Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 8 September 2015.

Viacom reveals it will launch Viacom Play Plex.
Viacom Play Plex will launch at the end of the year as a global subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service in 180 countries where Viacom has channels including South Africa. VIMN Africa runs channels in South Africa and Africa on DStv like Nickelodeon, MTV, MTV Base, BET and Comedy Central.

Netflix says Jeremy Clarkson and his friends were "not worth the money".
Didn't pick up the former Top Gear presenters (the three went to Amazon) because "it wasn't worth it".

Isidingo on SABC3's attack on Christianity.
Endemol's logo is the Eye of Horus and an anagram for 'El Demon' and Isidingo's currenty storyline with Pastor Gabriel and his cult is "a full on attack on Christianity" says this essay.

Zuku TV is cutting down its packages to just 2.
The East African pay-TV operator is reconfiguring its 3 packages to just 2 as MultiChoice's DStv hikes its monthly subscriptions.

Problem with piracy of TV content is "bigger than ever"
Says A+E chief. Says the TV industry needs to keep up its efforts to tackle people illegally watching content.

DStv subscribers misled by MultiChoice's telesales people.
Consumer journalist Wendy Knowler details how telesales agents at On Air exploited subscribers and says complain if this also happened to you.

The lovely Larry King is preparing for the final cancellation.
Wonderful New York Times profile of Larry King obsessed with death.

Why Mr. Robot on M-Net (DStv 101) is not a great show yet.
Although the show is brilliant as a critique of what modern society has become. And without Rami Malek Mr Robot would have been a failure.

Queen Elizabeth II watches Downton Abbey ...
... and she points out the mistakes in the drama which will continue on BBC First on DStv.

Forbes on why Netflix should be afraid of ShowMax.
ShowMax has acquired video-on-demand rights Netflix now won't be able to get when it launches.

MSNBC (StarSat 263) pulls the plug on Al Sharpton's show.
Al Sharpton's daily, weeknight Politics Nation is dumped on weekends as part of the news channel's make-over.

The upcoming UnReal on Lifetime (DStv 131) renewed for a 2nd season.

Alessandra Stanley moving on after 12 years.
The New York Times' influential and often contentious TV critic is done covering TV and will now write about the world of the rich.

Adventure Time, Regular Show and 3 other Cartoon Network (DStv 301) shows renewed.
Adventure Time, Regular Show, Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe and Clarence will all see further seasons on Cartoon Network.

Shonda Rhimes explains Grey's Anatomy's 1 year time-jump.
The 12th season will start on M-Net (DStv 101) very soon.

CNN International's former talk show hosts Larry King and Piers Morgan trash each other.

CNN International's (DStv 401) former two talk show hosts Larry King and Piers Morgan who replaced him and recently got cancelled are slinging mud at each other, with Larry King calling CNN's hiring of Piers Morgan "a mistake", and Piers Morgan calling Larry King "a constant poisonous twerp".

Larry King was pushed out three years ago to make space for Piers Morgan whose short lived talk show was recently cancelled on CNN.

Larry King went on an America radio talk show this week, saying "I thought they made a mistake in the Piers hire. I thought it was a mistake, one, to hire a Britisher in prime time and two, I thought he made himself too much part of the show".

Piers Morgan is hitting back on Twitter against Larry King, telling him that "you don't need to keep bitching about me", and that "there is no such word as Britisher. But then research and facts were never your strong point were they, Brooklyner?"

Piers Morgan kept going. "Always tried to be respectful to Larry King, but he's been a constant poisonous twerp towards me for three years and I'm bored with it," he tweeted.

BREAKING. Larry King joins RT with a brand-new talk show from June, Politics with Larry King, and add his other new talk show Larry King Now.

Larry King is joining RT (DStv 405), Russia's 24-hour English language news channel with his new talk show Larry King Now which will be shown on RT four times per week from June, and Larry King also starting a second talk show, Politics with Larry King, which will also be shown on RT.

Both Larry King's new talk shows are recorded from RT America's Washington DC studios and Ora TV's studio in Los Angeles.

"I have always been passionate about government and issues that impact the public, and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to talk politics with some of the most influential people in Washington and around the country," says Larry King.

"I look forward to bringing these invigorating conversations as well as my Larry King Now interviews to television audiences." Larry King Now will start on RT on 1 June.

Politics with Larry King will bring Larry King's signature interview style back to Washington and to topics of government, public affairs, policies and politics.

Larry King will interview world leaders, political and cultural figures and other newsmakers and personalities who will lend their perspective on the most critical and controversial issues of the day.

"We are thrilled to work with Larry King who is a true media legend," says Margarita Simonyan, RT's editor-in-chief, calling him"a terrific fit for our network".

Programming note: Larry King Special: A Dinner with Kings coming to CNN International on Christmas Day for South African viewers.

You're reading it here first.

South African viewers will be able to tune in for a Larry King Special: A Dinner with Kings that will be shown on CNN International (DStv 401) on Christmas Day, 25 December at 04:00 and 13:00 (South African times).

While the Larry King Special: A Dinner with Kings will be shown on CNN in America on 4 December, CNN International told me when I asked last week, that South African viewers will get to see it as well.

Dinner with Kings is described as ''a dinner party with some of the biggest names in Hollywood" in which Larry King talks to Conan O'Brien, Tyra Banks, Russell Brand, Shaquille O'Neal and other Hollywood guests for the hour long special.

The dinner was prepared by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. Other guests include Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey, Quincy Jones and Seth MacFarlane. The dinner guests talk about life, love, insecurities, success and failures.

BREAKING. Larry King returns to CNN International for a Larry King Harry Potter TV special as Warner works its synergy magic.

Larry King is returning to CNN International (DStv 401) for a once-off Larry King Harry Potter TV special that will be seen in South Africa on Monday 11 July (no South African broadcast times available yet, although I have asked) ahead of the movie release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II on Friday 15 July worldwide.

Larry King will interview Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Helena Bonham Carter and Robbie Coltrane. Never-before-seen footage from the upcoming final installment in the Harry Potter saga as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film will be included in the special.

The Larry King Harry Potter TV special is corporate synergy at work. The film is of course distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and CNN International is owned by Turner Broadcasting System, which is a Time Warner company.

In the TV special, according to CNN, Daniel Radcliffe calls the final Harry Potter film ''a hell of a movie'' and tells Larry King that he ''wept like a child on that last day'' of filming. Wendy Walker, the longtime executive producer of Larry King Live is the executive producer of this Larry King TV special as well.

TOLDJA! Final episode of Larry King Live ends its final moment with the set going dark and a single spotlight on his microphone.

The final moment of the final episode of Larry King Live today on CNN International (DStv 401) ended exactly as I told you it would RIGHT HERE with the studio lights dimming, the micro dots of the world map backdrop being switched off and only a single spotlight remaining on the iconic RCA microphone in the middle of the talk show host's desk.

ALSO READ: How the final episode of Larry King Live will end today, so ''don't go away''.
ALSO READ: Guest line-up for the send-off and final episode of Larry King Live.

BREAKING. How the final episode of Larry King Live today at 12:00 on CNN International will end. So . . . ''Don't go away.''

Talk show host Larry King (77) will bow out with the final episode of Larry King Live today at 12:00 on CNN International (DStv 401) with the lights dimmed, except for light on the iconic RCA microphone. There will be no guests on the set, except for Larry King himself for a final moment.

Ryan Seacrest tweeted this from the script of the final Larry King Live episode on which he will be a guest, and then deleted it. Although CNN International isn't responding to enquiries about the final episode, I already told you RIGHT HERE that Suze Orman, Donald Trump, Bill Maher and Ryan Seacrest will be guests.

Although Ryan Seacrest deleted his tweet in self censure and CNN International won't give out names, I will. Among those doing tributes to the host hanging up his suspenders will be Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the three American TV news anchors Brian Williams, Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer. Barbara Walters from The View will also have words for Larry King.

''Don't go away.''

Don't miss the penultimate episode today and the very last show on Friday of Larry King Live on CNN International.

Today will be the penultimate episode of Larry King Live on CNN International (DStv 401) at 12:00 South African time. That will be followed by the very last episode of Larry King Live to be broadcast on Friday at 12:00 when the longrunning talk show will end of the suspender-wearing host and his iconic set with a backdrop of a dotted world map composed out of a myriad of micro lights.

And like that dotted world map, Larry King's been speaking to the world and simply everybody for the past 25 years. CNN International didn't respond to enquiries about the final Larry King Live episode that will be broadcast in America in Thursday night and Friday afternoon in South Africa. Ryan Seacrest, Bill Maher, Donald Trump and Suze Orman have been confirmed as guests. There will be 16 in total who include politicians. There will be a surprise performance.

Larry King Live will be replaced by Piers Morgan Tonight in 2011.

BREAKING. Piers Morgan will be replacing Larry King in January on CNN International.

Piers Morgan will be joining CNN and be replacing the global news channel's Larry King in January. CNN International (DStv 401) just issued a press statement confirming the long-speculated news that the veteran newspaper editor will be taking over from Larry King.

''The new program will air weeknights and will air worldwide on CNN International in more than 200 countries.'' Says CNN: ''He will now bring his penetrating interview style and gift for unearthing the surprising detail to . . . CNN viewers around the globe.

''I am thrilled to be joining CNN, and very much looking forward to bringing my own style of interviewing to the world's biggest, and best, TV news organization,'' says Piers Morgan in the statement.'' He also has words for the TV interviewer he's replacing, Larry King. ''I have watched Larry King Live for much of the last 25 years, and dreamed of one day filling the legendary suspenders of the man I consider to be the greatest TV interviewer of them all.''

Piers Morgan will be based in New York and also work from Los Angeles and London.

BREAKING. Larry King just announced he's ending his Larry King Live talk show on CNN.

In a breaking and developing news story, talk show host Larry King (76) just announced that he's ending his long-running talk show Larry King Live on CNN after 25 years on the air at the global news network.

Larry King Live can be seen in South Africa on CNN International (DStv 401) weekdays at 11:00. His current contract ends in June 2011 but now he'll most probably end his show by the end of November 2010.

 ''Before I start the show tonight, I want to share some personal news with you. Twenty-five years ago, I sat across this table from New York Governor Mario Cuomo for the first broadcast of Larry King Live. Now, decades later, I talked to the guys here at CNN and I told them I would like to end Larry King Live, the nightly show, this fall and CNN has graciously accepted, giving me more time for my wife and I to get to the kids' little league games,'' says the iconic talk show host known for his suspenders.

''I'll still be a part of the CNN family, hosting several Larry King specials on major national and international subjects. I'm incredibly proud that we recently made the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest running show with the same host in the same time slot. With this chapter closing I'm looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring, but for now it's time to hang up my nightly suspenders."

CNN says: ''Just as CNN redefined the news business, Larry King defined the art of the television interview. His candor, curiosity and compassion are legendary, and his ability to interview people from all walks of life - world leaders, celebrities and everyday people - has made him an icon. Having conducted nearly 50 000 interviews over 50-plus years in broadcasting, Larry deserves to take some time for himself and his family. After 25 years at CNN, he will conclude Larry King Live on his own terms, sometime this fall.''

Larry King first announced the news on Twitter of all places. I have that, as well as CNN's internal memo to staff if you click on READ MORE below.

FIRST LOOK! Lady Gaga on Larry King Live today; talks about her ''fascination with death and the demise of celebrity''.

This is how Lady Gaga will look on Larry King Live at 11:00 today (South African time) when she's the guest on Larry King's talk show on CNN International (DStv 401) and they wear inverse black-and-white shirts, ties and suspenders.

In the pre-recorded interview Larry King will ask Lady Gaga about Michael Jackson, and here is some of Lady Gaga's answer: ''He's such an inspiration and remarkable human being. I guess . . . some of my fascination with death and the demise of the celebrity goes along with me watching these hugely iconic and amazing people that I have heralded and admired become destroyed - whether self-destroyed or destroyed by the media."

Fans can also tune in for a tease of Lady Gaga's new ''Alejandro'' music video during this morning's Larry King Live that's a collaboration with Steven Klein.

BREAKING. Larry King no longer getting divorced; reconciles with wife Shawn Southwick-King.

CNN talk show host Larry King (76) is no longer getting divorced and has reconciled with his wife Shawn Southwick-King.

This follows after Larry King and his wife both filed for divorce last month. They have now made an about-turn and will no longer be getting divorced. ''We love our children, we love each other, we love being a family," King and his wife said in a joint statement. "That is all that matters to us. We owe it to ourselves and our children to continue being dedicated to each other. We want to thank our friends for their loyal love and support — for being there for us." They have two sons, Chance (11) and Cannon (9).

BREAKING. CNN's Larry King files for divorce, seeking to end his eighth marriage.

TMZ just reported that talk show host Larry King (76) has filed for divorce. The talk show host who's Larry King Live can be seen daily at 11:00 on CNN International (DStv 401), wants to end his eighth marriage to Shawn Southwick after nearly 13 years. They have two sons.

BREAKING. Larry King planning a Haiti 2 hour special going out Tuesday on CNN International.

You're reading it here first.

Larry King will have a 2 hour Larry King Live Special, ''Haiti: How you can help'' that will go out at 12:00 on Tuesday, 19 January on CNN International (DStv 401).

According to the producers a powerhouse of celebrities, leaders and activists will join Larry King to tell viewers how they can get involved in the global outreach in Haiti.

I can tell you that some of the massive number of stars you'll see in the 2 hours (if the normal 1 hour show is not cut short on the CNN International feed) will be Jeff Probst, Ben Stiller,  Ryan Seacrest, Mick Jagger and Ringo Starr, Jared Leto, Seal, John Mayer, Queen Rania and Sarah Ferguson, Will.i.Am, Colin Powell, Scarlett Johansson, Snoop Dogg, Susan Sarandon and Tea Leoni.

I have asked CNN International for more information, and the moment I get it I will post it here.