Cape Times

BBC SUMMER OFFER

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Lange will host a local version of Dancing with the Stars on M-Net 101 next year.

found at Bondi Beach.

The series was created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. Moss can be seen in The Handmaid’s Tale (M-Net 101, Monday at 10pm). After all the hype and awards, I’m disappoint­ed to say I can’t stand it. Maybe if I could make it through a n episode withfallin­g out asleep to the mumbling drone of the dialogue which moves at a stultifyin­g pace, I’d think differentl­y.

Season one of Paula begins on Wednesday, January 10 at 8pm. This three-part revenge tragedy by internatio­nal playwright and film-maker Conor McPherson, tells the story of two people who become fatally entangled after a frenzied one-night stand.

A new season of Ross Kemp: Extreme World returns on January 5 at 9pm for six more important stories from those living dangerous and extreme lives in some of the most violent and volatile places in the world. These include Texas, where racial tension runs high, to explore the rise of armed hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazis in Trump’s America.

Back for a second season early

in 2018 and exclusive to BBC Brit, documentar­y maker Reggie Yates immerses himself in life inside some of the world’s most brutal institutio­ns and environmen­ts – inside the Domiz Refugee camp in Iraq; working as a guard in a US jail; and living and working among the communitie­s in and around Accra, Ghana. BBC Earth has become my default channel, ie the one that plays in the background when I am not watching something else. As a result, I firmly believe I have become much cleverer and have plenty of dinner table conversati­on at my disposal. Among the great programmin­g on this channel, there are two huge highlights for early next year: Gunpowder and Blue Planet 2. In Gunpowder, Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) leads an allstar cast in the true story behind a key

moment in English history. Every year on November 5 the English mark the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in London in 1605 with bonfires and fireworks.

It is often called Guy Fawkes Day because many people believe – erroneousl­y – that the plot was Chris Jaftha and Tracey

devised by Guy Fawkes.

Although he played a pivotal role, the man who came up with the plot was Robert Catesby, played by Harrington.

Trailers have already begun airing for Blue Planet 2 and it looks as amazing as you’d expect. A bold and magical adventure beneath the waves, from the icy polar seas to the vibrant blues of the coral atolls, the series has been on for a few weeks in the UK.

BBC Lifestyle is more than just cooking programmes. In Your Ear (February TBC) pairs some of the wisest people from around the world with a group of ordinary, stressed people to watch, listen and steer them in a hopefully helpful direction.

Using earpieces, participan­ts facing challenges like a wedding, promotion at work or impending parenthood, receive advice in real time. The advisers (or sages) come from across the world, including South Africa, Italy, the US and Ireland. Each sage has a very different outlook on life and firm but contrastin­g priorities, traditions and beliefs. It is up to the participan­ts to decide whom to heed and whom to ignore.

For example a Soweto healer’s tips for a first-time father include the suggestion to kill and cook a chicken.

Hot on the heels of the announceme­nt of a new season of Survivor SA, comes that of a local version of Dancing With the Stars on M-Net 101 next year to ensure Sunday nights remain the home of sizzling home-grown reality shows and competitio­ns.

The format sees skilled profession­al Latin and ballroom dancers partnering with 12 untrained celebritie­s to foxtrot and cha-cha their way to the winners’ podium. Due to air from February 4, the identities of the competitor­s and judges have not been revealed (just that they come from the worlds of acting, comedy, sport and TV), but we do know our version of the hit series, which has been licensed to more than 50 countries, will be co-hosted by radio and TV presenter Tracey Lange and musical theatre actor and model Chris Jaftha.

“M-Net is leaping with excitement about creating this glitzy, classy and fun show for the enjoyment of our viewers,” says M-Net’s head of publicity, Lani Lombard.

“Dancing With the Stars oozes all of the glamour, drama, and magical moments that M-Net 101 has become known for and Tracey and Chris are the perfect pair to host the fast-paced live broadcasts.”

For more informatio­n on this and other local programmin­g, go to www.mnet.tv

Rocky and Mayur’s Offbeat Australia (Zee TV at 2.30pm): The quirky foodies go to Australia on holiday, where they sample local foods and mingle with the locals, while learning about the diverse cuisine of the outback on fun-filled journeys.

When Voices Meet (BET, 10pm): When Nelson Mandela was released from prison, courageous South African musicians formed a 500-voice, multiracia­l children’s choir. Threatened with bombs and thwarted at every turn, they prevailed and travelled across the country aboard The Peace Train. When Voices Meet documents the trials, tribulatio­ns and triumphs of those musician activists and young choir members who performed together for seven years, and then reunited 20 years later.

Shameless (M-Net 101, Tuesday at 10pm): More mayhem for the Gallaghers in season eight. Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is renovating flats in her new building, and Frank (William H Macy) is back from the monastery with the intention of making amends with everyone he has wronged. If that was to be documented, this series would run for another 10 seasons at least. As it is, it has been renewed for its ninth.

Black-Ish (Vuzu AMP, Thursday at 7pm): The Johnsons go to Jack (Miles Brown) and Diane’s (Marsai Martin) Columbus Day school play but Dre (Anthony Anderson) is upset at how historical­ly incorrect the facts are portrayed. Trivia: The 23rd episode of the third season, “Liberal Arts”, functioned as a back-door pilot for a proposed spin-off starring Yara Shahidi as her character Zoey Johnson goes to college away from the family. After some months of back and forth, the series was retitled Grown-ish and is set to premiere in January.

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