The Polygamist
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00 (all episodes)
Genre: Telenovela
The Polygamist is a South African telenovela which tracks a woman wounded by the unravelling of the life and marriage she once believed were unshakable, as her husband's indiscretions and betrayal can no longer be contained by money, power and secrecy.
Joyce Gomora (Gugu Gumede) projects couple and family goals to a throng of loyal social media followers.
She's devoted herself fully to her husband Jonasi Gomora (Sdumo Mtshali) and family, building a life that appears as pristine and carefully curated as her signature all-white wardrobe.
Jonasi is the man every room turns to watch.
A self-made corporate CEO who clawed his way from poverty to power, Jonasi radiates the kind of confidence that makes everyone around him believe he can do no wrong - and he's spent a lifetime exploiting exactly that.
Jonasi builds an empire and a complicated personal life that begins to collapse under the weight of his choices, as the wives and mistresses in his life hold a mirror to the man behind the power.
Jonasi believes he can have it all, until the web of secret relationships and hidden loyalties he has spent years spinning begins to close in around him.
As the cracks in her marriage deepen, Joyce becomes desperate to save not only her relationship, but the version of family and stability she has spent years building and defending.
In her attempts to keep Jonasi faithful, she pulls everyone around her deeper into the tension of a home struggling to hold itself together, while her children are forced to confront the emotional fallout.
As the secrets multiply, Jonasi's world begins to fracture all around him.
Joyce faces a heartbreak that rewrites her entire world, while his children Menzi (Wonder Ndlovu) and Mpume (Noluthando Shabalala) bear the weight of a legacy they never chose.
His steadfast protector and brother, Magesh (Kenneth Nkosi) faces a heavy moral dilemma that forces him to question his conscience, battling between loyalty and morality.
The collateral damage of Jonasi's destruction is not limited to the Gomora family unit as his greed further tightens around these two characters:
- corporate climber Matipa (Kwanele Mthethwa), who seduced her way into getting the corner office;
- and Mpume's best friend Lindani (Luyanda Zwane), who finds herself in the middle of the Gomora family's labyrinth of secrets.
The series stars:
Gugu Gumede,
Sdumo Mtshali,
Kwanele Mthethwa,
S'thandiwe Kgoroge,
Kenneth Nkosi,
Celeste Ntuli,
Luyanda Zwane,
Wonder Ndlovu,
Noluthando Shabalala,
Vuyo Biyela,
and Lwazie Keith Tsebesha.
The Polygamist is adapted from the novel of the same name by Zimbabwean writer Sue Nyathi and is produced by Stained Glass Productions.
TVSA Show Page: The Polygamist
Bogaditšong
Channel: eVOD
TX Time: 10h00
Genre: Drama
Sepedi-language television drama series set in the ruthless world of the South African music industry, which follows the rise and collapse of the powerful Matlou dynasty.
Music, betrayal, legacy and survival take centre stage in Bogaditšong.
At the heart of the story is The Bright Sisters, a once-iconic female music trio whose legacy is haunted by their ultimate betrayal their husband and group founder, Titus Matlou.
Music mogul Titus Matlou (played by Saint Seseli) is a polygamist who has a tight rein on the Bright Sisters trio, who happen to be his wives.
Wife No. 1 is Manto (Tsholofelo Matshaba), the puppet master who has the other wives dancing to her tune.
Then there is Tshepang (Motsoaledi Setumo), the unseen wife who is caught in a love affair within her marital home.
The third wife, Precious (Rorisang Mohapi), is the young gold-digger who'll do anything to seek the spotlight.
Also starring is Shoki Mmola as Puseletso, the original Bright Sister and mother to Titus's heir, King (Wiseman Zitha).
Told predominantly in Sepedi, Bogaditšong celebrates language, music and storytelling rooted in South African identity while exploring universal themes of love, betrayal, power and redemption.
The series stars:
Tsholofelo Matshaba as Manto Matlou,
Saint Seseli as Titus Matlou,
Motsoaledi Setumo as Tshepang Matlou,
Shoki Mmola as Puseletso,
Rorisang Mohapi as Precious Matlou,
Kagiso Lepota as Leeto Matlou,
Paul Maila as Lekgotlha,
and Melusi Mbele as Msizi.
Bogaditšong is produced by Reserved Projects.
TVSA Show Page: Bogaditšong
Mrs Brown's Boys 5
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 20h30
Genre: Comedy
Agnes Brown and favourite characters return for a fourth season, with more slapstick hijinks from the loud-mouthed Irish matriarch.
In the Season 5 premiere, "The Mammy Effect": Mrs Brown becomes a podcast sensation – without even leaving the house.
Meanwhile, Cathy is horrified to discover her mother has accidentally hijacked her new podcast project.
Scandinavia with Simon Reeve
Channel: BBC Earth (DStv 184)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Travel, Wildlife, Nature, Docu-Reality
Simon Reeve journeys across a land of Arctic tundra, vast forests and stunning fjords, investigating the surprising secrets of some of the happiest and most equal societies on Earth.
In this three-part series, Simon journeys across a vast region of Arctic tundra, endless forests and stunning fjords, through some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth, while uncovering the surprising secrets of the happiest countries on the planet.
Featuring an entire smorgasbord of adventures, Simon's journey takes him through the Scandi countries of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and also to the wider Nordic family of Finland and Iceland.
He travels to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, the frozen wilderness of Lapland, NATO's longest border with Russia, the stunning fjords of Norway, and one to Iceland – the original land of ice and fire.
Along the way he tries to uncover the secrets of Scandinavia – what makes them so happy and successful, while never shying from the challenges and problems they face.
In Sweden, Simon races around on a scooter with a tattooed hipster Professor of Happiness who explains why Scandis are so successful.
But Simon also visits the burly boss of an elite police bomb squad, gets kitted-out for bomb disposal, and learns about an extraordinary wave of gang attacks using children and IEDs.
In Norway he meets the boss of the world's largest wealth fund, worth around 25,000 tons of gold.
Then he heads to Denmark to discover why the Danes are some of the most trusting people on the planet - they even have high levels of trust in their government and politicians.
As he travels around Scandinavia, we see Simon:
- get a lift on a boat he expects to see in a Bond film;
- climb up a wind turbine nearly the height of the Eiffel Tower;
- meet a scientist trying to change the world;
- speak to a young volcanologist warning about a mega-volcano eruption;
- and meet toddlers at a snowy frozen forest school who are only taken indoors when the temperature drops below -30c.
It's Scandinavia, and it's full of surprises.
Episode 1
The first leg of Simon's Scandinavian journey takes him from Svalbard, the beautiful archipelago that marks the northernmost outpost of Norway, south into the magical snowy region of Lapland.
In freezing conditions, he travels to Nato's longest border with Russia, where tensions are high and even Santa's village is prepared for a potential war.
Episode 2
The second leg of Simon's journey takes him from the beautiful fjords of Norway across the north Atlantic to Iceland, the original land of fire and ice.
It's a world of extremes and contradictions, from a country that's been described as the Kuwait of Europe to an island that lives under the constant threat of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Episode 3
On the last leg of his Scandinavian journey, Simon travels through the beautiful pine forests of Sweden to Copenhagen, the historic capital of Denmark.
In these, some of the happiest, wealthiest and most equal countries on Earth, he discovers that all is not quite as rosy as it seems and uncovers some genuine surprises.
House Hunters International 141
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 141 premiere, "Moving to Maroochy": An Australian living in Canada gets a job transfer back home to Maroochy, but his wife faces the challenge of juggling their family's practical needs for a home with his sentimental expectations of a carefree beach life.
With a three-year-old and a potential business to start up, the family will have to find middle ground.
QI 24
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Quiz Show, Comedy
The long-running quiz with a difference hits our screens as we reach the letter W in the alphabet.
As has been the case since the end of M, Sandi Toksvig is the host with the most, providing the panel with fascinating facts, brain-teasing questions, and setting a trap or two along the way.
Points are awarded for correct answers, and taken away for anyone who stumbles into the aforementioned traps.
In the Season 24 premiere, "Wales, Whales and Wails": Sandi considers Wales, whales and wails with Elis James, Griff Rhys Jones, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Alan Davies.
Top Gear Australia
Channel: BBC UKTV (DStv 134)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Motoring, Reality, Comedy
Three hosts are given the keys to this motor vehicle factual entertainment series known for its adrenaline-fueled adventures.
Australian car enthusiasts Blair Joscelyne, Beau Ryan and Jonathan LaPaglia take on some of the world's most weird and wonderful vehicles to test their power, speed and endurance.
The series takes you from heart-pounding races across iconic landscapes to in-depth reviews of the latest automotive marvels.
As well as the trio testing and racing vehicles across four different continents, Star in a Reasonably Priced Car is back, along with a Down Under iteration of The Stig.
Maternal Instinct
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary
Police pull over a woman who claims she just gave birth. But the baby - and the blood - aren't hers.
Twisted lies unravel in this true crime documentary.
The documentary follows the story of Taylor Parker, a young woman claiming to come from a wealthy family, who fell for Wade Griffin, a local hog trapper in a small East Texas town.
Their relationship appeared perfect, and within months, she was pregnant, proudly showing off her baby bump all over social media.
As her due date approached, however, questions around her pregnancy mounted, and her family, her devoted partner, and her wider community began to voice their doubts.
But when the shocking truth finally surfaced, it brought consequences too horrifying for anyone to have imagined.
Tipping Point 15
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Game Show
Four players take on the show's distinctive machine in a battle of skill and luck.
The machine is filled with counters worth money.
The contestants answer a series of questions and every time they get a correct answer, they take control of the machine.
Through a combination of timing and intuition, the contestants must drop special counters into the machine to try to push other counters off the shelf and into the "win zone", where they are converted into cash.
Contestants showing quick wits, good strategy and nerves of steel will reach the final where they must focus on just one counter - the golden jackpot disc.
Strong general knowledge and good luck will enable them to beat the extraordinary Tipping Point machine, and take home a big cash prize.