‘There’s never been a greater time to be a Nigerian artist,” The Guardian (UK) headlined an article last year, as Afrobeats and Nigerian artists continued to take over global charts.
Nigerian Idol Season 10 is hunting for the next breakout Nigerian star and is already down to the top 10 contestants: Mikki, Raymu, Ellacentric, Kristopher, Sally, Boss Lady, Brammy, Jkenova, Lawrence, and Purp.
The first live show kicked off last Sunday with a Billboard-takeover themed night, fittingly including Nigerian smash hits like “Finesse” by Pheelz and “Love Nwantiti” by CKay, as well as a surprise appearance from a one-time Billboard chart-topper, D’banj.
The journey to crown Nigeria’s next music superstar continues every Sunday night, leading up to the grand finale in July 2025.
The live shows are also streaming on Showmax.
Watch Lawrence perform “Xtra Cool” by Young John:
LANDMAN S1
M-Net (DStv Channel 101) | 21:00 on Mondays from 2 June
Landman is a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking, set within the West Texas oilfields where roughnecks and wildcat billionaires are fuelling a boom so big it’s reshaping the climate, the economy and the geopolitics of the region.
Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for the 2025 Golden Globe for Best Actor as oil company fixer Tommy Norris. The all-star cast includes Oscar nominee Demi Moore (The Substance), Teen Choice nominee Ali Larter (Heroes, Final Destination), and Emmy winner Jon Hamm.
Landman is co-created by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, 1923, Lioness, Tulsa King) and Christian Wallace, inspired by the podcast Boomtown, which Wallace hosted and based on his own experiences working on oil rigs.
Landman has an 8.2/10 rating on IMDb and was the most streamed series globally in the first quarter of 2025, according to Luminate Data. Paramount+ has already ordered a second season.
Watch the trailer, which has over 5m views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxh49-bsIk
TRIXIE MOTEL: DRAG ME HOME S1
TLC (DStv Channel 135) | 21:00 on Tuesdays from 3 June
A year after opening the motel, drag superstar Trixie Mattel and her partner David Silver look to do something scary: move in together. They purchase their dream home in Los Angeles but it will need some revamping to make it fit for a queen…
At the 2025 Queerty Awards, Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home was nominated as the Next Big Thing and placed second in the Reality TV category.
Look out for guest appearances from drag queen Katya, reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump, seven-time Emmy nominee Nicole Byer and Johannesburg-born country music superstar Orville Peck.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8TYhV78tD0
SURVIVOR USA S47
M-Net (DStv Channel 101) | 18:00 from Thursday, 5 June
18 castaways. $1 million in prize money. 26 intense days.
Survivor S47 is set on the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji for the 15th consecutive season. Castaways include Rob Has A Podcast contributor Aysha Welch; former Miss Delaware USA Sierra Wright; comedian and Pod Save America host Jon Lovett; WYPR radio presenter Gabe Ortis; and Tennessee Titans reporter Sam Phalen.
Survivor has won seven Primetime Emmys, earning nominations last year for its cinematography and host Jeff Probst. Survivor was also up for Competition Show of the Year at last year’s People’s Choice Awards.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NH3_pnsIec
BATTLEFIELDS SOUTH AFRICA WITH JOHN ROBBIE
HISTORY® (DStv Channel 186) | 21:05 on Fridays from 6 June
Battlefields South Africa with John Robbie is a documentary series that brings three of the country’s most notable historic battles to life.
In episode 1, comedian Themba Robin and Robbie explore the first major clash of the
Anglo-Zulu War – the Battle of Isandlwana. In episode 2, investigative journalist and avid history enthusiast Ruda Landman walks the historic battlefields of Colenso and Spionkop during the South African War together with Robbie. And in episode 3, radio and TV presenter Jeremy Maggs and Robbie revisit the Battle of Delville Wood during World War I.
Watch the trailer:
GLADIATOR II
M-Net (DStv Channel 101) | 20:05 on Sunday, 8 June
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people.
The #12 biggest box office hit of 2024, Gladiator II sees director Ridley Scott continue his epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. The sequel’s already been nominated at this year’s Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards.
As Lucius, Paul Mescal (Aftersun, Normal People) was nominated for Best Lead Actor at this year’s Irish Film and Television Awards, while Oscar winner Denzel Washington was up for Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes as Macrinus. Also look out for Emmy nominees Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen.
Watch the trailer, which has over 23 million views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rgYUipGJNo
Showmax subscribers can also re-watch the original Gladiator, which won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe), and is still #33 on IMDb‘s list of the top-rated films of all time.
TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA S1
BBC Brit (DStv Channel 120) | 20:00 on Fridays from 13 June
Top Gear is still one of IMDb‘s highest-rated TV shows of all time. Now new hosts Blair Joscelyne, Beau Ryan and Jonathan LaPaglia get behind the wheel to give the franchise an Australian spin. Joscelyne is co-creator of the YouTube phenomenon Mighty Car Mods, while Ryan and LaPaglia are known for hosting the Australian versions of The Amazing Race and Survivor respectively.
Across eight episodes, the trio take on epic road trips, from racing supercars in Italy to tackling Colombia’s jungles, as well as putting caravans through their paces and battling it out in budget bangers.
OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH
National Geographic (DStv Channel 181) | Friday 13 June at 20:30
“The most important place on earth is not on land,” says the legendary Sir David Attenborough in the trailer to his new documentary, which dives deeper than ever before to reveal the mysteries, marvels and urgent truths of our blue planet.
“My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery,” says the 99-year-old. “Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man. In this film, we share those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can bounce back to life.”
Ocean With David Attenborough has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In their five-star review, The Guardian calls the film “a passionate case against the ruination of our oceans… Sir David’s authority is matched only by nature’s grandeur in this visually stunning film.”
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGs-xS41WCI
SHAKA ILEMBE S2
Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161 | 20:00, Sundays from 15 June
The first season of Shaka iLembe became the most watched DStv drama series ever, was the most searched TV series on Google in 2023, and went on to become the most awarded drama series ever at the SAFTAs.
Season 2 picks up as Shaka arrives at KwaNobamba with Nandi to claim his throne as the new Zulu king. Lemogang Tsipa and Nomzamo Mbatha co-star as Shaka and Nandi, fresh from their nomination and win respectively at the 2024 Septimius Awards in Amsterdam.
The all-star cast includes Thembinkosi Mthembu in a SAFTA-winning performance as Dingiswayo and Wiseman Mncube in a National Film and TV Awards-winning performance as Zwide.
Produced by Bomb (Yizo Yizo, Isibaya), Shaka iLembe is co-created by Oscar nominee Angus Gibson, Emmy nominee Desireé Markgraaff, and Mpumemelo Paul Grootboom, who won Scriptwriting SAFTAs in both 2023 and 2024.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygaGZs1_0Fo
THE MASKED SINGER UK S6
BBC Brit (DStv Channel 120) | From 19:00 on Sundays from 15 June
The wildest guessing game on TV is back, with Joel Dommett at the helm alongside star detectives Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Mo Gilligan, and new recruit Maya Jama.
In this bizarre and brilliant singing competition, 12 famous faces take to the stage in extravagant disguises, keeping their identities top secret. The panel’s mission? To piece together cryptic clues and solve television’s greatest mystery – who’s hiding behind the mask?
Only those eliminated will reveal their true selves in dramatic unmaskings. This time around it is the turn of Spag Bol, Pegasus, Toad in the Hole, Tattoo, Teeth, Kingfisher, Snail, Bear, Bush, Wolf, Dressed Crab and Pufferfish to wow the panel, but who has what it takes to go all the way?
Previous seasons have won the International Emmy for Best Non-Scripted Entertainment and the BAFTA for Best Entertainment Programme
CHASING FLAVOR S1
Food Network (DStv Channel 175) | 16:05 on Sundays from 15 June
In Chasing Flavor, celebrity chef and bestselling author Carla Hall takes viewers on a global adventure to explore the unexpected roots of America’s most popular dishes, from chicken pot pie to ice cream, shrimp and grits to hot chicken. Follow along as the Emmy winner’s curiosity leads her to Ghana, Italy, Turkey, and more – because if you don’t know the history, then you don’t know the dish.
The six-part series was nominated for a 2025 NAMIC Vision Award, which celebrates outstanding original programming that authentically presents the richness of different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences in today’s evolving audience.
In their five-star review, Common Sense Media recommends the show for ages 8+, calling Chasing Flavor “a labour of love that educates and entertains while making complex culinary history accessible to everyone. Each episode… masterfully demonstrates how food can create bridges between diverse cultures.”
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBv-uWIEWzs
SÊ JOU SÊ
kykNET&kie (DStv Channel 145) | 19:00 on Sundays from 15 June
Aden Thomas was up for Best Presenter In An Entertainment Programme at last year’s Silwerskerm Awards for his kykNET&kie talk show Sê Jou Sê.
This season’s lineup will certainly get people hot under the collar, as he tackles:
• 15 June: Families whose loved ones’ graves have been desecrated
• 22 June: Allegations of elderly abuse in retirement homes
• 29 June: Gang violence, with a former gang member in studio taking part in the debate
UNDERDOGS S1
National Geographic Wild (DStv Channel 182) | 18:00 on Saturdays from 21 June
In Underdogs, Emmy winner Ryan Reynolds (aka Deadpool) champions the outcasts of the animal kingdom. The National Geographic series celebrates the unique behaviours of the animals who don’t usually get to be the stars of the show, including their hidden talents, unconventional hygiene choices, bizarre mating strategies and dubious parenting choices.
Underdogs features a range of never-before-filmed scenes, including the first time a film crew has ever entered a special cave in New Zealand – a huge cavern that glows brighter than a bachelor pad under a black light thanks to the glowing butts of millions of mucus-coated grubs.
Underdogs reminds us that all over the world, overlooked superstars like this are out there 24/7, giving it maximum effort and keeping the natural world in working order for all those showboating polar bears, sharks and gorillas.
Watch the trailer, with over 3.5m views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSMAZIKokJI
And yes, that’s Green Day doing the theme song.
© Kevin Lamarque, Getty Images
ONTHUL: TRUMP TORNADO TREF SUID-AFRIKA
kykNET (DStv Channel 144) | 20:00 on Sunday, 22 June
Donald Trump hit the world like a tornado. Friend or foe, almost no country was spared. Before he’d even spent 100 days in the White House, he had already signed 120 executive orders. One of these directly affected South Africa: granting refugee status to Afrikaners, with an undertone of chastising the ANC, which had governed the country alone for 30 years.
When President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House, reactions were mixed. Why was the most powerful man in the world paying so much attention to a seemingly insignificant country at the southern tip of Africa? Why such affection for Afrikaners? And why do some of them view Trump as a hero – a messiah even? These issues have sparked intense, divisive debates, headlines and suspicions from all sides.
Onthul: Trump Tornado Tref Suid-Afrika examines these questions, with guests including Christo van der Rheede, Dawie Roodt, Flip Buys, Lourensa Eckard, Piet Croucamp, Prince Mashele, and Tony Leon.
Onthul is produced by multi-award-winners IdeaCandy (Tracking Thabo Bester, Rosemary’s Hitlist, Devilsdorp).
ALSO ON:
A FEAST OF FINALS
Supersport (DStv Channels 201-204) | From 6 June 2025
Supersport has a packed lineup of finals this June, including:
• Basketball: The NBA playoff finals from 6-23 June 2025
• Cricket: The Indian final of the Indian Premier League on 3 June 2025
• Football: The UEFA Nations League final on 8 June 2025
• Rugby: The United Rugby Championship finale on 14 June 2025
HOMICIDE HUNTER: AMERICAN DETECTIVE S5
ID (DStv Channel | 21:00 on Wednesdays from 11 June
In Homicide Hunter: American Detective, retired cop Lieutenant Joe Kenda presents mind-blowing cases from across the US. The true crime series has an 8.2/10 rating on IMDb.
NAKED AND AFRAID: LAST ONE STANDING S3
Discovery Channel (DStv Channel 121) | 21:00 on Wednesdays from 11 June
Fan-favourite legends return to take on new challengers in an all-out battle of skill, innovation, and grit. The competitor who demonstrates the best bushcraft, ingenuity and stamina to outlast their opponents in head-to-head, multiphase challenges will earn the crown, a coveted perfect 10.0 Primitive Survival Rating and a $100 000 cash prize. This season, survivalists will face heartbreaking medical tap outs, legacy-defining moments, and the most shocking elimination ever seen in the franchise…
ROCK THE BLOCK S6
HGTV (DStv Channel 177) | 21:00 on Fridays from 6 June
Four teams of HGTV all-stars face-off in the ultimate home renovation competition, where the house that appraises the highest at the end wins it all!
BET AWARDS
BET (Channel 129) | 02:00 on Tuesday, 10 June
African trailblazers Abigail Chams, Ayra Starr, Black Sherif, Burna Boy, Dlala Thukzin, Maglera Doe Boy, Rema, Shallipopi, Tems, Tyla, TxC, and Uncle Waffles are all nominated at the 2025 BET Awards in Los Angeles, to be hosted by four-time Emmy nominee Kevin Hart. Jamie Foxx, Kirk Franklin, Mariah Carey, and Snoop Dogg will receive Ultimate Icon awards, while the live stream will include electrifying performances by the likes of Grammy nominees GloRilla and Playboi Carti, and Grammy winners Leon Thomas and Lil Wayne.
MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA, WITH DESSERT | M-Net (DStv Channel 101)
MasterChef Australia Dessert Masters S2, 18:00 on Sundays from 22 June
MasterChef Australia S17 | 18:00 on Monday-Friday from 30 June
MasterChef Australia Dessert Masters returns with hosts Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon joined by 10 of Australia’s most talented pastry chefs, while S17 of MasterChef Australia features 24 contestants from previous seasons returning for a chance to win the title.
NICKELODEON KID’S CHOICE AWARDS
Nickelodeon (DStv Channel 305) | 17:00 on Wednesday, 25 June
Watch Grammy winner Tyla become the first African to host The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in California. The annual awards ceremony honours the fan favourites of the year, across TV, film, music and pop culture, based on votes by kids. She’s also nominated for Favourite Global Music Star and Favourite Music Collaboration.
Miss an episode? No problem: catch up on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
See the full schedule:
https://www.dstv.com/en-za/explore/tv-guide
