Upfronts arrival area.
The SABC held their summer upfronts in Hyde Park, Johannesburg recently to share news about SABC1, 2 and 3. The event introduced new shows coming up on SABC1 but no new shows were mentioned for SABC2 or 3. Not a single one.
The only properties mentioned for SABC3 are Nikita 2 and The Amazing Race 20 which starts the week after Survivor: One World ends. Other than that no new shows were highlighted for SABC2 or 3 because none of the contracts for them have been finalised yet. Yip! It's a lottery as to whether or not new shows will actually start on the channels in the new year.
In contrast SABC1 has various new shows confirmed including a new drama Uzalo and a growing pains sitcom called Thandeka's Diary.
Here's an overview of the line-up:
Press Release
DECEMBER 2014
GENERATIONS – THE LEGACY
Mon 01 Dec @ 20h00
Two years into the future, Karabo Moroka and Tau Mogale, two iconic figures in GENERATIONS re-enter the cut-throat media business landscape. This power couple is out to establish the legacy of Paul Moroka, the business visionary who built the first African-owned media enterprise.
Unknown to Karabo, her husband Tau runs a parallel mission of establishing a legacy of his own. He deviously fertilizes Karabo’s frozen eggs without her knowledge. Deviousness has no boundaries: Tau’s sister Tshidi, a trophy wife of the gangster, GADDAFFI – Tau’s arch enemy, colludes albeit nervously in her husband’s efforts to derail the Paul Moroka legacy.
GENERATIONS: THE LEGACY is a witch’s brew of narratives of ambition. A drama set in a world where
virtue and evil are in a stellar battle for supremacy.
BONA RETSANG
Wed 03 Dec @ 16h00
Bona Retsang is Mzansi’s youth programme that features inspiring stories of young people throughout the country who are doing it for themselves.
A show for the youth and by the youth, Bona Retsang, looks at youth related and social issues and tries to find potential solutions to these problems.
Hosted by some of South Africa’s finest youth presenters, the show aims at getting under the skin of what makes young people tick and features guest appearances from some familiar celebrity faces who also have their say.
In true Bona Retsang style, the show beats to the pulse of South African youth culture making sure that you see what we are doing.
YOUTH CULTURE
Mon 08 Dec @ 22h00
“What is a good artist in relation to a freedom fighter?”Thami Mnyele (unpublished autobiography: 1984) A four-part documentary series profiling a growing breed of creative workers who are surfacing in incredible ways across the country.
These creative mavericks locate their work within our complex and contradictory past and propel us to imagine a different and new future for the youth of country. A future where art is at the centre of social change and the creation of a better life for all!
LIL WAYNE: THE
CARTER
Sat 13 Dec @ 23h30
The Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on June 29, 2004 on Cash Money Records and Universal Records.
The album was the last featuring Cash Money’s former in-house producer, Mannie Fresh before he split from the label.
The album is based on “The Carter,” the empire crack house from the movie New Jack City, and his last name.
The Carter is generally considered Lil Wayne’s “break out” album, due to the maturity in both his subject matter, and delivery compared to his first three albums. The Carter was the start of a highly successful album saga for Wayne.
The album has spawned three sequels, The Carter II which was released in 2005, The Carter III which was released in 2008, The Carter IV which was released in 2011. A fifth installment was released in October 2014.
GOSPEL GOLD –
SONG BOOK
Wed 24 Dec @ 22h00
This Christmas Eve, we have a special surprise for you ... we have put together the very best of
Gospel Gold’s Songbook into one spirit filled episode! Catch the likes of Dumi Mkokstad, Benjamin
Dube, Winnie Mashaba, Solly Mahlangu, Thinah Zungu and Many More!
Hear their testimonies, see them perform, let their stories bless you ... This Christmas eve at 22:00 on SABC 1.
JOYOUS
CELEBRATION
Thurs 25 Dec @ 22h00
Mzansi’s most sought after gospel festival Joyous Celebration, is an hour-long gospel music extravaganza that is sure to thrill gospel music lovers across Mzansi with sterling performances by a host of well-known music artists.
Highly respected for its collaborative format, the success of the group is undeniably the fellowship and collective efforts of its members. Joyous Celebration is known for attracting great talent and presenting
amazing vocal arrangements.
The show also features new members from the existing choir as well as guest artists performing solos.
CHRISTMAS IN
WONDERLAND
Sat 27 Dec @ 14h00
In this family comedy, a dad and his two kids undergo a crosscountry move from Los Angeles to Edmonton
on Christmas Eve. They visit the local mall to do some last-minute Christmas shopping and while they’re there, they stumble upon a pile of counterfeit cash and inadvertently catch the criminals behind it.
It would all seem like a decidedly magical sequence of events, but that just might be because there’s something magical residing in the West Edmonton Mall. Cast: Patrick Swayze, Carmen Electra,
Chris Kattan, Matthew Knight, Cameron Bright, Tim Curry, Amy Schlagel. Directed by James Orr.
CHRISTMAS TOWN
Sat 27 Dec @ 15h30
In this romantic comedy, disillusioned Liza McCann travels to Christmas Town to visit her father, whom she hasn’t seen in years. The city’s profuse decorations and intense Yuletide spirit conspire to sweep her up in a series of inexplicable events and now Liza is forced to rethink everything she thought was true.
Christmas Town stars Nicole de Boer, Patrick Muldoon, Garry Chalk, and Gig Morton. Directed by George Erschbamer.
DENNIS THE
MENACE: DENNIS
THE MOVIE STAR
Sun 28 Dec @ 16h00
The kids’ favorite kid star, Nicky, comes to their neighborhood to make a movie, but their excitement dies when they realize Nicky is a conceited snob with demanding re-writes. Dennis tries to help the producer with ideas, telling him about the movie he made starring Mr. Wilson as the “Mud Monster”.
When this idea is rejected, Dennis has plenty more ideas including: a jungle movie with wild animals; a detective hunting for a missing dog; a phantom lurking in a wax museum; and even visitors from outer
space.
While Dennis shares his stories, he characteristically leaves a demolished set in his wake. The producer finally finds his movie starring Dennis and Mr. Wilson as the greatest comedy team ever!
CAPE TOWN JAZZ
Tues 30 Dec @ 12h00
An annual music festival held in Cape Town, South Africa, the festival brings music lovers from across
the world to enjoy a star-studded line-up of entertainment.
The Jazz Festival started in 2000 as part of the North Sea Jazz Festival. This year was the 15th Cape Town International Jazz Festival. The festival in now recognized as the fourth largest jazz festival in the world and the largest jazz festival on the African continent.
The popular festival features an equal mix of African and international music talent including top-notch performers and past entertainers include Brazil’s Sérgio Mendes, South African great Hugh Masekela and American jazz maestro George Benson.
COME DUZE 2015
Wed 31 Dec @ 21h00
An SABC1 Mzansi Fo Sho countdown into the New Year, featuring celebrities, musicians and actors, giving their New Year’s messages, best wishes, hopes and dreams spiced with 3 hours of the best of
Mzansi’s music videos.
JANUARY 2015
AFCON 2015
The Africa Cup of Nations is the football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It currently has a 16-team format in place.
Nigeria won the 2013 AFCON and represented the continent of Africa at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup held in Brazil.
South Africa played host to the tournament twice (1996 & 2013) with the 2013 edition registering record attendance figures in the history of the soccer spectacle.
The northern African country of Morocco has won the rights to host the 2015 edition of the Championship.
RED RIDING HOOD
Sat 03 Jan @ 14h00
A young girl entrusted with the task of delivering a special package to her grandmother finds
herself faced with a most unpleasant stalker in this retelling of the classic fairy tale starring Daniel Roebuck, Debi Mazar, Sam Stone, Lainie Kazan, Morgan Thompson and Joey Fatone and served up with a curious contemporary twist.
Red is an adolescent girl whose ailing grandmother lives in the deepest reaches of the magic forest. Asked by her mother to deliver a package to the elder family member, Red eagerly agrees without realizing that her assignment isn’t as much about getting the package to grandma as it is about carrying on the legacy that has been passed down through generations.
In order to achieve the status of the legendary maiden in red, this frightened young girl will have to overcome her ultimate fear by outwitting the malevolent wolf that will do everything in his power to get the tender young morsel on his dinner plate. Directed by Randal Kleiser.
DOG LOVERS
SYMPHONY
Sat 03 Jan @ 15h30
Jerry’s (Jesse Berns) past may be checkered, but he’s a kind soul at heart, and perceptive attorney Tom (Maxwell Caulfield) can see what many others cannot in the quiet loner. Though his concerted efforts to find gainful employment for Jerry at first stall out due to the stubborn boy’s inability to take some initiative, Tom finds Jerry’s cloudy outlook clearing after a trip to the dog-training school at which Tom’s beautiful daughter, Susan (Alaina Kalanj), teaches unruly pups how to behave.
It seems that Susan’s latest student, a friendly dog named Toby, whose previous owners disappeared, has taken quite a liking to Jerry, and that the trainer herself may see something in the shy newcomer as well.
Now, as Susan works with Jerry to teach him the finer points of dog training, the former introvert slowly begins to emerge from his shell to discover that love can come when you least expect it, and loyalty is a trait to be valued for life. Directed by Ted Fukuda.
FREE WILLY –
ESCAPE FROM THE
PIRATES COVE
Sun 04 Jan@14h00
Nature-loving Australian Kirra (Bindi Irwin) is spending the summer with her grandfather
(Beau Bridges) in South Africa when she makes a remarkable discovery.
Swimming in a small lagoon next to her grandfather’s dilapidated ocean-side amusement park is a baby orca that seems to have lost its way. Determined to help her new friend get back to his pod, Kirra names the orca Willy and makes it her mission to reunite him with his family.
Meanwhile, her grandfather’s nemesis - the owner of a popular theme park - has his own plans for Willy. Should Kirra fail to get the wandering killer whale back in the ocean quickly, he’ll be put on display instead of set free. But Kirra isn’t about to let her new friend down, and before this trip is over she’ll truly understand what it means to fight with all you’ve got for what you really believe in. Directed by Will Geiger.
THE GAME S6
13 Jan @ 22h00
THE GAME stars Tia Mowry as Melanie Barnett, a young, intelligent medical student, who is also the girlfriend of an eager rookie football player, Derwin Davis (Pooch Hall). Melanie decides to pass on her
chance at attending Johns Hopkins Medical School to be with Derwin after he is recently chosen to play for the San Diego Sabres as the new third-string wide receiver.
As Melanie tries to adjust to her new lifestyle, she meets Tasha Mack (Wendy Raquel Robinson), single mother and manager of Malik Wright (Hosea Chanchez) who is a charming star quarterback for the San Diego Sabres and Kelly Pitts (Brittany Daniel), the satisfying wife of Jason Pitts (Coby Bell) who is a thrifty star player for the San Diego Sabres. With the help of Tasha and Kelly, Melanie learns how the game is played amongst the women behind the athletes. Created by Mara Brock Akil.
FEBRUARY 2015
HOLIDAY SWOP
09 Feb @ 18h00
Holiday Swap, an innovative new TV show provides participating viewers with an opportunity to swap their routine lives for a fun-filled, jam-packed holiday in Kwazulu Natal.
The show conists of teams of three friends, colleagues, workmates or family members you desire to share a dream holiday together. They must decide on their idea of what their dream holiday in KwaZulu-Natal would entail.
Every episode has its challenges where the friends experience a holiday thrill outside of their comfort zone. Each team needs to score points for completing the challenges and the team with the most points wins!
As with any reality TV show, cameras capture every thrill and adventure to showcase fabulous holiday experiences with the viewers. The teams are supported along the way by presenter extraordinaire, Nomzamo Mbatha.
THANDEKA’S DIARY
09 Feb @ 19h30
Thandeka is a local comedy series about the growing pains of a 16-year-old girl from Kagiso, in the West Rand. Her boastful dad is a mechanic and her protective mom is a self-employed seamstress. Thandeka spends her days coping with strict teachers, parental control and the need to feed her curious mind.
She is an outcast at the height of puberty with an extraordinary mind that seems to often land her in sticky and hilarious situations. With each diary entry, every week is an adventure with curious Thandeka.
Tune in each week for a dash of THAT’S SO RAVEN, a pinch of FAMILY MATTERS, and a healthy dollop of
EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, and see Thandeka and her family win their way into the hearts of the country, one crazy day at a time.
UZALO
09 Feb 20h30
The series chronicles the intricate lives of the central characters, Mxolisi Shange and his shadow, Snethemba “Sne” Shange.
25-year old Mxolisi Shange is an honest, hard-working male, with a beautiful voice and a deep respect for God. But Mxolisi was raised in the Khumalo household, under the sway of Nkululeko - a thug who’s only real God is money.
Snethemba Shange is an entrepreneur, a hustler and a man of huge personal magnetism, growing up under Njabulo Shange, in a household of highly conservative values and religious beliefs – that he’s never been able to live up.
When these two young men fall in love with Nombuso - a beautiful young rural woman with a heart of gold
and the voice of an angel - the two families are set on a collision course that will set in motion a chain of events that leads to the discovery of the terrible secret, a discovery that will change everything ... forever.
Series stars include Leleti Kumalo and Menzi Ngubane.
NYAN NYAN S3
10 Feb @ 18h00
A youth reality series driven by real stories from real people all over South Africa! The show provides individuals in relationships a platform to confess and explain their situation to their partner with the hope to build improved relationships. The show has a travel confession mobile where couples can engage in privacy
and under the support of the presenter and the behind the scenes psychologist.
The show’s aim is to encourage truth and honesty within relationships by encouraging couples not to shy
away from revealing the truth to their partners that might hold back their relationship from growing.
FIND ME MY MAN
10 Feb @ 21h00
Miami native Natalie Clarice is the founder of a match-making company that tries to find mates for urban professional women. In each episode of this relationship series, Clarice -- who’s known as “The Titan of Love” - and her team of romance strategists test two single ladies using unconventional techniques in an attempt to find out what they are doing wrong when it comes to dating.
After making those determinations, Clarice and her team try to fix the daters’ shortcoming in the
hope that the women become desirable on the dating scene.
ITHUBA LOKUGCINA
11 Feb @ 19h30
The local sitcom follows the lives of a group of underachieving misfits who come together to save their futures, save face and save telling their parents that they’ve again failed. As a heroic/foolish Professor Milton thinks he can save them all and turn them into the brains they wish they had.
The Ithuba Extra Class is about developing thinking processes, but it seems our class is out of depth when it comes to using their brain. The IEC is Milton’s brainchild and he has to make sure it succeeds so that
he can keep his job.
100% YOUTH S3
12 Feb 18h00
A local factual series that profiles young South Africans involved in nonmainstream
art-forms - they choose the route less travelled. These young people are not weird, they are independent,
confident, talented and have conviction in their choice of the less chosen, less popular art-forms. They don’t crump, beat-box or twerk, but they are just as captivating and relevant.
TEMPY PUSHAS S2
13 Feb @ 20h30
A local drama series set against the backdrop of the lavish fashion world and juxtaposed with the
vibrant township culture.
Tempy Pushas focuses on two giant fashion houses, two families - a poisonous
saga of greed, revenge and buried pasts, as the multi-million rand fashion market lies waiting… for the taking!
The series brings to light the grit and reality behind the fashion industry – going beyond the just the luxury, celebrity and style associated with the industry. Exposing the everyday trials and tribulations and exploring various themes including: realising potential; exploitation; loyalty; complexity of relationships and
love.
PIT FIGHTER
Fri 13 Feb @ 22h00
In the brutal world of Mexican pit fighting, every brawl could be your last, and even if you do win there’s no guarantee of survival. Few fighters can claim the endurance of mysterious pit-fighting champion Jack, and though he may have no memory of his past that certainly doesn’t hold him back from becoming one of the most formidable fighters that the underworld has ever seen.
As his shadowy past is slowly illuminated by the growing recollections of the unsavory characters who populate this sordid universe, Jack soon begins to realize that his past may be returning with a vengeance, and it may take every ounce of strength and courage to see the dawn of another day.
Cast: Dominiquie Vandenberg, Steven Bauer, Fernando Carrillo, Steven Graham, Stana Katic. Directed by
Jesse V. Johnson.
THE SING-OFF
Sat 14 Feb @18h00
A television singing competition, featuring 10 acappella groups, chosen from countrywide auditions. The groups perform popular songs live, in front of a panel of judges, as they compete for an ultimate cash prize and a potential recording contract.
As the competition intensifies, the groups are pushed to the limit by challenging songs chosen by the judges to stretch their skills. The competition will see one group eliminated after every episode and the top 3 groups will face each other for the number 1 spot and, the group with the most viewer votes is revealed in
the finale.
INTO THE BLUE: THE
REEF
Sun 15 Feb @ 20h00
When happily married couple Sebastian (Chris Carmack) and Dani (Laura Vandervoort) is hired to search the ocean floor for Columbus’ hidden treasure, they think they’re about to become rich beyond their wildest dreams.
Upon realizing that their wealthy employers have a terrifying hidden agenda, however, the two divers are forced to swim for their lives. Directed by Stephen Herek.
STEALTH FIGHTER
Fri 20 Feb @ 22h00
This action-adventure saga stars rapper turned actor Ice-T as Turner, who was once an ace pilot for the
Air Force before faking his own death ten years ago.
Now, in cahoots with an underground arms dealer who has gotten his hands on a nuclear submarine, Turner steals a Stealth bomber and together they intend to hold the U.S. government hostage. But one of Turner’s friends from his days in the military (Costas Mandylor) knows his old pal just well enough to be able to guess his next move as he tries to foil their plot and keep America safe. Directed by Jay Andrews.
JOYFUL NOISE
Sun 22 Feb @ 20h00
This light, gentle comedy from director Todd Graff stars Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in the
tale of a small-town choir determined to win a national choral competition. As the choir leaders, G.G. Sparrow and Vi Rose Hill (Parton and Latifah) band together and set out to win at any cost, supported by their eager young participants (Jeremy Jordan and Keke Palmer). Directed by Todd Graff.