What to watch on DStv this August, from Mr Loverman to The Pitt
CRITTER FIXERS 4
National Geographic Wild (DStv channel 182) | 6PM on Mondays from 4 August
Dr Hodges and Dr Ferguson own and operate a bustling veterinary clinic in rural America.
This season they encounter a ferret with a fractured pelvis, treat a goat with septic arthritis, and visit an adolescent groundhog. They help a kitten who can’t see, soothe a bulldog with a tummy ache, look inside the mouths of snakes, and help a dog with a UTI. And they take on their toughest surgery yet, operating on a goose with a foreign object lodged in its trachea.
Critters Fixers won the 2024 Vision Award for Reality Series from the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity In Communication (NAMIC) and was nominated again this year. The show was also up for last year’s Image Award for Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbYh-AKGAL8
GUSH’LYF S1
Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) | 8PM on Thursdays from 7 August
Gush’lyf is a new reality show that drifts into a world where spinning cars is more than just a stunt.
Gush’lyf follows four fearless car spinners as they skid through life’s curves, burn emotional rubber and chase more than just accolades in the build up to the biggest national spinning showdown of the year.
Ngozi (Gift Zulu), Dankie Darlie, aka Queen of Smoke (Nalo Dzhivhuho), Poroza (Mpho Diloro) and Mzet, aka Moruti (Collie Golden) are on a mission to take the wheel and steer their lives in the direction of who they truly are and what they represent.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m__gswsWOko
Mzansi Magic reality TV special mentions:
• Ugembula Ngathi is a gambling intervention show hosted by Tshepo Maseko. 8PM on Wednesdays from 6 August.
• The Request is a reality series about e-hailing drivers. 7PM on Fridays from 8 August.
• Kwanele Bazali is a family intervention show, hosted by Motlatsi Mafatshe. 7:30PM on Sundays from 17 August. Trailer
• In Nandi and the Rev, Rev Mlombi found himself between a rock and a hard place when the one place he’s called home his entire life gave him an ultimatum: choose between the church, and your wife and kids. 7PM on Sundays from 24 August.
Mzansi Wethu reality TV special mentions:
• Yithi Laba S1 follows a 52-year-old woman and her 28-year-old partner as they fight to prove their love is real despite resistance from family, community, and their own complicated pasts. 6:30PM on Fridays from 1 August.
Moja Love reality TV special mentions:
• Ukungenwa S5 follows Siyabonga Mhlongo as he continues to navigate the traditional practice of ukungenwa, where a man marries his late brother’s wife. 8:30PM on Saturdays from 9 August.
• Umoya S7 is hosted by Mpho Entle, a compassionate medium who connects people with their departed loved ones. 6:30PM on Sundays from 24 August.
BOER SOEK ‘N VROU S17
kykNET (DStv channel 144) | 8PM on Thursdays from 7 August
Popular matchmaking series Boer Soek ‘n Vrou is back, with Reandi Grey getting behind the wheel of the show’s Hilux bakkie for the first time as the host.
This year’s crop of eligible bachelors ranges in age from 26 to 56, with farmers representing six provinces.
“There aren’t just ten new farmers, there’s also a brand-new director and a new presenter,” says Reandi. “I’d want to keep all the participating farmers close for the rest of my life. They’re truly salt-of-the-earth people who deserve love – and I felt honoured to be part of their journey.”
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD0Msznmwp0
CHIMP CRAZY S1
M-Net (DStv channel 101) | 10PM on Thursdays from 7 August
From Tiger King director-producer Eric Goode, Chimp Crazy is a bananas documentary that examines the complicated world of raising chimpanzees. It centres on former nurse-turned-exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, who spends her days caring for animals in captivity. Her love for one chimpanzee in particular spins into a wild cat-and-mouse game that draws the attention of local authorities, animal rights group PETA, the press, and even actor Alan Cumming.
The four-part series drew over two million viewers in its first week of release, has an 86% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is up for Emmys for its Writing and Editing.
Calling the award-winning HBO documentary series a “jaw-dropping look at monkey love…[which] dives into the wild, salacious and dangerous world of people who have chimpanzees as pets,” The New York Times says, “Chimp Crazy is more textured than Tiger King, partly because of its closer attention to the plight of animals” but “… there’s an endless ‘OMG’ feeling to everything here.”
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIemK8COf3Q
LEE
M-Net (DStv channel 101) | 8:30PM on Sunday, 10 August
Oscar winner Kate Winslet stars in Lee, the true story of photographer Elizabeth “Lee” Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.
The directorial feature debut of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Lee also stars Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie), and Emmy winners Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown).
Lee was up for Outstanding British Film of the Year at this year’s BAFTAs, with Winslet nominated for a 2025 Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama.
Watch the trailer, which has nearly 4m views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmFYkiUAAA8
M-Net movie special mentions:
• Labeled “the comedy of the year” by Awards Watch, Babes follows two childhood friends whose relationship is tested when one of them decides to have a baby after a one-night stand. Emmy nominee Ilana Glazer (Broad City) and Critics Choice-winning comedienne Michelle Buteau co-star. Babes is the feature film directorial debut of Emmy nominee Pamela Adlon (Better Things). 9PM on Friday, 8 August. Trailer
• Joker: Folie a Deux stars Lady Gaga in a Critics Choice Super-nominated role as Harley Quinn. 8:05PM on Sunday, 17 August. Trailer
• #1 box office hit Flight Risk stars Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg and Emmy nominee Michelle Dockery. 8:05PM on Sunday, 25 August. Trailer
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW S47
BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel 174) | 7PM on Sundays from 10 August
Now in its 47th season, Antiques Roadshow shows that some things keep getting better with age, having just been nominated for Outstanding Structured Reality Program at the Emmys for the third year in a row.
The team of fine arts and antiques experts appraise the nation’s treasures brought by ordinary members of the public – cherished items that may just turn out to be long lost treasures. From charity shop bargains to family heirlooms, every object has a fascinating story to tell.
BBC Lifestyle special mentions
• Britain’s Most Expensive Houses S3 follows agents across the UK competing to sell everything from a Scottish castle to a coastal hideaway in Cornwall, a penthouse in Knightsbridge to a sea view sanctuary in Sandbanks. 8PM on Thursdays from 9 August.
• Big Zuu & AJ Tracey’s Rich Flavours sees BAFTA-winning chef Big Zuu and his cousin, multi-platinum-selling rapper AJ Tracey, embark on a super-rich food safari of outrageous dishes and luxury lifestyles, from South Korea to the Scottish Highlands. 8PM on Tuesdays from 12 August.
THE PITT S1
M-Net (DStv channel 101) & Showmax | 9PM on Mondays from 11 August
Among the three most-watched Max series ever, The Pitt returns ER favourite Noah Wyle to the emergency room as Dr Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, who faces a grueling 15-hour shift alongside the staff and interns of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital – aka “The Pitt”.
Including The Pitt in their Top-Rated TV Shows of 2025 list, IMDb wrote, “HBO Max has done the impossible in creating a medical series unlike anything fans of the genre have ever seen. The Pitt is an emotional roller coaster, with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that bind you to its characters before you’ve even realised what happened. We would trust Noah Wyle to save our lives any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.”
The Pitt is up for 13 Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor (Wyle), Supporting Actress(Katherine LaNasa), Guest Actor (Shawn Hatosy), Directing, and Writing.
Watch the trailer, which has over a million views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufR_08V38sQ
M-Net series special mentions:
• Looking for more medical mysteries? Try Sherlock Holmes spinoff Watson. 7PM on Mondays from 18 August. Trailer
• If you prefer police procedurals, try Law & Order: Organised Crime S5. 7PM on Thursdays from 28 August. Trailer
UGLIEST HOUSE IN AMERICA S6
HGTV (DStv channel 177) | 9PM on Mondays from 11 August
Retta travels the US to tour the ugliest homes around, which are competing for a spectacular $150 000 renovation from HGTV’s Alison Victoria.
Stand-up comedian Retta is best known for her roles as Donna Meagle on Parks and Recreation and Ruby Hill on Good Girls.
Watch a sneak peak:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-lTXKyPdOE
HGTV special mention:
• In Rehab Addict S9, Women’s Image Network Awards nominee Nicole Curtis saves ramshackle homes from the wrecking ball and restores the properties to their original stunning glory. 9PM on Wednesdays from 27 August. Sneak peek
PLASTIC SURGERY REWIND S1
E! Entertainment (DStv channel 124) | 7:05PM on Sundays from 17 August
Join Dr Terry Dubrow, Michelle Visage, and Dr Spirit, PhD, as they follow nine surgery-obsessed celebs considering whether to reverse their cosmetic procedures and return to a more natural look or stay enhanced.
Celebs include The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak and her daughter Brielle Biermann, as well as 90 Day Fiance’s Larissa Lima.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tshrFmIDM8 
BLACK GOLD S1
BET (DStv Channel 129) | 6:30PM from 18 August, Monday to Thursday
Nomalanga Shozi steps into her first lead role in new daily drama Black Gold. She plays Amandla Zungu, who is cast out of her ancestral home after being falsely accused of her father’s murder. Forced into the dangerous world of illegal mining, she must rise through the ranks to reclaim her legacy and confront the woman who stole everything from her.
SAFTA winner Dawn Thandeka King plays her step-mother Florence, with SAFTA nominee Sello Maake KaNcube as Tom Motsepe, Florence’s secret lover and co-conspirator. Also look out for SAFTA winners Warren Masemola and Thulani Mtsweni as well as former The Real Housewives of Durban star Mbali Ngiba.
Black Gold is produced by Mandla N’s Black Brain Pictures, the production company behind Best Telenovela SAFTA winner DiepCity and Best Drama SAFTA winner Lockdown.
CHEF GRUDGE MATCH S1
Food Network (DStv channel 175) | 5PM on Tuesdays from 19 August
Boxing champion Laila Ali is stepping into the ring once again, this time to host Chef Grudge Match, a single round, winner-takes-all culinary battle where elite chefs come to settle long-standing disputes and bitter rivalries.
From employees who have been wronged by their boss to restaurateurs defending their livelihoods from copycats, competing culinary pros put their favourite knives, and egos, on the line in a bid to put old scores to bed.
Each episode features two head-to-head battles where resident judge Jet Tila welcomes a guest judge to help determine who walks out with $10 000 cash, the losing chef’s most coveted knife, and bragging rights for life.
Food Network special mention:
• Girl Meets Farm S15 follows Emmy nominee Molly Yeh as she embraces her country life and makes dishes inspired by her Jewish and Chinese heritage – with a taste of the Midwest, too. 4:05PM on Thursdays from 14 August.
DEADLIEST CATCH S21
Discovery Channel (DStv channel 121) | 8:05PM on Tuesdays from 19 August
When fishermen discover monster king crab in the far west, a gold rush-style race ignites among the Dutch Harbor fleet.
To claim their share of the billion-dollar bounty, captains and crews must brave 50-foot seas to reach abandoned Adak Island, venturing farther west than anyone has dared in more than 30 years and beyond the bounds of rescue.
Navigating through unfamiliar territory to secure the lucrative haul, the crews face extreme conditions and major ship malfunctions that put them in life-threatening situations, leaving the fleet at the mercy of the tumultuous western Bering Sea.
Deadliest Catch has won 16 Emmys and is up for another two in 2025.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD2TpwC6eIo
Discovery Channel special mention:
• Rated 8.2/10 on IMDb, In The Eye of The Storm S2 reveals natural disasters as they happened in real-time through footage captured by eyewitnesses who found themselves in the wrong place at the right time and boldly held up their camera phones to capture the eye of the storm. 9PM on Wednesdays from 13 August.
MR LOVERMAN S1
M-Net (DStv channel 101) | 9PM on Wednesdays from 20 August
Barrington Jedidiah Walker, Barry to his mates, is a 74-year-old, Antiguan-born, exuberant Hackney personality, renowned for his dapper taste and fondness for retro suits. Carmel, his wife of 50 years, senses that Barry has been cheating on her with other women. Little does she know what’s really going on: a secret, passionate affair with his best friend and soulmate, Morris. Now facing the final chapter of his life, Barry has big choices to make that will force his whole family to question their futures.
Based on Bernardine Evaristo’s Booker Prize-winning novel, Mr Loverman earned Lennie James and Ariyon Bakare the 2025 BAFTAs for Leading and Supporting Actor respectively, with Sharon D Clarke also nominated as Leading Actress.
Mr Loverman has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Guardian hails Mr Loverman as “magnificent TV that will tear your heart open.”
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyWbytuCwDo
SECRETS DECLASSIFIED WITH DAVID DUCHOVNY
HISTORY (DStv channel 186) | 7:25PM on Fridays from 22 August
From black ops and bizarre experiments to deadly cover-ups and nefarious gadgets, David Duchovny pulls the curtain back on all the government secrets in modern history we always suspected but were never given the answers to.
Working off newly declassified files, the X-Files star investigates the explosive evidence that will finally shine a new light on what’s really going on, deep in the shadows.
Watch a sneak peek:
https://youtu.be/Ucr2fvNCMWM?si=bl4NAjJQP7jTRnyp
HISTORY special mentions:
• Winner of five Leo Awards in Canada, Deadman’s Curse S3 follows former MMA fighter Kru Williams, Indigenous explorer Taylor Starr, and legend hunter Adam Palmer as they try to solve the mystery of Slumach’s lost gold mine. 8:15PM on Fridays from 15 August.
DESTINATION X S1
M-Net (DStv channel 101) | 7PM on Saturdays from 23 August
Critics Choice winner Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead, Grey’s Anatomy) hosts Destination X, an all-new competition that takes players on the adventure of a lifetime as they race to answer one simple question: ‘Where in the world are they?’
Each incredible new location brings them closer to a life-changing $250 000 cash prize.
Look out for appearances from Love Island USA alum JaNA Craig, The Traitors US’ Peter Weber, and Big Brother Season 18 winner Josh Martinez.
Destination X was a ratings hit in the US, with over 4m viewers for the premiere. Collider hailed it as “the best guessing game since The Masked Singer.”
Watch the trailer, which has over five million views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5SOe3XMEEQ
SPOORLOOS: LOSPRYS
kykNET (DStv channel 144) | 8PM on Tuesdays from 26 August
The fifth season of the anthology series Spoorloos follows a wealthy game farmer, Brand, whose teenage granddaughter Karla is kidnapped during her father Willem’s murder trial, where she is a key witness. Her mother, Lynette, is forced to turn to her ex-lover Frank for help as he is the only experienced detective in the area.
Angelique Pretorius (Binnelanders) plays Lynette, with veteran Louis Minnaar as Brand, Lienke Vermeulen (Een Keer Om Die Son, Spooksoeker) as Karla, Neels Clasen (Warrior) as Willem and Laudo Liebenberg (DAM, Black Sails) as Frank.
Losprys is written by SAFTA winner Mitzi Booysen (Isidingo, Binnelanders) and produced by multi-award winners Ochre Moving Pictures (triple SAFTA winner Justice Served; Lioness; Breekpunt; Spoorloos 4: Die Eiland).
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNPUsY1trOss
kykNET special mention:
• Celebrate the best of Afrikaans film and TV at the Silwerskerm Film & Television Awards. 7PM on Saturday, 24 August.
DIARRA FROM DETROIT
BET (DStv channel 129) | 7PM on Sundays from 31 August
Diarra From Detroit follows a divorcing schoolteacher who refuses to believe she’s been ghosted by her rebound Tinder hookup. Her search for the missing man pulls her into a decades-old mystery involving the Detroit underworld.
Creator Diarra Kilpatrick stars opposite Morris Chestnut (The Best Man franchise) and Phylicia Rashad, who won a Black Reel Award for her performance. Kilpatrick won this year’s Gracie Allen Actress In A Breakthrough Role – Drama Award and was nominated for Breakthrough Performance at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, among other honours.
Diarra From Detroit was nominated for Best New Scripted Series at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and Outstanding New TV Series at the GLAAD Media Awards this year, as well as Outstanding Comedy Series at last year’s Black Reel Awards.
Diarra From Detroit has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety says, “The show’s humour, mysteries and heartbreak are beautifully infused in the narrative to create an intricate detective story with hilarious scenarios and unforeseen twists and turns… Unlike anything seen on television in recent years… Refreshing, captivating and unapologetically Black.”
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9jGOM2l3tY
BET special mention:
• Ernie Hudson (Winston in the Ghostbusters franchise) leads the cast of The Family Business S4-5. By day, the Duncans are an upstanding family who run a car dealership. By night, they live a dangerous secret life. When they come under siege, the Duncans will have to stick together or die separately. 7PM weekdays from 21 August. S5 trailer
SURVIVOR AUSTRALIA: AUSTRALIA VS THE WORLD
M-Net (DStv channel 101) | 5:30PM on Sundays from 31 August
In this thrilling showdown, Australian players face off against international contenders from Survivor USA, New Zealand, Finland and South Africa.
Expect fierce competition, as the Australian Tribe boasts former winners David Genat and Shonee Bowtell, while the World Tribe includes standout players like Survivor legend Parvati Shallow and South Africa’s own Rob Bentele, winner of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sExrJ-LP8LU
TRAPPED! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO WENDY WILLIAMS?
TLC SA (DStv channel 135) | 9PM on Sunday, 31 August
Trailblazing talk show host Wendy Williams has her own star on the Walk of Fame and five Emmy nominations for The Wendy Williams Show.
What she doesn’t have is autonomy, after a court-appointed guardianship in 2022.
Trapped! What Is Happening To Wendy Williams? explores that decision and the #FreeWendy movement that followed.
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5IyxMvQnCU
TLC SA special mentions:
• Snake Catcher: Down Under S1 follows Julia Baker as she tackles one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: capturing venomous snakes from homes across Australia. 8PM on Mondays from 4 August. Trailer
• On Match Me Abroad S2, after failing to find their soulmate in the US, Americans enlist the help of expert matchmakers to find true love overseas. 10PM on Thursdays from 14 August. Trailer
• Virgins S1 is a wild, warm, and wonderfully awkward ride with four adults who have yet to experience sexual intercourse, as they navigate love, intimacy, and self-discovery in their 30s and 40s. 9PM on Tuesdays from 19 August. Trailer
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
MM1 (DStv channel 104) | 3PM on Saturday, 9 August
Directed by Tim Burton (Wednesday, Beetlejuice), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was last year’s best-reviewed fantasy movie on Rotten Tomatoes and the 13th biggest box office hit globally.
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
Oscar nominee Michael Keaton reprises his iconic role as Beetlejuice. Oscar nominee Winona Ryder and Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara return as Lydia and Delia Deetz, with Emmy nominee Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) joining the cast as Astrid. Also look out for Oscar nominees Willem Dafoe and Danny DeVito, as well as Emmy winner Justin Theroux.
Watch the trailer, which has over 21m views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoZqL9N6Rx4
MM1 special mentions:
• The #16 biggest box office hit of 2025 so far, Dog Man kicks off with a harebrained but life-saving operation that fuses a faithful police dog and his human police officer together as a new hero, sworn to protect and serve … and fetch, sit and roll over. A spin-off from Captain Underpants, DreamWorks’ adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s bestselling graphic novel series has already been nominated for the 2025 Kids’ Choice Award for Favourite Animated Movie. 2:43PM on Saturday, 30 August. Trailer
• Mia Goth is back in Maxxxine, the bloody final chapter in Ti West’s X horror trilogy. Set in 1980s Hollywood, Maxxxine follows adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx, who finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past. MaXXXine is up for Best Independent Film at the 2025 Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. 10:53PM on Thursday, 7 August. Trailer
BUT WAIT, THERE’S EVEN MORE…
LUXURY LISTINGS
Home Channel (DStv channel 176) | 4PM on Mondays from 4 August
