Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 20h15
Genre: Documentary, History
Executive produced and narrated by historian and social justice advocate Kareem Abul-Jabbar, this documentary takes a close look at one of the most studied, debated and dissected periods in American history, the Civil War, and the heroic figures whose bravery and selfless contributions helped define and reshape the reality of a democracy.
The end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 saw a new nation break free from the shackles of British tyranny, but for hundreds of thousands of African Americans, the struggle for freedom was far from over.
When the Civil War first began, of the 4.3-million African Americans living in the US, 3.9-million of them were still enslaved.
At its core, the Civil War was about African American's fight for their freedom and the opportunity to create a better life for themselves in a country they helped nurture and build.
Anchored by sit down interviews and personal narratives from Abdul-Jabbar, coupled with anecdotes from noteworthy historians and authors, Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War takes an in-depth look into the events and figures who laid the foundational blocks of freedom for African Americans in the US.
These include lesser-known figures like former enslaved man turned war hero Robert Smalls and Union spy Mary Richards, to well-known heroes such as influential abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Underground Railroad pioneer Harriet Tubman.
The Civil War highlighted the gross racial inequalities that still existed in this country carried over from a pre-abolitionist era, but also brought forth crucial figures who stepped up to eradicate inequality, paved the way for various freedom movements to come and showed that true democracy can be achieved.
Living with a Serial Killer
Channel: CBS Justice (DStv 170)
TX Time: 19h50
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series
Living with a Serial Killer asks: what is it like to discover that the person you shared your life with is really a vicious murderer?
Former prosecutor / investigative journalist Beth Karas will explore the cases and investigations of three of the UK's most infamous serial killers - Joanne Dennehy, Steve Wright and Peter Tobin.
With a new approach to true crime, we will hear from the family members who lived with the killers during the most heinous offences, in hopes to better understand the extraordinary double lives these deadly criminals were living.
Through unprecedented family interviews, the series explores the devastating realities of being unwittingly caught up, associated with and condemned for the horrific actions of someone you once called family.
In the series premiere, "The Black Widow's Web: Joanne Dennehy": Spree killer Joanne Dennehy stabbed three men to death in 2013.
Now, for the first time, Dennehy's daughter Shianne shares how she has struggled to come to terms with the realities of being the child of Britain's most dangerous woman.
Paul F. Tompkins: Laboring Under Delusions
Channel: Comedy Central (DStv 122)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Comedy, Special
When it comes to odd jobs, Paul F. Tompkins has experienced them all, stand-up comedian included.
In this extended and uncensored stand-up special, Paul (supported by his impressive mustache) takes us on a tour of his varied career.
Before achieving success as a comedian, actor, and writer, Tompkins toiled in the ranks of the common working man, and he shares some of his experiences in this special.
Using his trademark storytelling style, Tompkins recounts his stint as a disgruntled hat salesman, his evolution into a sticky-fingered video store clerk, and how hosting VH1's Best Week Ever led to inadvertently donning women's undergarments.
With his fist raised high, Tompkins delivers a rousing hour of comedy to a raucous audience at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA.
Relive his glory days as an employee at a Beta-only video store, a hot shop salesman catering to tourists looking for "king hats" and an actor with an improbable cameo in an epic film.
The Secret History of the Civil War
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 19h25
Genre: Documentary, Docu-Drama, History
The American Civil War is one of the most studied and dissected events in America's history, but what you don't know may surprise you.
From medical inventions to military espionage, the bloody conflict continues to shape the world today.
Featuring sit-down interviews, original artwork, recreations and archival imagery, this 60-minute documentary special will uncover unsung heroes, unknown innovations, and stories of people whose influences are still felt today — in fields ranging from military intelligence to medicine.
It begins with a look at the birth of America's first organised and centralised intelligence units, set in motion by President Abraham Lincoln himself, in the early days of the War.
The Secret History of the Civil War highlights individuals who broke boundaries of gender and race to operate as spies.
It also takes an in-depth look at the ways in which modern American medicine was forged on the bloody battlefields of the Civil War.