The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 19h25
Genre: Documentary Series, Mystery
The Bermuda Triangle is the most notorious stretch of ocean in history, evoking fear and endless fascination.
Bounded by Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, these waters have swallowed countless ships and planes and their crews - some vanishing without a trace.
In 1945, Five US Navy planes disappeared on the same night, along with a search and rescue plane dispatched to find them.
No wreckage was ever found.
Reporters dug up accounts of other missing planes and ships, and stories of strange phenomena date back to the voyages of Columbus.
Now, an elite team is investigating the Bermuda Triangle with the aid of a secret weapon - a map, decades in the making, marking the location of unidentified undersea wrecks and anomalies.
Each week they will attempt to identify one mystery wreck, along the way evaluating the evidence behind legends and scientific theories like rogue waves, giant methane bubbles, ship-sucking whirlpools and dead zones that bewilder equipment and planes.
In the Bermuda Triangle, one never knows what one will find.
On the ocean floor, the team makes historic and important discoveries that go beyond myth and conjecture.
In the series premiere, "A Big Find": An elite team investigates the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle aided by a secret map decades in the making.
In this episode, they attempt to unravel the mystery of why 27 US Navy aviators and crew vanished without a trace on the same night in 1945.
While searching for the wrecks of the lost planes they uncover a debris field unlike any they have ever seen, and one with historic implications.
House of the Dragon
Channel: Me (DStv 115)
TX Time: 22h00
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the series - set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones - tells the story of House Targaryen.
King Viserys Targaryen was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal.
A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather's legacy.
But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.
Prince Daemon Targaryen is the younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne.
A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon.
But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air...
Alicent Hightower is the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms.
She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king's first-born child, is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider.
Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything... but she was not born a man.
Lord Corlys Velaryon, aka "The Sea Snake", is Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen.
As "The Sea Snake," the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is a dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon.
Known as "The Queen Who Never Was", she was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favoured her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male.
Ser Criston Cole, of Dornish descent, is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven.
Cole has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honour and his preternatural skill with a sword.
Mysaria, who came to Westeros with nothing, has been sold more times than she can recall.
She could have wilted... but instead she rose to become the most trusted - and most unlikely - ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.
Otto Hightower is The Hand of the King, and loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm.
As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king's brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.
The Lightbulb Moment
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Technology, Science, History
Uncover the extraordinary origins of "ordinary" things – and the moments of inspiration that made them possible.
In the series premiere, "The Unintended Consequences of the Facebook Like Button": When first presented with the like button (then dubbed "the awesome button") Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a simple response: "No."
He worried that a quick thumbs up or down would discourage more meaningful online interaction.
Eventually, his team changed his mind and transformed the world.
In the second episode of the weekly double bill, "How the Cubicle Became Universally Hated": The Cubicle was originally designed to set workers free.
A futuristic designer named Robert Propst dreamed up "The Action Office" as a groovy 1960s workplace utopia that would unleash the modern knowledge worker's vast untapped potential.
This is how it all went so wrong.
The Property Game 2
Channel: The Home Channel (DStv 176)
TX Time: 16h30
Genre: Docu-Reality, Home Improvement
Property investing has taken off over the past few years as more people begin to understand and become comfortable with what it entails.
Hosted by TV personality and property investor Tebogo 'Proverb' Thekisho, The Property Game documents the gruelling, yet very rewarding world of South African property investment.
Novice real estate investors who have been successful at getting onto the property ladder share their stories and show you how they did it.
These are regular people with regular careers who wanted a piece of the property market for their own, and have achieved that ambition.
Discover how they went about learning the ropes and equipping themselves for their respective property conquests.
You'll hear about their journeys – from acquiring property to turning it into a money-making asset.
You'll also learn about how they overcame the trials and tribulations along the way.
Shedding more light on their ventures is resident multi-million-rand property investment entrepreneur, mentor and guru, Sylvia Milosevic.
Sylvia will not only share her valuable insights, she'll also help us better understand, from an expert point of view, each of these journeys and investment strategies.
Whether you want to learn how to get your foot onto the property ladder, or you simply want to diversify your existing portfolio, The Property Game has a little bit of something for every kind of investor.
Real Time Crime
Channel: Investigation Discovery (DStv 171 / StarSat 223)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series
Police and communities have a new weapon in the fight against crime.
Across America, Real Time Crime Centres use surveillance cameras, tracking systems and gunshot detectors to solve crimes and bring criminals to justice.
Every episode features two high-octane stories with life and death stakes.
Filmed across nine states, with exclusive access to nerve centres from New York to New Orleans, each story includes incredible CCTV footage along with interviews with the major protagonists - police solving the crimes, witnesses and the families of the victims.
Close to My Heart
Channel: Star Life (DStv 167 / Openview 110)
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Telenovela
The story of lovers who are mad about food, but not each other. At first, that is.
20-something Ginni Garewal runs a Dhaba (roadside restaurant) with her chaotic family and she's desperate for solutions to her family's problems - and also for love.
Enter Aditya Raj Singh who has a dream of becoming one of the world's most successful hoteliers.
He wants meaning in his life and he finds it in Ginni, despite their love/hate relationship.
In the series premiere: A spirited Ginni saves Goldie from goons trying to kill him for money.
Later, Aditya Raj, a chef, who returns home from Canada, collides with Ginni's scooty.
The original Hindi title is Channa Mereya.
MORE:
New! Close to My Heart Teasers - February 2023
Derry Girls
Channel: S3
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Comedy
NOTE: we highlighted this show as starting in December, but it clearly didn't.
Comedy set in the 1990s which follows the escapades of a group of teens as they grow up amongst the Troubles in early-1990s Northern Ireland.
It is based on Lisa McGee's own experience of growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and follows Erin Quinn and her friends as they navigate the trials and tribulations of teenage life against a backdrop of bomb alerts, soldiers and British Army checkpoints.
It's the early 90s, and Erin and her friends are used to seeing their country on the nightly news and speaking in acronyms (The IRA, The UDA, The RUC).
It's a time of armed police in armoured Land Rovers and British Army check points.
But it's also the time of Murder She Wrote, The Cranberries, MJ and Lisa Marie, Doc Martens, bomber jackets, The X Files, Nirvana and Wayne's World.
And while The Troubles may hang over her home town, Erin has troubles of her own.
As the series begins: it's the early 90s, the first day of school and a terrible start for 16-year-old Erin as she wakes up to find her cousin Orla reading her diary.
And Granda Joe announces there's a bomb on the bridge.
Chicago Med 7
Channel: Me (DStv 115)
TX Time: 17h30
Genre: Drama, Police Procedural
Chicago Med is an emotional thrill ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city's newest state-of-the-art trauma centre and into the lives of the courageous doctors, nurses and staff who hold it all together.
Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) finds his career as an emergency medicine physician in jeopardy, following his cover-up involving a serious ethics violation.
Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) remains the Sherlock Holmes of psychiatry.
Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson), the venerable head of the city's largest hospital, is under intense fiscal scrutiny to preserve the bottom line while continuing to ensure that all patients receive nothing short of quality care and compassion.
Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee), a former Navy flight surgeon and chief of the E.D., begins the season in recovery mode after being shot by a former patient.
Now it's up to the blunt but talented Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) to show what he's made of as interim chief at the helm of Chicago's trusted and busiest ER.
Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett), the charge nurse and eyes, ears and brain of the ER, is skilled and confident but finds herself dealing with profound family issues of her own.
Ace surgeon Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains), the New Orleans-raised surgeon with a breezy manner, has finally started to let his guard down, earning the respect of his colleagues.
And now two new doctors have joined the E.D. family.
Dr. Stevie Hammer (Kristen Hager) is a brilliant, scrappy emergency medicine doctor with a surprising past and Dr. Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard) is an ex-cop who's doing a dual residency in emergency medicine and paediatrics.
Together they will confront Chicago's most critical medical cases and challenging ethical dilemmas with courage, compassion and state-of-the-art treatment.
Inspired by ripped-from-the-headlines cases, Chicago Med will weave cutting-edge medicine with the personal drama that comes with working in such a high-intensity environment.
Through it all, familiar faces from Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. will intertwine with Chicago's finest medical heroes.
In the Season 7 premiere, "You Can't Always Trust What You See": Will Halstead returns to Med to help Goodwin with a secret investigation.
Meanwhile, Archer and Charles deal with twins who insist on being identical inside and out.
Also, Stevie and Dylan treat a young patient with sickle cell anaemia.
Alaska: The Next Generation 5
Channel: National Geographic Channel (DStv 181 / StarSat 220)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Docu-Reality
Features all-new tough Alaskans who have tried contemporary life and rejected it in favour of a life of freedom in the brutal Alaskan wilderness.
They speak to the growing dissatisfaction the current generation has with technology, which is ubiquitous in modern life.
The brave crew follows these less experienced individuals as they transition from modern-day society to forge a new life for themselves in the vastness of Alaska's wild frontier.
This next generation of Alaskans are playing by their own rules, rebelling against societal norms and learning how to survive in the harsh Arctic climate.
In the Season 5 premiere, "Big Wolf": The next generation of Alaskans face brutal winter elements as their lives hang in the balance.
FASTER! Humanity's Quest to Save Time
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Technology, Lifestyle
Since just about forever, man has spent most of his time trying to find ways to save time.
But no matter how hard we've tried, we just never seem to have quite enough of it.
This series breaks down the inventions, objects and ideas that fool us into thinking we can bend time and maybe save some for later.
Each episode focuses on specific inventions and concepts that have been widely adopted around the world, from elevators and highways to microwaves and dishwashers.
The series blends interviews with experts and dynamic visual graphics that reveal refreshing insights about each time-saving invention.
The series not only considers whether our most popular innovations actually save time, but also the impacts they have on our world.
The sealable plastic container, for example, changed the way we shop for food, how we cook and where we eat meals.
But did it also contribute to an expectation of hyper-productivity?
Episode 1: The Elevator
They're the backbone of the modern city and they've literally shaped the world around us.
But have you ever thought about whether elevators are actually saving us time?
Episode 2: The Highway
Modern highway systems have turbocharged the global economy, transformed the world's landscape and revolutionized the way people all over the world think about time.
Episode 3: The Shopping Mall
Shopping malls have changed the way we shop and the way we think about shopping.
And, for better or worse, they've changed the way we think about time.
Episode 4: The Plastic Container
The sealable plastic container has changed the way we shop for food, the way we cook, and how and where we eat.
And it's changed the way we think about our time.
Episode 5: The Microwave
The microwave is part of the technological food nexus, along with ready-made meals and instant everythings.
But does its time-saving value come at a cost?
Episode 6: The Disposable Cup
The disposable cup lets us stay on the move.
But does multitasking really save us any time in the long run?
Is our desire to do more actually costing us time?
Episode 7: The Barcode
The barcode could be considered the fingerprint of highspeed capitalism.
Everything it touches suddenly moves faster.
But does this convenience come at a cost?
Episode 8: The Dishwasher
In millions of homes around the world today, doing the dishes means loading the dishwasher.
But when it comes to time, how do they stack up against handwashing?
Outback Opal Hunters 6
Channel: Discovery Channel (DStv 121)
TX Time: 20h55
Genre: Docu-Reality
From the extreme to the extraordinary, Australia's harsh and remote outback is a brutal and ever-changing beast, particularly in the battle for its most precious gemstone – opal.
The blood, sweat and tears don't always pay off, but in the massive fifth season of Outback Opal Hunters, all that is about to change.
The series follows six opal-hungry teams across three states on their quest to find a fortune.
In the Season 6 premiere: The Bushmen bring in an explosives expert to blast through the toughest rock in Grawin.
Plus, a brand-new team brings cutting edge technology to the opal fields.
Top Million Dollar Agent 6
Channel: The Home Channel (DStv 176)
TX Time: 11h30
Genre: Docu-Reality, Lifestyle
Lifestyle real estate show based on the lives and careers of some of Toronto's top realtors.
In each episode, the host has a client who is interested in buying a home, and takes them to four different multi-million dollar properties.
Only the finest luxury homes, condos and townhouses are showcased.
Also featured are guest agents, lawyers, developers and mortgage brokers who provide information on real estate markets and trends while educating audiences on how to purchase, sell, and stage real estate.
Top Million Dollar Agent is geared towards everyone – from first time buyers to experienced investors, and gives you a glimpse into the personal lives and careers of some of these top million dollar agents.
In the Season 6 premiere, "Home or Abroad": Broker Jasmine Xuereb helps home buyers Cindy and Andrew find their dream property.
The biggest hurdle is whether the dream home is in their homeland of Canada, or in beautiful, exotic Thailand.
Supersonic: The Great Adventure
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Documentary, Technology, Science, History
From the successful breaking of the sound barrier in 1947 to high performance supersonic fighter jets, to the recent NASA advances and civilian jet projects for crossing the Atlantic in only 3.5 hours, this documentary recounts 70 years of human and technological challenges.