Bou of Breek
Channel: kykNET (DStv 144)
TX Time: 17h30
Genre: Reality Makeover, Home Improvement, Reality, Afrikaans
Whether it's giving an existing room a complete makeover or constructing an entirely new home, nothing is too much to ask for Johan and Zanelle Dorfling, owners of Country Home and Design in Jeffreys Bay.
In Bou of Breek this couple will showcase, over 13 episodes, how they breathe new life into existing spaces while staying within budget – from the Eastern Cape to Stellenbosch.
In each episode, the Dorflings collaborate with their clients to transform everything from homes to businesses into breathtaking places.
Johan, better known as Pikkie, and Zanelle have been married for 20 years and are almost polar opposites.
Johan is an introvert; Zanelle is an extrovert. Johan takes his time making decisions; Zanelle acts before she thinks. Johan is precise; Zanelle easily colours outside the lines.
Yet each brings their own unique experience, skills and artistry to every project they take on.
Some of the projects featured in Bou of Breek include the restoration of a home in St. Francis Bay for a family that traded Johannesburg for the Eastern Cape, a barbershop in Stellenbosch, and a house on the Gamtoos River that is being transformed into guest accommodation.
The producer of the series is actor Reynardt Hugo (Binnelanders).
The Americas
Channel: M-Net (DStv 101)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Wildlife, Nature
The Americas showcases the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the world's great supercontinent.
For the first time, the Americas stars in its own series, using cutting-edge technology to uncover never-before-seen behaviour, and highlight extraordinary, untold wildlife stories.
Five years in the making and filmed over 180 expeditions, this series reveals the spectacular landscapes of Earth's most varied landmass - the only one to stretch between both poles.
The Americas' unprecedented scale and ambition delivers world firsts: new species, new intimate courtship, dramatic deep-sea hunting and some of nature's strangest stories - even a frog that seems to defy death every day.
Each hourlong episode features a different location across the Americas: The Atlantic Coast, Mexico, The Wild West, The Amazon, The Frozen North, The Gulf Coast, The Andes, The Caribbean, The West Coast and Patagonia.
The series is narrated by Tom Hanks, with music by Hans Zimmer.
In the series premiere, "The Atlantic Coast": The Atlantic Coast, where wild and urban worlds intersect in unexpected ways.
On North Carolina's Outer Banks, an aging stallion's battle to defend his family reveals the intense, unseen dramas of wild horse life.
In Chesapeake Bay, rare footage captures bald eagles chasing ospreys mid-air for a hard-won meal.
Beneath the waters of the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," sand tiger sharks act as unlikely guardians for schools of scad fish, a behaviour only recently observed.
In New York City, a young raccoon learns the challenges of urban survival in a vertical world, while under threat from predatory red-tailed hawks, something seldom seen before.
In the Appalachian forests, young black bears forage and fireflies light up the darkness, and in New England, a 130-year-old red oak tree's preparation for winter is captured in stunning macro detail, revealing the intricate changes within its leaves.
Ancient Aliens: Origins
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 12h55
Genre: Documentary Series, Mystery
Ancient Aliens: Origins takes you back to where it all began by revisiting the most compelling mysteries explored over the past 15 years of Ancient Aliens.
In each episode, experts such as Giorgio Tsoukalos, David Childress, William Henry and Nick Pope engage in thought-provoking conversations on topics central to the Ancient Astronaut Theory.
From astonishing feats of engineering to enigmatic UFOs and sky gods, they delve deep into the series' extensive archive, reflecting on past investigations, sharing personal insights from their adventures, and offering new perspectives on the ancient enigmas that have captivated humanity for centuries.
In the series premiere, "Extraordinary Engineering": One of the most compelling arguments for the Ancient Astronaut theory is the remarkable engineering evident in the construction of ancient megalithic sites worldwide.
Even with the most advanced machinery available today, replicating these ancient wonders would be a daunting task.
The colossal stones, precise cuts and perfectly fitted blocks at many of these sites hint at the fascinating prospect of advanced technology.
Join experts Giorgio Tsoukalos, William Henry and Jason Martell as they embark on a global investigation, revisiting the series archives of Ancient Aliens to explore the most enigmatic archaeological sites, including Giza, Puma Punku, Nan Madol, Baalbek and others.
Murder of a Former First Lady
Channel: eExtra (Openview 105 / StarSat 489 / DStv 195)
TX Time: 20h30
Genre: True Crime, Documentary
This documentary is about the brutal killing of South Africa's former first lady.
Marike de Klerk was married to South Africa's last white president, FW de Klerk. She was at his side when he freed Nelson Mandela and when Apartheid was dismantled in the early 1990s.
But in 1998, FW de Klerk divorced her.
Marike was alone - as the ex wife of a president, she was no longer afforded security detail.
She moved to a security complex in Bloubergstrand where she lived in an apartment on the beachfront.
It was while at home at the Dolphin Beach Complex that she was killed.
A security guard working there broke into her flat on the 2nd of December, 2001.
She was stabbed and strangled with such force that all four bones in her throat were broken. Her body was only discovered two days later.
This documentary examines the media frenzy that ensued, the investigation by a crack police team, and the trial of Luyanda Mboniswa that made international headlines.
We unravel the investigation - from interviews with the forensic pathologist to interviews with the investigating police officer, this documentary will bring you insight into how the police were able to arrest the suspect less than a week after the murder.
Through cellphone technology, DNA forensic evidence and witness testimony the state was able to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Luyanda Mboniswa was convicted of the murder, given a life sentence and paroled in 2023.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht 5
Channel: E! (DStv 124)
TX Time: 18h10
Genre: Docu-Reality
Capt. Glenn and his expert crew set sail on Parsifal III to the luxury party capital of the world, Ibiza.
While Ibiza is known for its sunny day parties and crystal-clear coast, it's stormy waters ahead for the crew as they navigate blossoming boatmances, competitive co-workers and tense personal dynamics, all while trying to raise the bar every charter.
After a distracting love triangle last season that took her focus away from work, Daisy is ready to take the reins back in the interior department with a new sense of energy and determination.
However, plans for a stress-free charter season are threatened when her stews question her leadership.
On deck, Gary attempts to keep his team motivated as one crew member struggles to learn the ropes.
In the galley, Chef Cloyce charms the crew and guests but at only 22, he may be too inexperienced to meet the demands of the high-maintenance charter guests.
In the Season 5 premiere, "Ibiza, Baby!": Gary and Daisy try to work through the resentments that bubbled up between seasons while the new crew members get feisty and flirty.
After the charter guests come aboard and luxuriate in a majestic sail, the first dinner of the season looks likely to capsize when Chef Cloyce can’t keep up with the guests' individual requests.
Sister Boniface Mysteries
Channel: BBC UKTV (DStv 134)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Period Drama, Mystery
First there was Father Brown. Now, say hello to Sister Boniface.
This clever, moped-riding nun is the police's secret weapon for solving murders in this divine Father Brown spin-off.
Lorna Watson is back in the habit as Sister Boniface and countryside criminals should start saying their Hail Marys, as her faith in forensics is only rivalled by her passion for investigation.
In rural Warwickshire in the 1960's, police forensics is rudimentary by today's standards.
DNA is yet to be discovered. Blood testing can take days. The notion of trace evidence is in its infancy and the preservation of crime scenes is shockingly hit and miss.
Fortunately the Great Slaughter Constabulary has a secret weapon in its fight against crime.
Hidden deep in the countryside is St Vincent's Convent, a small community of wine making nuns where ensconced in a laboratory is Sister Boniface.
An IQ of 156 and a PHD in forensic science, plus an addiction to popular detective fiction and a fully equipped crime laboratory make Boniface an invaluable aid to police investigations.
Mud, blood, stains, hairs and fibres. If there is evidence to be found Boniface will find it.
Poisons, trace evidence, blood stains, etymology. She's more up to speed on the latest forensic techniques than the police.
In her role as official Police Scientific Advisor, Boniface works alongside the dashing Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie and Felix Livingstone, a high-flying Bermudian Detective Sergeant.
Felix was supposed to be on secondment to the Metropolitan Police but an administrative error lands him in Great Slaughter.
A cast of eccentric local characters combined with his boss's reliance on a nun leave him reeling.
Although as Sam points out, that "Nun" ensures they have the highest clean-up rate in the county.
Predator v Prey 2
Channel: Nat Geo Wild (DStv 182 / StarSat 221)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Wildlife, Documentary Series
This series follows the fortunes of some of the world's most formidable apex predators, including leopards, grey wolves and crocodiles, focusing on their high-stake hunts and the multitude of factors that contribute to their success or failure.
Combining premium specialist archive footage and innovative new VFX techniques, each episode will feature a different species and reveal moment by moment the predatory features that are essential to overcoming the challenges to survive their world.
Each episode weaves archive footage with high-end graphics to tell character-driven stories about the hunting strategies, and tactics, of the planet's most iconic predators.
Each episode focuses on a single predator species.
The episodes weave together premium archive footage to show how key predators survive changing landscapes, shifting seasons and pride/pack dynamics – all while focusing in on their unique hunting skills.
To bring to life these predator-prey interactions, a new 3D-graphics game engine will be used to freeze and showcase pivotal predatory events from multiple angles.
These killer moments will explore hidden perspectives, biology and behaviour, all based on the latest scientific research, providing an immersive, analytical and comprehensive view of life as a top predator in the most dramatic of ways.
In the Season 2 premiere, "Polar Bear": A forensic look at how polar bears hunt seals, whales and walruses, offering new perspectives on how they expertly detect, track and execute the kill.
My Big Day: Home or Away?
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 21h15
Genre: Reality
Tara Fay and Bruce Russell are wedding planners who've risen to the top tier of their profession – creating elegant receptions and exclusive private events for celebrity clients all over Europe.
Friends, contemporaries and now, rivals...
Tara and Bruce compete to convince a couple that they have the perfect ceremony.
Each planner plans a wedding for engaged couples. The couple then chooses the winning venue and ties the knot in their dream location.
Bruce and Tara will make very different wedding day pitches to the soon-to-be married couples. Tara will present dream weddings in Ireland. Bruce will showcase glamorous foreign locations.
Each couple will be offered a preview of both options. Then they'll choose their Big Day - will it be Home or Away?
In the series premiere, "Niamh & Conor": It's all go in Tullamore, County Offaly where student nurse Niamh and her partner, clothing entrepreneur Conor, are balancing work and family life with their two-year-old son Alfie.
The couple's €12,000 - €15,000 budget will have to cater for 150 guests at home, but just 50 people abroad, leaving Tara with less to spend on a venue and Bruce with fewer friends and family to take away.
Tara proposes a reception at the Green Barn at historic Burtown House in Athy, County Kildare – just one hour's drive from Niamh and Conor's home.
Bruce takes the couple to Quinta de Sant'Ana – a working farm in the quaint Portuguese sunny village of Gradil, just 30 minutes from Lisbon.
So far in their relationship, Niamh and Conor have made all their major decisions with the toss of one lucky coin.
But will fate intervene now as they're faced with the tricky choice of a woodland wedding with all their friends and family, or a once-in-a-lifetime trip to paradise with a much smaller group of friends and family?
Will one of the biggest decisions of their lives be on the flip of a coin?