellen Pompeo is upped from co-executive producer to executive producer of Grey's Anatomy while Krista Vernoff as executive producer will remain showrunner who is also the executive producer and showrunner of the spinoff series Station 19. 

ABC and Grey's Anatomy is also not describing season 19 as the "final season" or "last season", meaning that Grey's Anatomy will definitely still be renewed for a landmark 20th season as well.

"Grey’s Anatomy is a true phenomenon, beloved by audiences around the world. Whether they catch it live on ABC, or stream it on Hulu or globally on Disney+ or Star+, it's clear that fans can't get enough of Shonda Rhimes' brilliant creation," says Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television.

"We have enormous faith in Shonda, Krista Vernoff, Ellen Pompeo and the entire creative team to unlock new, untold stories that will continue to focus on modern medicine, tackle the issues that shape the world around us, and resonate deeply with loyal fans for years to come."

Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes says "I couldn't be more excited that we get to keep telling the stories of Meredith, Bailey, Richard and all of the other doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial for another season".

"This is a true testament to Krista, the cast, the crew and all the writers who keep the audience on the edge of their seat week after week. And it would not be possible without the generations of incredible fans who have supported Grey’s Anatomy for so many years."

Krista Vernoff in the statement says "Grey’s Anatomy has a global impact that can't be overstated. Grey’s touches, and sometimes changes, hearts and minds worldwide through the depth of connection people feel with these characters".

"I'm excited to work with our extraordinary writers to dream up where we go from here, and I'm always grateful to our partners at Disney and ABC for letting us tell bold stories with real impact."

Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net renewed for an 18th season while Station 19 gets a 5th season.

by Thinus Ferreira

The American drama series Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 both seen on M-Net (DStv 101) have both been renewed for respectively an 18th season and a 5th season for 2021/2022.

In a statement, America's ABC TV network says that Krista Vernoff as the executive producer and showrunner will "continue to helm both series", with the original Grey's Anatomy stars Ellen Pompeo,Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. who will all stay on with new deals.

"Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy have done an incredible job of honouring real-life heroes by giving audiences an unflinching look at one of the biggest medical stories of our time," says Craig Erwich, president, Hulu Originals & ABC Entertainment, in a statement announcing the series' renewals.

"Krista and her team of writers have continued to deliver the compelling and compassionate storytelling that is a hallmark of these shows, and created some of the year's most-talked-about moments in television."

"We're so grateful to our talented casts and crews for their extraordinary work that connects with viewers everywhere, and we look forward to sharing even more defining moments with our fans next season."

Krista Vernoff says "The writers, directors, casts and crews of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 worked so hard to bring these shows to life this past season".

"Keeping each other safe on set while paying tribute to the front-line heroes and first responders has been a challenge and a privilege. I've been truly blown away - particularly by our tireless crews - as they reinvented the TV-making wheel."

 Thank you to ABC and ABC Signature for the support and extraordinary partnership through this unprecedented season. We are so grateful for the opportunity to tell more stories."

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 5 October 2020.

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

■ Old TV set kept wiping out broadband for an entire Welsh village daily, at the same time and nobody knew that it was the reason.

■ Hollywood's new supervillain at the movies: Empty seats in cinemas.
Big-budget films now kept away from movie theatres because studios don't think they will make their money back if people don't attend.

■ Netflix's Ryan Murphy problem: Why has all of his TV series for Netflix been so bad from Ratched and The Politician to Hollywood?

■ "Ratings whore" Jeff Zucker helped to create the Donald Trump show. That show might now be ending.

A Frakenstein tale for the late TV age.

■ Has Donald Trump's Walter Reed hospital video been edited to get rid of coughing?

■ Ratings for America's 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards fall again to a new record-low as video streaming becomes the new normal and takes over from broadcasting.

■ How Netflix is selling itself to the world.

Beyond series and films, Netflix is now spending millions to market itself.

■ For America's big TV channels November has become the new September.

Because of Covid-19 the usual new 2020 fall season that is supposed to start in September is being pushed to November which is when the new season of "real" shows like This is Us and Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) will hopefully start.

■ Staffers at Ellen DeGeneres' Ellen Show says her season 18 premiere apology turned their trauma into a joke.

Ellen's on-air monologue slammed as disingenuous and tone-deaf.

■ More TV documentaries are being made than ever before.

But they're skipping the actual journalism because of constant conflicts of interest.

■ South Africa's boxing community in conflict over planned public protest and march set for 4 November at the SABC.

■ Why Enola Holmes on Netflix is a disappointing Sherlock Holmes movie.

■ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle alarmed at Netfli'sdemands - "They have to pay a price".

■ How Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) will tackle Covid-19 in the upcoming new season 17.

"We've actually reinvented the wheel."

■ What the TV viewership shift towards streaming means for advertising and advertisers.

■ South Africa's financially struggling SABC that already has corporate marketing and communication staff, as well as several other publicists, has appointed an external PR company to do its work.

■ With its explosion of unscripted content Netflix is putting its rivals on notice about reality TV.

■ Discovery Inc. is quietly ruling the reality TV world with guilty-pleasure programming.

Netflix and HBO will have to find their own 90 Day Fiance.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 25 August 2020.

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

■ The TV industry will never recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Advertising and pay-TV subscription fees have been the twin engines driving the growth of media companies for decades and now both are failing.
- Get ready for fewer new scripted shows and more cheap reality on pay-TV, and more of everything else on the internet.

■ FOX News (StarSat 261) insiders  part of a "real resistance" inside the rightwing American channel; no-one in control at FOX News; FOX News management "afraid of the news"; uncomfortable staffers worried about the damage being done.

■ Alison Sweeney returning to her role of Sami Brady in Days of Our Lives seen on e.tv.

■ ViacomCBS is launching its Paramount+ video streaming service through the OSN pay-TV operator in the Middle East and North Africa.

■ Rose McGowan slams Alyssa Milano for making Charmed "toxic AF":
"You threw a fit in front of the crew, yellig 'They don't pay me enough to do this s-!' I cried every time we got renewed because you made that set toxic."

■ New Pandemic: Covid-19 in Africa documentary series to broadcast on M-Net Movies Zone (DStv 139) every 3 weeks.

■ Grey's Anatomy, This is Us, The Good Doctor, NCIS: New Orleans, The Resident, Shameless:
Why are so many American TV drama series now planning to do Covid-19 episodes?

■ Can Ellen DeGeneres' "be kind" brand survive her not-so-nice scandal?

■ Yep, he's gay: Slipping into bed with the former SABC2 Eastern Mosaic presenter Imraan Vagar.

■ Staggering R22 million legal bill for the SABC for disciplinary hearings of the South African public broadcaster.

■ Has the great "re-bundling" arrived?
As pay-TV moves from bundling TV channels to streaming services, guess what's happening in the "second phase of bundling" ...

■ In America video streaming consumption has doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic - driven by Netflix.

■ Netflix's Selling Sunset real estate reality series hit by allegations that it's fake.

■ In an accidentally "DO NOT POST" tweet Disney+ accidentally tweets it and reveals that it plans to launch on 17 November in Brazil and Latin America.

■ KwaZulu-Natal premier, Sihle Zikalala, hilariously claims that eNCA (DStv 403) anchor and reporter Shahan Ramkissoon "disrespected" and "belittled" him during a live broadcast.

■ Netflix's new "Shuffle Play" button designed to rot brains (subscription required).

■ Islamic TV station ITV (DStv 347) shook by court claims of alleged financial wrongdoing, including thousands paid for family wedding and legal fees of provisionally sequestrated founder (subscription required).

■ Ellen Pompeio of Grey's Anatomy, seen on M-Net (DStv 101), on watching herself age from 33 to 50 on TV across 17 seasons: "It's not so fun. It's ..."

■ A live-action series of The Powerpuff Girls is in the works based on the original Cartoon Network (DStv 301) animation series.

■ British television's racism problem laid bare in blistering address at 2020 Edinburgh TV festival.

■ Netflix could lose 2 million subscribers quarterly ... without new content.

■ The non-TV story (& podcast) of the day: The new pay-for-play "payola": How the secret bundling of artists' music together with other merchandise have broken the album charts.

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."

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 7 August 2020.

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


■ MUST READ: The cringey rush to defend Ellen DeGeneres.
The power dynamics of how and why it's so difficult to hold powerful people accountable when other powerful people shield them and give them platforms.

■ Hollywood has increasingly started to censor itself in order to keep China happy.
Changing scripts, deleting scenes and altering other content as America's film and TV industry fears offending Chinese censors who control the gateway to the country's 1.4 billion consumers.

■ MultiChoice says DStv is providing the best content during the Covid-19 lockdown.

■ Is the real estate reality show Selling Sunset on Netflix real or scripted?
Viewers don't think the glamour and gossip are real.

■ "Stay Tuned": The 1992 film in which a couple is sucked into an alternate reality world where they have to survive the one TV show after another is turned into a TV series.

■ Uganda's Magic1 TV channel says it has nothing to do with the "replica" Magic 1HD that popped up on StarTimes.

■ Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) will start production soon on season 17 - with Covid-19 pandemic changes.

■ DStv subscribers in Zambia are unhappy about MultiChoice Zambia's latest price hike of DStv and GOtv.

■ The Good Doctor seen on M-Net (DStv 101) will kick off its 4th season with a Covid-19 coronavirus storyline.
- The SHOCKING production stand-off behind the scenes of The Good Doctor in Vancouver where the entire crew got fired: In-fighting between unions over testing for Covid-19 led to pre-production being put on hold.

■ Pumping men's buttocks.
The male characters in the BBC's Harlots are largely reduced to pumping buttocks with hypocritical heads attached.

■ Amazon Prime Video is working in introducing a "random episode" button.

■ Making TV shows during the Covid-19 pandemic requires more money and time.

■ Anti-heroes disrupted TV. Now they're the status quo.

■ How do they track the golf ball on television during a golf broadcast?

■ The BBC received 18 600 complaints from viewers after reporter used the "N"-word racial slur in her news report.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 5 August 2020.

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


■ "Feasting on the adulation of others" - we're all Norma Desmond now.

■ Are you able to guess what FOX News (StarSat 261) in the United States and Netflix have in common?

■ South African mine worker turned Los Angeles reality TV director Reinhardt Vermeulen:
"When I was working underground in the mines, I never in a million years would have thought that I would be here today."

■ Exiting MSNBC (StarSat 263) producer writes a scathing letter: America's TV ratings model for news channels "Blocks diversity of thought and content", "incentive is to amplify fringe voices and events", calls TV news "a cancer".

■ Staffers working for China's CGTN (DStv 409 / StarSat 266) say the TV channel struggles to be effective because it's trying to do too much at once and lacks the ability to discern the type of news and presentation of stories that appeal to international audiences.

■ "Television can be a brutal business."
Fired Australian TV news anchor speaks (subscription required).

■ Brown voices matter - but not to New Zealand's TVNZ.

■ See how the damage looks and the wreckage of the Beirut bureau of CNN International (DStv 401) after Tuesday's blast.

■ Ghana's Cyber Crime Unit arrest the managers of 2 Ghana TV stations - AB TV and Amen TV - over fraud.
- News anchor Selikem Acolatse leaves Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) after 13 years.

■ Look at these 5 reality TV mansions: Which Real Housewives home would you buy?

■ Sunrise Surprise: A naked man interrupts the shot of WABC reporter in New York City.


■ Who's the Boss? reboot sequel planned at Sony Pictures Television with Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano.
Sequel will take place 30 years after the events of the original with Samantha Micelli now living as a single mother in the house the original series was set in.


■ MultiChoice adds Radio Luanda Antena Comercial (LAC) to DStv in Angola.

■ Judge Judy is back in court, promises to eat a contract with cream cheese if it can be produced in a new dispute.

■ Ellen Pompeio says she would probably have left Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) after the 6th season but decided to go after money and stability and not chase film roles and a career.

■ The MUST READ non-TV story of the day: Our society's largest attempt to communicate across the abyss of time:
How to warn humans - or those who come after us - about our bunker storage of our nuclear waste - with a message that could survive 10 000 years.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 3 August 2020.

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


■ The Ellen DeGeneres Show is rife with rampant sexual misconduct.
One executive producer "had a reputation for being handsy with women", other executive producer wanted oral sex at a work party, groped men.
- 36 former Ellen employees at the Warner Bros. talk show speak of horrific harassment, sexual misconduct, and assault.
■ Ellen tells execs at Telepictures and Warner Bros. she's ready to quit as staffers say "there's really no way to save the show from this PR nightmare", "had no idea that Ellen would implode during quarantine":
"Warner Bros. should cancel our show or swap her out. Viewers have been fed lies for years. The Ellen you see on TV is disingenuous and inauthentic. She's a horrible person".
- The backlash of Hollywood celebrities against Ellen starts as more come out for a pile-on against the talk show host.
- The eager James Corden is rumoured to take her place if Ellen DeGeneres is pushed out.


■ James Murdoch abruptly quits News Corp.'s board, upset with editorial issues and content at FOX News (StarSat 261).

■ 10 things we learned at the (virtual) 2020 Baftas.

■ Netflix is now letting people watch content faster or slower with new playback controls.

■ The latest TV reboot of the Muppets, Muppets Now on Disney+ (that you can't see in South Africa) has wit, warmth and charm.

■ Netflix content is a wasteland during Covid-19.
Netflix's most-watched content is part of the utter mediocrity of pandemic monoculture.

■ After her suicide attempt, Tamar Braxton is now done with the American TV channel that she alleges "betrayed, overworked and underpaid" her as she tried to do another reality show.


■ New Swahili series Karma starting on Maisha Magic Bongo channel in Tanzania.
Shockingly, MultiChoice Tanzania saw nothing and chose to hold a physical media launch for Karma, without any social distancing between MultiChoice Africa executives, the cast, or the Tanzania Basketball Federation - who all attended since Disney's ESPN channels on DStv also got announced.


■ New Nigerian reality TV series Love Come Back starting on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv 151).
Participants get the chance to get back into a relationship with an ex-lover.

■ Jacob Elordi of The Kissing Booth on Netflix who frequently appeared shirtless says it "really bothered him" that fans went crazy over his chiselled body.

■ In the new season of Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) the Covid-19 pandemic storyline "won't be all death and despair".

■ Why America's Emmy awards now loves video streaming services and their content over traditional broadcasters.

■ Disney's ESPN could lose millions as pay-TV subscribers get upset over having to pay for nothing.

■ Is ZEE Entertainment Enterprises considering shutting down some of its international linear TV channels?

■ From Sheldon and Penny to Chandler and Joey and many more - TV's unconventional friendships.


■ The secret diary of a TV news editor in India.
"My job is to be a seasoned showrunner for the reality show I put up for you every day. Twists, spins, speculation, conspiracy theories – whatever it takes to keep you engaged and entertained."

■ Global pay-TV market set for massive growth between 2020 and 2024.

■ In Mexico, telenovelas cut down on sex scenes because of Covid-19 .. the result? A surge in viewership as people seek out the familiar in uncertain times.

Coronavirus: Shuttered Grey’s Anatomy to end its 16th season early over Covid-19.

by Thinus Ferreira

The current 16th season of Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) will end as a shortened season on 27 April in South Africa after the ABC network in America and the production company decided not to reopen and resume production on the current season because of the spread of the global Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic.

This season of Grey's Anatomy that was supposed to have 25 episodes will now end with the 21st episode on 9 April in America with the "Express from the US" title that is 4 weeks behind the United States.

ABC announced late on Friday that the Shondaland-produced series, already renewed for its 17th season, will not reopen to film and complete the last few 4 episodes.

The 9 April episode is now the "season finale" and the episode synopsis of the episode entitled "Put on a Happy Face" released by ABC reads: "Link tries to convince Amelia to take it easy during the final stage of her pregnancy. Hayes asks Meredith a surprising question, and Owen makes a shocking discovery, on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy".

In mid-March Krista Vernoff, the executive producer and showrunner shuttered the show, saying "We are going home now for at least two weeks and waiting to see how the coronavirus situation evolves".

"This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the whole cast and crew and the safety of our loved ones outside of work."

Grey's Anatomy drops both Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew, both actresses will exit at the end of the current 14th season.

In a Grey's Anatomy shocker the Shondaland produced show seen on M-Net (DStv 101) in South Africa and Africa announced that both Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew are both exiting the show at the end of the current 14th season.

The longtime cast members are both being written out for creative reasons, according to the drama series.

Jessica Capshaw's character Arizona is notably a lesbian, while April's character is a devout Christian in a largely faithless medical environment focused on science to save lives.

"The characters of Arizona and April are permanently woven into the fabric of Grey’s Anatomy thanks to the extraordinary work of Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew," says Krista Vernoff, executive producer in a statement.

"As writers, our job is to follow the stories where they want to go and sometimes that means saying goodbye to characters we love. It has been a joy and a privilege to work with these phenomenally talented actresses."

She said dropping Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew had nothing to do with Ellen Pompeo signing a new $20 million deal to remain with the show.

"The suggestion that our cast changes are in any way related to Ellen Pompeo's salary renegotiation is wrong and hurtful and misguided. It smacks of an old, broken, patriarchal notion that women must be pitted against each other and that one woman’s success will be costly to others."

"Ellen Pompeo has not only advocated passionately for her fellow cast members, she has taken the time to educate women worldwide as to how to advocate for themselves and that must not now be twisted."

"The decision to make changes to our cast was a creative one," says Krista Vernoff. "The only thing as constant on Grey's Anatomy as Ellen Pompeo is our penchant for reinvention. It is a part of our success and what keeps the show exciting. We love these actresses and we love these characters and it felt true and right creatively to wrap up their stories. And that is the whole story."

Shonda Rhimes in the statement says "it's always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters. Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic - both the LBGTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV".

"I will be forever grateful to both Jessica and Sarah for bringing these characters to life with such vibrant performance and for inspiring women around the globe. They will always be a part of our Shondaland family."

Jessica Capshaw started as a recurring character on Grey's Anatomy during the 5th season, while Sarah Drew made her appearance as a recurring character during the 6th season after which both eventually became series regulars.

Dr Arizona Robbins is the head of fetal surgery, an attending pediatric surgeon and a board member at the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Dr April Kepner is an attending trauma surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and she shares a daughter with her ex, Dr Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams).

On social media Jessica Capshaw responded about the news about her departure from the show, saying on Twitter that "For the past 10 years I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins but also being madly in love with playing her".

"Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce and really good at her job. She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented as a series regular role on network television. Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. Forever."

"I am grateful that I have gotten to bring her to life and for the life that she has brought to me. I am sad to see her go but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on and on in all of our consciences and our imaginations. Shonda, thank you for the ride on this incredible rollercoaster."

On social media Sarah Drew responded about the news about her departure, saying on Twitter, "Thank you for all of the love. I know you're sad. I'm sad too."

"I haven't really had the time to process this information. I've been with it for less than 48 hours, so I'm not ready to say my thank you's and give an all encompassing statement about my 9 years here. That will come later. For now, I'd like to say: I love you, and I love April, and her story isn't over yet."

"And the really good news (for me at least) is that I'm here on set shadowing one of my favorite people, Kevin McKidd, with my beloved Grey's family all this week and next, so I get to process all of my feelings surrounded by the community that has nourished and nurtured me for almost a decade. For that, I am so grateful."

Super-producer Shonda Rhimes dumps ABC in America and jumps to Netflix in a new 4-year deal to create shows for the international streaming service.

Super-producer and writer Shonda Rhimes - the woman behind hit shows like Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder and countless others - has decided to drop America's ABC TV network and is moving to Netflix.

Shonda Rhimes, responsible for some of the most iconic TV characters and strong female leads on television the past decade is leaving ABC Studios and moving her Shondaland production company to Netflix under a multi-year deal where she will be producing new shows for the international online streaming service.

While upcoming seasons of current shows like Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal (called The Fixer in South Africa) will continue to air on ABC in America and on channels like M-Net (DStv 101), VUZU AMP (DStv 103) and e.tv. in South Africa, her newly conceived shows in her new 4-year deal will be available on Netflix only.

Two upcoming and already commissioned shows, a legal drama called For the People, and a Grey's Anatomy spin-off will also remain on ABC this these have been planned before the jump to Netflix.

In a sense Shonda Rhimes helped build and fuel the type of television now known as "binge-watching", creating serialised stories where viewers become addicted to the ongoing narrative of characters going through such dramatic events that viewers can't help but come back to see the pay-off in a next episode that quickly builds up to a new one.

Shondaland, in which Shonda Rhimes partnered with producer Betsy Beers, will serve as a division of Netflix's in-house studio. Shondaland leaves ABC although there's still a year left of the existing 4-year contract.

It brings to an end Shonda Rhimes decade-and-a-half relationship with Disney while shows like Grey's Anatomy - 13 seasons in and still not running out of steam, remains hugely popular around the world and on South African streaming services like Naspers' Showmax that carries library seasons.

"Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest storytellers in the history of television," says Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer in a statement.

"Her work is gripping, inventive, pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, taboo-breaking television at its best. I've gotten the chance to know Shonda and she's a true Netflixer at heart - she loves TV and films, she cares passionately about her work, and she delivers for her audience. We’re so excited to welcome her to Netflix."

"Shondaland’s move to Netflix is the result of a shared plan Ted and I built based on my vision for myself as a storyteller and for the evolution of my company," says Shonda Rhimes in the statement announcing her jump to Netflix.

"Ted provides a clear, fearless space for creators at Netflix."

"He understood what I was looking for - the opportunity to build a vibrant new storytelling home for writers with the unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach provided by Netflix’s singular sense of innovation. The future of Shondaland at Netflix has limitless possibilities."

SABC3 botches The Good Wife's 4th season with ongoing wrong episode order - starts with episode 6, then 7, and then suddenly episode 1.

The SABC is unable to show any episodes of the American drama The Good Wife in the right order, with SABC3 which started the 4th season with episode 6, then broadcast episode 7 last week and last night suddenly stunned viewers with episode 1.

The inability of the public broadcaster's only commercial TV channel to follow the correct basic episode order for the Julianna Margulies drama has confused and angered viewers who are tuning out from The Good Wife on Tuesdays and away from SABC3.

Viewers are saying it is impossible to make heads or tails from the show and that they've given up on trying to watch or follow the drama on SABC3. 

While the channel is struggling to regain its former higher ratings from a decade ago, playing out wrong episodes of shows and angering viewers is not likely to lead to an increase in viewership.

It's not just The Good Wife. On Monday night SABC3 inexplicably replayed the same NCIS episode of a week before. On Monday night SABC3 also quietly cancelled Sportswrap, the weekday late-night sports news segment which was moved to a later timeslot in April 2013 and is now gone.

Zandile Nkonyeni, head publicist of SABC TV channels, didn't respond to a media enquiry from on Tuesday night about The Good Wife and why the drama's episodes are being broadcast out of order.

All material for broadcast on all of the SABC's TV channels are supposed to be watched for various quality controls as well as content before playout. It's unclear why SABC3 started with episode 6, continued with episode 7 and then went back to the first episode after three weeks.

"For the last two weeks the incorrect episodes of The Good Wife have been broadcast – 6 and 7 and this week we're watching episode 1. What is going on?" asked SABC3 viewer Colin Corbett on Tuesday.

"Thanks SABC for The Good Wife. What cretin is in charge of programming and can they read and count?" asked Hilary Mowatt. "Wrong episode last week and tonight they now play episode one. Any comment? I am not holding my breath."

"The exact same episode of NCIS of last week Monday. Oh my word. Don’t the people at the SABC keep track of what must be broadcast or must we watch repeats of the same episode every week until you decide now you're ready to play the proper episode?" asked Zulfa van Diemen.

In April 2012 SABC3 messed up the American reality show Survivor: Samoa by broadcasting a wrong promo too soon but it paled in comparison to September 2009 when SABC3 completely messed up the broadcasting order of the episodes for the Survivor China finale which led to massive viewer outrage.

Advertisers and the main sponsor demanded their money back and the final control worker was immediately sent home and later disciplined.

On Monday night M-Net (DStv 101) invoked viewers' chagrin when the commercial pay-TV broadcaster shockingly broadcast an erroneous Grey’s Anatomy promo for a future episode showing characters reacting to the death of dr Derek Sheperd – before the episode in which the death actually occurs had even been shown.

M-Net said it doesn't know what went wrong and who is to blame and that it is investigating the mistake which caused the channel to spoil the show for M-Net and DStv subscribers.

SHOCKING FAIL. M-Net mess up Grey's Anatomy by showing the trailer of the characters dealing with the aftermath of his death ... but before McDreamy dies.

How pathetic can you get? M-Net and DStv subscribers who didn't know that Patrick Dempsey's character of McDreamy is getting killed off in Grey's Anatomy got the sad shock of their lives when M-Net (DStv 101) ridiculously started broadcasting the trailer for the next episode before even airing the actual episode in which the character got killed off.

M-Net started marketing and promoting the episode of the characters dealing with the shocking fall-out of Derek Shepard's untimely death - but showing it before the episode on Monday night in which the character dies.

Suddenly viewers were treated to sobbing, sad and shocked people at the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in the teaser who are bereaved over McDreamy who died - before M-Net actually ran the episode of the character dying.

"Epic fail," wrote Raksha Nagaser. "Thanks for the spoiler about Grey's Anatomy before we even watched tonight's episode".

M-Net is now apologising for error. "M-Net apologises for incorrectly screening next week's Grey's Anatomy teaser before tonight's show. We are investigating and will feed back," says the South African pay-TV broadcaster.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 29 April 2015.

The SABC's famously matricless COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng is allegedly hiding the financial troubles of the SABC.
According to the Sunday Times the SABC faces a loss of R500 million based on documents to be submitted to the auditor-general in May.

SABC News (DStv 404) then puts James Aguma, the SABC's chief financial officer (CFO) on television to say the Sunday Times got the financial statements "illegally" and that its a "stolen document" (the SABC should perhaps go make a case at the police for theft and get a case number?).
James Aguma on SABC TV says its "unfortunate that we're forced to respond to issues in financial statements" which has not been subjected to audit.


Meanwhile, The SABC is stuck in pathological mode.
The public broadcasting civil society pressure group, SOS Coalition, pens an open letter.

After McDreamy is killed off on Grey's Anatomy another big character dies.
Complete with suicide letter.
Speaking of which, there is now a petition going around to get the fired Patrick Dempsey back on Grey's Anatomy.

MUST READ: Dr. Oz (SABC3) and Dr. Phil's (SABC2) gross TV charade.
Dr. Oz continues to be under fire over his "egregious lack of integrity, but he pales in comparision to the fame-whoring of Dr. Phil as they both TV talk shows are a mélange of exploitation, celebrity parasitism and credential mining.

Meanwhile John Oliver of Last week Tonight on M-Net (DStv 101) calls Dr. Oz "the worst person in scrubs who has ever been on television".


BBC Worldwide is fast changing its channels to BBC First, BBC Earth and BBC Brit.
While we're still waiting for BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge and BBC Lifestyle on MultiChoice's DStv to change to these three new channels, BBC Worldwide is rolling out and replacing the existing channels with the rebranded new ones across Europe.
BBC First, BBC Earth and BBC Brit are now the new "global genre channels" fast replacing the old ones.
BBC Worldwide says regionalised BBC Brit and BBC Earth channels are coming to Africa and South Africa.


Comedy Central Africa (DStv 122) grabs game show Deal With It.
Of course no announcement from Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa), but the first two seasons of the American game show has been acquired from distributor Keshet International.

MUST READ: Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy explains the fakeness of the movie junket.
After Robert Downey Jr. got up and walked out of a publicity movie junket interview because he didn't like the question, the reporter explains the fakeness of it all behind the scenes - how the real journalist wants "something serious and illuminating, they just want publicity".

Sky is dropping one of its two arts TV channels.
We don't even have any such channels in South Africa on DStv or StarSat or OpenView HD. Sky will now rather create one "super channel" for the arts with a bigger budget and with less repeats.

Nomination period extended for entries for the South African of the Year Awards 2015.
ANN7 (DStv 405) extends the entry period with an additional 4 weeks with 31 May which is now the new deadline for SATY2015.

There is (real) penis in Outlander on M-Net Edge (DStv 102).
The sexual male organ seen in a new episode during sex and arousal was not a "stunt penis" in the episode entitled "Lallybroch".

TV will survive the web and mobile onslaught.
AdWeek says what is replacing television is, television.

Vice on M-Net is becoming its own TV channel.
Vice Media is taking over A+E Networks' 2nd History channel H2 and rebranding it as the Vice channel.

Miles from Tomorrowland on Disney Junior (DStv 309) renewed.
Cute space show picked up for a second season.

Homeland on M-Net is moving to Germany.
After filming in South Africa the 5th season will be done in Berlin.

ANATOMY OF A SHOW'S DESTRUCTION: Grey's Anatomy on M-Net kills off Patrick Dempsey's McDreamy as the show jumps the shark.

Showrunner Shonda Rhimes shockingly (and cruelly) killed off and wrote out the character of dr Derek Shepard (Patrick Dempsey) on Grey's Anatomy in the show's 11th season, raising questions about Grey's Anatomy's future and longevity.


Patrick Dempsey gave his short statement to TV Line, saying "It's been a remarkable ride" and that "I will forever be grateful and humbled by the experience".

Shonda Rhimes gives a cryptic statement saying "I absolutely never imagined saying goodbye to our McDreamy".

TV network ABC also releases the usually lame and pandering statement saying Patrick Dempsey "is moving on to pursue other interests" and wishing him "the very best in his future endeavours".

There was definitely bad blood behind the scenes between Shonda Rhimes and Patrick Dempsey who actually had a signed contract to remain on the show for not just the entire 11th season but also a 12th season.

Page Six reported how Patrick Dempsey had become a diva on the Grey's Anatomy set clashed with Shonda Rhimes and how she now wanted him gone.

Daily Mail has how there's very little patience for troublesome talent on the Grey's Anatomy set. The New York Daily News has how Shonda Rhimes is not afraid to pull the plug on problematic actors.

Last year Patrick Dempsey started to signal he is tired, done and over Grey's Anatomy and that he is "not the creator, I'm not the writer". On Twitter on Friday he wrote "I want to thank all the fans, what an incredible 11 yrs, I love you all".

MUST READ: E!'s TV critic Kristin Dos Santos pens a must-read opinion-piece on why the killing off of Patrick Dempsey's character on Grey's Anatomy is NOT OK.

Can the now depressing and broken Grey's Anatomy survive without Derek Shepard?

We're finally done with Meredith's sadness and Grey's Anatomy's fixation on death and done watching Meredith's having to keep experience the same lesson over and over.


Stunned Grey's Anatomy viewers are angry and furious over the senseless killing, saying "Shonda you created a death sentence for your own show,", "Without knowing it, you let your ego get the best of you and you just destroyed the best show you have on TV" and "Years and years we've given to watching this story unfold and you just rip it out from under us? No way! This was horrible".


Watching Grey's Anatomy after Derek's death is now pointless, says the New York Post. CNN calls the Grey's Anatomy death a nightmare. Slate calls it "crushing" and says Shonda Rhimes ripped millions of viewers' hearts out.

E! Entertainment says the show will never be the same. Vulture says McDreamy deserved more. Hollywood Life says Shonda Rhimes and Grey's Anatomy ruined the show. Is Grey's Anatomy dead to you? asks TV Guy.

This is how a McDream dies says USA Today in its review.

The Express Tribute has why I will never fogive Shonda Rhimes for killing Derek Shepherd. TV Insider calls it the end of an incredible era.

Something big happened, says Vox, which explains how it says something about how we think about TV shows that once had big buzz but ultimately faded from the spotlight.

America's People magazine runs an actual obituary for Dr. Derek Shepherd.

Too many bad things kept happening on Grey's Anatomy; where will the show go from here?

MUST READ: Derek and Meredith were one of the most complex and interesting couples on TV. Now it's over.

America's People magazine has a moment-by-moment rundown/recap of what happened in the shocking episode.

How the Grey's Anatomy cast found out that McDreamy is killed off: Shonda Rhimes gathered them together and gave them the shocking news while they "couldn't imagine killing off a character like Derek" - refuses to say whether Patrick Dempsey was present (very likely not).

The news leaked early because the issue of Entertainment Weekly in which Patrick Dempsey gave an exit interview arrived too early in mailboxes before Thursday's episode was going to be shown. It was then leaked on Instagram through a photo.

Read Patrick Dempsey's interview with Entertainment Weekly right here, headlined on the cover of the magazine as "The doctor ... is out" in which he says he is "still processing it".

Entertainment Weekly apologised, saying "We would like to apologise to fans of the show that learnt the news ahead of time". The magazine also debates a Derek-less Grey's Anatomy.

ABC has suddenly announced that next week's episode of Grey's Anatomy is being expanded to 2 hours "to allow creator Shonda Rhimes more time to show the reactions of the other characters".
No word on how M-Net (DStv 101) is going to respond to this which is just a few episodes behind in South Africa.

ABC is clearly in crisis mode and trying to do damage control and want to help Shonda Rhimes "rectify" or minimise the huge damage by re-editing and trying to "improve" and expand on what happens next.

Ratings are predicted to plummet as viewers are now turned off from watching Grey's Anatomy further, and the unimaginable moment which changed Grey's Anatomy forever.

TIME magazine says the unbelievable just happened. Then a grief counsellor tells TIME it's okay to mourn a fictional TV character's death.

And if you missed the quick clue: Meredith Grey was quickly shown throwing up in the episode, so she is now clearly pregnant with what is going to be the child of a dead father.

BREAKING. Renewed: Greys, The Fixer, Castle, Once Upon a Time, and Agents of SHIELD for further seasons.

Several TV shows seen in South Africa just got renewed in America for further seasons.

Grey's Anatomy (M-Net), Scandal (shown as The Fixer on M-Net and SABC3, and Scandal on Star One and Star Series E1), Castle (M-Net Series Showcase), Once Upon a Time (M-Net Series Showcase), Marvel's Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D and The Middle were all picked up for further seasons.

BREAKING. Renewed: Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, Castle, Once Upon a Time, Revenge and Castle for further seasons.

Grey's Anatomy (M-Net), Modern Family (M-Net), Castle (M-Net Series), Once Upon a Time (M-Net Series), Revenge (M-Net) and The Middle (M-Net) have all been renewed for further seasons in America on the ABC network, Deadline first reported.

It will be Grey's Anatomy's 9th season, Once Upon a Time's 2nd season, Revenge's 2nd season, Castle's 5th season and the 4th season for both The Middle and  Modern Family.