Special Ops: Lioness
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 21h15
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Special Ops: Lioness, inspired by an actual US military program, follows the life of Joe while she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear in the war on terror.
The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade and Donald Westfield, enlists an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism in the CIA's efforts to thwart the next 9/11.
Cruz is a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine recruited to join the Lioness Team to help bring down a terrorist organisation from within.
Zoe Saldaña plays Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
Executive producer Nicole Kidman plays Kaitlyn Meade, the CIA's senior supervisor who has had a long career of playing the politics game.
She must juggle the trappings of being a woman in the high-ranking intelligence community, a wife who longs for the attention she herself can't even give and a mentor to someone veering suspiciously close to the same rocky road she's found herself on.
Jamie's Quick & Easy Food 2
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 Season 2 premiere, "Pork, Meringue, Harissa Chicken": Jamie delivers up some super-fast peachy pork chops, berry meringue ripple, and a harissa chicken traybake.
BBQ Brawl: Flay v. Burrell v. Tila 3
Channel: Food Network (DStv 175)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Reality Competition, Food
The brawl returns with superstar chefs Anne Burrell and Jet Tila challenging the undefeated champion, Bobby Flay, for a chance at leading Food Network's next 'Master of 'Cue' to victory in the new season of BBQ Brawl.
Through eight episodes, Bobby, Anne and Jet mentor and coach nine upcoming stars in the barbecue world with culinary battles that test their skills and their ability to work together as a team.
With the captains guiding their teams every step of the way, a panel of judges featuring barbecue legend Rodney Scott, famed chef Brooke Williamson, and lifestyle personality Carson Kressley decide which competitor is worthy of being crowned 'Master of 'Cue' and appear across Food Network's digital platforms to become its official BBQ expert for the year.
Set at the Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas, the competitors are divided into three teams under the tutelage of Bobby, Anne, and Jet.
In each episode the captains must do everything in their power to keep their team members in the game - including diving into the action themselves - guiding the hopefuls in two rounds of grilling and smoking challenges.
The team that is determined by the judges to be least successful in the challenges will have one of their contenders eliminated.
Bobby, Jet and Anne will give it their all to stay in contention, but in the end, only one competitor and captain will reign supreme.
In the Season 3 premiere: The new batch of contenders arrive at the ranch and must introduce themselves to the captains by making a signature skewer that packs big flavour in a little bite in hopes of being picked by Bobby, Anne and Jet for their team.
Then, the competitors face off in the first team brawl full of high stakes and featuring a major competition-changing twist.
In another episode, the BBQ hopefuls showcase their talent by creating a dinner party in two hours using only the ingredients provided to them in coolers stocked with everything you would find in the kitchens of different households.
And see what happens when the competitors are challenged to communicate with BBQ lovers across social media to prove they can cook and connect with fans wherever they may be.
The competitors that make it to the finale have one more chance to prove themselves worthy of the 'Master of 'Cue' title and walk away with ultimate bragging rights.
The remaining competitors must go all out to impress the judges as they cook a full BBQ dinner feast in only six hours using a whole suckling pig.
But it won't be easy, as the judges throw twists and turns at the competitors throughout the challenge.
MTV Shuga Down South 3
Channel: eExtra (Openview 105 / StarSat 489 / DStv 195)
TX Time: 23h15
Genre: Drama
The new season returns, tackling social issues such as HIV prevention, HIV self testing, treatment adherence, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, substance abuse, self-care, mental health, gender-based violence and various issues involving the LGBTQI+ community, amongst others.
Each storyline is laced with an original musical score from Amapiano to Afrobeats and every genre in between.
Amapiano power duo Mellow & Sleazy and Matorokisi singer Makhadzi make guest appearances, and this season unveils a dramatic drum majorette crew, that incorporates traditional and modern dance styles whilst adding a burst of colour to the episodes.
We'll see the return of some familiar faces from previous seasons, but there are also fresh faces unearthed from an open call to the public late in 2022.
The cast portrays each starry-eyed character on a mission to achieve their dreams no matter their circumstances, showcasing the character's life struggles and their efforts to break the cycle of hardship.
The cast includes young actors from the African continent and across the queer spectrum, each bringing unique perspectives to the show's storyline.
Loved or hated, each character takes you on a whirlwind experience of their lives, reflecting on views of issues that modern-day African youth are faced with.
The new cast includes:
Zazi Kunene as Nono (Lady Groove), a bubbly, up-and-coming Amapiano DJ on the rise, who seems to stop at nothing to become the next best thing in Mzansi.
Ziya Xulu as Warona, a shy, queer teenager who loves music and is a good dancer struggling with weight issues and the death of a close friend.
Tyson Mathonsi as Sandile (Snacks), a rich-kid hustler and manipulative flirt.
Ayakha Ntunja as Thembi, a feisty attention-seeking go-getter who is the star of her school's drum majorette team and a popular girl who finds herself growing up much faster than expected.
Ayanda Nzimande as Kedibone, a young queer girl who is very loving and supportive of those around her.
Lobisa Tsatsi as Azania, a young woman who is living with HIV, and is on a mission to document positive social media content to break the stereotypes around it.
She's also attempting to build a life and family with her HIV-negative high school sweetheart Victor.
Alex Aduka as Victor, a hardworking good guy with a big heart.
Living in the inner city of Johannesburg as a foreign national presents its fair share of challenges for Victor as he battles a two-year unemployment spell.
Palesa Mothopi as Vuvu, a quick-witted teen who hides her sense of displacement and the general feeling of lack of belonging by bullying and humiliating her peers who are all petrified of her.
Chidera Nwoha as Khenzo, a social recluse with a creative fashion flair, well-loved by his teachers but battling an addiction to Lean (a cough syrup mixture and antiretrovirals cocktail drug).
Naret Loots as Emma, a fun-loving girl who can dance and has immersed herself in black popular culture, and a friend of Nono's from primary school.
Also joining the cast for the new season are Nimrod Nkosi (Blessing), Seiphemo Motswiri (Robert Mosimane), Thuli Thabethe (Nomazizi Mkhize), Josias Moleele (Coach Sono), Lerato Mvelase (Mam' Grace) and Leera Mthethwa (Nurse Keitu).
This season will see various breathtaking reflections of South African society, from the grimy hustle and bustle of downtown Johannesburg with dwellings for the homeless, dumping sites, rats and pigeons.
This setting is home to this season's dilapidated inner-city high school that has seen better days Jubilee High, and the barren apartment occupied by controversial character Sol, played by Ayanda Makayi.
Viewers are also taken to the townships and exposed to the fast-paced streets of Orlando East in Soweto and then in contrast to the glitz and glam and manicured lawns of Sandton.
Then it's off to a rural KwaZulu-Natal beachfront village where we see Dee Rasedile's character Thuli's emotional journey begin this season as she returns to the series.
TVSA Show Page: MTV Shuga Down South 3 (with extra character bios)
The Truth About My Murder 2
Channel: CBS Justice (DStv 170)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary Series
When a murder is committed, it's always a race against time to find the truth - to separate fact from fiction, catch the killer, and to make sure that justice is served.
But what happens when the truth vanishes with the victim?
Forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd has performed nearly 23,000 autopsies, inclusive of some of the most high-profile cases of recent times.
He's learnt that the dead don't hide the truth and they never lie.
Through Dr Shepherd, you'll be hearing directly from the victims.
From a state-of-the-art laboratory, with groundbreaking technology that uses digitally scanned sample bodies, he'll be investigating a series of intriguing murders where from the victims' bodies, he'll be revealing the truth behind those perplexing crimes.
In the Season 2 premiere, "Deborah Chong": Forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd investigates the horrific murder of Deborah Chong, whose remains were found in Devon in 2021 after a fellow churchgoer killed her in her own London home.