The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series
The Son of Sam case grew into a lifelong obsession for journalist Maury Terry, who became convinced that the murders were linked to a satanic cult.
The hunt for the "Son of Sam" captivated the world in the late 1970s, but the story behind one of America's most notorious serial murderers is all but forgotten - until now.
While the arrest and conviction of David Berkowitz brought the nightmare to an end for many New Yorkers, for journalist and Ultimate Evil author Maury Terry, the real mystery was just beginning.
Terry, convinced Berkowitz had not acted alone, would go on to spend decades attempting to prove that the web of darkness behind the murders went deeper than anyone imagined – and his pursuit of that elusive truth would eventually cost him everything.
Filmmaker Joshua Zeman draws on archival news footage, conversations with the people closest to the investigation, and Terry's own words and case files to tell a cautionary tale of a man who went down a rabbit hole and never came out.
But was Maury Terry just chasing ghosts – or are the true Sons of Sam still out there...
Come Dine with Me South Africa 6
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Reality, Food
Season 6 returns from a coronavirus-enforced hiatus with the second half of Season 6.
In the returning Episode 7: This week, ultra-competitive Amanda, care-free Clarissa, soccer-crazy Leeshan and cabin attendant Andy battle it out.
Up first is multi-potentialite Amanda, who is so competitive she preps two starters – a prawn salsa and turkey dumplings.
For main it's a spicy black pepper crab concoction which leaves her guests gasping for water.
Her "chocolate any day, anyway" doesn't go quite to plan but her guests stay happy. Amanda's set the bar high but can the others top it?
Soweto-based events planner Clarissa is the second host of the week and out to prove that her kasi kitchen is Michelin Star-worthy.
She prepares a three-course feast of cheese croquets, seared salmon and chocolate fondants and makes sure she is the star of the night.
With mixed reviews for her food, can she make up for it with her charm?
The thorn amongst the roses is financial advisor Leeshan. This soccer-crazy dad of two likes things to be uncomplicated - and his cooking is perhaps a little too uncomplicated.
Leeshan serves Thai mince lettuce pockets without the Thai flavouring, basil penne pasta and chocolate cookie crumble.
The night starts well with tequila but soon turns sour as the ladies don't hold back from criticism.
Flight attendant Andy has been the most critical during the week - should she be worried what goes around comes around?
She takes us on a Mexican adventure, serving tacos for starters, and chili con carne for main, and an interesting fruit and cream nacho dish for dessert.
Amanda has her claws out, and as a recent traveler to Mexico, makes sure Andy knows exactly where she went wrong. Awks!
It's a close call this week but who will win the prize?
TVSA Show Page: Come Dine with Me South Africa 6
Open Late
Channel: 1Magic (DStv 103)
TX Time: 22h00
Genre: Talk Show, Music
A weekly, multi-segmented late night-style show highlighting topics in pop culture through panel discussions and a conversation with a special guest in front of an intimate live audience.
There are also stripped down, low-fi music performances you can't see anywhere else.
In the series premiere: Peter breaks down Cardi B's rise and A$AP Rocky shares his thoughts on Travis Scott.
Green Eyed Killers
Channel: Lifetime (DStv 131)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series
This dramatic series focuses on cases involving the most prolific cause of relationship and spousal murder worldwide - jealousy.
The series details the dramatic true-life happenings and adversities of ordinary people who come to an extraordinary end all because jealousy arrives into their lives, uninvited and all encompassing.
In the series premiere, "Kimberly Greene-Medina, Colorado": Kimberly Greene-Medina's disappearance in 1996 remained unanswered until 2005, when her husband, Michael Medina, was arrested for killing his 16-month-old son, Degan, as an act of revenge against his second wife, Becky.
Authorities discovered Medina had confessed to Becky and told her he beat Kimberly almost to death with a baseball bat and buried her alive in a field in rural Colorado.
Days before her murder, Kimberly had asked Medina for a divorce.
Medina, who was jealous and stalking Kimberly, had discovered an affair between her and a co-worker.
Medina was sentenced to a 48-year prison term for the murder of his son and received a consecutive life sentence for the murder of his first wife.
The Blended Bunch
Channel: TLC Entertainment (DStv 135)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Docu-Reality
What started with tragedy manifested into a once-in-a-lifetime love story.
Before meeting, Erica - a mother of seven - lost her husband to cancer and Spencer, a father of four, lost his wife in a fatal car crash.
Their worlds were completely shattered until they serendipitously met in an online widower support group.
Finding love almost immediately, Erica and Spencer exchanged vows and were married after just 13 months.
The Blended Bunch features the Shemwells, a large, newly blended family that will face all kinds of challenges as they merge 11 children under one roof and adjust to a new life in Utah.
From shifting dynamics within their extended families to step-sibling squabbles and struggles over adoption, these newlyweds are everyday parents who are trying their best to manage it all.
Watch as the Shemwells shop with 11 children under the age of 13, potty train toddlers, make dinner for the lively brood, tackle bedtime and more.
The Blended Bunch takes you on an emotional journey and shows a new, large family through a whole other lens.
A Confession
Channel: M-Net City (DStv 116)
TX Time: 21h45
Genre: Drama
The story of how Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, played by Martin Freeman (Sherlock, Fargo), deliberately breached police procedure and protocol to catch a killer, a decision that ultimately cost him his career and reputation.
Set in Swindon, Wiltshire, A Confession details the disappearance of 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan in March 2011.
On a night out with girlfriends, Sian left a nightclub in Swindon Old Town to walk the 15 minutes home to boyfriend Kevin Reape.
Worried for her safety, Kevin reports Sian missing when she fails to come home in the early hours or respond to his increasingly frantic texts.
With the police investigation underway, officers arrive on the doorstep of Sian's mother, Elaine O'Callaghan, played by Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey), who at first thinks her daughter must have stayed overnight with a girlfriend.
Described as a 'family girl', it was uncharacteristic of Sian to be out of touch with her loved ones.
Senior Investigating Officer Steve Fulcher leads a team which begins to piece together Sian's last movements, scouring CCTV footage from the club and re-tracing her steps home.
Cell-site analysis reveals her mobile phone signal bouncing off a mast 14 miles away in Savernake Forest.
With the missing person's enquiry in full swing, Fulcher orders a full-scale search operation.
Believing Sian may still be alive, Fulcher operates on the premise that Sian is being held somewhere against her will.
If she is, he knows it will be a race against time.
Through diligent and painstaking police work Fulcher and his team discovers CCTV footage of her in the High Street, which leads to vital clues in the investigation.
Meanwhile, Karen Edwards, the mother of Becky Godden, a 20-year-old who disappeared a decade previously in 2003, is watching the investigation unfold on the local news and in the town centre.
Reminded of Becky's disappearance, she becomes gripped by fear that her daughter will somehow be involved in what is unfolding before her eyes as the search for Sian goes on.
A known drug addict and prostitute, Becky had disappeared many times before and although Karen had tried to help her daughter, staging interventions and paying for rehabilitation, sadly Becky continued to lapse back into addiction.
Coincidentally, the property where Karen lives with her second husband, Charlie, backs on to the home of Elaine O'Callaghan and her then partner.
Although they don't know one another, their lives become tragically intertwined when Fulcher and his team edge closer to their chief suspect, local taxi driver Christopher Halliwell.
The investigation culminates in a standoff between Fulcher and Halliwell at a remote location, before Halliwell is taken back to the police station and given a solicitor.
Just as Fulcher is about to give up, Halliwell suddenly makes a startling confession.
But this moment of apparent triumph takes on sinister consequences and steers the investigation in a completely unforeseen direction.
The Magic of the Wild
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Wildlife, Nature, Documentary Series
The "National Parks" series is dedicated to one jewel of the natural wonders of North America in each episode.
For one year each, the filmmakers accompany the rangers and scientists who have dedicated themselves to the preservation and exploration of this unique nature in the US or Canada.
Since 1916, the American national parks - as well as most of the other sites and areas worthy of protection - have been managed by the National Park Service (NPS).
The Service states "conservation, preservation and recreation" as its primary goals and its task is more topical than ever.
The parks are threatened, especially by climate change: in Alaska, glaciers are melting; in Florida, protected species are being displaced by immigrant animals; and in California, rare rodents freeze to death because they are not sufficiently prepared for winter due to warmer temperatures.
Naked and Afraid 7
Channel: Discovery Channel (DStv 121)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Reality, Adventure
A new lineup of survivalists from around the world will take on the 21-day challenge to test themselves against the wilderness.
Stripped from head to toe, all they are allowed to bring is one survival item.
The physical and mental exhaustion causes some duos to turn on each other and others to bond together to complete the challenge.
From the punishing Namibian desert to the brutal black water swamps of Florida, the early premieres of Naked and Afraid follow three pairs of survivalists as they endure harsh elements, vicious predators and each other in the ultimate battle between mankind and Mother Nature.
Threatened by venomous snakes and dangerous wildlife, a hard-headed single mom and an elite military alpha-male will be pushed to their limits.
An Australian bushman and American biologist form an intimate bond during their challenge, but their relationship is tested as they search for scarce food and are tracked by territorial baboons.
South Africa's aggressive scorpions and burrowing ticks attack the survivalists in their most vulnerable places.
With their challenge at risk, the pair must band together to have a chance at success.