Naming the Dead
Channel: National Geographic Channel (DStv 181 / StarSat 220)
TX Time: 20h30
Genre: Documentary Series
Across the United States, more than 50,000 bodies remain unidentified — unmourned, unnamed, but not forgotten.
Naming the Dead is a riveting six-part investigative series from National Geographic which brings these untold stories to light.
The series follows the groundbreaking work of the DNA Doe Project, a trailblazing nonprofit that uses genetic genealogy to help law enforcement crack the country's most confounding cold cases.
With unprecedented access to active investigations, Naming the Dead captures the relentless pursuit of truth by a dedicated team of genealogists, detectives, coroners and journalists.
Each episode plays out as a high-stakes mystery, where the clues are fragmented, the timelines span decades, and the emotional stakes couldn't be higher.
Through distant DNA matches, fragile paper trails and sheer determination, these forgotten victims are finally given what they deserve: a name, a history and a chance at justice.
Blending cutting-edge science with deeply human storytelling, Naming the Dead is a testament to the power of identity and the people who refuse to let the lost be forgotten.
In the series premiere, "The Hitchhiker": After exhausting all leads, coroner Scott McCord turns to the DNA Doe Project to try and identify one of the victims of serial killer Larry Eyler.
Police 911 Michigan
Channel: Investigation Discovery (DStv 171 / StarSat 223)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Reality
In a television first, Chief Eric Winstrom allows a film crew to capture the entire operation of the Grand Rapids Police Department.
From twisted high-stakes homicide investigations to adrenaline-fueled patrol stories, nothing is off limits.
In the series premiere, "Fight Club": After the murder of 15-year-old Milli Penn, Grand Rapids detectives investigate the masked shooter, rumoured to be another teenager linked to a fight club.
Then, another shooting strikes, and detectives must solve the case before more lives are lost.
Platonic 2
Channel: Apple TV+
TX Time: 00h01
Genre: Comedy
Friends don't let friends have mid-life crises alone...
Platonic follows a platonic pair of former best friends approaching midlife (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) who reconnect after a long rift.
The duo's friendship becomes all consuming — and destabilizes their lives in a hilarious way.
Season 2 picks up with everyone's favourite pair of best friends as they contend with new midlife hurdles, including work, weddings and partners in crises.
The duo tries their best to be each other's rock — but sometimes rocks break things.
The Season 2 cast also includes Luke Macfarlane and Carla Gallo.
Ugembula Ngathi
Channel: Mzansi Magic (DStv 161)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Reality
Reality show that lays bare the high-stakes world of gambling addiction and its devastating impact on South African families.
Hosted by Tshepo Maseko, each episode deals a tough hand for families who are left feeling betrayed by a loved one's risky habits.
From breadwinners doubling down and breaking the bank to online gamblers who are forever chasing the next jackpot, the show is a rollercoaster of heartbreak, betrayal and high-stakes interventions.
At the end of each episode, a representative from the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation steps in, offering professional insight, critical support and a possible path to healing.
Ugembula Ngathi is also a lifeline for those living on the edge of ruin - a wake-up call, a second chance.
So... will the interventions break the cycle or will the gambler risk it all one more time?
Extraordinary Places to Eat 3
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Food, Travel, Docu-Reality
Imagine having privileged access to a top chef's little black book.
You know... where they've jotted details of those hidden gems - the unassuming backstreet bistros where they've eaten the meals they'll never forget.
This is exactly what Fred Sirieix does in this immensely more-ish series, as he travels Europe with our most lauded chefs to find the globe's most mouth-watering morsels.
In the Season 3 premiere, "Yorkshire": Chef Nadiya Hussain shows Fred the culinary sights of Yorkshire including Bettys' iconic tea and cakes, a rural Wensleydale cheese farm and shop, and a small restaurant which serves home made samosas, Nadiya's favourite spicy Indian snack.
Fast N' Loud 5
Channel: Discovery Family (DStv 136)
TX Time: 19h15
Genre: Reality, Motoring
To automotive mastermind and Gas Monkey Garage owner Richard Rawlings and fellow car fanatic and mechanical prodigy Aaron Kaufman, the vintage vehicles rusting in Americans' overgrown fields and musty garages aren't junk - they're goldmines.
Fast N' Loud follows Rawlings and Kaufmann as they return these derelict rides to their former glory and get them back on the road - but not without putting their own hot rod spin on them first.
Richard and Aaron need big projects - and big profits - to keep Gas Monkey's doors open.
Together, they travel the back roads of Texas, scouring barns, swap meets and open fields in search of rare rides to restore.
Once Richard wheels and deals for a good price, the real work begins back at the garage, where the guys race against the clock to finish the job in time for auction.
Time is money at Gas Monkey Garage - and Richard and Aaron can't afford to lose either.
In the Season 5 premiere, "Hot Wheels, Big Deals": The Gas Monkeys are living a childhood dream when they are given the opportunity to build a life-size Hot Wheels car.
Wednesday 2
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00
Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Comedy
Wednesday is a coming of age supernatural horror comedy series based upon the character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family.
Smart, sarcastic and a little dead inside, Wednesday Addams investigates a murder spree while making new friends — and foes — at Nevermore Academy.
The series is a sleuthing, supernaturally-infused mystery charting Wednesday's years as a student at Nevermore Academy.
It follows her attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorised the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
In Season 2, Wednesday returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await.
This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem.
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
Part 1 (episodes 201-204): 6 August, 2025
Part 2 (episodes 205-208): 3 September, 2025
Race Across the World
Channel: Disney+
TX Time: 10h00
Genre: Reality Competition, Adventure, Travel
If you were tasked to race across the world with limited cash and nothing in the way of modern technology, how do you think you'd fare?
This series will see five teams attempt just that.
Race Across The World takes you on the trip of a lifetime, following the contestants as they embark on an epic and adrenaline-fuelled adventure, travelling into the unknown without the trappings of modern life.
The five pairs set off on a race to Singapore without taking a single flight, leaving behind their smartphones, internet access and credit cards.
They are armed with only the cash equivalent of a one-way airfare to Singapore, the furthest destination by land and rail from the UK, to pay for the entire journey.
If they run out, they'll need to earn more.
In a competition that sees the teams travel through rather than fly over, their skill, ingenuity and determination will be tested to the extreme as they race through some of the world's most beautiful scenery, form bonds and friendships across cultural divides and rely on the kindness of strangers in order to stand the best chance of winning.
House Hunters International 123
Channel: Travel Channel (DStv 179)
TX Time: 06h00
Genre: Reality
This spin-off of House Hunters goes around the globe.
Home hunters and their realtors check out all sorts of architectural styles and work through the quirks of buying real estate in other countries.
Each episode follows house hunters as they view three potential homes, receive guidance from an estate agent and choose the digs of their dreams, where we revisit them a few weeks later.
In the Season 123 premiere, "Ballet in Lausanne": A couple with two daughters are eager to move when a job transfer opens up in Lausanne, Switzerland.
However, while he's looking for a modern white box, she's adamant that they find an artistic and quirky space to call home.