Homegrown Tastes South Africa 2
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Food, Travel, Docu-Reality
Celebrating the flair of our local culinary landscape, this show follows chef and TV personality Lorna Maseko on a culinary expedition across South Africa.
Lorna will spend each episode sampling various tantalising delights, meeting a feast of local heroes along the way.
In each episode, Lorna is joined by a special celeb guest and, together, they meet the chefs and personalities behind our best street food and haute cuisine.
Along the way, Lorna will explore the exceptional ingredients grown in South Africa as she samples fine wines, seafood, decadent desserts and more.
To close each episode, she celebrates the hero ingredients of the region by preparing her own delicious version of what the area has to offer.
Lorna travels off the beaten track in Season 2, with 10 celebrity guides including Luthando Shosha, Gert-Johan Coetzee, Anton Jeftha, Blue Mbombo and Sandile Mahlangu.
From Pan Seared Abalone with Cape Malay Curry butter to Mampoer cocktails this season is full of delicious dishes.
In the Season 2 premiere, "Clanwilliam to the West Coast": Lorna meets actor Anton Jephta in the town of Clanwilliam in the Cederberg region – home to two of South Africa's famous teas - Rooibos and Buchu.
The pair head off on a mystical tour of the beautiful Cederberg region which is encompassed by Clanwilliam, Citrusdal with its towering mountains and Lambertsbaai and Elandsbaai, with their perfect waves for surfing.
After exploring the stunning town, Anton and Lorna cook a light lunch of sticky chicken wings made with indigenous tortoise berries.
Lorna continues her journey to find out more about the hero ingredients.
She first learns all about the strongly flavoured Buchu before heading to the West coast to track down a local delicacy, Abalone.
At the end of the episode, Lorna prepares a delicious dish inspired by the homegrown cuisine - savoury Buchu pancakes with an Asian dipping sauce, pan seared abalone with a Cape Malay-inspired sauce, finished off with a Buchu and mint granita.
Highlife
Channel: 1Magic (DStv 103)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Docu-Reality
Docu-reality series following the lives and loves of a group of ambitious, glamourous young Nigerian Brits all chasing their own idea of success.
Showcasing a community where high family expectations often impact career choices, relationships and even friendship groups, the series is an aspirational portrayal of British life.
In the series premiere: Musician Tomi and songwriter fiancée Kamille plan the first of their two weddings, but Kamille has a lot to learn.
Celeb make-up artist Bernicia hopes to reopen her salon with her big sister Donita.
The Confessions of Frannie Langton
Channel: BritBox
TX Time: 00h01
Genre: Drama, Period Drama
Adapted by the author Sara Collins from her award-winning novel of the same name and set against the dazzling opulence of Georgian London, The Confessions of Frannie Langton narrates Frannie's journey from a Jamaican plantation to the grand Mayfair mansion of celebrated scientist George Benham and his beautiful wife, Madame Marguerite.
In a misguided and monstrous gesture, Frannie is gifted to Benham by the man who owns her, John Langton, and finds herself trapped in a deeply troubled household.
As the plot twists and turns, events take a fateful turn as the Benhams are found murdered in their beds, with Frannie lying next to Marguerite.
Frannie is accused of murder but swears that she couldn't possibly have killed her mistress because she was devoted to her.
Dragged away to prison, Frannie attempts to piece together the events of that night.
She is deep into a laudanum addiction and unclear about precisely what happened...
Up-and-coming actress Karla-Simone Spence leads the cast in the role of Frannie, the drama's young protagonist born into a life of slavery but fighting to tell her own story.
She is joined by Sophie Cookson as Marguerite Benham.
A powerful period drama with a murder mystery and a tale of forbidden love at its core, The Confessions of Frannie Langton was filmed on location in Yorkshire, England.
Creepy Crawlies
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Wildlife, Documentary Series
The ultimate guide to invertebrates, with key biological themes to show a wide range of species.
In the series premiere, "The Bug Buffet": Bugs are the base of the food chain, food for just about everything else, but to start the process, they too must eat.
Just like the bigger animals of the plains, there are grazers, scavengers and predators that hunt them, termites growing fungi, and bees making their own honey.
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: Documentary Series, Mystery
In 2014, a plane with 239 people aboard vanishes from all radar.
This docuseries delves into one of our greatest modern mysteries: Flight MH370.
Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 was supposed to be a routine trip: A redeye from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 passengers and crew on board.
But shortly after takeoff on a calm 2014 night, MH370 vanished from radar screens for good.
The shocking disappearance of a commercial airliner made headlines, sparked riots, plunged the passengers' next of kin into a nightmare, and generated a global search for answers that never came.
Set across seven countries, this documentary series uses archives to reconstruct the night of the disappearance, giving viewers the chance to explore three of the most contentious theories about the plane's disappearance.
It also features interviews with family members, scientists, journalists and the ordinary people around the world who, after nine years, refuse to give up hope of an explanation.
It's a story full of conspiracies and rabbit holes, shadowy figures and official silence – but most of all, it's an opportunity to keep alive the memory of those who were lost in one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time and to keep pushing for answers.
Homestead Rescue 5
Channel: Discovery Channel (DStv 121)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Reality
Expert homesteaders Marty, Misty and Matt Raney return to the most desperate homesteads across America, helping those on the brink of failure learn to survive and thrive off the grid.
Traveling to some of the most dangerous, isolated areas in the country and battling all that Mother Nature can throw their way, expert craftsman and survivalist Marty Raney, alongside daughter Misty and son Matt, return to help families sharpen their homesteading skills and learn to survive off-the-grid.
As more and more families opt to escape the pressures of urban life and live remotely and sustainably off-the-grid, many are quick to realise they must face a harsh reality in order to achieve the dream.
Whether lacking the necessary bushcraft survival skills, having to constantly protect their livestock from surrounding predators or struggling to master the delicate art of farming, few rookie homesteaders will last beyond the first big winter, rainy season, or natural disaster.
That's where the Raney family steps in.
Each equipped with their own unique set of skills and expertise, the Raneys have tasked themselves with rescuing these failing homesteads and aiding the homesteaders who are desperate to save their dwellings and new-found way of life from total demise.
From the rugged Driftless Region of Wisconsin, to the remote high desert in Colorado, no homestead is too far gone for the Raney family.
Whether they're helping a war veteran save his dream of living off-grid by establishing a more reliable food source, or protecting a family in imminent danger of a blazing wilderness fire, the Raneys continue their mission to bring salvation to homestead hopefuls around the country.
In the Season 5 premiere, "Line of Fire": A homestead in serious danger of a raging California wildfire prompts Marty to clear cut surrounding trees and create an evacuation ark for the Grants' livestock.
Meanwhile, Matt devises a unique layer of fire protection to save the home from destruction.
Darcey & Stacey 3
Channel: TLC Entertainment (DStv 135)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Docu-Reality
The twins are taking on Miami.
Darcey and Stacey are officially splitting their time between their digs in Connecticut and their new apartments in Miami.
Finally free of Georgi, Darcey is ready for a fresh start - she is single and ready to mingle.
We see Darcey navigate single life in Miami while building her empire and being a proud mama who wants the best for her daughters.
We'll follow Darcey on her journey to find the right kind of love and witness her moments of self-discovery along the way.
Meanwhile, with the twin wedding called off, Stacey is ready to plan her own wedding to finally celebrate her and Florian's love with friends and family.
Planning a wedding is never easy and concerns over finances are bubbling to the surface as Florian, despite having received his working papers, has yet to really look for a job.
Will Stacey be able to find support in Darcey or will the upcoming wedding also be a source of tension between the twins as Stacey is in some ways moving on for the first time in her life without Darcey?
Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Wildlife, Documentary
Bugs! is a live-action nature drama filmed in immersive 3D.
Shot on location in Borneo and in a purpose-built studio in Oxford, England, Bugs! explores the dramatic and savage lives of an Old World praying mantis and a beautiful butterfly, known by their Latin names, Hierodula and Papilio.
This 40-minute feature combines incredible footage with cutting-edge IMAX technology to deliver an entertaining and enlightening experience about the little guys in life.
Narrated by Judy Dench.