Durban Gen
Channel: e.tv
TX Time: 18h30
Genre: Telenovela, Medical Drama
Telenovela which follows newly-qualified doctor Mbali Mthethwa who moves to the big city to serve her final year of community service at Durban General Hospital.
The story of Durban Gen is set in the heart of Newlands East, a township in Durban, where the most prominent and recognisable academic public hospital Durban General is found.
Durban Gen is a highly acclaimed hospital - the jewel of KwaZulu-Natal healthcare. It is a centre of excellence where every doctor wants to practice and every patient wants to be treated.
Mbali Mthethwa is a newly-qualified doctor who moves away from her fiancé and the small town they grew up in to complete her final year of community service at the hospital.
However, she finds herself torn between two men: her fiancé Sibusiso Dlamini and her superior Dr. Lindelani Zulu, a brilliant, attractive surgeon with whom she has undeniable chemistry.
On arrival at Durban General Hospital, Mbali assists in a precarious surgery that goes horribly wrong, resulting in the death of an MEC.
The incident plummets the hospital, Mbali and Dr. Zulu into the middle of an investigation that threatens to derail her career before it has even begun.
Meanwhile, her proximity to Dr. Zulu, the resulting intimacy and their palpable chemistry threaten to break everything Mbali has built back home with Sibusiso.
Durban Gen follows the trials, tribulations, triumphs, betrayals and bonds experienced by Mbali, the staff of Durban General, and the patients who come through its doors looking for help, refuge and health.
The starring role of Mbali is played by Nelisiwe Sibiya.
Her character's fiancé, Sibusiso, is played by Ntando Mncube and the love triangle is completed by Mike Ndlangamandla, who plays the dashing Dr. Lindelani Zulu.
Mavuso Magabane stars as Dr. Thabo Dlamini, Durban General's head of Surgery; and the superintendent, Dr. Nomalanga Qwabe, is played by Duduzile Ngcobo.
Other cast members include Mxolisi "Zuluboy" Majozi, playing fun and enthusiastic paramedic Mc'Gyver; and Bhekisizwe Mahlawe as the confident and charismatic male nurse, Calvin Gumede.
Lihle Dhlomo plays Dr. Precious Dlamini, an obstetrician-gynaecologist married to Head of Surgery and womaniser Dr. Thabo Dlamini.
The eager interns, played by Fanele Zulu (Dr. Mnqobi Mchunu), Fanele Luthuli (Dr. Thandekile Zondo) and Lerato Nxumalo (Dr. Zinhle Luthuli), will showcase what it takes to save lives in a high-stakes environment.
Portraying the hospital's no-nonsense Head Matron, Sister Nobuhle, is Zimiphi Biyela. The busybody nurses are Tsidi Makitle as Phumeza and Nombulelo Mhlongo as Sne.
Rounding off the cast are Monica Thuli Zulu as receptionist Ma'Cele and Sifiso Sibiya as paramedic Bab'Gumede.
TVSA Show Page: Durban Gen
Almost Paradise
Channel: Universal TV (DStv 117)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Drama, Police Procedural
Alex Walker is a former US DEA agent who was forced into early retirement.
Once the DEA's most resourceful undercover operative, the combination of his partner's betrayal and a life-threatening battle with hypertension has sent him as far from the madness as he can go... a small tropical island in the Philippine Archipelago.
He now runs the gift shop at the island's luxury resort hotel, gets his disability payments at the nearby US Air Force base, and generally manages his transition from Jason Bourne to Jimmy Buffett.
But the island's luxury resorts attract rich, powerful, and sometimes criminal elite from around the world, often on a collision course with Alex.
Despite his best efforts to begin a tranquil new life, he's pulled back into a world of dangerous people and deadly situations, either through his friends in the local police department or running into people from his old life.
And the problem is: he likes it.
Survivor South Africa 7: Island of Secrets
Channel: Vuzu (DStv 116)
TX Time: 20h15
Genre: Reality Competition
Survivor South Africa 7 - known as Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets - was filmed on the island of Samoa in the South Pacific.
This season, a diverse group of 21 strong-willed individuals who believe they know the ins and outs of the game will be facing the harsh elements of Mother Nature.
They also have to battle the even harsher mind games of their tenacious opponents, who all want to be the Ultimate Survivor.
For all the cast members, go here:
TVSA Show Page: Survivor South Africa 7
Toegang
Channel: kykNET (DStv 144)
TX Time: 20h30
Genre: Lifestyle, Food, Afrikaans
Buildings and history. Cooking and quality. Thoughts and hope. That is what's on the menu in Toegang, a new lifestyle programme presented by Nataniël.
Stylish as ever in his distinguishing designer clothes, Nataniël is going to visit places where the man on the street has not had access to in months.
With his pop-up kitchen – a one-plate stove, two pans, one pot and only the most necessary utensils – he is going to cook up a storm.
In the series Nataniël explores art collections, discovers surprising facts about iconic buildings and shows what can be done with the most basic ingredients.
He will also introduce artists that were part of the development of his range of dinnerware, jewellery and table cloths.
Toegang is a series of hope, timeless design, new realities and the unquenchable spirit of Nataniël.
The Walking Dead 10 finale special
Channel: FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 130)
TX Time: 03h00 (live) and 20h45
Genre: Horror, Drama
COVID-19 shut down production of Season 10 of The Walking Dead earlier this year, leaving Episode 16 - "A Certain Doom" - in post-production limbo.
Although this was originally billed (and shot) as the season finale, a further six episodes have been ordered for this season, to air next year. Therefore it's technically no longer the season finale. Yet here we are.
There are a few things we already know about the episode, thanks to what we saw in Episode 15, "The Tower".
Beta's horde is closing in on the hospital where the survivors are holed up. Eugene, Ezekiel, Princess and Yumiko are still hoping to meet up with Stephanie.
Maggie may or may not make an appearance, as Beta engages the final battle of the Whisperer War.
Emmerdale
Channel: M-Net City (DStv 115)
TX Time: 15h00
Genre: Soapie
Emmerdale is one of Britain's best-loved and highly-viewed long-running drama soaps.
The series is set in the beautiful countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, in the fictional village of Emmerdale.
This down-to-earth drama chronicles the joys and heartbreaks of a tightly-knit countryside community.
The Tate, Sugden, Dingle and King families rely on the farm and its nearby village for their livelihoods, but the locale also provides plenty of danger and drama as well.
Car crashes, shootings, fires, a Home Farm raid and even a plane crash have rocked the region, but its inhabitants carry on and even thrive in the bustling village they call home.
Coronation Street
Channel: M-Net City (DStv 115)
TX Time: 15h25
Genre: Soapie
Coronation Street (informally known as Corrie) has been watched across the world for over 50 years, making it the world's longest running soap.
It centres on Coronation Street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on Salford, with terraced houses, café, corner shop, newsagents, textile factory and The Rovers Return pub.
It is the story of everyday life in a small, tightly-knit community and its themes include love, passion, deception, greed and intrigue.
Precision: The Measure of All Things
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Science, Technology
Professor Marcus du Sautoy explores why we are driven to measure and quantify the world around us and why we have reduced the universe to just a handful of fundamental units of measurement.
The three episodes are as follows:
Time and Distance
Marcus tells the story of the metre and the second - how an astonishing journey across revolutionary France gave birth to the metre, and how scientists today are continuing to redefine the measurement of time and length, with extraordinary results.
Mass and Moles
Deep underground in a vault beneath Paris lives the most important lump of metal in the world - Le Grand K.
Created in the 19th century, it's the world's master kilogramme, the weight on which every other weight is based.
But there is a problem with Le Grand K - it is losing weight.
Professor Marcus du Sautoy explores the history of this strange object and the astonishing modern day race to replace it.
Heat, Light and Electricity
From lightning bolts and watt engines to electromagnetic waves and single electrons, Marcus continues his journey into the world of measurement as he reveals how we came to measure and harness the power of heat, light and electricity.
It's a journey that has involved the greatest minds in science and, today, is getting down to the very building blocks of atoms.
MasterChef 16
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Reality Competition, Food
Out of the thousands who applied, 60 hopeful amateur cooks have made it through to compete over five weeks of Heats.
This year they will have to cook not only for their place in the competition but also the right to wear a coveted MasterChef apron.
With six contestants in each Heat and only four aprons up for grabs, the battle is fierce from the offset.
The contestants get their first chance to win an apron by cooking their Signature Dish – a plate that tells John and Gregg about who they are as a cook and how good they can become.
After tasting all six dishes, John and Gregg will pick their two favourites and those cooks will earn themselves not only a MasterChef apron, but also a place in the next round.
The remaining four contestants will have to pull out all all the stops as they cook off, in a new test – The Three Ingredients Challenge.
Tasked with creating one exceptional dish showcasing three specific ingredients – bream, fennel and tomatoes - the stakes are high as at the end, two cooks will fasten their new aprons, and two will be sent home and their MasterChef dream will be over.
There's now just one more challenge standing in the way of the four remaining cooks and a Quarter Final place.
They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners, finalists and contestants, who have all gone on to work in the food industry.
Impressing the guests has never been more important because their favourite cook will automatically become a Quarter Finalist, while the other two places will be determined by John and Gregg.
The contestants' fate is in the hands of last year's MasterChef Finalists - Delia-Marie Asser, Jilly McCord and the 2019 Champion, Irini Tzortzoglou.
In a competition where only the food matters, these amateurs will need to be good to survive - taking their first step towards being crowned MasterChef Champion 2020.
The Good Doctor 3
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Drama, Medical Drama
Freddie Highmore stars as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, who relocates from a quiet country life to join the prestigious St. Bonaventure hospital's surgical unit.
Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, his only advocate, Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff), challenges the skepticism and prejudices of the hospital's board and staff when he brings him in to join the team.
In the Season 3 premiere, "Disaster": Following what he believes was a disastrous first date with Carly, Dr. Shaun Murphy proposes a radical surgery to save a newlywed woman's life.
Meanwhile, after the new chief of surgery, Dr. Audrey Lim, announces that the residents can lead surgeries, Dr. Morgan Reznick and Dr. Alex Park compete for the chance to operate on an elderly patient who has been diagnosed with cancer.
System in Crisis
Channel: SABC1
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Documentary
A documentary film capturing the realities and life of a public service department as it deals with one of the biggest post-democratic tragedies we have come to face as a country.
It follows the journey of the provincial MEC of Health in South Africa, Gwen Ramakgopa, and the healing process of the families affected by the deaths of their loved ones during the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
In 2016, 1,711 mentally ill patients were moved from the Life Esidimeni facility to different NGOs. In the brutal processm, 144 people died.
Dying to Belong
Channel: eReality (Openview 108)
TX Time: 21h45
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series, Docu-Drama
An exploration of hauntingly fatal stories where obsession, desperation and the need to belong pushed individuals over the edge to carry out unthinkable crimes.
When access to exclusive worlds and elevated status are threatened to be taken away, how far will someone go to hold on to everything and keep the life they've created for themselves?
Through first-hand testimony and never-before-seen video footage, each episode will unearth true accounts where individuals became so hungry for access, they were willing to do anything.
Dying to Belong will pull back the curtain of internal dynamics, rivalries and distrust that occur within a community and reveal how the threat of losing status can drive individuals to commit the most heinous crimes.
From a political candidate desperate to win an election by any means necessary to a wealthy socialite who found an explosive solution when her elite status was put in jeopardy, the series exposes the lengths desperate individuals will go in order to feel like they belong.
It also explores how the fear of being rejected can drive someone to go to extreme lengths to maintain their status, no matter the cost.
In the series premiere, "Pam Phillips": When a wealthy socialite's status is threatened, she finds explosive solution to all her problems.
Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild 2
Channel: BBC Earth (DStv 184)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Docu-Reality, Documentary Series
Adventurer Ben Fogle returns to meet his previous contributors — the people who turned their backs on the rat-race to set up home in some of Earth's most remote locations.
Ben discovers how life has changed for his former hosts since his first visit, what challenges they have overcome, and whether their life in the wild is still the ultimate dream.
From the foothills of the Himalayas to the canyons of Utah and a remote Australian desert island, these brave pioneers have ventured down a very alternative path.
How have things panned out for the former war correspondent who became a grizzly bear guide in the Canadian wilderness?
Or the former city fat cat turned jungle Tarzan in the swamplands of Georgia, USA?
Living a Nightmare
Channel: Investigation Discovery (DStv 171 / StarSat 223)
TX Time: 21h50
Genre: True Crime, Docu-Drama, Documentary Series
Imagine facing a situation so tragic that one convinces themselves they must be adrift in a nightmare.
However, the realisation soon comes crashing down that this is no dream - it's murder.
This series tells the stories of real people who face the surreal horror of losing loved ones to vicious crimes.
It paralyzes their lives and launches them on an emotional journey where only the passage of days and the arrest of a suspect will help diminish their pain.
At the same time, homicide detectives race the clock, facing the nightmarish task of tracking down the killers before the case goes cold.
It's a race against time as they seek justice for the families, all while never forgetting the victims whose own dreams were so tragically interrupted.
In the series premiere, "The Long Way Home": A blood-stained bicycle hidden in an Ohio cornfield sets the stage for an unspeakable crime.
While police race to find missing college student Sierah Joughin, a vicious predator lurks somewhere in the rural, Midwestern countryside.
Megaboere 6
Channel: kykNET (DStv 144)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Afrikaans
During the past three seasons, MegaBoere made a focus shift from big economic scale farmers to successful farmers that don't necessarily contribute in terms of profit or turnover, but more in terms of their approach to farming.
This season the show still delves into leadership against the backdrops of agriculture, giving recognition to farmers that are empowering other people, or mega-marketers, or achievers in agriculture technology, science and marketing.
Season 6 will put a spotlight on a new generation of farmers - young, dynamic farmers who will be taking over the reigns slowly but surely.
Besides going to all the provinces in South Africa for the recordings, the team also made a turn at the Nile in the North of Uganda.
The presenter, Kabous Meiring, tells the stories of the farmers in her own way.
In one of the episodes, she gets to the heart of the story about the agreement between the Makgoba-stam and the agri-giant, ZZ2, which took longer than a decade to work out.
Kabous also returns to Piet Karsten from Karsten Boerdery, who was featured on the first season. Piet and his son, Pieter, tell more about an empowerment transaction with the women on the farm.
And at Barkly-West on the shores of the Vaal river, Kabous looks at what influences a successful business such as Wildeklawer has on the wider community.
Climate Impact Asia
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Nature, Documentary Series
By the year 2,100 over one-billion people on Earth will live in low-lying coastal zones, 70% of which will live in Southeast Asia.
This special looks at critical impacts of our changing climate systems on one of the most vulnerable regions in the world – Southeast Asia.
It follows a team of climate scientists from the Earth Observatory of Singapore across four key storylines: Sea Level Rise, Coastal Hazards, Food Security, Tectonic and Volcanic Activity.
Pointless 23
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Quiz Show, Game Show
Hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, Pointless is a quiz show in which teams of two contestants have to score as few points as possible by finding obscure but correct answers to questions.
Before the show, each question has already been posed to 100 people who have 100 seconds to give as many correct answers as they can think of.
The less commonly known answers are the ones the contestants are looking for as they are worth the least points, whereas incorrect answers are awarded the full 100 points.
A 'Pointless' answer is one which none of the 100 people gave.
The couple that makes it through to the third and final round has the chance to win the jackpot of £1,000, which rolls over each episode if the finalists don't find a pointless answer.