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Tuesday 27 June 2023

An Among Us TV Series Is In Development

An “Among Us” animated series is in the works at CBS Studios, Variety has learned exclusively.

The studio, via CBS Eye Animation Productions, has partnered with Innersloth, the independent game studio behind “Among Us,” to develop the series. Owen Dennis will serve as creator and executive producer on the project under his overall deal with CBS Studios.

Per the official logline, the series is based on the premise of the game, namely, “Members of your crew have been replaced by an alien shapeshifter intent on causing confusion, sabotaging the ship, and killing everyone. Root out the ‘Impostor’ or fall victim to its murderous designs.”

Titmouse (“Big Mouth,” “Star Trek: Lower Decks”) will serve as the animation studio for the series. Along with Dennis, Forest Willard, Marcus Bromander, and Carl Neisser of Innersloth will also executive produce along with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, and Ben Kalina of Titmouse. No network or streamer is currently attached, but those conversations are said to be ongoing. CBS Eye Animation Productions produces in association with Innersloth. The show is covered by The Animation Guild rather than the WGA.

“Among Us” first launched in 2018 but saw a massive spike in popularity in 2020. In October of that year, it was number one on Google Play in 66 countries and in the top 100 in every country except for two. It was also number one in iOS in 55 countries. During Q4 2020, the game had nearly 500 million monthly active users, more than 4 billion views on YouTube, and more than 1.22 billion viewing sessions on Twitch.

Dennis is best known for creating the Cartoon Network/Max series “Infinity Train.” The pilot for the show originally debuted on Cartoon Network’s YouTube channel in 2016, with the first full season airing on the network in 2019. A second season followed in 2020 before the show moved to Max (then HBO Max) for Seasons 3 and 4 in 2020 and 2021. A series of ten shorts called “The Train Documentaries” was released in 2019. Prior to “Infinity Train,” Dennis worked on the popular Cartoon Network series “Regular Show” as a writer and storyboard artist.

Dennis is repped by UTA, Industry Entertainment, and Yorn Levine Barnes. Innersloth is repped by Big Pigeon for film and TV.

Monday 26 June 2023

Magnum Pi Cancelled On NBC

The Jay Hernandez-led reboot of the 1980s procedural will wrap its run with its upcoming 10 episodes on NBC. The news comes as the options on the cast were due to expire June 30, forcing NBC — whose studio sibling Universal TV co-produces the series alongside CBS Studios — to make a decision on either extending those deals or wrapping up the show. The network, which has recently passed on a number of pilots and canceled nearly all of its bubble shows, opted to let the show conclude with its remaining 10 episodes rather than to spend the money to extend the show’s stars as it’s unclear when production will resume amid the ongoing Writers Guild strike.

Magnum P.I. was canceled in May 2022 after four seasons on CBS. The series ranked as one of the highest shows on broadcast television at the time of its cancellation, prompting NBC to step in and save the show from cancellation with a two-season, 20-episode pickup less than two months later.

NBC is calling the 20-episode order a split season, a loophole that allows networks, studios and streamers to avoid giving cast, creators and crew annual salary increases in a practice that has been widely used by basic cable networks and streamers.

Eric Guggenheim serves as showrunner and exec produces alongside Justin Lin, John Davis and John Fox. Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Tim Kang and Amy Hill round out the cast of the series, which streams in-season on Showmax and otherwise on Paramount+.

The Tale Of Gargoyles: The Abandoned Project From The Walt Disney Company

Gargoyles has, over the years, developed a cult following, one that has only grown with all episodes from the 1994-1997 series available to stream on Disney+. Rumors of a new animated series featuring the heroes have come up consistently since the series ended, and the seeds of a live-action take goes as far back as 1995, going so far as to have a screenplay drawn up. The initial success of the series had even spawned the idea of a Disney action universe, a more mature set of fare along the lines of what DC and Marvel had. Only Disney kept the series at arm's length, distributing the syndicated series through its Buena Vista Television arm. They really wouldn't attach the Disney name to it until changes were made for its third season. The series was popular, and toys and other related merchandise was flying off the shelves, so why wasn't it embraced wholeheartedly from the beginning?

Gargoyles begins in 1994, where gargoyles - winged creatures who awaken at night - assist the guards of a medieval Scottish castle from attack by the Vikings. Their leader, Goliath (Keith David), is caught outside the castle walls when daybreak hits, turning him into stone. The captain of the guards (Ed Gilbert) is behind the ruse that led Goliath outside and betrays the clan by letting the Vikings inside. All but a few of the gargoyles are smashed while in their daytime stone form, and the castle is destroyed. Believing the princess of the castle was killed in the attack, the court magician curses the remaining gargoyles in their stone sleep "until the castle rises above the clouds." Only the princess was saved by Goliath, who reunites her with the Magus (Jeff Bennett). Sadly, the curse can't be undone, so Goliath asks to be put under the same curse as his clan.

The Gargoyles are awakened when their castle is reconstructed atop a New York skyscraper by industrialist David Xanatos (Jonathan Frakes), whose intentions are villainous. Befriended by detective Elisa Maza (Salli Richardson), Goliath and his Gargoyle clan, who have taken on very New York names - Bronx (Frank Welker), Brooklyn (Bennett), Broadway (Bill Fagerbakke), and Lexington (Thom Adcox-Hernandez) - learn the truth about Xanatos and spend the nights fighting Xanatos' threats and all manner of evil.

'Gargoyles' Wasn't Like the Other Disney Fare
Goliath (Keith David) and Elisa (Salli Richardson) stand side by side in Disney's 'Gargoyles'Image via Walt Disney Television Animation
Gargoyles was unlike anything else in the mid-1990s, especially in comparison to Disney's other animated fare like Darkwing Duck and TaleSpin. It had far more in common with shows like Batman: The Animated Series as a darker, more mature offering, including a controversial episode, "Deadly Force", that spoke to the gun control debate. The mythology of the series, as well as its story arcs, ran deep, even incorporating Shakespearean themes throughout its run. The one truly unique aspect of the show for its time was its serialized storytelling, especially for syndication. Most series in syndication had self-contained episodes that could be viewed in any order, but Gargoyles had a sequential, overarching narrative that couldn't be aired haphazardly without sacrificing the storyline.

An in-depth interview with creator Greg Weisman with Polygon brings forward two other differences that set the series apart from its animated kin, and arguably live-action television series as well. The character of Detective Elisa Maza was a rarity. As Weisman points out, she was never a damsel in distress, saving Goliath's life just as often as he saved hers. She was half African-American and half-Native American, and the actress who voiced the role, Salli Richardson, is a woman of color, another rarity in the industry back then. Weisman also talks about how Lexington, one of the gargoyles, was gay. At the time, that trait couldn't be acknowledged without consequences, especially for a studio like Disney, so he was written as a gay character without explicitly stating such.

'Gargoyles' Season 3 Changed Everything
Goliath (Keith David) and Elisa (Salli Richardson) in a scene from Season 3 of Disney's 'Gargoyles'Image via ABC

When the time came for a third season, a number of circumstances spelled the end for Weisman's Gargoyles. Almost everyone at Disney that had championed the series was no longer around (Disney president and CEO Frank Wells tragically died in a helicopter crash, and other executives had bolted to DreamWorks), or had effectively been neutered (Michael Eisner was forced to give up being the final word on animated series). News from the O.J. Simpson trial was constantly preempting TV shows and the syndicated stations that were running Gargoyles cut to the trial coverage in lieu of airing the show, meaning episodes were being missed by the public, impacting the narrative, and changing the afternoon appointment viewing habits of the public.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers blasted onto the scene, knocking Gargoyles off its perch atop its afternoon slot. Finally, when Disney bought ABC, they moved the series to the network's Saturday morning lineup, calling it The Goliath Chronicles to separate it from the first two seasons. Standards were significantly different from syndication for network television, especially when it came to Saturday morning fare The darker, more mature edge that made Gargoyles unique was dropped, the creative team had largely jumped ship, and the third season was shipped out to Nelvana Enterprises, a cheaper alternative that saw a marked difference in the quality of the animation... and not a good one at that.

Gargoyles was a show that was well ahead of its time and a gamble that, for a while, paid off. By making the series safe, unchallenging, Saturday morning fare in its third season, it fell into an undefined sameness where each show blended into the next. Now, the series can - and should - be enjoyed as it was meant to be seen on Disney+, a world-building narrative where each episode plays into the next. From its beginnings in medieval Scotland to the boroughs of New York in the present day, Gargoyles' nocturnal protagonists stand unparalleled, with ground-breaking elements that, even now, are unlike anything else in the entertainment industry.

Credit: Llyod Farley

Wednesday 21 June 2023

AEW And Warner Bros. Discovery Announce New AEW: Figure Fighters Mobile Game

AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports announced a new mobile game, AEW: Figure Fighters, on Tuesday. The press release for the free-to-play game explains it, "will feature 3D animated versions of AEW wrestlers battling it out in the ring, allowing fans to expand their fandom and love for the show. Fans will be able to collect and level up their favorite wrestlers, play in various game modes, and complete numerous challenges." The game is set for a 2024 release. Stay tuned for further updates.

The announcement comes just nine days before the release of AEW's first console title, AEW Fight Forever. The game will be released on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One and Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows.

"Since our initial announcement, fans worldwide have shown unbridled passion around the launch of Fight Forever, and AEW has proven through our exciting storylines and hard-hitting wrestling action that good things come to those who wait," AEW's Tony Khan said in the Fight Forever press release when the release date was finally confirmed for June 29. "With Fight Forever, Kenny and our world-class team have delivered an authentic, nostalgic feel of wrestling games past, along with the unmatched creativity that AEW brings to the table. It's going to be cool to see our fans finally getting a fresh and much-needed alternative next-gen console wrestling game on June 29. AEW has the greatest fans on the planet, and I'm excited for them to experience this new way to engage with our stars."

AEW returns to pay-per-view this Sunday with its annual crossover with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Forbidden Door. Emanating from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the show will be headlined by Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship and a dream match between "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson and "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada.

AEW Dynamite Card (June 21, 2023)
Orange Cassidy & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia & Zack Sabre Jr.
Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara & Minoru Suzuki vs. Action Andretti, Darius Martin & AR Fox
The Hardys vs. The Gunnts
Jeff Jarrett vs. Mark Briscoe (Concession Stand Brawl)
TBS Championship: Kris Statlander vs. Taya Valkyrie
Adam Cole Promo

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 Card (As of Now)
IWGP United States Championship: Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay
AEW World Championship: MJF vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Sanada vs. "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry
Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

Kartoon Channel To Rollout Brand New Series, Chikn Nuggit

Through its Frederator Network subsidiary, Genius Brands International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNUS until June 26th after which the company rebrands to Kartoon Studios and trades on the NYSE AMERICAN: TOON) and BuzzFeed (NASDAQ: BZFD) to develop the latest animated series, Chikn Nuggit, as part of the companies’ exclusive first-look content deal announced earlier this year.

Frederator Network and BuzzFeed’s Animation Lab will develop a premium content series for digital hit Chikn Nuggit based on the original shorts created by Kyra Kupetsky. With over 1 billion views to date on social platforms, Chikn Nuggit is a gender-inclusive, online animated comedy series about a weird, long-eared dog named Chikn Nuggit and his fast-food-named friends. The shorts have attained the a doration of millions of fans worldwide for their sweet and surreal adventures and comedic, adorable antics. Chikn Nuggit premiered in October 2020 on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram and has since amassed over 300 short-form videos and over 8 million followers.

Frederator Director of Development Isabel Schultz will head global content sales. In addition, Genius Brands’ consumer products’ division will develop the Chikn Nuggit retail program and a full IP slate in close partnership with BuzzFeed Animation Lab.

Michael Hirsh, CEO of WOW! Unlimited Media, the parent company of Frederator Network, stated: “We are pleased further to expand our roster of original animated series with BuzzFeed, giving the global fans of wildly popular IP, such as Chikn Nuggit, more of what they love.”

Zee Myers, Head of BuzzFeed Animation Lab, commented: “Millions of fans have let us know that they need the Chikn Nuggit animated series! We can’t wait to continue expanding our content universe for our global community in partnership with Frederator, a pioneer in animation and television.”

Rovio To Launch An Educational Angry Birds

Finland’s Rovio Entertainment has partnered with Washington-based game developer Legends of Learning to launch new Angry Birds games with a focus on education.

Based on the Angry Birds characters, the games will teach STEM concepts—such as force, collisions and how to measure angles—to kids ages five to 14. The Legends of Learning online platform will release the games this fall.

Launched in 2017, Legends of Learning is a learning hub for elementary and middle school students. Game-based learning improves children’s grades, says Legends of Learning CEO and co-founder Vadim Polikov. The platform, which contains more than 2,000 educational video games, is mostly free but also offers paid options for teachers. It also allows kids to customize avatars by paying a subscription. It’s used by about 10 million teachers and students in the US, according to a release.

Rovio has long seen its Angry Birds games—which have been downloaded over five billion times—as a potential educational tool. The company previously expanded the games into education through a partnership with the University of Helsinki, which focused on creating games that blended fun with learning. And in 2014, it launched a standalone venture called Fun Academy to create educational games. 

Rovio has lately been expanding beyond its core focus of making games. It’s now producing a series for Amazon Kids+ and Prime Video titled Angry Birds Mystery Island.  Meanwhile, Japanese game developer SEGA is in the midst of acquiring Rovio in a US$776 million deal.

BETA: Lost Youth Channel For The DStv Platform Has Surfaced The Net

K-TV is a defunct kids brand operated by M-Net which was the pay-tv channel's first attempt in the kids market followed by Koowee which too were erased from existence. But during the timeline of these channels, there were reports that MultiChoice was planning to launch a rival brand to Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.


In a press statement about the channel:


DStv will be launching a new channel in July aimed at teenagers. According to channel head, Helen Smit, no one has really focussed on this audience. "National research tells us that this market has an estimated R6 billion in disposable income. And our internal research has revealed that that's the tip of the iceberg - these kids get spending money on top of their monthly allowances."


Not much was known about the channel at the time only that Helen Smit served as the channel head. She worked as a television producer for over a decade and is well known figure on Paramount, SABC and M-Net.



Just as you thought further details about the channel was lost you come across various graphic designs which was shared through Behance account.



Through this we know that the channel was called BETA as the logo appears on the proposed graphic designs. We also got to see some of the content that would have been seen on the channel including Gossip Girl, Rad Girls, Robot Chicken and Celebrity Rehab.


Although we may never know why this channel never launched as intended. We assume it may have to do with VUZU. Back when the channel was still on air, it was seen with some of this content and when you kind of look like at the channels do share a resemblance.


Honestly, if BETA had launched as intended it would have probably wind up like K-TV, Koowee and M-Net City brands which were popular amongst consumers but had their content build the lineup of another channel or in this scenario M-Net and Nickelodeon.


Monday 19 June 2023

SpongeBob SquarePants: Here Lies Squidward's Hopes And Dreams


When I was younger I always thought that Squidward was a grumpy and mean character because of the way he always talks to his "friends". But as I got older I realise that Squidward wasn't that mean after all - it was SpongeBob.

You see countless scenes where he arrives or works at The Krusty Krab. He is annoyed at all of it when you get older working at jobs you don't like to pay the bills. You can almost relate to him in a way.

It's kind of absurd that us humans have to work our entire lives for money only to then just die. Us humans chase money almost like we're gonna bring it into the next life with us.

I order the food, you cook the food, then the customer gets the food. We do that for 40 years and then we die, sounds like pretty good deal to me. What do you say?, Squidward.

You start to sympathize with him, his character shows that he's tired of it all and the only time you ever see Squidward happy is when he's on vacation or away from people.

The reason Squidward is so mean to SpongeBob and Patrick is because they never leave him alone. Sure these two are very kind and caring individuals in a way but I understand Squidward's frustration with them. You gave to admit these two are very intolerable.

I understand Squidward as I too was an annoying individual as a child so I know what it takes to be an annoying person. It doesn't mean someone is a bad person because they are annoying.

They just treat SpongeBob like a brother to Squidward. He doesn't take no as an answer or know when to stop. He's basically can get on your nerves after a long day.

There's also a scene where Squidward arrives to a tombstone where it's filled with broken dreams.

It goes to show you that a lot of people have dreams that they haven't been able to achieve. This goes to show you that you should be able to chase your dreams don't end up like Squidward and work for a job you hate, grind for your dreams, it will take them but keep grinding and you'll get there.

Sunday 18 June 2023

Regular Nick Shorts: Cartoon Network And Max Acquired Rights To Lana Longbeard With Tara Duncan Loading Up On Disney Channel And Gamebox To Rollout A 60 Minute Ghostbusters Game

Zephyr Animation

2D-animated comedy Lana Longbeard has landed its first presales, with Warner Bros. Discovery (EMEA), Super RTL (Germany), Gulli (France) and CBC (Canada) claiming it for their regions. Co-produced by Zephyr Animation (APC Kids’ production arm) and Canadian studio Copernicus, the 52 x 11-minute series for six to nines tells the story of a courageous teen girl who sets sail on her father’s viking ship on a quest to become a famous adventurer. APC Kids has the global distribution rights.

Superights

Animated adventure series Tara Duncan will be distributed worldwide (excluding China) by Paris-based Superights. Produced by Princess Sam Pictures and based on a 15-book series by Sophie Andouin-Mamikonian, this CG-animated show stars a girl who travels to a magical planet to learn how to control her powers and defeat evil villains. Princess Sam has already sold the first season (52 x 13 minutes) to buyers including Disney (France, Belgium, Japan, Africa and the Netherlands), Rai (Italy) and RTE (Ireland), and a second 52-ep season is currently in production.

Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment

Who you gonna call? A Ghostbusters VR game is in the works at Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment and Immersive Gamebox. Based in London, Immersive Gamebox operates experiential game rooms where content from popular entertainment brands is projected onto the walls for kids to interact with through touch-screens and motion-tracking. The techco is gearing up to launch a 60-minute Ghostbusters: The Cursed Collection game at its 20 locations in the UK, EMEA and US later this year. In the experience, kids will explore haunted streets and battle ghosts from the ’80s movie franchise.

Monday 12 June 2023

Recap To The Decade: 10 TV Channels You Probably Forgot Existed On Openview

Openview is a free-to-air platform operated by eMedia Investments that also manage brands such as e.tv, eReality and eExtra part of which are ranked the top 10 channels. For several years, they've been to be a worthy foe to pay-tv serving affordable entertainment.


It wasn't always like this initially the platform was more of an Easyview type platform and if we remember the DStv bouquet it was one of MultiChoice's crappiest products to exist and Openview at the time was basically that with the exception of eMovies and eToonz.


Now we look at 10 forgotten channels once seen on Openview.


1. English Club TV


English Club TV sets out to be one of the most least crappiest products on this list. If anything the channel was very promising as it featured documentaries, films, cartoons and music video all of which are illustrated for those who study English.



At the time this channel was around, eMedia Investments didn't have that much consumers. In some way, English Club TV was a victim of unfortunate circumstance which contributed to the cancellation.


2. Inspiration TV


Inspiration TV is a Christian themed channel operated by Inspiration Ministries that is home to the likes of Charles Stanley, TD Jakes and Joel Osteen. It was meant to form the initial offering of Openview when it launched in October 2013 but didn't unfortunately.


eMedia Investments had tried numerous times to get the channel onboard but due to some technologies those plans were halted.


3. BiCars


Bi-Cars TV was a reality street motorsport

lifestyle channel similar to Ignition TV on DStv. It showcased motorsport news, fashion, celebrity riders and real-life stories of street Moto-sport lifestyle, entertainment and music.


Some of the content featured on Bi-Cars TV included Mzansi Celebrities Bikers, Bi-Car Make Over, Battle Of Crews , BC League, Championships Of Speed and Sound, and Torque Talk.


Similar to most of the channels on the list, a vast majority weren't tuning in to the Ignition duplicate.


4. United Christian Broadcasting Network (UCBN)


United Christian Broadcasting Network (UCB Network TV) is a Christian based channel providing religious content. UCBN programming include shows such as Men of Honour, Women In Me, Pastor's Corner, Africa Talent Show, Nuggets of Wealth and Leadership, U Kids.


The channel was terminated due to low viewership.


5. Ekurhuleni TV


Ekurhuleni TV is a community TV station carrying local news, music, educational, health and religious programming.


The channel was terminated due to low viewership.



6. Relevant TV


Founded and run by Joshua McCauley, Relevant TV was intended to be a non-denominational Christian lifestyle TV channel that will look at the spiritual needs of Christians from all walks of life. The main target market of the channel is young adults, although it will cater for other groups as well.


The channel was removed due to unforeseen circumstances and without prior notice by eMedia Investments.


7. Alex TV (LXTV)


Alex TV, stylised as lx tv, was a community based channel with Lucky Siwela as chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder, revolves around covering and mirroring the life and issues of the vibrant, yet impoverished South African township and "suburb" of Alexandra.


The channel was yanked off Openview after its broadcasting licence had expired. Since then, rival company MultiChoice was able to fill the void with GauTV which caters to Sandton all the way to the Bekkersdal township.



8. ASTV (now MYtv)


ASTV was a lifestyle channel in which eMedia Investments had minority ownership broadcast a mix of actuality, outdoor, youth and teen content as well as Afrikaans music videos. Some of the content available on the channel included Vaskap, Eksieperfeksie, Kos Is Oppie Tafel, Ons Gesels Met... and Klankbaan.


Similar to OnseTV on StarSat, the channel wasn't watched by majority of the viewers and hasn't gained much traction as seen with kykNET's offering on DStv. Forming part of Openview's initial offering it went dark after 3 years of service (and 12 on StarSat).


9. Wild TV Africa


Wild TV Africa, developed by Dewald Visser, brought viewers outdoor and adventure programming focusing on camping, mountain-biking, fishing, 4X4 trails, scuba diving, conservation, mountain climbing, hunting, sport shooting, skydiving and big wave surfing.


Similar to most brands on the list, the channel was axed due to low viewership. Of course, similar content can be found on People's Weather and on DStv, WildEarth.


10. Shembe TV


Shembe Unyazi TV will show viewers programming around the African religion founded by Prophet Isaiah Mloyiswa Shembe, known as Bombela, in 1910 and which has 8 million followers in Southern Africa.


Basically a rival to the Nigerian based Emmanuel TV on DStv, it's currently unknown as to why the channel was removed but it was believed to be low viewership with the low rated channel currently seen on StarSat.


10 DStv Channels That Need To Be Revived

Since 1995, MultiChoice has provided a number of TV channels and some of these channels form part of our childhood memories. Now a look at 10 DStv channels that need to be revived. Take to account some of these brands are current while defunct are M-Net.


Presenting 10 DStv channels that need to be revived.


1. ActionX (M-Net Action/M-Net Edge/M-Net City)


Before the M-Net City and Action concept existed, there was ActionX which was viewed be as a b-grade to M-Net Action and M-Net City by 2004. Home to shows such as Battle Galactica, Supernatural, The 4400, Criminal Minds, Eureka, Brotherhood and The Lost Room.


By 2008, it was known as M-Net Action with most of the channel remaining intact until 2012 which is when it was folded under M-Net Movies. The concept was later revived in 2015 as M-Net City and year prior M-Net Edge but shuttered respectively in 2021 and 2017 with further content on M-Net and Me.


2. Animax (Sony Max)


Animax is adult animation channel distributed internationally through Sony Pictures Television as the premier anime channel home to shows such as Bleach, Black Cat, Ghost In The Shell, Chrono Crusade, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hellsing and Samurai 7.



Due to low viewership, the channel was replaced by Sony Max which offered solely live-action dedicated to a male audience including Baywatch, Impractical Jokers, 1000 Ways To Die and NCIS. By 2019, Sony Pictures Television halted distribution of further TV channels outside India.


3. The Sci-fi Channel (now Syfy)


Syfy owned by NBCUniversal formed part of the initial offering when MultiChoice rolled out their pay-tv service DStv in 1995. The channel featured science-fiction, drama, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming.


It was ripped away from consumers by 2004 with further content folded under ActionX as it was deemed too niche and a decade after its termination MultiChoice Africa was in talks to relaunch the channel by 2015 but never happened with sources deeming costs as a feature to the halt.


4. VH1 Classic (now MTV Classic)


VH1 Classic was the TCM of music basically operating a variety of international hits from the 80s and 90s from the likes of Michael Jackson, James Brown, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and The Beatles. It was basically the channel to relive nostalgic moments.


Over the years, Paramount had been moving most of VH1's offering to MTV and with the latter in Africa seeking to be more modern opted for the pop centric MTV Music24 (later on MTV Hits). The channel was later axed due to low viewership and replaced by Qwest TV.



5. tvN


tvN is a South Korean entertainment channel operated by CJ ENM that was added as a pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv in 2021. It offered short-form drama series such as Cheese In The Trap, Tails Of The Nine Tailed, Flowers Of Evil and Another Miss Oh.


Since it's termination, several broadcasters in the market including eMedia Investments eXposed and MultiChoice's Showmax had supplied selected content.


6. Eurochannel


Eurochannel is an award winning general entertainment channel formerly seen on the DStv app which promotes European culture and lifestyle through movies, series, documentaries and music. Some of the content included the Serbian drama The Black Sun and Dutch mystery drama Placeres Mortales.


7. ShortsTV


ShortsTV is the leading network in short forms including a number of Oscar nominated short films such as My Year Of Dicks, Flying Sailor and Ice Merchants. ShortsTV is operated by Shorts International in a joint venture with AMC International.


8. Timeless Dizi Channel


Timeless Dizi Channel is Turkish entertainment channel and also the leading brand operated by SPI International, a division of Canal+. It is home to a number of shows including Karadayi, Black Money Love, Kuzgun, The Red Scarf and Kurt And Shura and The End.


It was launched as a pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv by October 2020 and since is currently viewable on rival provider, StarTimes. A number of content seen on Timeless Dizi Channel can be viewed through various broadcasters in Africa.



9. ITV Choice


ITV Choice was a general entertainment channel owned by ITV and also a rival to BBC Studios' BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle and BBC Earth offering a number of films and series including Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Poldark and the much loved soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale.


In line with the strategy to continuously review international and local content line-ups and optimise the suite of channels on offer on DStv. MultiChoice opted to discontinue carriage by June 2020 with further content folded by BBC and M-Net.


10. Disney XD


Disney XD is a children's channel owned by The Walt Disney Company targeting boys 7-14 years old offers a mix of animation and live-action including Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil, Kick Buttowski, Star Wars: Rebels, Wonder Over Yonder, Pair Of Kings and Mech X4.


By October 2020, the channel was axed with further content being integrated onto Disney Channel and Disney+ with The Walt Disney Company planning to integrate most of their content to streaming in the coming future as that remains a top priority.