The Wire
Channel: M-Net City (DStv 115)
TX Time: 22h45 (triple bill daily)
Genre: Drama
Drama series created, produced and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, in which each season focuses on a different facet of the city of Baltimore, Maryland: the drug trade, the port, the city bureaucracy, the school system and the print news media.
The series is a gritty police drama set in Baltimore that considers the impact different institutions have on individuals.
The first season of The Wire concentrates on the often-futile efforts of police to infiltrate a West Baltimore drug ring headed by Avon Barksdale and his lieutenant, Stringer Bell.
In Seasons 2 and 3, as the Barksdale investigation escalates, new storylines involving pressures on the working class and the city's political leadership are introduced.
Season 4 focuses on the stories of several young boys in the public school system, struggling with problems at home and the lure of the corner - set against the rise of a new drug empire in West Baltimore and a new Mayor in City Hall.
The fifth and final season centres on the media's role in addressing - or failing to address - the fundamental political, economic and social realities depicted over the course of the series, while also resolving storylines of the numerous characters woven throughout the narrative arc of the show.
The series begins with one of the key figures in the drug cartel using intimidation to clear one of his young dealers of a murder charge.
He comes up against homicide detective Jimmy McNulty, a member of a joint homicide/narcotics unit created to investigate a single drug-dealing operation.
Venting his frustration that the gang is responsible for as many as ten unsolved murders, McNulty gets reassigned to a detail nobody wants.
While his superiors and co-workers just want the heat to die down so they can drop the investigation, McNulty and an unlikely ally, narcotics detective Shakima Greggs, commit themselves to use any means necessary, including heightened surveillance and sophisticated wiretaps, to bust the gang and its elusive leader.
NOTE: all five seasons air consecutively, with three episodes per night, Monday-Sunday.
TVSA Show Page: The Wire
Kans
Channel: kykNET (DStv 144)
TX Time: 21h30
Genre: Documentary, Afrikaans
Kans, a documentary programme by producer-director Dorette Potgieter, sheds light on the lives of habitual offenders and their quest for a better life.
It shows the shocking ways in which drugs and gang activities often undermine hope and second chances.
The programme is in Afrikaans with English subtitles, about the effect and success rate of prison rehabilitation programs and the lives of inmates inside Pollsmoor, a Correctional Service Centre in Cape Town.
It tracks how Pollsmoor has changed since Nelson Mandela's incarceration after his release from Robben Island three decades ago, and the ultimate triumph of the will over seemingly insurmountable adversity.
Manhunt: Deadly Games
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 21h30
Genre: True Crime, Drama
Scripted true-crime anthology series that chronicles one of the most complex manhunts on U.S. soil following the deadly terrorist attack at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Security guard Richard Jewell is lauded as a national hero after he discovers a massive bomb at the Games and saves hundreds of lives by clearing the area.
However, his public identity as a brave citizen quickly erodes when the FBI and the news media, led by driven crime reporter Kathy Scruggs, falsely accuse him of being the bomber.
As Jewell and his mother Bobi fight to clear Jewell's name, the real perpetrator, Eric Rudolph, remains at large and undetected as he carries out a series of bombings.
Rudolph's increased criminal activity puts him on the radar of ATF Agent Earl Embry who helps to shift the FBI investigation away from Jewell.
Rudolph hides from authorities by escaping to the mountainous wilderness of North Carolina and launches a devious counterattack with the help of local militia groups.
Under immense political pressure, FBI agents Jack Brennan and Stacey Knox find themselves at the forefront of the largest fugitive manhunt in the agency's history to find him.
To bring Rudolph to justice, the FBI must accept the truth of Jewell's innocence and find common ground with their enemies.
Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 22h10
Genre: Documentary, Sport
Why do British men struggle to talk about their emotions?
The Duke of Cambridge has spent the past year campaigning to change attitudes to mental health in Britain.
Spurred on by the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of young men in the UK, he wants to use football as a way to get men talking and to break the taboo that surrounds mental health.
As a real fan of the sport, William has seen the way men express their feelings at football games. Now he wants to help men show the same passion and openness away from the game.
The film follows William as he meets players and fans from grassroots to the elite of the game and openly discusses their mental health challenges.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart explains how he has learnt to cope with difficulties at the very top of the game, and a group of bereaved fathers reveal how they use their local football team as a support network and safe space to talk.
Former Premier League footballer Marvin Sordell opens up about his struggles with depression, while Chelsea manager Frank Lampard compares life now with his early experiences of professional football.
As well as campaigning to change attitudes today, William explores aspects of British history that have helped create the culture of silence around this issue.
Honest and touching, the film powerfully conveys his passion to change the conversation around mental health in Britain.
Young Sheldon 3
Channel: Vuzu (DStv 116)
TX Time: 18h30
Genre: Comedy
For young Sheldon Cooper, it isn't easy growing up in East Texas.
Being a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science isn't always helpful in a land where church and football are king.
And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him.
In the Season 3 premiere, "Quirky Eggheads and Texas Snow Globes": After Dr. Sturgis experiences a nervous breakdown, Mary worries Sheldon is headed down a similar path.
Also, Georgie discovers he has a knack for sales.
London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00
Genre: Comedy, Special
British comedian and television presenter London Hughes performs a new stand-up special.
London is confused. She's awesome, successful, attractive and has no gag reflex and yet... somehow, incredibly single... how on Earth has that happened?!
In this provocative show, London will explore the complete mystery of why the world is full of desirable, brilliant but single women - who definitely don't need a man but wouldn't mind the option.
Gordon, Gino and Fred's Christmas Roast
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Food, Special
Two chefs, Gordon Ramsay and Gino D'Acampo, compete during the preparation of Christmas Eve dinner, to which the heroes of the rescue services during the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester were invited.
Staged in one of London's traditional banqueting suites we watch the reality unfold as Gordon and Gino go head to head competing to serve their own dishes.
My Big Fat Fabulous Life 7
Channel: TLC Entertainment (DStv 135)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Docu-Reality
The series follows Whitney Thore as she juggles her dance career, continues to fight through body shaming while dealing with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and navigates the hilarious and emotional circle of her family and friends.
This season Whitney has made some big changes with a new business and a new life in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But with Whitney's new opportunities and a new love interest, her friends back in Greensboro feel left behind.
Meanwhile, Whitney's fitness journey continues as she pushes herself to complete new challenges and hit new records.
In the Season 7 premiere, "A Tale of Two Whitneys": Uncomfortable after her kiss with Buddy, Whitney creates a new business and a new life in Charlotte.
When Whitney accepts a date with another man, will it create a love triangle?
Meanwhile, tension between Buddy and Tal forces Whitney into a tough decision.
MasterChef Junior 2
Channel: eReality (Openview 108)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Reality Competition, Food
America's first-ever Masterchef Junior, Alexander Weiss, returns to the kitchen as a special guest.
Alexander presents the mystery box challenge, and the 16 junior home cooks will be tasked with preparing impressive dishes using the special guest's favourite ingredients, including pork chop, pork tenderloin, green apples, hazelnuts, Brussel sprouts, filo dough, fingerling potatoes, wild rice, whole grain mustard and artichoke.
The winner of the challenge will have a significant advantage and select which of the judges' favourite proteins the remaining contestants will prepare in the elimination round.
Later, the 12 junior home cooks with the best dishes will advance in the competition.