How to watch 2019's 76th Golden Globe Awards pre-show red carpet coverage and the awards ceremony.

South African and African viewers will be able to watch pre-show red carpet coverage and the awards ceremony programming from Sunday's upcoming 2019 76th Golden Globe Awards live on M-Net's channels and E! Entertainment on MultiChoice's DStv early on Monday morning in South Africa and across Africa.

Actors Andy Samberg of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Sandra Oh of Killing Eve are the hosts of the Golden Globes this year, taking place at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

No official online live stream partner for the red carpet pre-show or awards ceremony was announced for this year's Golden Globes after Twitter did it in 2017 and Facebook was the official streaming partner in 2018 for the red carpet pre-show.


Red carpet coverage on E! on DStv
Time: Sunday 6 January, 23:00 - 03:00
E! Entertainment (DStv 124) will once again do live red carpet pre-show coverage of the 76th Golden Globe Awards.

E! will start its Golden Globes coverage at 23:00 on Sunday 6 January with the live, two-hour E! Countdown to the Red Carpet: The 2019 Golden Globe Awards featuring behind-the-scenes preparations, insider interviews, nominee predictions and fashion forecasting.

Very Cavallari's Kristin Cavallari, The Real co-host Jeannie Mai, celebrity stylist Brad Goreski, E! News TV correspondent Kristin Dos Santos and E! News style correspondent Zanna Roberts Rassi and Nightly Pop's Nina Parker will feature as commentators during the countdown.

The "E! Glambot" will make its return to the Golden Globes with creative director Cole Walliser at the helm to capture one-of-a-kind red carpet moments and images.

This two-hour show will be followed at 01:00 for a two-hour block until 03:00 of Live from the Red Carpet: The 2018 Golden Globes.

Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic will co-host E!'s Live from the Red Carpet: 2019 Golden Globes. Ryan Seacrest also continues as executive producer of the Live from the Red Carpet show. They will be joined this year by Nightly Pop's Morgan Stewart and Nina Parker.


Official ceremony on M-Net channels on DStv
Time: Monday 7 January, 03:00
Sunday's 76th Golden Globe Awards will be broadcast live on Monday morning 7 January on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform on M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104) at 03:00 in the morning South African time.

The 76th Golden Globe Awards will then again be shown during South African primetime on the same day on M-Net (DStv 101) at 20:00 - starting an hour earlier than last year. It will then also be shown at 21:00 on the M-Net Plus 1 (DStv 901) time-shifted channel.


Order of the awards handed out
Here is the order of the 25 awards that will be handed out this year:

1. Best actress in a limited series or television movie
2. Best supporting actor in any motion picture
3. Best actress in a TV series - musical/comedy
4. Best actress in a TV series - drama
5. Best actor in a TV series - drama
6. Best TV series - drama
7. Best supporting actor in a series, limited series or TV film
8. Best original score
9. Best original song
10. Best actor - comedy/musical
11. Best supporting actress in a series, limited series or TV film
12. Best animated film
13. Best supporting actress in any motion picture
14. Best screenplay
15. Best foreign film
16. Best actor in a miniseries or TV movie
17. Best TV series - comedy
18. Best actor in a TV series - musical/comedy
19. Best film director
20. Best miniseries or TV movie
21. Best actress in a film - comedy/musical
22. Best film - comedy/musical
23. Best actor - drama
24. Best actress - drama
25. Best film - drama

Somewhere in-between these 25 will be the new award - the inaugural Carol Burnett Award - given to Carol Burnett which recognizes individuals that have left a major impact on American television.

Also somewhere in-between will be The Cecil B. DeMille award, this year going to Jeff Bridges.

After-shows

Busy Tonight Live: Golden Globes After-Party 

Time: Monday 7 January, 21:00

Busy Philipps does a special episode of her talk show. This one-hour special episode is done as a live broadcast in America on E! (DStv 124) directly after the end of the official 76th Golden Globe Awards ceremony, but viewers outside America will see it as a recorded programme on the channel during prime time a few hours later. 

Busy Philipps recaps the night and is joined by celebrity guests who will be stopping by to break down the Golden Globes' biggest moments, award wins and fashion highlights.

Additionally, actor and comedian Tom Lenk will judge the Busy Tonight team as they attempt to recreate the most memorable looks of the night using household items.

E! News: 2019 Golden Globes Special

Time: Tuesday 8 January, 19:05

E! News does a special episode devoted to coverage of the 76th Golden Globe Awards with anchors Giuliana Rancic and Jason Kennedy looking at the fashions, news generated from the awards, and buzz-worthy moments.

They will recaps the night with one-on-one interviews with Golden Globes winners, a breakdown of the red carpet fashion, and a look inside how the biggest stars celebrated and partied the night away.

Travel Channel rebooting Ripley's Believe It or Not! series with actor Bruce Campbell as presenter.

The Travel Channel (DStv 179 / Cell C black 255) is rebooting the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! series with actor Bruce Campbell who will be the presenter.

The Ripley’s Believe It or Not! reboot will have 10 hourlong episodes and will be filmed on-location at the Ripley Warehouse in Orlando, Florida in the United States, covering incredible stories from all across the world.

The Ripley’s Believe It or Not! reboot, produced by Texas Crew Productions, will be broadcast later in 2019.

"As an actor, I've always been drawn toward material that is more 'fantastic' in nature, so I was eager and excited to partner with Travel Channel and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on this new show,” says Bruce Campbell in a statement.

"And because amazing things happen all around the world, we should have no shortage of unbelievable stories to share with a fresh new audience."

Jane Latman, general manager at Travel Channel, says "Travel Channel fans have an insatiable curiosity about the world, and sharing this wonderful and weird series with the next generation of fans is a thrill".

"This entirely new version of Ripley’s is a fresh contemporary approach to the odd and unusual, and will be jam-packed with larger-than-life characters, cool facts, history and science."

Norm Deska, executive vice-president of intellectual property for Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, says "Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has a long history of television shows, dating back to the first one hosted by Robert Ripley himself in 1949. We could not be more excited to return to television in 2019 with an all-new show on the Travel Channel".

China's state-run and self-censoring TV news channel CGTN turns 2 years old, says it's intensifying its focus on opinion-driven programming.

China's state-run and self-censoring TV news channel CGTN (DStv 409 / StarSat 266) has turned 2 years old on 31 December 2018 since its abrupt rebranding and relaunch on 31 December 2016 and says it's focusing on building programming based around opinion.

CGTN says in 2018 it "intensified our focus on opinions, with shows like Dialogue, The Point, The Heat, World Insight and Closer to China on TV and a range of digital media formats to better articulate China's story to the world".

CGTN says "CGTN's news centers in North America and Africa can generate 9 hours of television output each day, in addition to five domestic news bureaus in Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, and Shenyang" and that it's correspondents now cover over 70 countries and regions.

"In growing our reach, we partnered with several international media outlets including co-producing documentaries with National Geographic, France's TV5, and the United States' History (DStv 186) channel."

"Collaborating with television stations from three ancient civilizations – Greece, India, and Egypt – we launched the new discussion TV series, Dialogue of Civilizations."

CGTN says it is "committed to bringing a fresh voice" but that it doesn't "intend to drown out the voices of others".

China's CGTN TV news channel again self-censors and deletes its own reported news after saying the moon rover Chang'e 4 has landed on the dark side of the moon.

China's CGTN (DStv 409 / StarSat 266) once again self-censored and deleted its own reported news just months after it removed a broadcast and published Donald Trump piece - this time deleting its report that China's Chang'e 4 moon rover had made a successful landing.

The CGTN TV news channel once again damaged whatever credibility it might have as well as its perceived news ethics when it deleted its breaking news report on Thursday, 2 January, that the China National Space Administration (CNSA) had landed the robotic probe Chang'e 4 in the unexplored South Pole-Aitken basin on the dark side of the moon's surface.

The China Daily also deleted news its original news report, along with CGTN.

CGTN caused confusion since its self-censorship caused panic under other traditional news media who reported the news about China's moon landing, citing CGTN as a source, who suddenly took away and deleted what it reported and staying silent about why it's self-censoring and deleting news.

In the deleted tweet on social media, CGTN initially reported that "China's Chang'e-4 probe lands successfully on far side of the moon marking the first ever soft-landing in this unchartered area" together with a photo.

After CGTN deleted its own breaking news, China's state-run broadcaster CCTV announced and "confirmed" the news, together with the image.

CGTN latest deleting and self-censoring of the news comes just months after CGTN in August 2018 mocked American president Donald Trump in a 3-minute video report that it censored and deleted hours after it was broadcast and posted online and on social media.

In its satirical video, CGTN thanked Donald Trump for starting a trade war between China and the United States of America.

Then, as now, China and CGTN, remained silent about why it censors content - especially its own-produced news content, not saying a word about why it's doing so not afterwards instead of before publishing and broadcasting, making its embarrassment bigger and its biased news values more obvious.

Replacements for vacant SABC board seats hopefully chosen before the end of January as parliament's portfolio committee on communications will rush back earlier than usual to do interviews with candidates.

Some members of South Africa's parliament will be returning earlier than usual in 2019 as parliament's portfolio committee on communications will do interviews with prospective replacements for the vacant seats on the board of the SABC mired in crisis.

With the SABC board currently inquorate, parliament has to act fast to replace the empty seats on the SABC board as the commercially insolvent South African public broadcaster is lurching from crisis to crisis and getting closer and closer to a fiscal cliff.

The SABC will be unable to pay salaries to some of the staff at the end of February, and be unable to pay any salaries at the end of March with the broadcaster already unable to pay its full monthly electricity bill of its Auckland Park headquarters and having stretched payments to producers and production companies to over 90 days.

Meanwhile Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, the latest minister of communications, has done little to organise another bailout for the imploding broadcaster in the form of another billion rands government guaranteed bank loan, jetting overseas to Vienna in mid-December for a conference and doing meet-and-greets with corporates and other institutions instead of working 24/7 to solve the SABC that is literally facing an existential crisis.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications has to fill the void left by the December resignations of Khanyisile Kweyama, Krish Naidoo, John Matisonn, and Mathatha Tsedu on top of earlier resignations of Rachel Kalidass, Victor Rambau and Febe Potgieter-Gqubule who all quit, and Nomvuyiso Batyi who got selected but then backed out and recused herself.

This has left 8 vacancies on the SABC board.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications wants to try and complete the process of selecting new SABC board members before the end of January.

Don’t look now: Netflix warns as dangerous game goes viral – Stop the Bird Box Challenge.

Netflix is now begging people not to try the "Bird Box Challenge" at home after a dangerous game based on the new Netflix horror film, Bird Box with Sandra Bullock, has gone viral on social media.

With the growing popularity of Bird Box – a film in which Sandra Bullock’s character Malorie as well as her son and daughter try to escape for the majority of the film while wearing blindfolds from an entity that preys on people’s biggest fears – has come a new craze that has dangerous implications, similar to swallowing laundry detergent pods and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that became twisted.

More and more videos are surfacing on YouTube and on social media platforms since the film's release in December 2018 of people trying to imitate the scenes of Sandra and her kids trying to rush to safety without being able to see - including parents running their kids, including toddlers, into walls, running into streets and even driving blind, with the hashtag of #BirdBoxChallenge.

This is an example of why the Bird Box Challenge isn’t a family activity. 😂

#BirdBoxChallenge pic.twitter.com/i4RmtpuuAL

— Cameron Grant (@coolghost101) January 3, 2019

In a message on Twitter, Netflix says "Can't believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don't know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes."

Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.

— Netflix US (@netflix) January 2, 2019

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 3 January 2019.

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

■ Netflix begs people not to try, and then hurt themselves, with the new social-media 'Bird Box Challenge' that has gone viral.
It's based on the new Netflix horror movie, Bird Box, in which Sandra Bullock and other characters blindfold themselves to avoid seeing monsters taking the form of people's worst fears.

■ Why Nigeria's struggling TStv dumped Nigeria's NIGCOMSAT for Azercosmos in Azerbaijan.
After Nigeria's beleaguered satellite pay-TV operator TStv dumped NIGCOMSAT for satellite transponder services and is now partnering with Azercosmos as it tries to start again, TStv's chief operating officer, Benjamin Zidah, trashes NIGCOMSAT now slammed as a competitor and something that is "against business sense".

■ Carrie Ann Inaba is the permanent new addition to The Talk seen on 1Magic (DStv 103) and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) replacing Julie Chen.

■ What Netflix is learning from its interactive Bandersnatch episode.
Where Netflix previously focused its data gathering on the ways users engaged with its content - what they watched, when, and for how long - this new data from its first live-action choose-your-own-adventure episode for adults, is indicative of real-world decisions like product preference, musical taste, and engagement with human behaviour.

■ The Hidden Beauty of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
In an interactive story where the character has no choice and the viewer makes all the choices to influence the outcome, the symbolism explained and how to try and get the best and correct ending where the character does get to make his own choice.

■ Bandersnatch: Is interactive television watching the way of the future?

■ EastEnders seen on BBC Brit (DStv 120) to introduce the British soap's first gay bar coming to Albert Square to better reflect London's diversity.

■ It's basically impossible to be a mom in TV news.
New American research finds women's decision to have kids is basically a career-ender if you work in television news as it's too hard to leave at a moment's notice to cover whatever breaking news is unfolding.

■ Is the end of Netflix's golden age in sight?
Netflix is facing competition from content suppliers, including video streaming rivals like Apple and Amazon Prime Video.

■ Thousands of kids continue to get injured - and die - from TV sets toppling over.

■ Attention-seeking Kenyan lawyer says TV channels in Kenya hire women as TV presenters based on their breasts.

■ Netflix censors and pulls an episode of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj critical of Saudi Arabia.
Netflix damages its freedom of expression reputation and dumps an episode from its service that is critical of Saudi Arabia and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

■ Every American TV series that will be ending in 2019.
Goodbye Modern Family, Game of Thrones, Shadowhunters, Gotham and several more.

■ Lost Television: Meet the raiders of the lost British and African broadcasting archives.

■ Lusaka Magistrate's Court in Zambia sentences a man to 2 years in prison and hard labour for stealing a TV remote.

■ S24 starts in Uganda as a new streaming, business TV channel.

■ What Netflix's investment in Nigeria means.
The Mail & Guardian on whether - and how - Nollywood will benefit from Netflix.

■ A lot of the publicists and PR departments of South African TV channels and broadcasters are guilty of this.
The non-TV story of the day: How Donald Trump's White House won't even respond with a "no comment" to acknowledge media enquiries from journalists, and often simply has no response to questions although people are getting paid real money to handle media enquiries.

Zombie march relentless as The Walking Dead on FOX claims top torrent spot for 2018 as the most illegally downloaded and watched TV show.

The Walking Dead has pushed Game of Thrones from the iron throne of most pirated TV show of 2018, according to TorrentFreak that annually compiles a list of most sought-after and illegally downloaded and shared TV series.

Although past its prime, the zombie drama series The Walking Dead on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) pushed past Game of Thrones seen on M-Net (DStv 101) that has held the top spot of most downloaded TV episodes under torrenting pirates for 6 years in a row.

Game of Thrones completely dropped off of the Top 10 list, but the zombie rise of The Walking Dead does however come with an asterisk - Game of Thrones didn't have any new episodes in 2018 but will likely reclaim its top torrent spot at the end of this year when the 8th and final season of the dragon and White Walkers fantasy series starts within months.

While not making the Top 10 in 2018, it doesn't mean that Game of Thrones doesn't remain hugely popular. "Game of Thrones torrents remain the most sought-after season bundles on torrent sites," says TorrentFreak.

It's also no surprise that 8 out of the top 10 shows most shared and downloaded by torrent users in 2018 are seen on M-Net with DStv's most premium channel continuing to acquire and retain the most sought-after TV programming globally and from America for DStv subscribers, despite the rise of and increased competition from streaming services like Netflix and Showmax.

With Game of Thrones taking a break, The Walking Dead from 2nd place, The Flash from 3rd place, and The Big Bang Theory from 4th place, all moved up a spot during 2018 on the torrent list.

Vikings seen on M-Net and Showmax jumped from 8th to 4th place, with the new superhero drama series Titans available on Netflix South Africa, claiming the 5th spot.

Arrow (10th in 2017) jumped to 6th place, Supernatural is 7th, Westworld 8th, DC's Legends of Tomorrow 9th and Suits 10th - all seen on M-Net.

"Episodes of The Walking Dead are downloaded millions of times," says TorrentFreak.

"Apart from the change at the top, there are a few small changes. Most of the entries in the top ten have been featured in the list at least once before in previous years. Titans is the best-ranked newcomer in fifth place."

TorrentFreak compiles its annual Top 10 ranking by combing through statistics reported by public BitTorrent trackers and the DHT network.

BREAKING. Charles Hamya finally quits as MultiChoice Uganda boss after torrid workplace extra-marital sex scandal.

The controversial and shamed MultiChoice Uganda boss, Charles Hamya, has finally decided to quit following the shocking sex scandal that engulfed him and DStv Uganda marketing manager Phoebe Nakabazzi after his sad and upset wife exposed their torrid MultiChoice Uganda workplace extra-marital affair toall staffers in an email.

Following pressure from MultiChoice Africa leadership, Charles Hamya  - who was initially reluctant to resign - decided to quit and will be leaving MultiChoice Uganda at 31 March 2019.

It follows after Charles Hamya's sex scandal that damaged not just MultiChoice Africa, MultiChoice Uganda and DStv Uganda but also the morale of staffers working at MultiChoice and wondering why MultiChoice would allow a person to continue to work as the leader without repercussions whilst creating an untenable working environment.

In an email to all MultiChoice Uganda staffers, Charles Hamya, tried to put a positive spin on his imminent departure, starting off by saying he will be celebrating "22 years of service at MultiChoice Uganda" but not saying a word about the nasty details of cheating on his wife, Crusid Matovu, that has now derailed his career.

"I will, effective 31 March 2019, step down from my current position as general manager," Charles Hamya, who owns share in the company, wrote staffers.

"It has been my singular honour and privilege to have worked with each and every one of you over the years," writes Charles Hamya - who of course enjoyed special privilege working closely with Phoebe Nakabazzi.

In late-July Charles Hamya took unexpected leave following the expose of his extra-marital affair to all MultiChoice Uganda workers, with Willem Hattingh who took over as acting MultiChoice Uganda general manager.

It came after his wife, Crusid Matovu, in an email to MultiChoice Uganda staffers, revealed the pain, heartache and frustration of Charles Hamya's torrid affair with the DStv Uganda marketing manager.

Crusid Matovu in an email detailed Charles Hamya and Phoebe Nakabazzi's extra-marital affair and their secret hotel trysts that she said "shouldn't be what MultiChoice Uganda stands for".

Crusid Matovu said the MultiChoice Uganda top executives have "proven that they do not value marriage or work ethics. This level of unprofessionalism should not be what MultiChoice Uganda stands for and for that matter I no longer want to be associated with both parties".