A+E Networks Africa has announced a new
slate of programming, including high impact international and local productions
across all three brands i.e. HISTORY, Lifetime and the Crime+Investigation (CI)
channels over the next six months.
“Great content lies at the essence of each
of our channels and we are paying attention to our audiences’ needs world-wide,
by not just entertaining but also raising awareness of issues that create conversation.
“We go beyond the stories and offer
relevant relatable content that resonates with viewers who have come to love
and admire our brands.” said Dean Possenniskie, Managing Director A+E Networks,
EMEA.
CRIME+INVESTIGATION
Africa
A+E Networks Africa will continue to expand
its local content strategy on CI. SA
Crime Stories S2 is a 13-part series that will feature stories that shook South
Africa to the core, including the tragic abduction and murder of student Leigh
Matthews – in Finding Leigh.
A new local special around abusive
relationships and gender-based violence will form part of a broader global
campaign that will run for a year with key partnerships and more local voices
being added to the narrative. CI Africa will air specially curated programming
for 16 consecutive days starting on the International Day for the Elimination
of Violence against Women from November 25 to December 10, featuring cases
where women are abused, assaulted, stalked and often killed by their partners.
The special, produced by Nala Media, will
be narrated by renowned journalist, author and former news anchor, Iman
Rappetti and explores four high profile local cases that represent the cycle of
violence so embedded in our society. Rappetti interweaves the stories of these
women with her own childhood experiences.
“Gender-based violence is a huge issue
currently in South Africa and we are seeing shocking figures of women abuse on
the increase across all our territories. We believe that as an EMEA wide
business we have a responsibility to address this global crisis head on,” said
Possenniskie.
Some of the exciting line-up of
international shows announced for CI Africa include 60 Days In: Narcoland – with participants infiltrating a drug
cartel, followed by Poisonous Liaisons
which examines why poison has been a weapon of choice over the centuries. Other
premieres include: The Accused and Very Scary People S1 which will air as
part of a Serial Killer Stunt, in early 2020.
LIFETIME
Africa
A+E Networks Africa announced that it has
acquired the rights to the format of the international hit series Don’t Tell the Bride. The show follows a
sometimes-clueless bridegroom who is given a budget to plan the entire wedding
while keeping his worried bride in the dark. This comes hot on the heels of
Lifetime’s Wedding Week Stunt which
featured local special, 2 Weddings and a
Superstar with AKA.
Lifetime Africa has become a favourite
destination for wedding and relationship shows and the trend continues with new
series Marrying Millions and Heartbreak Island and a new season of Married at First Sight (MAFS).
From the producers of 90 Day Fiancé, Marrying Millions explores the intricacies and drama
faced by real-life couples with large age and income gaps as well as cultural
differences.
Heartbreak
Island sets hearts racing and temperatures rising
when a group of single guys and girls put everything on the line in a bid to
find their perfect match and win $100,000.
Lifetime Africa continues its foray into
the investigative doc space with a four-hour follow up documentary special, Surviving R Kelly: The Aftermath and the
development of Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, the recently deceased New York
financier accused of predatory behaviour towards young girls. Also, in the
pipeline, a biopic on talk-show host, Wendy Williams.
Additional premieres include: Ms.Ts Music Factory – which sees a sassy
singer turned music manager/performance coach, help train rising talent in the
music industry. I Should Have Seen a
Doctor, builds on Lifetime’s wellness content and follows patients seeking
critical medical help for conditions that have been plaguing them for years.
HISTORY
Africa
The HISTORY Africa channel kicks off
another year of high-octane programming as part of their Biggest Names on
History campaign this October.
Legendary actors Damian Lewis, Robert
Redford, William Shatner and pop-culture and 80’s icons David Hasselhoff and
Chuck Norris are some of the key talent featured in the upcoming shows.
The
UnXplained is a non-fiction series that explores
the world’s most fascinating, strange and inexplicable mysteries. Hosted by
William Shatner, each episode examines subjects that have mystified mankind for
centuries.
Damian
Lewis: SPY WARS is an eight-part docu-drama that
features the remarkable true stories behind some of the most gripping and
important international spy operations of the last 40 years.
Car
Weekend, coming in December will showcase a line-up
of motoring shows including: Battle of
80s Supercars with David Hasselhoff and Chuck Norris' Epic Guide to Military Vehicles.
Die-hard history buffs will not be
neglected as HISTORY content will be covered in the upcoming History Films
Stunt featuring titles like Cola Wars,
Rise of the Superbombs, Secrets in the Sky: The Untold Story of Skunkworks, Nazis
on Drugs: Hitler and the Blitzkrieg, Game Changers: Inside the Video Game Wars.
Viewers can also look forward to the premiere of Watergate, chronicling the explosive scandal in American history
that brought down President Richard M Nixon. Food That Built America is a mini-series event that reveals the
stories of the food titans behind the brands that built America: Milton
Hershey, Henry Heinz, John and Will Kellogg and the McDonald brothers.
A+E Networks Africa promises a robust
schedule of exciting and impactful original programming, as well as brand new
local and international content that will resonate with audiences.
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