Yoh' Christmas
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: Comedy, Miniseries, Comedy-Drama
A romantic comedy television miniseries in which Thando - perpetually single and tired of the constant comments on her relationship status - starts a 24-day hunt for a boyfriend to bring home for Christmas.
Katlego Lebogang plays 30-year-old physiotherapist Thando, who is fed up with the constant reminder of her single status.
Thando is lucky and successful in everything - but love - a detail her family and society never let her forget.
After one too many Christmas Eve family dinners relegated to the kiddies' table, Thando is determined to change her fate.
Things will be different this year, as she announces she's bringing a boyfriend home. The only snag is she doesn't have one... yet.
In 24 days, she must find and introduce a boyfriend to her father (Sello Motloung) and mother (Sthandiwe Kgoroge) at the annual family dinner.
With only 24 days left for her to find her man, Thando is forced to reckon with a muddy and ever-shrinking dating pool.
With her best friends Charles (Siya Sepotokele) and Riri (Didie Makobane) lending support, Thando ventures on a series of dates - some good, some bad, some just downright weird - to make her imaginary boyfriend a reality.
Enter a motley group of potential baes: a handsome doctor and colleague, Ben (Anthony Oseyemi); a ripped fitness instructor, Xolani (Siv Ngesi); an ex-politician (Hlomla Dandala) and a charming Ben 10, Motheo (Ntobeko Sishi), among others.
The cast also includes Dorothy Ann Gould, Lerato Mvelase, Tiffany Barbuzano and Tumisho Masha.
Yoh! Christmas was created by Johnny Barbuzano and Tiffany Barbuzano and is produced by them and Morishe Matlejoane for BBZEE Productions.
TVSA Show Page: Yoh' Christmas
Shaka iLembe
Channel: Mzansi Wethu (DStv 163)
TX Time: 21h30
Genre: Drama, Period Drama
Period drama set in the 1700s, which tells the story of the making of the iconic African king, with iterations from his early childhood through to adulthood.
It is a re-telling of the story of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona.
Filmed in isiZulu, the series tells the origin story of the famous Zulu King and the events that shaped his remarkable life.
While the series is an entertainment title and a fictional interpretation of historical events, the producers have taken care to ensure that Nguni culture is authentically portrayed and respected.
The production was six years in the making and consulted historians, academics and family descendants, including the late King Goodwill Zwelithini and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Striking a balance between historical authenticity and drama is crucial to the plot.
The two key actors playing Shaka are Lemogang Tsipa (adult king) and newcomer Ntando Zondi (boy king).
The cast includes Nomzamo Mbatha, who plays Queen Nandi, the revered mother of Shaka; with Thembinkosi Mthembu starring as King Dingiswayo and Wiseman Mncube in the role of King Zwide.
Shaka iLembe is an Mzansi Magic Original Production, produced by Bomb.
Main Characters
Young Shaka
and
Adult Shaka
Son of Queen Nandi and Zulu King Senzangakhona kaJama.
Shaka and his mother were outcasts who endured hardships which shaped him to become a legendary leader and warrior.
His story of unwavering determination and unbreakable will is a testament to the power of the human spirit.
He went on to conquer and unify many kingdoms to build the Zulu nation and left an indelible mark on African history that continues to fascinate people around the world.
Queen Nandi
Daughter of King Mbengi of the Langeni and Queen Mfunda, Nandi was a woman ahead of her time.
Beautiful and bold, she defied societal norms and chose to chart her own path.
Mother of Shaka kaSenzangakhona, who despite enduring many hardships nurtured and guided him to become a legendary leader, instilling in him the strength, love, and bravery that defined his reign.
Queen Nandi remains a revered African icon.
Senzangakhona (played by Senzo Radebe)
Son of King Jama and Queen Mthaniya.
Senzangakhona kaJama, became king of the Zulus and father to Shaka.
He was a charismatic leader who was also known for his dashing looks.
Despite his disappointment at not being the great leader the Sanusi's foretold, from his seed came the greatest Zulu king and many thereafter that continued to unite and lead the Zulu Nation long after his reign.
Mkabayi (played by Dawn Thandeka King)
Princess Mkabayi kaJama, daughter of King Jama and sister to King Senzangakhona kaJama.
Mkabayi was a kingmaker and visionary who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Zulu Nation.
Her commitment to her people and the vision of her ancestors and her unparalleled strategic thinking make her a true icon in Zulu history.
Dingiswayo (played by Thembinkosi Mthembu)
Son of King Jobe of the Mthethwa.
Formerly known as Godongwana, who fled into exile and against great odds returned as Dingiswayo and ascended to the throne of the mighty Mthethwa.
King Dingiswayo was an inspirational leader, gifted strategist and skilled warrior known for his military prowess, wise counsel, and ability for diplomacy.
He became a key mentor to Shaka and helped shape him into a great warrior and lauded leader.
Baleka (played by Hope Mbhele)
Baleka (fictional) was a healer for the Mthethwa King Jobe and later King Makhasana of the Mabhudu.
A passionate healer, she was a young scientist.
Filled with determination and fierce independence, she dedicated her life to healing and the direction of the ancestors, bringing comfort to those in need.
She believed in the importance of pursuing her own dreams and aspirations, regardless of societal expectations.
Zwide (played by Wiseman Mncube)
Zwide, son of the feared Queen Ntombazi and King Langa.
He was a shrewd and dangerous warrior who out-maneuvered his adversaries with deft strategy and ruthlessness.
He shared his mother's ambitions to build an empire and was fiercely committed to protecting and providing for his people.
Queen Ntombazi (played by Khabonina Qubeka)
Queen Ntombazi, mother of the great Ndwandwe King Zwide kaLanga, was a powerful and enigmatic force in her own right.
Revered by some as a mystical and wise leader, and feared by others as a witch, she had dreams of building an empire and utilised her formidable intellect and cunning to fight for the prosperity of her people.
Queen Mthaniya (played by Sthandiwe Kgoroge)
Wife to King Jama, mother to King Senzangakhona.
Queen Mthaniya is strong, dignified, and strategic.
She becomes regent for some time after her husband dies and before her son becomes king.
Mthaniya is a nurturer to both her son Senzangakhona and later her grandson Shaka.
TVSA Show Page: Shaka iLembe
The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For
Channel: eReality (Openview 108)
TX Time: 20h50
Genre: Documentary Series, Fashion, Docu-Drama
The Curse of Von Dutch chronicles the unbelievable true story behind the rise and fall of one of the 2000s' most iconic fashion trends.
In this epic character-driven saga, Venice Beach surfers, gangsters, European garmentos and Hollywood movers and shakers all vie for control of the infamous brand - pushing it from obscurity to one of the most recognisable labels on Earth.
After a decade of backstabbing, greed, and bloodshed, their lives - and pop culture - will never be the same.
This sprawling three-part documentary series chronicles the tumultuous - and some say cursed - rise and fall of the Von Dutch fashion brand.
Who Created Von Dutch?
In the mid-90s, a cocaine kingpin from Venice Beach and a fledgling gangster from Santa Cruz set out to become legitimate businessmen and launch a classic Americana fashion brand, inspired by the father of hot rod culture, Kenneth "Von Dutch" Howard.
The Art of War
A Danish Tae Kwon Do champion named Tonny Sørenson invests in Von Dutch, becoming the majority stakeholder and CEO.
Creative differences begin to unfold, setting into motion a series of terminations from the company and dangerous plots and schemes.
Von Douche
Tonny takes full control and Von Dutch skyrockets through the fashion stratosphere.
However, his former partners have become spiteful, willing to resort to desperate measures to sabotage the brand, leading to the biggest collapse in fashion history.
Carol & The End of The World
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: Comedy, Animation, Miniseries
As a planetary apocalypse looms, a woman struggling to embrace end-times chaos searches for meaning in her last months on Earth.
Martha Kelly (Baskets, Euphoria) stars in this existential workplace comedy created by Dan Guterman (Community).
Reacher 2
Channel: Prime Video
TX Time: 00h01
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Season 2 begins when veteran military police investigator Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) receives a coded message that the members of his former US Army unit, the 110th MP Special Investigations, are being mysteriously and brutally murdered one by one.
Pulled from his drifter lifestyle, Reacher reunites with three of his former teammates turned chosen family to investigate, including Frances Neagley (Maria Sten); Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), a forensic accountant for whom Reacher has long had a soft spot; and fast-talking, switchblade-wielding family man David O'Donnell (Shaun Sipos).
Together, they begin to connect the dots in a mystery where the stakes get higher at every turn, and brings about questions of who has betrayed them - and who will die next.
Using his inimitable blend of smarts and size, Reacher will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and protect the members of his unit.
If there's one thing Reacher and his team know for certain, it's that you do not mess with the Special Investigators.
This season, get ready for Reacher and the 110th to hit back hard.
Season 2 is based on Bad Luck and Trouble, the 11th book in Lee Child's best-selling series.
The Hills 4
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: Docu-Reality
The Hills is back for Season 4, and the girls are beginning to make some big decisions that will set the course for the rest of their lives.
While Lauren struggles to balance the tension between her roommates, Audrina and Lo, she starts dating Doug, an old flame from Laguna Beach.
Meanwhile, Brody, Audrina and just about everyone else warn Lauren not to trust her new friend, Stephanie Pratt (Spencer's sister).
And when Lauren makes a surprising discovery about Stephanie and Doug, she realises that her friends might be right.
Just as Audrina thinks it's time to let her boyfriend Justin go and begins dating Colin, Justin turns up the heat in their relationship, leaving her torn.
Whitney rises up the ranks at People's Revolution much faster than she expected and meets a model in New York who could possibly sweep her off her feet.
And Heidi deals with the consequences of moving back in with Spencer, including putting her job at risk.
As if that wasn't enough, Heidi's sister Holly comes from Colorado for an indefinite visit, putting some serious pressure on her renewed relationship with Spencer.
During season 4 of The Hills, life in Los Angeles only gets more complicated as friendships, relationships and loyalties are tested like never before.