Costa Rica: The Rise of Nature
Channel: S3
TX Time: 18h30
Genre: Wildlife, Nature, Documentary Series
Costa Rica is a unique treasure on our planet.
Dry forests, rainforests, volcanoes, marine parks... so many abundant ecosystems, rich in extraordinary fauna and flora, which currently offer a real sanctuary to more than 5% of the world's biodiversity.
Thanks to a proactive and innovative ecological policy, Costa Rica is now one of the few countries in the world, and the only one in America, to see significant year-on-year growth in forest cover.
Despite countless challenges, this small Central American country has become a world reference in environmental protection and the fight against global warming.
This three-part series takes you on a three-step journey to the heart of a unique country - a discovery of several fabulous Eden-like biotopes, but also a record of the unprecedented efforts that scientists and ordinary citizens make every day to preserve, and in some cases restore, an exceptional natural heritage.
A story of hope and optimism, at a time when the whole of humanity, in the midst of sudden climate change, is facing choices that will affect its future.
Legends of Speed
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Motoring, Sport
They are go-getters and tacticians, who are sensitive and ruthless.
This best describes the characters of the men and women who constantly live life at its limits, knowing that every competition could be their very last one.
With very personal interviews, Legends of Speed not only describes the dramatic happenings on the race tracks, but also puts a spotlight on the fears and the courage of the drivers and their relatives.
Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart or Alain Prost: all of them deal differently with the extreme sport Formula One.
But they all have one thing in common: the will to win, to be faster than the rest - at nearly any cost.
Legends of Speed is not just a chronology about happenings in racing, but a profound view on the humans behind the wheel - their peculiarities, their private engagements and the love of their wives, who often have to watch their husbands risked their lives.
The series also describes the skilled performances of the engineers and also their failures.
The three episodes show how slight the difference between victory and defeat can be - sometimes it is just a few centimetres or a little bit of luck.
Avenue 5
Channel: Vuzu (DStv 116)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi
Created by Armando Iannucci of Veep, Avenue 5 is set 40 years in the future when traveling the solar system is no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, but a booming, multibillion-dollar business.
The series stars Hugh Laurie as Ryan Clark, the confident and suave captain of "Avenue 5," a space cruise ship with luxury amenities like gourmet buffets, a spa, an observation deck and yoga classes.
As the series begins, Avenue 5's eight-week journey around Saturn is underway and its systems are optimal.
But when the ship suddenly encounters technical difficulties, it's up to Ryan and his crew to calm the disgruntled passengers and find a way to deal with unexpected events onboard - though they may or may not be equipped for the task.
In the series premiere, "I Was Flying": When a malfunction occurs aboard the luxury space cruise ship Avenue 5, it's up to engineer Billie McEvoy (Lenora Crichlow) to warn Captain Ryan Clark (Hugh Laurie), Avenue 5 owner Herman Judd (Josh Gad) and his right-hand-woman Iris Kimura (Suzy Nakamura) that the incident may have a cataclysmic knock-on effect.
As Rav Mulcair (Nikki Amuka-Bird) manages the situation from mission control back on Earth, Matt Spencer (Zach Woods), the head of customer relations, tries his best to calm frayed nerves on board.
Meanwhile, persistent passenger Karen Kelly (Rebecca Front) discovers the crew may know more than they're letting on.
In the second episode of the weekly double bill, "And Then He's Gonna Shoot Off...": As Rav and her team meet with a NASA representative to plot a potential rescue mission, Ryan learns that Cyrus, an engineer working in a hidden part of the ship, has a surprisingly optimistic theory about the ship's future.
Judd donates a lavish personal item to help commemorate a fallen crew member and Karen becomes a vocal advocate for passengers.
Meanwhile, Mia and Doug receive marital counseling from Matt.