New Series: Reyka

Reyka follows a flawed but brilliant criminal profiler, Reyka Gama (Kim Engelbrecht). Haunted by her past, she investigates a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal. Having been abducted as a child by a farmer named Speelman (Iain Glen), Reyka is traumatised by the experience but this also helps her enter the minds of Africa's most notorious criminals and turn them inside out. Catch it at 20:00 from Sunday July 25. 

ON the small screen

Friday July 16: Moonbase 8 is a new space comedy with subpar astronauts. M-Net, 22:30.

Saturday July 17: Toorbos is the classic SA love story about choosing to live in the forest or moving to town. Afrikaans with English subtitles. Kyknet, 20:00.

Sunday July 18: Convicts wreak havoc on a family visiting their lake house in Becky. M-Net, 21:05.

Monday July 19: Tolkien is a biopic about the SA-born author of The Lord of the Rings. M-Net Movies 1 on DStv, 20:00.

Tuesday July 20: Pooch Perfect tracks the search for the best dog groomer. BBC Brit on DStv, 20:00.

Wednesday July 21: The Gallagher children, Debbie, Carl and Liam, feature in “They grow up so fast”, a documentary of Shameless Hall of shame. M-Net, 22:30.

Thursday July 22: In Survivor SA, 12 castaways move forward as one tribe in the episode called “Merge”. M-Net, 19:30

Friday July 23: Live opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games. SABC2/Supersport, 12:00.

Saturday July 24: Go beyond hotel lobbies to see the inner workings in Amazing hotels: Life beyond the lobby. BBC Lifestyle on DStv, 23:00.

Sunday July 25: Annette Benning can be seen in Film stars don’t die in Liverpool, a classic love story between a young actor and a leading lady. M-Net Movies 1 on DStv, 23:55.

New Series: Moonbase 8

Moonbase 8, on M-Net from Friday July 16, is a new comedy series about three astronauts stationed at NASA's Moon Base Simulator in a remote part of the Arizona desert. While working vigorously to qualify for their first lunar mission, they encounter many obstacles including loneliness, self-doubt and their own incompetence. In spite of it all, they remain determined to prove they have the right stuff to reach the moon.

Fargo is back on TV

The fourth season of Fargo, an American anthology black comedy–crime drama television series created by Noah Hawley, premieres on July 5 on M-Net City on DStv. It consists of 11 episodes. As an anthology, each Fargo season possesses its own self-contained narrative, following a disparate set of characters in various settings and eras, albeit in a connected shared universe centered on the Midwestern United States and the titular city of Fargo, North Dakota.

The fourth season is set in November 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri and follows two crime syndicates as they vie for control. The cast is led by Chris Rock, who plays Loy Cannon, the head of a crime syndicate made up of black migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South who have a contentious relationship with a fictionalized portrayal of the Kansas City mafia. Other cast members include Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw, and Jack Huston.

More highlights

Friday July 2: Landscape artists fall in love while building a garden at Versailles in A little chaos. M-Net Movies 3 on DStv, 23:45.

Saturday July 3: Pinocchio comes to life a very dark version of the fairytale. M-Net, 15:55.

Sunday July 4: A Mumbai teenager is accused of cheating on a game show in Slumdog Millionaire. SABC3, 19:30.

Monday July 5: Max and Miranda must find the murderer of a food critic on The Mallorca Files. BBC Brit on DStv, 20:00.

Tuesday July 6: New reality show It takes a church helps single parishioners find love. SABC2, 22:30.

Wednesday July 7: Tom Hanks can be seen as the beloved Mr Rogers in A beautiful day in the neighbourhood. M-Net Movies 2 on DStv, 20:00.

Thursday July 8: Bull represents a teenager who is on trial for carjacking and assault. M-Net, 20:40

Friday July 9: Anthony’s Bourdain’s food and travel show Parts Unknown visits Scotland. Curiosity on DStv, 21:00.

Saturday July 10: Bollywood arrives in primetime with a classic Indian love story in Kadhanayagan. SABC3, 19:30.

Sunday July 11: Can love overcome the past? Find out in the love story After we collided. M-Net, 21:05.

by Danie Jacobs

The Galaghers are back on TV

Shameless double bill

It’s the last call for the Gallaghers and you’re invited to the party to end all parties. After a decade of dysfunction, the South Side’s favourite clan is going out with the biggest bang ever. It’s going to be a wild last ride, but changes are coming that will force each of them to either step up or hit the road. And while devolving may come more naturally than evolving in a family where excess never gets old, they know one thing for certain – Gallaghers may grow up, but they’ll never grow apart.