DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 19 October 2017.

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


■ Where has TStv gone? 18 days after its 1 October launch in Nigeria, TStv is seemingly nowhere.
Biola Kazeem wonders about Nigerian's gullibility and their willingness to accept fake promises like thelies about TV channels TStv says its carrying but isn't allowed to.
- TStv isn't what we need now," says Nigerians. "We actually need an uninterrupted electricity supply".

■ MIPCOM TV market told: Black people are rare as unicorns on prime time TV

■ Australian breakfast show presenter lurks and hides behind her car!
Lisa Wilkingson hides behind her car from the paparazzi after a nasty fight following abreakdown in salary negotiations goes public between a TV star's agent in Australia and the Nine network.

■ China's StarTimes says Uganda is one of the African countries that benefitted from the $2.5 billion contract for digital terrestrial TV migration.
Of course StarTimes itself benefitted commercially too - since it's China's money.
Meanwhile StarTimes has taken 51 journalists from across Africa to Beijing and China for a media tour and to cover the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China but has deliberately excluded South Africa's media.

■ New SABC board Febe Potgieter-Qubule claims:
"I don't see myself compromised". Says her new SABC board position will make her reconsider her role in the ANC going forward.

■ Econet Media officially launches Kwesé TV in Uganda.
Has a media launch event in Kampala where Kwesé TV will now have to battle it out against MultiChoice Uganda's DStv and China's StarTimes for pay-TV viewers.
- Quite inane and non-sensical comments from Herbert Mucunguzi, Kwesé TV Uganda general manager as to what Kwesé TV Uganda offers. You'd think he or the PR people would put in actual effort to come up with non-stock comments not already used before by MultiChoice and StarTimes for their offerings.
- Kwesé TV Zambia's general manager Kapa Kaumba fawning over Zambia's government, likewise talks a lot that means absolutely nothing.


■ Nielsen to measure viewing of shows streaming on Netflix.
The service aiming to measure and find ratings for On Demand video streaming services, will provide data comparable to what Nielsen provides for linear TV, including ratings, reach, frequency and demographics.
- Netflix slams the effort and Nielsen: "The data that Nielsen is reporting is not accurate, not even close, and does not reflect the viewing of these shows on Netflix".

■ Digital TV a massive and expensive flop in Thailand.
Digital terrestrial television migration came too late and audience behaviour had already changed due to technology.

■ Final 4th season of Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 304) will be more serialised.
Last season just started in America, no date yet for when it starts in South Africa and Africa, but Dave Filoni says "episodes will be more serialised than you're used to".


■ The actor Javid Iqbal doesn't really exist, Star Trek: Discovery made him up since actor Shazad Latif is apparently playing both Voq who disguises himself to become Ash Tyler.
- Maybe some clarity about the confusing plot points in Star Trek: Discovery.
- Jason Isaacs says Star Trek: Discovery is "of our time, and for our time."
- Klingon Voq can't stay missing for much longer.


■ How big is delayed TV viewing in America?
In some cases it's even bigger than live viewing - in others almost nothing. Here's how some of America's biggest TV shows break down when it comes to viewers who watch it after its been shown.

■ Why competing with Netflix and Amazon is impossible.
MUST WATCH: Barry Diller discusses what makes Netflix and Amazon today's leaders in video.


■ Executive producer of Viacom's The Mist TV drama, Amanda Segel, accuses Harvey Weinstein's brother Bob Weinstein of sexual harassment.
- Variety's TV critic Maureen Ryan says a TV executive sexually assaulted her.
- Hollywood's other open secret: Preying on young boys.
- Inside Harvey Weinstein's horrific history of bullying: "Has never done anything that was consensual".

■ The shamed Roy Price out at Amazon after shocking sexual harassment claims.

■ And a MUST READ: Inside Amazon and the fall of the vulgar exec Roy Price.
As usual Amazon and Roy Price are silent and refused to comment. Amazon insiders reveal Roy Price's "crude sex talk" at gatherings, asked staffers if stars in a TV series would "show their tits";  misogyny of scripts.

■ Fighting the pirates.
How illegal downloads and streaming of TV shows is now impacting the global TV industry.
Netflix says it's pushing to secure global rights and release all originals simultaneously to global members to help address piracy, and "that there's been a notable reduction in piracy in countries where we operate".

■ Lifetime (DStv 131) finally releases a trailer for the delayed 3rd season of UnReal.
The 3rd season will start in America on 26 February 2018 and will this time revolve around a bachelorette looking for Mister Right. No word yet on when the 3rd season will start on Lifetime in South Africa and Africa on MultiChoice's DStv.

■ The delicate art of the TV series finale.
Ending a TV series properly with a perfect final episode is equal parts craft and philosophy.

■ Next year the Swiss will vote to get rid of TV and radio licence fees.
Switzerland voting in March 2018 on a proposal to scrap the licence fee for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).

■ Nigerian presenter of a TV crime show sues over being blocked by Nigerian police.
Aisha Tosan, the presenter of presenter of Crime Fighters, Police and You files papers in Lagos High Court to stop Nigeria's police from blocking her, and impeding her right to give out information.

■ Chelsea Handler's talk show, Chelsea, on Netflix cancelled after 2 seasons.
Went from daily in the first season, to weekly in the second season to cancelled.

■ In a new generation of social media-driven dramas
viewers decide the outcome in the next episode, as part of TV's next big new trend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 20 February 2017.

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

■ The SABC didn't want to and couldn't bother to broadcast gospel icon Lundi Tyamara's funeral - eNCA (DStv 403) did.
"Pity those who still depend on the SABC for information as it is no longer a public broadcaster. It's a broadcaster for the few," says this newspaper reader.

■ BBC America's boss on why the BBC's new Top Gear flopped.
Sarah Barnett says new presenters Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reed and Chris Harris are still developing their chemistry. And that nothing can withstand the scrutiny a show like Top Gear faced last year.

■ Nigerian TV executive slams Nigerians as hypocrites for watching and complaining about Big Brother Naija.
Says Nigerian viewers keep complaining about the MultiChoice Africa reality show but keep watching the "indiscriminate romance, drinking and vulgar talks by contestants".

- Meanwhile Cocolce's nipple failed to save her. Despite their sexual TV escapades, their sexual indulgences failed to save the housemates.

■ Are America's TV news anchors playing into Donald Trump's hands?
Donald Trump possibly wants to be seen as being in conflict with the media.

■ Thailand television slowly resumes its normal schedule.
After months of censorship and banning as part of a "mourning period" for the dead King Bhumibol, TV schedules will start to show other programming besides videos and photos of King Bhumibol.


■ Nigeria still hysterical over Big Brother Naija being filmed in South Africa.
Now it's Ralph Nwadike, president if Nigeria's Association of Movie Producers (AMP), foaming at the mouth in yet another newspaper hit-piece filled with hilarious lies about MultiChoice and saying: "No matter the monies and equipment they think they have, South Africa, in terms of production qualities and values, can never match up to Nigeria's standard".  Sure.
And another bombastic filmmaker, Dr Don-Pedro Obaseki also lies about MultiChoice and says Nigeria is DStv's biggest market.
- Here is a FACT CHECK of the numerous fake claims - courtesy of TVwithThinus.


■ Europe's stagnating TV channels now making shows for young people on the go.
Targeting millennials with short form content meant to watch on mobile devices.

■ $100 000 found inside an old TV set
that was sent to a recycling centre in Canada.

■ Trashy Venezuela government says its CNN ban isn't censorship.
Venezuelan government has the hilarious audacity to say pulling CNN off the air is just "ad administrative procedure".

■ Public protest after Togo government shuts down TV station.
Togo government muzzles freedom of the press as it shuts down LCF TV station.

■ Disney CEO Bob Iger points out the problem Disney has with the current state of television.
Too many commercials.

■ OSN plans to bring 4K video to subscribers later in 2017 before MultiChoice.
Will the pay-TV broadcaster covering North Africa be the first one giving the African continent 4K resolution?

■ Ecuador TV reporter sent a mail bomb.
Janet Hinostroza sent a bomb package with a detonator.

■ Is Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 304) ending after the third season?
Star Wars Rebels usually got renewed in November of the previous year - and nothing so far. And then Disney and Star Wars are working on a new animation series. Is that where all the effort is now going?

■ Helios returns to the BBC Television Centre.
Famous bronze statue symbolizing television returned after repairs.

■ Australia's free-to-air TV broadcasters struggling.
Advertising is down and TV channels are begging the government to cut the broadcasting licence fees - the world's most expensive - that channels in Australia have to pay the government.
- Meanwhile Channel Seven's sex scandal is intensifying as boss Kerry Stokes lashes out with a "How dare you?" to a journalist asking what should be asked.

■ The next consumer product testing scandal?
TV sets from Samsung, LG and others are using a lot more electricity than what they do in consumer tests.


■ "Jer-ry, Jer-ry ... "
The sad reason why people, 26 seasons later, continue to appear on The Jerry Springer Show.
And Jerry explains (watch!) in his own words in this 5 minute interview as part of a TV talk show look-back series.
Here's red-rimmed glasses Sally Jesse Raphael (watch!), Geraldo's interview (watch!) and Maury Povich (watch!) and Montel Williams (watch!).
Where's Oprah? Visiting New Zealand where she's filming with Reese Witherspoon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shadowhunters renewed for a 2nd season - and some of the other TV shows I watch and actually personally enjoy watching.

People often ask me: "What's your favourite TV shows? What do you love watching?"

It includes a lot of TV executives who who probably want to hear the sweet sound of their own show on my lips!

I never really answer, because yes, don't fear, I do watch your show. I basically watch everything!

Working as a TV critic, I watch an awful lot (another secret: I read even more) of television, but it is still in the end, work. Do a wine critic sip and taste just the wines she likes?

I do have my favourites though - shows that I personally enjoy watching and can't wait for, my own guilty pleasures. Several we don't even get in South Africa - or not on traditional television at least.

And I watch them late at night and over weekends, and almost always with food or snacks - my own private TV-indulge time.

So here's all my personal favourites - the TV stuff I can't live without - and please don't judge! I watch a lot more, this is just my personal must-must.

One of my new favourites is a total fantasy cheese-fest that is just awesome and I literally cannot wait for the next episode. And the great news is that it just got renewed for a second season.

It's not going to win Emmys, but its a youth drama that's funny with smart writing and some new actors I like.

Shadowhunters is available to South African viewers on Netflix South Africa. In America its on the Freeform channel, and on Netflix in the rest of the world.

Shadowhunters, werewolves, vampires, fairy people, demons - Shadowhunters is like Gossip Girl meets True Blood. And. I. Love. It.

How obsessed am I? To the point that I will search out episode recaps after I've watched an episode to immediately see if people noticed and commented on some of the things that I've spotted or noticed.

Star Wars: Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 104) ... total fan fest for me. Again, I will go and read up and read episode recaps. So silly.

I do tend to favour more fantasy and science fiction type shows as personal favourites, but I really watch everything.

Saturday nights very late I quickly download The McLaughlin Group, the "American original" political panel show when the new Friday episode becomes available. Somehow I find time to watch it on a Sunday afternoon or Sunday night late.

We used to get it on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) for a number of years. When it stopped showing, luckily in America they started putting every week's episodes on their YouTube channel from where I quickly download it.

I've literally watched The McLaughlin Group religiously every single week for well over a decade.

Not a day goes by that I don't watch the day's episode of the CBS Evening News (episodes here) or the NBC Nightly News (episodes here). I used to even watch the ABC World News Tonight until it got geo-blocked halfway through Diane Sawyer's tenure.

If you don't watch it online, you can record the CBS Evening News on Sky News' (DStv 402) and NBC Nightly News on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) and watch it on your traditional TV set.

ITV's Beowulf, the BBC's beauuuutiful War and Peace, FOX's (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) The X-Files and shows called Colony, Fuller House (only on Netflix South Africa) and Second Chance I've enjoyed watching on a personal level so far this year, along with DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

Billions on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) I literally watch the moment the new episode is available - it's very clever and insightful about the insider politics, narcissism, and the power plays driving any big corporation.

The best new science fiction show, The Expanse I devoured from the moment Syfy made the first few episodes available online before - a very intricate, interwoven and clever story.

Something I watch every single weekday is The Wendy Williams Show that's on BET (DStv 129). But I don't actually watch it on BET.

I download it from the talk show host's YouTube channel where it's free for the world and then watch it when I have 15 minutes during the day. I don't watch a whole episode - I just always look for the first part of the show which is the "Hot Topics" segment.

The Shannara Chronicles - who knows whether we will see it on MTV (DStv 130) or on another M-Net channel like Teen Wolf - blends fantasy and science fiction in this fantasy youth drama series set in the far-future where magic exists. The first season's 10 episodes have come and gone.

The Walt Disney Company creating Star Wars Land as a new immersive experience; will be the biggest Disney theme park expansion ever.

The Walt Disney Company announced that it's building Star Wars Land, its single biggest theme park expansion ever.

[Click on individual concept art images to see them bigger]

Star Wars Land will be constructed at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as well as at Disneyland in Anaheim, California and will transport visitors to George Lucas' galaxy far, far away.

The existing Star Tours, last updated in 2011, will again undergo changes to incorporate new elements as well as the inclusion of characters from the upcoming new Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens which opens globally in December.

Bob Iger, The Walt Disney Company chairperson and CEO announced the news at the D23 EXPO 2015 and showed concept art of the new Star Wars Land he promised would be an immersive experience unlike anything people have experienced before.

"We'll soon be transporting our guests to some of the most anticipated worlds – a story that translates across time and place. Who wants to go there?” asked Bob Iger amidst loud applause in front of a crowd of 7 500 people. 

The immersive environment of the theme park will introduce visitors to a Star Wars planet never seen before, a gateway planet located on the Outer Rim, full of places and characters "both familiar and not so familiar".

"For our guests every encounter will bring more of the Star Wars story to life you can explore like never before."

"The inhabitants of this remote frontier town, one of the last stops before wild space will operate every single store and restaurant – every single thing will be 'in story'. As you explore this new planet, each experience will literally be out of this world."

"Simply setting foot in this land is going to be amazing."

Visitors visiting this world filled with aliens, droids and other creatures will be able to join in two experiences. The first will be to fly a mission on the Millennium Falcon.

The second is billed as an epic Star Wars adventure, putting visitors in the middle of a climatic battle between the First Order and the Resistance, the opposing sides appearing in the new The Force Awakens film.

"Lands of this scale and detail will obviously take some time to create and we know we have to be brave, but our ambition is up to the challenge," said Bob Iger.

No official opening date for Star Wars Land has been announced.

In anticipation of Star Wars: The Force Awakens M-Net and The Walt Disney Company are creating a Star Wars pop-up channel for MultiChoice starting on 31 August on DStv on channel 109 for DStv Premium subscribers.

Sky in the United Kingdom will be running a similar Star Wars channel. 

Disney will be rolling out the second season of Star Wars Rebels in which Darth Vader makes his first appearance on Disney XD (DStv 304), as well as new animation show, Droid Tales.

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

"In time, a new hope will emerge."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You're reading it here first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BREAKING. Star Wars Rebels to start on Disney XD in South Africa as a one hour special, followed by the first season, sometime in spring.

You're reading it here first. 

R2 has been known to make mistakes. From time to time. But this isn't one of them: Star Wars Rebels, the brand-new animation TV show from Lucasfilm and Disney will be starting in South Africa for South African viewers on Disney XD (DStv 304) in spring, sometime between September and November.

Star Wars Rebels will roll out much quicker for South African viewers on Disney XD (DStv 304) than what predecessor series Star Wars: The Clone Wars ever did on Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network (DStv 301) - with Star Wars Rebels set to start showing in South Africa sometime between September and November this year - basically the same as in the United States.

Where Cartoon Network perpetually showed seasons of the much under-appreciated Star Wars: The Clone Wars at least a year to a year and a half after it started in America, the Force is strong with Star Wars Rebels.

I'm told the roll-out dates for Star Wars Rebels in South Africa on Disney's channels are very much "in line with the US" and with episodes which will be seen in South Africa "at pretty much the same timeframe".

An exciting new 60 second trailer for Star Wars Rebels and set in that galaxy far, far away has just been released - don't mind the hardcoded "Autumn" in it and don't throw Banta poodoo - it's a global trailer but focused on the Northern hemisphere, so it will be South Africa's spring.

Disney in South Africa also just launched a brand new Star Wars Rebels website, www.disney.co.za/starwars called "Master the Force" - it's a one-stop shop for everything Star Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

I'm told Star Wars Rebels will premiere on Disney XD (DStv 304) in South Africa - first as a one hour special in spring, followed by Disney Channel (DStv 303). Star Wars Rebels will then premiere soon thereafter with new episodes of the first season on Disney XD.

Star Wars Rebels will follow the new adventures of a motley crew of rebels that include a renegade Jedi and is set between the Episode III and Episode IV movies.

BREAKING. Star Wars Rebels coming to Disney XD in 2014 as a brand-new animation show set in that galaxy far, far away.

This might just be the droids show you were looking for: Star Wars Rebels is a brand-new animation show which will start on Disney XD (Dstv 304) in 2014.

Two months after Star Wars: The Clone Wars on The Cartoon Network was forced to end although some episodes of the next planned season will still be shown somewhere (hologrid? Imperial communication network? R2's holoprojector thingie?), Lucasfilm Animation and Disney is now working on bring a new animation show similar to Clone Wars to Disney XD.

"The entire team at Lucasfilm has provided extraordinary creativity and innovation for over three decades, and we're thrilled to be bringing the expansive and imaginative world of Star Wars to Disney XD's viewers," says Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide.

"I couldn't be more excited to explore new corners of the Star Wars universe,” says Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. "I think Star Wars Rebels will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about Star Wars."

Star Wars Rebels will be set in a time frame which has never been seen in any of the Star Wars big screen movies so far - between Episode II and Episode IV. During this time period the Empire is fortifying its hold on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as the rebellion is starting to form.

The Disney Channel (DStv 303) will  have a one hour special of Star Wars Rebels in 2014, after which Star Wars Rebels will move to Disney XD as a regular TV series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Dave Filoni who was responsible for Star Wars The Clone Wars will again be co-executive producer for Star Wars Rebels.

Here is a first look at the first details around Star Wars Rebels:



UPDATE Monday 20 May 20:30 - Disney has now released to me a press statement.

"Production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, an exciting, all-new animation television series based on one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. Scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world."

"Leading the development of the series is a creative team of exceptional talent. Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg is an executive producer on Star Wars Rebels and will write the premiere episode. He is joined by Dave Filoni as executive producer, who served as supervising director of the Emmy nominated Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008."

"Star Wars Rebels will be produced by Lucasfilm Animation, featuring many of the key talents that made Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fans attending Star Wars Celebration Europe will be the first to get an exclusive look at the new series. Casting will be announced at a later date. More information about this developing project will be found on www.starwars.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/starwarsrebels."