From MobLand to Wicked
Death Valley S1, Lose It Or Lose Me S1, Magda Louw S3, South Park S27 & more
DEATH VALLEY S1
BBC Brit (DStv Channel 120) | 20:00 on Tuesdays from 1 July
2024 BAFTA Leading Actor winner Timothy Spall (The Sixth Commandment) stars in Death Valley as retired actor John Chapel, a former TV detective who teams up with detective sergeant Janie Mallowan to investigate murders each week in Wales.
BAFTA Wales nominees Gwyneth Keyworth and Alexandria Riley co-star.
In their four-star review, The Guardian call the cosy crime series “Midsomer Murders – with jokes… This fun new murder mystery bounces along with verve. It’s a cut above.”
TRAP
M-Net Movies 1 (DStv Channel 104) | 21:55 on Friday, 4 July
Oscar-nominated writer-director M Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Old) is back with Trap, starring Josh Hartnett (Oppenheimer) as a father who treats his teen daughter to a pop concert, where they realise they’re at the centre of a dark and sinister event.
Hartnett cracked the Top 10 for Best Performance in Indiewire’s 2024 Critics’ Poll and won Best Actor at the 2025 Golden Scythe Horror Awards, while Trap was nominated for a Dorian Award for Campy Flick of the Year at the 2025 GALECA Awards.
ScreenCrush calls Trap, “The most overtly Hitchcockian thing Shyamalan’s ever made,” while TheWrap says it’s “one of his best thrillers.”
KIFF: LORE OF THE RING LIGHT
Disney Channel (DStv Channel 303) | 10:15, Saturday, 5 July 2025
Kiff and her friends go on an adventure to destroy a ring light of immense power.
Kiff’s South African creators Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal were nominated for two Children’s and Family Emmy Awards this year: Outstanding Children’s Or Young Teen Animated Series and Outstanding Original Song.
In their four-star review, Common Sense Media recommends Kiff: Lore of the Ring Light for ages 6+. As they say, “This animated special could be confused for a JRR Tolkien classic if the characters were obsessed with an actual ring, and not a tool for social media. Kiff: Lore of the Ring Light brings all the humour and quirkiness that fans of the original series are used to… A funny watch for the family.”
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES S9
BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) | 22:00 on Monday-Thursday from 7 July
In Kitchen Nightmares, award-winning celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay visits struggling restaurants across America and spends one week trying to help them become successful.
Previous seasons have been nominated for Best Reality Series at both the Critics Choice TV Awards and The Online Film and Television Association Awards.
LOSE IT OR LOSE ME S1
Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) | 20:00 on Tuesdays from 8 July
What would you do if your bae said: “It’s either the weight goes or I do”? That is the emotional crossroads at the heart of Mzansi Magic’s brand-new reality show, Lose It or Lose Me. It’s raw, it’s real and it’s about to turn relationships – and waistlines – upside down!
Not your typical weight loss show, Lose It or Lose Me follows the journeys of three brave individuals, including TikTok sensation Tsekeleke, who have been given the toughest ultimatum of their lives: “Get healthy or risk losing your relationship.”
Backing the journey are heavyweights in the wellness game: registered dietician Phakamile Nqobile Ngubane; no-nonsense accountability coach Duduetsang Phele; and FITPRO trainers Sibongile Ngoma and Tsepang Mokoena, as well as a squad of psychology pros making sure the mental game is on point and strong because health and transformation is more than skin deep.
Local reality TV special mentions:
- Married at First Sight Mzansi S2 on Mzansi Magic at 18:00 on Sundays from 6 July, which features the ultimate love hack: get matched by experts, meet at the altar, and say “I do” to a stranger.
- Teenage Pregnancy S4 on Moja Love (DStv Channel 157) at 19:30 on Sundays from 6 July
- Marriage intervention show Lenyalo Le Thata S6 on Moja Love (DStv Channel 157) at 21:30 on Sundays from 6 July
- Lobola reimbursement show Izinkomo Zamalobolo S5 on Moja Love (DStv Channel 157) at 21:00 on Saturdays from 19 July.
MOBLAND S1
M-Net (DStv Channel 101) | 21:00 on Thursdays from 10 July
Power is up for grabs as the Harrigans and Stevensons, two warring London crime families, clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires and ruin lives. Caught in the crossfire is Harry Da Souza, the street-smart ”fixer” as dangerous as he is handsome, who knows too well where loyalties lie when opposing forces collide. As kingdom goes up against kingdom, lines will be crossed – and the only saving grace is a bet-your-life guarantee: family above everything.
Oscar nominee Tom Hardy stars in MobLand as Harry Da Souza, opposite former James Bond Pierce Brosnan, Oscar winner Helen Mirren, two-time BAFTA winner Paddy Considine, and three-time Emmy nominee Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates in Downton Abbey).
Executive produced by Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and created by Ronan Bennett (The Day of the Jackal, Top Boy), MobLand’s premiere broke records as the biggest global series launch ever on Paramount+.
Special mentions on M-Net:
Poker Face S2: 20:00 on Fridays from 4 July. S1 earned Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Orange Is The New Black) her fifth Emmy nomination as a woman who has an extraordinary ability to detect lies – and solve new mysteries every episode.
Outlander S7 Part Two: 22:00 on Mondays from 14 July. As Claire, Caitríona Balfe was nominated for Best Actress at both the 2025 Critics Choice and Critics Choice Super Awards. Season 7 has a 95% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes – a series best.
St Denis Medical S1: 19:00 on Saturdays from 19 July. Co-created by Justin Spitzer (The Office, Superstore), St Denis Medical was up for Best Comedy Series and Best Actor (David Alan Greer) at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards.
Dexter: Original Sin S1: 21:00 on Tuesdays from 29 July. This Dexter prequel was Showtime’s most streamed Original ever…
FBI S7: 20:00 on Mondays from 28 July. TVLine ranked FBI the third most popular scripted show of the 2024-2025 US broadcast TV season.
SOUTH PARK S27
Comedy Central (DStv Channel 122) | 22:00 on Fridays from 11 July
Cartman, Kenny, Stan and Kyle are back for more foul-mouthed adventures this July.
The cult animated series is one of IMDb’s top-rated series of all time, with an 8.7/10 rating from over 400 000 people. Previous seasons won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program five times.
WICKED
M-Net (DStv Channel 101) | 20:05 on Sunday, 13 July
Everyone deserves the chance to fly…
After two decades as one of the world’s most beloved and enduring stage musicals, Wicked became the #5 biggest box office movie of 2024, and the highest-grossing musical film adaptation of all time. The untold story of the witches of Oz was nominated for 10 Oscars this year, including Motion Picture of the Year, winning Best Costume Design and Production Design, as well as more than 100 other awards.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were both nominated for Oscars, as Best Actress and Supporting Actress respectively. Erivo plays Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, while Grande plays her fellow wizarding student, Glinda. Also look out for Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Emmy nominee Jonathan Bailey, and Oscar nominee Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz himself.
Wall Street Journal hailed Wicked as “the most entertaining film of the year.” Part 2 is expected later this year.
Special mentions on M-Net:
We Live In Time, a romance starring Oscar nominees Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, premieres at 20:05 on Sunday, 6 July.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3, the #10 biggest box office hit of 2024, premieres at 20:05 on Sunday, 20 July.
JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY
National Geographic (DStv Channel 181) | 21:00 on Sunday, 13 July
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story charts the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made, which won three Oscars in 1976 and remains one of IMDb’s top-rated movies of all time.
Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the documentary uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story features Jaws director Steven Spielberg talking about how “the film that I thought would end my career is the film that began it,” as well as Hollywood royalty like Emily Blunt, George Lucas, Guillermo del Toro, James Cameron, JJ Abrams, and Jordan Peele.
Special mentions on Nat Geo:
SHARKS UP CLOSE WITH BERTIE GREGORY
National Geographic Wild (DStv Channel 182) | 18:00, Sunday, 13 July
Emmy- and BAFTA-winning cinematographer and National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory heads to South Africa for his most audacious mission yet.
The wild waters here are a hotspot for one of the ocean’s most famous and feared predators, the Great White Shark.
Diving in the shallows without a cage, Bertie will attempt to film these huge sharks hunting seals. By entering their domain, he discovers the challenges they face on our rapidly changing planet.
MAGDA LOUW S3
kykNET (DStv Channel 144) | 20:00 on Mondays from 14 July
Directed by Johannes Pieter Nel (Koek), Magda Louw tells the story of a middle-aged Afrikaans woman and her husband who agree to participate in a reality series where a camera crew follows them to document their day-to-day life.
As Magda, series creator Desiré Gardner won Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2024 kykNET Silwerskerm Awards, for the second year in a row. Hannes van Wyk was up for Best Actor as her husband, Erhard, with Gershwin Mias nominated for Supporting Actor as cameraman Shaun, who follows the Louws around and creeps deep into Magda’s heart.
Other returning cast include SAFTA and Silwerskerm winners Bennie Fourie and Cindy Swanepoel as Baltus and Gertrude.
Special mentions on kykNET:
Wie Word ‘n Miljoenêr, which earned Rian van Heerden the Best Presenter award at Silwerskerm last year, is back for S5 from 20:00 on Wednedsays from 2 July.
SAFTA-nominated documentary series Net Mens S3 returns at 20:00 on Sundays from 6 July. This season’s guests include singers Karlien van Jaarsveld and Amanda Strydom, and actress Hanna Grobler.
Carte Blanche’s Govan Whittles presents Govan Ontbloot from 21:00 on Wednesdays from 30 July. A documentary series about extraordinary South African stories, it’s from the producers of Original Sin: My Son the Killer and Strangers You Know.
NCIS: SYDNEY S2
Universal TV (DStv Channel) | 20:00 on Mondays from 21 July
The first NCIS franchise set outside of the US, NCIS: Sydney follows a brilliant and eclectic team of US NCIS Agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), who have been grafted into a multi-national taskforce to keep naval crimes in check.
The first season is one of the most watched local series since the launch of Paramount+ Australia and earned a 2024 TV Week Logie nomination for Best Drama. It later premiered on CBS US as the #1 new drama in the fall of the 2023-2024 season, with the series premiere reaching over 10 million viewers on linear in the US, including an encore episode. The international smash-hit Australian crime procedural has already been renewed for a third season.
Billed by Paramount as “the world’s most successful television franchise globally”, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: Hawai’i, NCIS: Sydney and NCIS: New Orleans have been licensed in over 200 markets worldwide, with two more franchise expansions, the recently launched prequel series, NCIS: Origins, and the upcoming Paramount+ Original series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva. NCIS won the International Audience Award from Médiamétrie and Eurodata as the most watched television series globally in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
THIRST WITH SHAY MITCHELL S1
Food Network (DStv Channel 175) | 21:55 on Saturdays from 26 July
Every culture has a drink. Every sip tells a story.
In Thirst With Shay Mitchell, the actress explores the world one drink at a time as she visits exotic locations, samples unique ingredients, and meets expert hosts. On her journey, she encounters the latest drink trends, the best bars, and 8 000 years of sipping history.
Mitchell is a five-time Teen Choice nominee, best known as Emily Fields in Pretty Little Liars.
Special mentions on Food Network:
- S38 of The Pioneer Woman launches at 17:00 on Thursdays from 3 July, with Ree Drummond sharing more down-home recipes from her family ranch. The Pioneer Woman won its fourth Telly Award last year and previous seasons have been nominated for Daytime Emmys and won at New York Festivals.
- Super Mega Cakes S1 screens at 16:05 on Sundays from 6 July. Duff Goldman and his expert Charm City Cakes team compete against six teams of the country’s best cake artists. Goldman is a former Webby Awards winner who was nominated for his second Children’s and Family Emmy this year as Outstanding Children’s Personality for Kids Baking Championship.
BELOW DECK MEDITERRANEAN S9
E! Africa (DStv Channel 124) | 18:10 on Sundays from 27 July
Captain Sandy Yawn and her crew are back! Join her as she keeps a firm hand on the tiller of the 163-foot motor yacht – and an even firmer hand on the drama below deck!
Look out for two South Africans among the crew this season: bosun Iain Maclean and stew Bri Muller.
Previous seasons were nominated for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program at the Emmys and Best Docu-Reality Show at the MTV Movie + TV Awards.
EYAMADODA S1
Mzansi Wethu (DStv Channel 163) | 19:00 on Wednesdays from 30 July
Eyamadoda dives deep into the emotional tug-of-war between stepfathers and absent baby daddies.
The Mzansi Wethu reality series shines the spotlight on stepfathers who step up not just in the home, but in the face of biological fathers who have been missing in action. Whether it’s about financial responsibility, cultural and spiritual rites, or just showing up for their kids, these men are demanding conversations that have been avoided for years.
Hosted by three-time SAFTA winner Manaka Ranaka (Stokvel, Generations: The Legacy), viewers can expect heated confrontations, truth bombs, and healing.
ALSO ON DSTV THIS JULY:
STREET OUTLAWS: LOCALS ONLY S2
Discovery Channel (DStv Channel 121) | 21:55 on Sundays from 6 July
Farmtruck and AZN find local drag racers to compete for $5 000 – and the chance to go head-to-head with a Street Outlaw for an additional $5 000.
MEAN GIRL MURDERS S3
ID (DStv Channel 171) | 21:00 on Mondays from 14 July
True-crime series Mean Girls Murders explores real-life mysteries that expose the dark side of female connections and rivalry. Who are the queen bees and the wannabes – and who thrives on jealousy and gossip? Sometimes these dynamics lead to shocking acts of psychological and physical violence.
PAWN STARS S25
HISTORY (DStv Channel 186) | 19:25 on Wednesdays from 16 July
For more than a decade, fans have come to love the Harrison clan like family. From rare art and weaponry to con men with cheap imitations, neither the viewer nor the Harrisons ever know what might come through the doors of their Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.
Previous seasons have been nominated for Best Reality Series or Best Unstructured Reality Series three times at the Critics Choice’ TV Awards.
TYLER PERRY’S SISTAS S9
BET (DStv Channel 129) | TBC on Tuesdays from 29 July
Written, directed and executive produced by Tyler Perry, Sistas follows a group of single Black women as they navigate the ups and downs of modern life, which includes careers, friendships, romances, and even social media.
CASTLE IMPOSSIBLE
HGTV (DStv Channel 177) | 21:00 on Tuesdays from 29 July
Daphne and Ian inherit a 500-year-old castle in France, and now they must save the decaying relic from ruin or face losing it forever.
Castle Impossible has an 8.3/10 rating on IMDb.
POLYFAMILY S1
TLC SA (Dstv Channel 135) | 20:00 on Tuesdays from 29 July
TLC’s Polyfamily follows two married couples, Alysia and Tyler, and Sean and Taya, who have chosen to live together as a closed quad. In this unconventional family set up, Tyler is dating Sean’s wife, Taya, and Sean is dating Tyler’s wife, Alysia.
EVERYTHING COMING TO DSTV IN JULY
See the full schedule:
www.dstv.com/en-za/explore/tv-guide
Miss an episode? No problem: binge on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
