We Bought a Funeral Home
Channel: HGTV (DStv 177)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Reality Makeover, Home Improvement, Reality
An eerie series that will unearth an unconventional side of the home renovation realm.
The six episodes will document the quirky journey of Heather and Arryn Blumberg and their two kids, Rafferty and Noa, who trade in big city life to buy, renovate and design a 12,000-square-foot, 1800s Victorian funeral home in the small town of Dresden, Ontario.
The decrepit three-story, 38-room property, filled with meandering maze-like hallways and staircases, will be quite an undertaking for the Halloween- and horror-obsessed family who bring it back to life as their weird and wonderful dream home.
The Blumbergs will rely on each other, as well as the help of a skilled construction crew, to pull off this massive glam goth overhaul, wrought with strange shadows, frightening noises and a shocking discovery.
In the series premiere, "What Have We Done?": The Blumbergs will run into a string of spooky occurrences while settling into their new funeral home.
Heather and Arryn will choose a local contractor to take on the enormous $400,000 renovation project and the entire family will get their hands dirty as demolition begins on the monstrous property.
In the second episode of the weekly double bill, "A Spooky Basement Makeover": Living through a funeral home renovation proves to be nerve-racking.
Plus, the old embalming area is turned into a speakeasy with a luxe cigar lounge.
A Black and White Killing: The Case that Shook America
Channel: S3
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary
It looked like a cold-blooded murder.
At midnight outside a convenience store, a white supremacist ran over and killed a young black man in his Jeep, while his girlfriend was heard yelling "Get him baby, get him".
Shortly afterwards, CCTV of the incident went viral and shocked America. Not just because of its brutality, but because of the question at its heart: was he killed because he was black?
In search of an answer to that question, journalist Mobeen Azhar tries to get inside the mind of the killer Russell 'The Muscle' Courtier, a member of the notorious white supremacist gang European Kindred.
Less a whodunnit than a whydunnit, Mobeen's journey takes him into a secret world of white supremacists, which provides a virulent backdrop to the trial.
And getting to know more about the victim Larnell Bruce as the case unfolds, it soon becomes anything but black and white.
Mobeen presents a two-part series which unpicks events from every angle.
He meets outwardly anti-black extremists, racist neo-nazi skinheads and murderers, uncovering a dark underbelly to the supposedly hipster, liberal city of Portland.
As it turns out, despite its progressive reputation, the state of Oregon was originally created as a white-only ethno-state, which by the 1920s had more Ku Klux Klan members per head than anywhere else.
It is a conflicted history with present-day incarnations.
In the run-up to the trial there is a spate of swastikas daubed on public buildings and a truck turned into a mobile advert for Nazi beliefs.
In response, billboards spring up to alert the public to the existence of 21 white supremacist groups in Oregon.
And most dramatically, anti-fascist groups take to the streets and engage in very public mass brawls with alt-right activists.
In this cauldron of hate, Larnell Bruce's death becomes part of a very public battle, which is about decades of racial tension rather than what happened to one young black man.
Mobeen attends the trial on a daily basis, listening to evidence, such as the European Kindred cap that was found at the scene, the gang tattoo on Courtier's leg, and crucial testimony from eyewitnesses.
With privileged access, Mobeen meets with some of the expert witnesses from court outside of the trial.
At every twist and turn he pursues his own investigations, getting to know the families of the defendant and the victim.
He visits the crime scene with the lead detective.
And critically, he meets with members of the European Kindred gang, that is accused of spawning the white hatred in the first place.
All roads in the investigation eventually lead into the racially-segregated American prison system, which gave birth to European Kindred.
In the tradition of large Californian gangs such as Aryan Brotherhood, Courtier's gang controls the white side of the prison yard.
Going behind bars to confront the racist gangs for himself, Mobeen admits that "everything I am: a brown-skinned Muslim journalist – is everything they hate..."
Some court cases are important for the legal precedent they set, others for the political reverberations they send out.
The case of Russell Courtier is both: a jury is asked to decide, based on circumstantial evidence, how racist were his thoughts as he put his foot on the pedal, while the whole of America – where the scars of racial injustice still run deep – watches and waits for the verdict.
Heartstopper 3
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: Drama
Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love in this coming-of-age series.
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love.
When gentle Charlie and rugby-loving Nick meet at secondary school, they quickly discover that their unlikely friendship is blossoming into an unexpected romance.
Charlie, Nick and their circle of friends must navigate the ever-relatable journey of self discovery and acceptance, supporting each other as they learn to find their most authentic selves.
This season, Charlie would like to tell Nick that he loves him. Nick also has something important to say to Charlie.
As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, the friends begin to realise that the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges.
As they learn more about each other and their relationships, plan social events and parties and start thinking about university choices, everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn't go to plan.
To Catch a Smuggler 8
Channel: National Geographic Channel (DStv 181)
TX Time: 18h50
Genre: Documentary Series
124-million people enter the USA through the nation's airports each year.
It's a nonstop human tidal wave and hidden amongst them are an endless stream of contraband and ill intentions.
Defending the borders are the vigilant men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, whose agencies make up a three-tiered defence of America's airports.
Using every tool available to them, DHS will stop at nothing to catch a smuggler.
In the Season 8 premiere, "These Bedsheets are Dope!": CBP Dulles finds drugs as US becomes a source country.
CBP seizes cocaine and meth in Texas and San Diego Border Patrol tracks human smugglers.
Life Below Zero 3
Channel: BBC UKTV (DStv 134)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Docu-Reality
Alaskans must travel through unfamiliar, freezing and treacherous territories to harvest new and necessary resources, preparing themselves for a dark winter in the Arctic.
The struggle for survival continues this season for Sue Aikens, Jessie Holmes, Glenn Villaneuve and the Hailstone family as the onslaught of winter looms once again in Alaska.
With the last of the longer days coming to an end, the Alaskans must travel through unfamiliar territories and stockpile resources before the waterways freeze and winter's dark, brutal conditions overtake the land.
But as the nights draw in, the inhabitants have fewer daylight hours to build vital tools, hunt for food and sharpen their survival skills.
They work hard, but life is tough when you live off the grid, miles from the nearest road - and those who dwell on the frontier of the Arctic must do whatever is in their power to secure their homesteads for the cold, dark winter that lies ahead.
In the Season 3 premiere, "Ready or Not": During Autumn those in the Arctic are making their final preparations for the long winter months to come.
In Eagle, Andy and Kate are rushing to get their fish wheel ready before the chum salmon run begins.
In Kavik, Sue searches for food so she can survive the coming freeze.
Glam Guru 23
Channel: kykNET (DStv 144)
TX Time: 17h30
Genre: Reality Makeover, Afrikaans
Hannon, who has been one of kykNET's most popular faces since 2008, returns with his popular makeover transformations with tips to inspire every woman as well as give them a new energy for life.
This season, after requests from viewers who want to see male candidates transformed, Hannon will address the challenges men face with their looks.
In the Season 23 premiere: Former Springbok rugby player and captain of the Lions, Jaco Kriel, must undergo an appearance transformation from sportsman to businessman.
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