Meet the Meerkats
Channel: Discovery Channel (DStv 121)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Wildlife, Docu-Reality
Welcome to the Kalahari Desert in South Africa where three rescued meerkat families (mobs) are learning the way of life in the wild for the very first time.
In Meet the Meerkats, we meet a cast of distinct characters and personalities and are submerged into the incredible world of meerkats, while following the journey of three rehabilitated mobs, most of whom were snatched from the wild as pups and returned to their rightful home in Africa after being rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.
Witness their stories of resilience and evolution as their lives ebb and flow in their new environment bringing the inevitable mix of joy, wonder and jeopardy that make these gregarious animals so irresistible.
Dominant females Zola, Marli and Bela run the show - the first meerkat mob is overseen by Zola, the heart and soul of her family, along with her partner, Scar, the dominant male.
The second mob is run by matriarch Marli, who is pregnant, and has two love interests; Zewli, the father to her two daughters, Thandi and Thembi, and her unborn pups; and gentle giant Arno, her protector, who is absolutely dedicated to her.
The third mob, introduced later in the season, is run by Bela, a streetwise rewilded meerkat mom raising her young family alone after losing her partner.
These families must learn what all meerkats born in the wild know: the strict rules of meerkat society and how teamwork is the key to survival.
In the series premiere: Watch as two mobs find their freedom and their feet in the harsh Kalahari Desert.
Both experience their first taste of freedom after being carefully rehabilitated and released, and it falls to Zola and Marli to keep their inexperienced families safe.
We'll watch as a run-in with an unknown beast leaves Marli's family shaken, Zola's gang discovers an unexpected feast, rival meerkat males battle it out in a power struggle, and the arrival of five precious pups puts a family to the ultimate test - raising their first litter in the wild.
Multiple storylines this season include those of nurturing, hunting, survival, romance, territorial battles with each mob overcoming the many challenges - joys and sorrows - of a life of freedom in the wild in Africa.
Witness new lives beginning in the wild where alliances are created; the drawing of enemy lines; first time encounters with predators; and the rollercoaster ride of raising pups.
The Moodys 2
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Comedy
Follows a tight-knit, but slightly dysfunctional family of five, all of whom gather in their hometown of Chicago for the "perfect" holiday.
From break-ups to arrests to sharing one bathroom, each family member is packing his/her own eccentricities and hiding secrets from the others - as if the holidays were all about carols and eggnog.
The family includes Sean Sr. (Denis Leary), his wife, Ann (Elizabeth Perkins), and their three grown children - Dan, the youngest of the siblings and the "creative one"; Bridget, the middle sister and the "overachiever"; and Sean Jr., the oldest sibling and "screw-up," still living at home with his parents.
Freshly single, Dan returns to his childhood home for Christmas to find it's in various stages of disarray, with one functioning bathroom.
As the extended family gathers for a welcome meal, Dan meets Cora, with whom he instantly clicks. There's only one problem: she's already dating his cousin.
Then, in an unexpected turn of events, all the Moodys find themselves living under the same roof again when Bridget, who lives in the Chicago area, returns to her childhood home with a suitcase in hand after a fight with her husband.
The series picks up with Sean Sr. contemplating retirement - road trips across the country in an RV with Ann, while Sean Jr. takes over the family HVAC business.
In reality, however, Ann has no intention of leaving her new psychology practice, and Sean Jr. continues to brew up schemes to get rich quick.
Bridget, who is in the midst of a divorce, returns home while her fancy new townhouse is being renovated; and Dan leaves Brooklyn for Chicago to live with his girlfriend, Cora, only to realise the relationship is moving too quickly.
Once again, the Moodys are all under the same roof. Yep, one big, happy family.
Buddy vs. Duff Holiday
Channel: TLC Entertainment (DStv 135)
TX Time: 17h05
Genre: Reality Competition, Food
It's the ultimate face-off as Duff Goldman and Buddy Valastro come together for a special four-episode competition celebrating the winter holiday season.
Each episode features Buddy and Duff creating out-of-this-world cakes that perfectly celebrate the holiday season.
With just 20 hours to work with their talented teams and bring their masterpieces to life, four esteemed pastry chefs join the teams at their bakeries each week to judge the cakes.
These chefs are Gesine Prado and Elizabeth Falkner from Jersey City, and Stephanie Boswell and Valerie Gordon judging from Los Angeles.
In a special 90-minute finale, one baking sultan will walk away with holiday bragging rights.