Lithapo
Channel: SABC2
TX Time: 21h30
Genre: Telenovela, Drama
A new Sesotho telenovela about Nolo, a young man from QwaQwa in search of his biological father in the city.
Nolo comes to learn of his mother's secrets that she had hoped to take to her grave, about the lover that had left her behind.
He takes off on a journey to find the man he never knew as his father - a successful city slicker who wanted nothing to do with him.
Nolo's journey through Lithapo then becomes a tale of two cities: Sandton vs. Alex, where there is mayhem in the streets, and angry residents protesting the shocking levels of service delivery in the township.
They have all reached a boiling point because of a child that drowned in a pit toilet.
Bins are overturned... street vendors scatter... when a taxi lands in the midst of this chaos as Nolo arrives - far away from his rural homestead, determined not to get distracted by the big city lights.
Meanwhile, 'across the road' but a world away in Sandton, lives the Hlongwane family. Their lives are the opposite of his, but their destinies are intertwined.
A love triangle develops when he falls in love with Pabi, a young woman who also becomes involved with the head of the Hlongwane family.
The passions between Pabi and Nolo are thwarted from the start, but when he finds out that everything he believed about his life had been a lie, Nolo must choose between father and mother, loyalty and love, good and evil – all against the backdrop of a tumultuous country that, like him, is trying to redefine its identity.
TVSA Show Page: Lithapo
El Barón
Channel: Telemundo (DStv 118)
TX Time: 23h00
Genre: Telenovela
El Barón is the story of Nacho Montero, a cultured, well-educated bon vivant with a penchant for adventure who embarks on a quest to become one of the pioneers of drug trafficking in the eighties.
In an act of rebellion against his parents, he joins the most powerful cartel bosses of the time and floods the United States with cocaine.
Everything seems to be poised for Baron to conquer the world, but the excesses, violence and illegality of Nacho's life make him finally lose everything he fought for.
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New! El Barón Teasers - January 2020
Blue Bloods 9
Channel: M-Net City (DStv 115)
TX Time: 19h10
Genre: Drama, Police Procedural
In the Season 9 premiere, "Playing with Fire": Danny takes on a personal case involving a drug cartel member, Louis Delgado (Lou Diamond Phillips), who Danny believes is responsible for torching his house.
Meanwhile, Erin is given a promotion in the DA's office but finds herself in a challenging situation when both Danny and Jamie ask her for help with their investigations.
Also, Frank and Jaime have a disagreement when Jamie refuses to stop riding with Eddie.
Grand Designs New Zealand 2
Channel: The Home Channel (DStv 176)
TX Time: 13h00
Genre: Home Improvement, Reality, DIY
Hosted by architect Chris Moller, Grand Designs New Zealand shares the stories of creative and enterprising Kiwis who are taking on the challenge of building their own unique and inspirational homes.
No design is too ambitious, and no obstacle too large in their quest for the perfect house.
Following the Grand Designs format, the series sees the process of these incredible design projects, as well as the personal journeys of those building them – from the initial blueprints, through to the long and often arduous task of turning the plans into practical living spaces.
Using archaic or new-school building techniques and material, and in locations from the beach, the mountains, and the hills in between, Grand Designs New Zealand features houses ranging from architectural designer mansions to DIY, never-before-seen kinds of homes.
Chicago Fire
Channel: e.tv
TX Time: 20h30
Genre: Police Procedural, Drama
An edge-of-your-seat view into the lives of everyday heroes committed to one of America's noblest professions.
For the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51, no occupation is more stressful or dangerous, yet so rewarding and exhilarating.
These courageous men and women are among the elite who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death.
The pressure to perform on such a high level has a way of taking a personal toll, sometimes putting team members from the Truck and the specially trained Rescue Squad at odds with each other.
Despite any differences, this is an extended family, and when it's go time, everyone inside Firehouse 51 knows no other way than to lay it all on the line for each other.
When a tragedy claims one of their own, there's plenty of guilt and blame to go around. Lt. Matthew Casey, in charge of the Truck, tries to carry on, but butts heads with the brash Lt. Kelly Severide of the Rescue Squad - and each blames the other for their fallen team member.
Adding to the turmoil, Casey, unbeknownst to his colleagues, is in the midst of a separation from Hallie.
The firehouse also includes Battalion Chief Wallace Boden, a fireman's fireman who is confronted by important personal decisions; paramedics Gabriela Dawson and Leslie Shay, who share a close bond and team together to face some of the most harrowing situations imaginable; Peter Mills, an academy graduate who is the latest generation in a family of firefighters; and Christopher Herrmann, a seasoned veteran who loses his home to foreclosure and now must uproot his family to move in with his in-laws.
Why Women Kill
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Comedy-Drama
A darkly comedic drama created by Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives, Devious Maids) which details the lives of three women living in three different decades.
There's a housewife in the '60s, a socialite in the '80s and a lawyer in 2019, each dealing with infidelity in their marriages.
The series will examine how the roles of women have changed, but how their reaction to betrayal... has not.
The Zoo: San Diego
Channel: Discovery Family (DStv 136 / StarSat 222)
TX Time: 16h00
Genre: Wildlife, Docu-Reality
This series goes behind-the-scenes at San Diego Zoo Global, whose mission is to save species worldwide while inspiring passion for animals and nature.
Featuring two parks, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, as well as the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global is home to more than 700 species and 6,500 animals.
The series goes to the heart of the action, introducing a range of animals including pandas, giraffes, koalas, elephants, mountain lions, two baby cheetahs and a flock of ostriches known as the "Spice Girls."
From California condors brought back from the brink of extinction to Joanne the gorilla celebrating her fifth birthday, this series tells the amazing stories behind the zoo's inhabitants.
It also follows the animal care teams - keepers and veterinarians at both the Zoo and the Safari Park - and the projects putting this non-profit organisation at the forefront of wildlife conservation.
Survivor 34: Game Changers
Channel: SABC3
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Reality Competition
In the summer of 2000, the premiere of Survivor introduced a mentally challenging, physically demanding and strategically complex adventure series to television.
This edition, themed "Game Changers," will feature 20 returning castaways who helped evolve the game even further by launching an accelerated level of competition and proven willingness to risk it all in order to become the Sole Survivor.
These castaways, who have made some of the biggest moves in the history of the game, will be divided into two groups of 10 and forced to compete against each other with the same ultimate goal: to outwit, outplay and outlast each other.
The show was filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji.
The returnees include the two-time winner Sandra Diaz-Twine; fan-favourites Cirie Fields, Ciera Easton and Tai Trang; challenge dominator Ozzy Lusth; Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos; Millennial stand-out Michaela Bradshaw; and Caleb Reynolds, who was medically evacuated from his earlier season.
The Good Karma Hospital 3
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Drama, Medical Drama
Set once again on the stunning Southern Indian shores, British ex-pat Dr. Ruby Walker has left the Good Karma Hospital to practice as a GP near her family in rural India.
But when a medical crisis forces her to return, Ruby must make peace with the hospital's intimidating head and face her handsome but reticent colleague.
Season 3 follows Dr Ruby's on and off again love affair with Dr Varma, as the Season 2 finale had us asking what the future holds for their relationship.
And, will Ruby forge a relationship with her long-lost father or will too much time have passed between them?
New Amsterdam 2
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Drama, Medical Drama
Inspired by Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in America, this medical drama follows the brilliant and charming Dr. Max Goodwin, the institution's newest medical director who sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care.
How can he help? Well, the doctors and staff have heard this before.
Not taking "no" for an answer, Dr. Goodwin must disrupt the status quo and prove he will stop at nothing to breathe new life into this understaffed, underfunded and underappreciated hospital - the only one in the world capable of treating Ebola patients, prisoners from Rikers and the President of the United States under one roof - and return it to the glory that put it on the map.
In the Season 2 premiere, "Your Turn": Max works to find a new normal three months after the catastrophic accident and the birth of his daughter.
Kapoor grapples with the stigmas of aging, and Iggy has a successful day that inspires a life-changing idea.
Meanwhile, Reynolds deals with an unreliable new intern.
Queen Sugar 2
Channel: e.tv
TX Time: 22h00
Genre: Drama
In the second season, the contemporary drama returns as the Bordelon siblings struggle to move forward with their lives as they strive to honour the legacy of their father following his unexpected passing.
Charley relocates to Saint Josephine, Louisiana to help run the family business.
As the only black female sugarcane mill owner, she must fight to regain her independence while rebuilding her relationships with her estranged siblings.
Ralph Angel struggles to transform from a formerly incarcerated single father to a land owner in the eyes of his family as he works to restore his relationship with his son's mother.
Nova finds herself torn between her activism and her desire to be loved.
Together, they must learn to rely on one another as they navigate their tenuous bonds as family.
In the Season 2 premiere, Charley and Davis remain entangled; Ralph Angel tries to find his footing on the family farm; Aunt Violet confronts her feelings for Hollywood; and Micah has a dangerous encounter with a police officer.
In other events, Nova deals with the loss of her relationship with Calvin and later holds a community fundraiser.
Homicide's Elite 2
Channel: CBS Reality (DStv 132)
TX Time: 22h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series, Docu-Drama
Detectives David Quinn and Vince Velazquez have worked hundreds of homicides together, and if these two are on the case, the bad guys are going to prison.
Homicide's Elite features the most baffling, shocking and heartbreaking cases Quinn and Velazquez have worked in their combined 50 years on the street.
From the minute the 911 call comes in, to each twist and turn, to arrest and conviction, this compelling new series takes viewers on a wild ride with these partners in crime.
In the Season 2 premiere: On a hot summer night in early August, two assailants attempted to rob a man's house - he was rumoured to have a hefty amount of cash residing inside.
A seemingly harmless robbery turned into a horrible night for a young, engaged couple, Briana Brooks and Jeronta Brown, who were shot dead on a random road in Atlanta.
To make matters worse, Briana was pregnant.
Quinn and Vince are called in to investigate and soon find out how powerful money really can be, and that time just wasn't on Briana and Jeronta's side that night.
Girlfriends
Channel: 1Magic (DStv 103)
TX Time: 17h30
Genre: Comedy
Centres around the lives of four African-American women living in Los Angeles, California, which takes a sometimes serious but mostly hilarious look at the lives of these four women as they tackle socially relevant issues common to today's society.
Meet Joan Clayton, the "mother hen" of the girlfriends: she's a successful attorney working for a prestigious law firm, very attractive and intelligent and she often puts the needs of her friends above her own.
Then there's Toni Childs, a childhood friend of Joan - she's a vain, self-obsessed money-hungry woman working as a successful realtor and she's generally the spoilt one of the four.
She later marries a white Jewish plastic surgeon but the marriage barely lasts a year.
Next is Maya Wilkes - she's Joan's very sassy assistant at the law firm and she's married to her childhood sweetheart, Darnell.
Lastly there's Lynn Searcy, a roommate of Joan and Toni at UCLA, and she's the genuinely nice one of the four. Born to multi-racial parents, she was adopted by a white family and only embraced her black background when she met Joan and Toni.
The girlfriends have an extra friend in William Dent, a senior partner at the law firm where Joan works. He's one of Joan's best male friends and becomes the "listening ear" when the girls need to lash out at the latest drama in their lives.
Girlfriends takes a sometimes serious but mostly hilarious look at the lives of these four women as they tackle socially relevant issues common to today's society.
TVSA Show Page: Girlfriends