DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 26 September 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read - or as it can be called for today, "The Star Trek: Discovery Digest edition" - and that you should read too:

■ The Family Matters house demolished.

The Lincoln Park home in Chicago that served as the exterior for the Winslow house on the sitcom Family Matters is being demolished on 19 September.

■ The filthy-mouth, belligerent MSNBC (StarSat 263) anchor Lawrence O'Donnell goes beserk in leaked behind-the-scenes footage.
8 minutes of the disgusting Lawrence O'Donnell showing how he spews venom when he's under pressure and something goes wrong. Was it leaked on purpose?

■ A brief history of hiding penis drawings and other inappropriate scribbles in cartoons.
After Netflix had to yank an episode of Maya the Bee this week due to a hidden phallus causing embarrassment and reputational damage, here is past examples - from The Little Mermaid's castle penis to An American Tail: Feivel Goes West.

■ Even Oprah Winfrey can't heal Donald Trump's America.
Her first insert for 60 Minutes shows how divided America is.

■ SABC3's Isidingo rips off a TV massacre scene in Friday's episode (watch from 21:16)
recreating Dynasty's infamous Massacre in Moldavia wedding scene - right down to some guests shooting back and producers dribbling blood over various characters to make viewers wonder who is dead and who's alive.

■ Emmy-winning John Oliver reminds viewers (watch from 11:40) that satellite pay-TV decoder may be one of the largest energy-consuming items in your house even when it's turned off
"Pay-TV companies have no real incentive to improve them," he says in Sunday's latest episode, and proceeds to blow a pay-TV decoder up in a talk about corporate consolidation.

■ Pretty Little Liars is getting a new spin-off entitled The Perfectionists.
The show from Freeform that was seen on VUZU AMP (DStv 103). The new teen drama series might end up on DStv in South Africa as well - or perhaps on Netflix like Freeform's The Shadowhunters.
The Perfectionists is set in Beacon Hills with Sasha Pieterse (playing Alison DiLaurentis) and Janel Parrish (who played Mona Vanderwaal and who was ultimately unmasked as the mysterious "A"), both reprising their roles.

■ It's a war behind the scenes of the reboot of American Idol
as the producers and the ABC network are fighting over race. ABC and FremantleMedia that's producing American Idol are fighting over the racial composition of the judges.

■ Transparent seen on M-Net (DStv 101) is doing TV's first transgender, full-frontal naked scene.
In the second episode of the upcoming 4th season of Transparent, actress Alexandra Billings will roll over and first reveal breasts and then for the first time for a transgender actress on television, also her penis.
MultiChoice and M-Net will very likely not show the new 4th season in Nigeria and other countries as part of the ongoing self-censorship not to offend Africa's DStv subscribers outside of South Africa.

■ The death of the video rental store in South Africa is overrated.
Largely because there's instances where MultiChoice literally don't want DStv subscribers' money - people who actually want to rent DStv BoxOffice movies but can't - and the video rental shop turns out to be cheaper.



Star Trek: Discovery
■ Star Trek: Discovery might be worthwhile if it keeps to the Star Trek values.
The latest Star Trek series is now available on Netflix in South Africa and across Africa from Monday 25 September and what will ultimately make it worthwhile "are not the inspirations it draws from elsewhere, but the historical Star Trek values it carries forward.
- Meanwhile legacy broadcasters like CBS discovers with Star Trek: Discovery that TV ain't easy anymore.
- TV critics were prevented from reviewing Star Trek: Discovery before its debut.
This is a highly unusual embargo with CBS that didn't send out screeners to critics - something highly unusual for America's TV biz that, unlike South Africa, very often previews shows to the media beforehand, to get as much coverage as possible for new shows.

■ Star Trek: Discovery was screened privately last week in Los Angeles for Star Trek alumni and selected guests.
Nichelle Nichols who was Uhura, told Sonequa Martin-Green who now is Michael "enjoy this moment. This is yours now".
- Oddly, Netflix that has Star Trek: Discovery internationally as the worldwide distributor couldn't be bothered with any international premiere launch events in key territories like the one in Los Angeles one, or any specific publicity for the show in various countries. Neither did Kwesé TV that announced 2 weeks ago that it's partnering with Netflix for Kwesé Play.

■ Instead of the few Klingon subtitles, Netflix allows you to watch the entire 15 episodes of the first season of Star Trek: Discovery with Klingon subtitles in tlhIngan Hol - just as if you're watching from the Klingon homeworld.
- Does Star Trek: Discovery feel like proper Star Trek? And where the show will go after the first 2 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery that's now available.

■ The new Star Trek: Discovery's illustrative and off-white, painterly opening title sequence is quite a bit of a blatant rip-off of the opening title sequence of the sci-fi drama The Expanse and Da Vinci's Demons, with a bit of Mad Men in there, and melody-wise a bit of Fringe.

■ Australian television has treated Star Trek as badly there as South African television did the past decades. Star Trek Discovery displays many flaws but provides just enough good old fashion Trek for viewers to stick around.
- Unspectacular Star Trek: Discovery described as "Star Trek Lite", "barely achieves lift-off" and is more interesting for its distribution model than its content.
- In America 10 million people watched; the cast also "takes the knee" in the American protest currently sweeping that nation.

■ The article leaves out the "We have engaged the ... Klingons" as a play on the "We have engaged the Borg" but here's 7 Easter eggs in Star Trek: Discovery.
- An idiot journalist pressed a button on the captain's chair during a press tour in Toronto as part of a set visit - and it worked. The media was surprised and the production staff alarmed. And there's a bottle of Picard wine.

■ A Q&A with executive producer Alex Kurtzman revealing post-production on episode 5 started only on Monday; Bryan Fuller bailed when he realised he can't give enough time to it and the show will go down if he doesn't relinquish control to people who can give it all their time; there will never be a 22-episode season, and even if renewed for a second season it won't be shown in 2018.

■ CBS has also created a special after show, After Trek for Star Trek: Discovery to discuss the episodes.
Of course it's too much to expect from Netflix to actually communicate, publicise and actually market this for, or in, South Africa and Africa (although Netflix paid to have this content) so let me give you the details:

- After Trek is a special 46-minute weekly discussion show done by CBS for the same CBS All Access subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service in America. But yes, After Trek is available on Netflix for South African viewers.
So far there is only 1 After Trek episode to jointly discuss the double-barrel first two episodes together, "The Vulcan Hello and Battle at the Binary Stars".
Someone called Matt Mira is the bad presenter and this unbearable Tribble-trash sitting behind a desk and over-moting is really awful. In fact, After Trek looks amateurish trashy and unprofessional. Was the really great Wes Teasdale of The Pensky File not available??
- On YouTube Wes has immediately started doing a podcast/recap of The Pensky File - Star Trek Discovery (as well as the current DS9 run-through) that is much better, also doing 1 episode about both the first 2 episodes.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver seen on M-Net renewed for a further 3 seasons until 2020.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver seen on M-Net (DStv 101) in South Africa and across Africa on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform has been renewed for a further 3 seasons until 2020.

The big multi-season renewal for the late night weekly talk show by HBO in America comes after two Emmy wins for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that won at the Creative Arts Emmys in the categories for outstanding interactive programme and outstanding picture editing for variety programming.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is currently in its 4th season and the show is one of M-Net's Express from the US titles broadcast on Sunday nights at 22:00.

Each of the further three seasons will have 30 episodes, meaning an additional 90 episodes.

"We are thrilled to have John Oliver as an integral part of the HBO family and to continue to share his comedic brilliance with the world," says Casey Bloys, HBO programming president in a statement.

"His extraordinary genius for rich and intelligent commentary is second to none."

"First: I firmly disagree with everything Casey just said," says John Oliver in the statement. "Second: We're very grateful to Richard Plepler, Casey and everyone at HBO for letting us continue to do whatever it is we actually do."

"And finally: We'd also like to thank our staff for all their hard work. We're incredibly proud of all of you, and rather than tell you that to your face, we'd like to do it in the cold, dispassionate form of a press release."

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 15 September 2015

SABC fires Sammy Sosa.
"Sick" Sammy secretly used her time to film Vuzu AMP (DStv 114)'s hip-hop reality show The Hustle.


India gripped by murder mystery of the TV executive who allegedly murdered her sister - who was actually her daughter!
India's numerous 24-hour TV news channels are all going insane with lurid live coverage, panel shows, discussions, gripping satire and commentary of TV executive Indrani Mukerjea, Indian's first TV mogul, who allegedly strangled her sister Sheena Bora to death ...
... only for the shock revelation that Sheena Bora was actually ... her daughter!
... with the irony that her husband was a pioneer of satellite TV 24-hour TV news!
... going from setting up 24-hour TV news, to be covered by it incessantly!
... who now claims his domineering wife abused him!
... viewers across India are gripped - just like South Africa's Oscar Pistorius trial, by the surreal, real-life crime drama about rich and famous people engulfed by murder, hidden identities and a body burnt in a forest!
... it's a sensational TV news moral fable about materialism, media and motherhood.


Tumultuous exodus underway at Bloomberg Television (DStv 411).
A dramatic string of TV executives are out at the business news TV channel. Also went through one of its biggest firings last week when 80 Bloomberg editorial staffers globally were shown the door.



M-Net South Africa CEO Yolisa Phahle shares her story.
M-Net top executive who was raised in Britain with South African parents, tells CliffCentral how she got to the position and her music history in a wide-ranging 54 minute interview.
The relevant M-Net part starts at minute 22 until minute 46 where she talks about Mzansi Magic, reveals she was worried and panicked about the Channel O youth day mock-up ad, talks hit shows and scandals, transformation, reveals she was involved in casting the judges for The Voice South Africa and that they've been chosen and says M-Net wants to make "TV that people will talk about".


John Oliver forced to shut down his fake church.
After exposing some unscrupulous televangelist practices by starting his Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption "church", the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver host on M-Net (DStv 101) decided to shut down his church - because people mailed him sperm. It comes after he asked viewers to send him their seed (meaning money).


Isha Sesay is doing NewsCenter from Los Angeles
since she and John Vause will soon be doing a new, simulcast show on CNN International (DStv 401) and CNN.

Can Uzalo on SABC1 just bring Gxabhashe back already?
The character that was "killed off" is set to return (and fake, unsourced tabloid stories that there was friction between the actor and the production wasn't true).

Doctor Who needs a lot more kissing
Says Peter Capaldi.

A must-watch sneak peek at the The Unauthorised Beverly Hills, 90210 Story.
The Lifetime channel's unauthorised biographical film about the hit 90s teen drama is absolutely spot on.

Vanity Fair looks at why American late-night television is "better than ever".
But sadly completely excludes women and female comedians. It's "Manity Fair" and such a great unintended example of a "boy's club".


On Digital Media (ODM) and director and consultant Eddie Mbalo's fight continues in licence and shares battle.
Eddie Mbalo says its impossible to place a value on a company that was near liquidation.

The X Factor UK has long ago lost all credibility says Graham Norton.
The ITV star seen in South Africa on BBC First attacks the reality competition show seen on M-Net and says he "hasn't watched in years".

Public pressure group SOS Coalition slams parliament over the SABC.
Vacant positions for the SABC board remains unfilled and vacant.

Four key elements for over-the-top (OTT) television to survive and flourish.
The same elements hold true for South Africa's growing number of video-on-demand (VOD) players like Naspers' ShowMax, Times Media Group's VIDI, MTN's FrontRow and others.

e.tv has started moving to its new high-definition (HD) Cape Town building.

Orange plans to start a video-on-demand (VOD) service in South Africa.
Orange Horizons wants to launch it in 2016 and want to partner with a local player under the name Orange VoD.

Jon Farrar at BBC Worldwide explains new BBC channels
Is responsible for the programming and acquisition strategy for BBC Worldwide's new channels BBC Earth, BBC Brit and BBC First. He explains how the channels are different, what they're looking for and more context to the channels' alignment.

M-Net's ex boss in Africa starts her Grooming for Greatness project.
Former managing director of M-Net Africa Biola Alabi is starting a leadership development initiative.

Comedy Central (DStv 122) is taking a "multi-platform" ad approach to market Trevor Noah.

The real history of The Golden Girls theme song.
Which has traveled down the road and back again and is now 30 years old.

John Oliver of Last Week Tonight on M-Net forced to shut down his fake church after viewers send him their 'seed' in the mail.

John Oliver of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on M-Net (DStv 101) has been forced to shut down his fake church after viewers started sending him their "seed" - sperm - in the mail.

A few weeks ago the satirist created his on-air fake church, Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption, to expose how some televangelists are duping people asking that they first send money, or "seed" before they can receive divine healing, and then incessant requests for more.

The hilarious 20-minute skit, complete with back-up church choir done in classic televangelist television presentation style, also highlighted how American tax law and the IRS are incapable of monitoring churches and the "seed" they're receiving.

Viewers responded by sending their "seed" - but while thousands of dollars started flowing in, Last Week Tonight producers also started receiving seed of another kind in the mail: men's sperm.

The show is now shutting down Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption - although it was registered as a legitimate church with the IRS unable to do anything about it - after viewers sent the show jars and vials of semen.

The "church's" website at ourladyofperpetualexemption.com now carries a "farewell note".

John Oliver says "when someone sends you jizz through the mail, it's time to stop whatever you're doing".

"We have still, miraculously, not broken any laws by promising you untold riches in return for sending us money. We're also not closing down because you all kept sending us actual seeds, even though we explicitly told you not to."

"We're closing because multiple people sent us sperm through the mail."

John Oliver says all previous monetary donations have been forwarded to Doctors Without Borders. "We did not send the sperm".