Comedy Central adds the award-winning Canadian comedy Schitt’s Creek from 29 March, promises fresh new content in its ‘New at Nine’ timeslot.

by Thinus Ferreira

Comedy Central (DStv 122) is adding the award-winning Canadian comedy Schitt's Creek to the channel's schedule on weekdays from Monday 29 March at 21:00 as part of a "New at Nine" timeslot with the channel from ViacomCBS Africa that promises "nightly entertainment at 21:00 with fresh, new and hilarious content".

Schitt's Creek, created and executive produced by Eugene Levy and Dan Levy who also star in it, finished its 6-season run across 80 episodes in April last year and won multiple Emmy awards.

At the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards that took place in September the series, produced by Not a Real Company Productions and with ITV Studios handling international distribution, set a new record for most Emmy wins by a comedy series in a single season after it swept all 7 major comedy awards.

The comedy series follows the riches-to-rags drama of the Rose family, who after suddenly finding themselves broke, are forced to move to the small and depressing town of Schitt’s Creek - a place that they once bought as a joke when they had money.

Now Johnny (Eugene Levy) and Moira (Catherine O’Hara) and their adult children, David (Daniel Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy), with their pampered lives abandoned, must confront their new-found poverty and discover what it means to be a family, all within the rural city limits of Schitt's Creek.

The Schitt's Creek scheduling is part of what Comedy Central says is a new "commitment to its viewers to bring nightly entertainment at 21:00 with fresh, new and hilarious content that has never aired on the channel before".

Comedy Central says Schitt's Creek will be supplemented by "a number of titles coming to DStv for the very first time and shows that have never aired on the African continent before. New at Nine’s line-up will include Schitt’s Creek and a slew of shows which will be announced in the coming months".

Dillon Khan, vice president for Comedy Central Africa, says "Our aim is to constantly make life funnier for our viewers and we're delighted to have the Schitt's Creek Golden Globe-winning Rose family join our stable of Dunphy's, Butler's, Bing's, Harper's and Cooper's on Comedy Central. They bring another unique family dynamic that viewers will relate to, laugh at or both."

Thabisa Mkhwanazi, MultiChoice South Africa's head of marketing, in a statement says "As DStv we have made a commitment to bring the best of international content home through the movies and series streaming and playing on our platforms".

"Having a multi-award winning show such as Schitt's Creek on Comedy Central is further testament to our collaboration with our partners to ensure the latest content is available for our customers."

The Wendy Williams Show on BET takes another break after the death of Wendy Williams' mom Shirley.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Wendy Williams Show seen on BET (DStv 129) has once again gone on a break in the United States from this week after talk show host Wendy Williams revealed that her mom Shirley had died.

The Wendy Williams Show will return with new episodes in America the new year after Christmas on 4 January 2021.

The show released a statement, saying "The Wendy Williams Show will air repeats to allow Wendy to travel and be with her family at this time".

"The show will return with original episodes on Monday, 4 January 2021. Debmar-Mercury extends its deepest condolences to Wendy and her family".

While the 12th season of The Wendy Williams Show on BET started on 21 September 2020 in America, ViacomCBS Africa only managed to start running them almost a month later in October. It means that viewers in Africa will still continue to see new episodes on the BET Africa channel with repeats that will only start here in roughly early-January 2021.

Wendy revealed in this past Friday's episode that her mom passed away. 

Shirley, who made several appearances in the past on her daughter's show, passed away on 29 November according to Wendy's brother Tommy Williams who revealed the exact date in a YouTube video. Shirley's funeral took place this past weekend in Miami, Florida. 

Wendy said on Friday's episode that Shirley "passed away beautiful and peacefully and surrounded by love".

"My mom and I, our relationship became closer and closer when I went to college. Our relationship was like that of two teenage girls - 17, if I could pick an age," Wendy said.

"You know if you have siblings, each of you has different relationships with your mom and dad… Right up until the end, my relationship with my mother was so girly and ridiculously giggly. We would do our nails together and we’d watch Housewives or American Greed."

"Gone is the best mother, the best girlfriend a girl could have. I am fortunate I had her in my life all of my 56 years".

Wendy said "She is everywhere; first thing I think about in the morning, the last thing I think of when I go to sleep."

ALSO READ: Wendy Williams back on BET in Africa for her 12 season - but with several changes, episodes a month late and cold topics that's old and dated.