Joyous Celebration: Imvuselelo
Channel: SABC1
TX Time: 22h00
Genre: Religion, Music, Special
The second instalment of Joyous Celebration Restoration: Imvuselelo took place at the Big Top Arena at Carnival City on Saturday, 18 December.
The special is themed and titled "Restoration".
In spite of the year that has been, the hardships and losses we faced and experienced in the last two years, we are still standing and have much to be grateful and thankful for.
Stories of a Generation - with Pope Francis
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: Documentary Series
In candid and heartwarming stories, inspiring women and men over 70 share poignant life lessons and pivotal choices from their remarkable journeys.
Over a year of filming across the globe to tell 18 stories of people over 70. Why? Because there are lives that can inspire our own.
Martin Scorsese, Jane Goodall and Pope Francis join other creators, activists and role models sharing hard-won wisdom.
Gordon, Gino and Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Food, Reality
Gordon, Gino and Fred are getting together for another extraordinary culinary Christmas adventure.
2020 was a bit bleak to say the least and the boys are keen to end the year with a bang.
After Gino led them to the deserts of Morocco for last year's misadventure, Gordon is determined that they celebrate the season properly this time.
He has thus arranged a boys trip away before the madness of a family Xmas kicks in, to the ultimate winter wonderland and the official home of Santa.
GGF are going to Lapland to experience a treasure trove of festive fare, to enjoy spectacular landscapes... and hopefully meet Father Christmas in person.
Stand by for a unique Christmas cracker...
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Documentary, Music
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Frank Marshall (Seabiscuit, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), chronicles the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees.
The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs, including 20 #1 hits throughout their storied career.
This film follows the Bee Gees' meteoric rise as they rode the highs of fame and fortune, negotiated the vagaries of the ever-shifting music business and navigated the complexities of working so intimately alongside family.
This is an intimate exploration of the Gibb story, featuring revealing interviews with oldest brother Barry and archival interviews with the late twin brothers Robin and Maurice.
The film features a wealth of never-before-seen archival footage of recording sessions, concert performances, television appearances and home videos, as well as interviews with musicians Eric Clapton, Noel Gallagher, Nick Jonas, Chris Martin, Justin Timberlake, music producer Mark Ronson, singer Lulu and record company executive Bill Oakes, among others.
The story takes us from their childhood in 1950s Australia to the artistic crucible of 1960s London and to the sundrenched coast of Miami, Florida.
The band created a distinct sound with their three-part harmonising, their melodic voices forming a new kind of instrument.
Influenced by Motown music and harmonising groups, the Bee Gees first found success in the UK with To Love Somebody and Massachusetts in 1967 and scored their first US chart topper with How Can You Mend a Broken Heart in 1971.
It wasn't until they moved to Miami and began working with Atlantic Records' producer Arif Mardin that their signature sound was born.
A confluence of events came together to produce such hits as Jive Talkin, Nights on Broadway and You Should be Dancing, their new sound stemming from the advent of synthesizers, the rise of the disco beat and the almost accidental discovery of Barry's falsetto.
As the disco scene flourished and gained popularity beyond clubs, the head of RSO Records, Bill Oakes, tasked the Bee Gees to write some songs for the film that would become Saturday Night Fever.
In a matter of weeks, the Bee Gees delivered More Than a Woman, How Deep is Your Love, If I Can't Have You, Night Fever and Stayin' Alive.
The 1977 soundtrack album would become one of the best-selling albums in history, winning prestigious awards with its chart-topping singles, helping to define a culture and an era along the way.
In the '80s, with the decline of disco and waning interest in the Bee Gees, the group pivoted to writing songs for other artists, crafting mega-hits for Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and Celine Dion, among many others.
In 1997 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and continued to write and perform together until the deaths of Maurice in 2003 and Robin in 2012.
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is a vibrant study of the Gibb's unique professional longevity as their singing and songwriting transcended more than five decades of changing tastes and styles.
Beyond the awards and accolades, the film reveals the loving yet complicated relationships between three brothers, whose music spans generations and stands firmly at the pinnacle of pop history.
It is a story of a singular band and their music, but also a poignant portrait of brotherhood tested by fame and loss but marked by enduring devotion.