My Brother's Keeper
Channel: Mzansi Magic (DStv 161)
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Telenovela
Telenovela which tells the tale of a family drawn into a deadly succession battle of its own making, exploring how far people will go in their quest for power and acceptance.
Set against a backdrop of the traditional custom of Ukungena and the opulent Shabalala family empire, the heart of this drama centres round Nqubeko (Wiseman Mncube), Mshengu's (Lindani Nkosi) ambitious love child, trapped in the shadows and yearning for his rightful place in the family.
Nqubeko is headstrong and tired of being sidelined by his father.
Nqubeko, driven by both ambition and the need for validation, sees an opportunity to become more powerful, setting his sights on his sister-in-law Fakazile (Zola Nombona), the key to the Shabalala legacy.
But as he navigates this dangerous path, he finds himself at odds with his siblings, especially Donga (Sdumo Mtshali), the rightful heir.
As alliances shift and secrets come to light, the Shabalala family finds itself on the verge of collapse, with each member forced to reckon with their desires, loyalties and the true cost of power.
The Shabalala family includes:
Mshengu (Lindani Nkosi)
A dominant figure, Mshengu establishes authority with a mix of savvy and confidence. His traditionalist values often clash with the changing world around him.
Khwezi (Mnqobi Kunene)
Mshengu's firstborn with MaMchunu. An astute businessman, Khwezi's unexpected absence sets in motion the drama to unfold.
Fakazile (Zola Nombona)
An independent woman and wife of Khwezi. As the key to the Shabalala empire, she becomes the focal point of the power struggle.
Nqubeko (Wiseman Mncube)
The ambitious love child, constantly seeking his father's approval. His decisions stir the pot within the Shabalala family.
Donga (Sdumo Mtshali)
Mshengu's firstborn with his first wife, representing the rightful heir to the Shabalala legacy.
Other starring cast include Nomusa (Vuyiseka Cawe), the supportive wife of Nqubeko; Thuthuka (Sparky Xulu), the charming yet irresponsible youngest Shabalala; and Ndumiso (Nkanyiso Mchunu), a man easily swayed by temptation.
A story about the corrupting nature of greed, My Brother's Keeper also features Hlengiwe Lushaba-Madlala, Raphael Griffiths and Nthabiseng Kgosana.
My Brother's Keeper is produced by Rhythm World Productions.
MORE:
TVSA Show Page: My Brother's Keeper
Who's who in Mzansi Magic's new novela My Brother's Keeper
Dirty Home Rescue
Channel: CBS Reality (DStv 132 / StarSat 170)
TX Time: 11h10
Genre: Reality Makeover, Reality
Extreme cleaners put filthy households under surveillance to scrutinise their horrific habits, before surprising them with a Dirty Home Rescue mission that will transform their lives.
Featuring one household per episode, the show rigs their houses with cameras so that experts can monitor where they're going wrong.
The homeowners are then set to work, with just two days to transform the house from filthy to flawless.
The season will kick off with Hayley Leitch and her cleaning team Tom Swire and Chesley Medley-Brown go to the rescue of Toni from Telford, whose house is so dirty her partner of 10 years, Rich, won't move in with her.
First the Dirty Home Rescue team assess the mess through rigged cameras, and once they realise just how shocking it is, head to the house to try and get it clean in just 48 hours.
But will they be able to manage it?
Cennet – The Power of Destiny
Channel: Telemundo (DStv 118)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Telenovela
Cennet was abandoned as a baby, and has struggled bravely through life, desperate for the motherly love she has missed out on.
Brought up by her grandmother, Cennet has little in her life apart from her best friend.
However, an accident breaks them apart and he vanishes from her life.
Years later, despite her poor background, Cennet has worked hard to become the top student in her architecture class.
Following their graduation, her schoolmate Melisa's mother offers her a dream job at her successful firm.
There she meets Selim, and as they are drawn to each other he starts remembering Cennet - as the childhood friend that he had long since forgotten.
Their relationship isn't welcomed by Melisa's mother who plans for her daughter to marry Selim.
When she discovers a birthmark on Cennet's neck, identical to that of the baby she abandoned over 20 years ago, she starts to believe that Cennet's appearance is no coincidence – and reacts not with maternal affection, but a plan to get rid of her from her life.
The series is based on the South Korean series Tears of Heaven and its original Turkish title is Cennet'in Gözyaslari.
The Psychedelic Drug Trial: A Cure for Depression?
Channel: S3
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Documentary
This documentary offers exclusive access to a groundbreaking new trial at Imperial College London.
The trial sees, for the first time ever, and under controlled conditions, a psychedelic drug tested head-to-head against a standard antidepressant as a treatment for depression.
The film follows a pioneering team of scientists and psychotherapists, led by Professor David Nutt, Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, and Dr Rosalind Watts, as they compare the effects of psilocybin (the active ingredient of magic mushrooms) with an antidepressant (an SSRI called escitalopram) on a small group of participants with clinical depression.
This is scientific research at its most cutting-edge.
With over seven-million people being prescribed antidepressants each year in England alone, this drug trial is an important milestone in understanding a completely different treatment for depression.
Filmed over 16 months, the film explores both the immediate and long-term impacts of the trial on the lives of participants.
It investigates whether psychedelic drugs combined with psychological support could help tackle one of the biggest medical challenges faced today and what it takes to conduct research in uncharted scientific territory.
How do psychedelic drugs measure up against the industry-standard antidepressants that have been popular since the 1990s?
The empirical results of the trial are explored alongside the participants' powerful lived experience.
Jamie's Quick & Easy Food
Channel: The Home Channel (DStv 176 / Openview 113)
TX Time: 14h00
Genre: Food
Jamie Oliver presents the ultimate set of go-to recipes for quick and easy-to-remember cooking.
If you think you haven't got time to cook - think again.
In the series premiere: "Scallops, Steak, Flat Breads": Jamie kicks off with seared scallops with black pudding and speedy spuds and peas.
There's also rib-eye steak; flat breads and mango chutney; and Jamie's almond pastry puff.
The Truth About Viral Videos
Channel: SABC2
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Technology
Dogs, cats, babies, TikTok trends... we scroll through them mindlessly, often for hours day.
But what if viral videos are doing more to our world than we realise?
This series examines the sensations that go viral, the producers behind the videos and the businesses that are profiting from the platforms, to ask the question: who's really in control?
From the truth behind Tiktok's banning in several countries and collection of users' intimate data, and the factors underlying the attraction of viral videos of animals and children, to the fall out influencers can experience after Internet fame, this series dives deep into the addictive viral video world.
Does Murder Sleep?
Channel: Investigation Discovery (DStv 171 / StarSat 223)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series
When we sleep, we are at our most vulnerable.
Sometimes crimes occur when a few or even all key characters are fast asleep.
These stories tap into the primal fear, present since childhood, of what happens once we shut our eyes.
In the series premiere, "No Checking Out": In 2010, Greg Fleniken was found murdered in a Texas hotel.
The case runs cold until a Long Island PI uncovers a chilling conspiracy that no one saw coming.
Attack of the Zombie Fungus
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 22h00
Genre: Documentary, Nature
We think of fungi as the bottom of the food chain, the recyclers in the circle of life.
But fungi are predators. They feed on life. And there are more out there than we ever knew.
As we spread into every corner of planet Earth, they are also discovering us – and that we might be the perfect host.
Earth From Space
Channel: BBC UKTV (DStv 134)
TX Time: 15h15
Genre: Documentary, Factual
Narrated by Oscar-winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) comes the latest production from the BBC Studios Natural History Unit.
Epic migration. Shifting seasons. The turning tide. Cameras in space capture natural spectacles on an epic scale and are now so advanced they can track down individual animals and humans.
In Earth From Space, cutting-edge technology tells the story of life on Earth from a brand-new perspective.
Marvel at the dancing neon Northern Lights and the zoom in on herds of elephants searching for water and discover previously unknown colonies of penguins.
With the Earth's surface changing faster than ever before, can the view from space inspire us to look after our unique and fragile home?
In the series premiere, satellites follow an elephant family struggling through drought, reveal previously unknown emperor penguin colonies from the colour of their poo, and discover mysterious ice rings that could put seal pups in danger.