Mysteries of the Ancient Dead
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 20h15
Genre: Documentary Series, History
What happens after death? This question has plagued us since the dawn of humankind.
It's inspired strange ceremonies, incited bizarre practices and launched complex religious beliefs.
Now, we investigate burials, funerary remains and relics from age old death rituals, to shed new light on the secrets of ancient civilizations.
What can we learn from our long-ago forebears using the clues they left behind for us in their relationship with demise and the great beyond?
In the series premiere, "Egypt, Rome, Nepal": To ensure body and spirit remain everlasting, the Egyptians developed elaborate rituals, massive tombs and even magic incantations passed down through millennia.
Not only do the entombed remains display a shocking knowledge of biology and chemistry, they hold the promise of a life beyond the mortal coil...
While some ancient cultures lavished bodies with burial goods, the Romans were all about processional pomp and grandeur.
What can be learned from the war wounds of the skeletons found in the Gladiator Burial Pit of Ephesus? Or the remains of the victims of Mt. Vesuvius?
The remote Mustang Caves of Nepal hold thousand-year-old corpses. But a deeper investigation yields shocking information.
What ritual climb accompanied their burial? What symbols were left for the living?
Slaghuis Joint Elements
Channel: SABC1
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Documentary, Music
Slaghuis Joint Elements details the story behind one of South Africa's most impactful hip-hop movements: Slaghuis, through the curious eye of a student of South African hip-hop culture and the film's director; SPeeKa.
The documentary takes you to the beginning in 2003, when a group of youngsters from Diepkloof with a deep love of hip-hop got together and established a platform where they could enjoy hip-hop music peacefully.
Each member of the original group of friends details the building blocks of Slaghuis from their own perspectives.
The film draws to a close when one of the founding members drops a bomb regarding the future of the Slaghuis movement and there is a glimpse into the future of the Slaghuis legacy.
Scream: The True Story
Channel: Travel Channel (DStv 179)
TX Time: 21h10
Genre: Documentary, Paranormal
Do you like scary movies?
Scream may be one of the most successful horror movie franchises of all time, but the real fright lies in its terrifyingly true roots - the horrific story of serial killer Danny Rolling, aka The Gainesville Ripper.
Now, just in time for the release of the newest Scream movie, Scream: The True Story - the latest installment in the Shock Docs series - delves into the real-life horror of a murderer who believed he was a possessed by a demon and whose gruesome crime spree inspired the blockbuster film.
The docu-special - through a groundbreaking paranormal investigation, archival media and expert interviews - takes a closer look at the alleged diabolical forces involved and whether Rolling's spirit still lurks in the shadows.
Beginning in 1989, Danny Rolling stalked and murdered eight victims in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Gainesville, Florida, including five college students.
Rolling claimed he was possessed by a demon named "Gemini" when he committed his crimes; he was eventually convicted and executed in 2006.
Now, paranormal investigator Steve Shippy and "psychic medium" Cindy Kaza join forces to uncover the truth behind Rolling's claims that a demon made him kill.
Shippy and Kaza are the first to ever conduct a paranormal investigation at the campsite near the University of Florida campus from which Rolling stalked his victims, as well as inside his childhood home in Louisiana, where aggressive poltergeist activity plagues the current homeowners.
Interviews with experts and those connected to the case, including Rolling's ex-fiancée, reveal that evil has run in his family for generations.
Shippy and Kaza are confronted by powerful malevolent energy during their intense investigation - could it be the demonic force that possessed Rolling, or is it the spirit of Rolling himself?
Fearing for everyone's safety, they call in a demonologist to conduct an exorcism and help battle off the evil forces.
Queens of Ancient Egypt
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 21h05
Genre: Documentary Series, History, Factual
This series tells the stories of three little-known but incredible Egyptian queens.
The queens Tiye, Cleopatra II and Cleopatra Selene may not be as well-known as Cleopatra or Nefertiti, but played a significant role in Ancient Egypt's history.
The docuseries reveals how they became standard bearers for their gender long before the modern era.
Queen Tiye
Over 3,000 years ago, the Egyptian queen Tiye became a goddess on Earth.
She also inspired a religious revolution that threw Egypt into turmoil.
Tiye may have blazed a trail for the world's leading religions – and the belief that there is only one true god.
The Other Cleopatra
Cleopatra II, namesake of the great Cleopatra VII, had an even more shocking reign: hers is a dramatic tale of incest, murder, rape and mutilation.
Cleopatra II wielded great power and would do anything to keep it.
She saw her dynasty torn apart by hatred - but she also saved it from destruction.
Cleopatra's Daughter
Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra the Great and Mark Antony, saw her dynasty collapse amid her parents' defeat and suicide.
Taken to Rome as a prisoner, all looked lost for Selene.
But she rose from the embers to marry the African king Juba II and become one of the continent's greatest queens.