Showing posts with label eToonz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eToonz. Show all posts

Why eToonz Now Offers Shows Like MasterChef Junior?

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eToonz is South Africa's first free-to-air children's channel operated by eMedia Investments. It broadcasts daily at 6am with preschool shows like Peppa Pig, Postman Pat and Bob The Builder alongside with other content like Trollstopia, All Hail King Julien and Ninjago.

Launched in 2013, eToonz initially served as a preschool filtered brand and to date remains as the only youth brand on Openview to feature animated and live-action shows. Despite the rise in competiton with MultiChoice ramping up a duplicate offering on Play Room.

There was a lot of commotion pertaining to its performance regardless eMedia Investments had continued to bolster the entertainment. The channel now offers its own slate of live-action something formerly offered on Craze on top getting more first run programs.

As seen in recent months, eMedia Investments opted to add MasterChef Junior from eReality to eToonz current line-up. The inclusion of MasterChef Junior would further expand its line-up.

Openview launched in 2013 and as mentioned eMedia Investments remains hush hush on eToonz performance. There's been rumours that not much consumption is being poured on the brand as sources site Openview's demographic for the low numbers.

If anything, the inclusion of MasterChef Junior helps draw in numbers as well as more mature content like The Thundermans, Hank Zipzer and Backstage. Such content is relatable with fiction cast aside viewers are able to envision themselves within these characters.

Recap To Last Year: How MultiChoice Went About Phasing Out The eBranded Channels?

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During the week, it was reported by my sources that eToonz alongside eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra would stop airing on DStv by the end of July. Since then, eExtra had been promoting several content without any mention of DStv which confirms everyone's suspicion.

These channels were reinstated in 2022 due to pending investigation - MultiChoice never intended to relaunch these channels as others had hoped. So the only way you can watch the final episodes of your favourite Kuiertyd shows would be to tuning in on e.tv or getting an Openview.

For those who still reside on DStv even after the termination need to note the following:

• DreamWorks was added as a replacement to eToonz to Compact consumers featuring various content already seen by the former brand: All Hail King Julien, Dragons: Race To The Edge, Boss Baby: Back In Business and Home: The Adventures Of Tip And Oh.
• Not having much alternatives to kiddies entertainment, MultiChoice extended the reach of PBS Kids to Easyview consumers. Access and Family consumers got a lot of kids channels e.g. Cartoon Network, Disney Junior and JimJam so they get nothing.
• Movie Room was added to all DStv consumers or better yet to the packages that offered eMovies and eMovies Extra. So basically 1 movie channel was given to Compact consumers while as KIX was added to Family and Access consumers giving them 2 channels.
• Each DStv package got 2 channels to replace the 4 TV channels while Easyview only got 1 channel.
• New channels added to the platform during the year include CineMagic, Magic Showcase, BBC UKTV, NHK World Japan, Moonbug and Hilaal TV so in a way you could say MultiChoice found a way to distract consumers from their absence particularly with Easyview consumers.

Evoultion Of Kids TV: Barney's Horrifying Childhood All Documented In Peacock's I Love You, You Hate Me

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For anyone who was a kid in the '90s, the lyrics "I love you, you love me/We're a happy family" probably hold a special place in your heart.


The mantra made famous by an in-costume Barney the Dinosaur on the super-popular children's series Barney & Friends preached love, acceptance and positivity. While the set was a joy-filled space for all who worked on the show, not everyone outside the TV studio was a fan of the eternally optimistic purple dino.


Peacock's new documentary series I Love You, You Hate Me dives deep into the sub culture of Barney haters who formed a community that revolted against his message of kindness.


Originally created by Texas mother Sheryl Leach as a companion for her only child, Patrick Leach, Barney eventually took off in popularity, with the PBS series becoming the network's most-watched kids' show in the '90s. And while there were many who loved the character, the show also had its share of detractors, including critics who literally bashed versions of the dinosaur and parents, fed up with that earworm of a song, who formed a not-so-secret society.


Celebs Who Appeared on Barney & Friends

From "Barney bashing" to actual death threats sent to some cast and crew, Barney became a target for hate. The success of the brand even took a toll on the Leach family and Patrick would eventually have a shocking run-in with the law no one saw coming.


Read on for the biggest bombshells and shocking revelations about the Barney backlash in I Love You, You Hate Me, now streaming on Peacock.


1. Barney Bashing Becomes a Trend


During the early '90s, critics who bonded over their hatred for the eternally optimistic children's dinosaur started a trend called "Barney bashing" in which they'd destroy dolls and toys of the character's likeness, take their rage out on Barney piñatas and even call for Barney's death.



As Travis Fox, a former University of Nebraska student, stated in the documentary, "I was the originator of a Barney bashing event at U of N at Lincoln in 1993...I think the reason we specifically went after Barney was it was the replacement to our Sesame Street. He was encroaching on our childhood. So we decided that we would kind of push back."


According to Lori Wendt, the Leach family's former babysitter, "Sheryl had a hard time understanding why someone could be so hateful and so angry over something that was made with such good intentions, with such pure heart."


2. Gay Rumors Emerge


After conservative activist Rev. Jerry Falwell accused Teletubbies character Tinky Winky of pushing a gay agenda on children in 1999, some started wondering about Barney the big purple dinosaur's sexual orientation.


The topic became material for comedians and Jon Stewart even joked once on The Daily Show, "Barney the singing dinosaur, who also happens to be purple and allegedly likes to hang out with his pals Tyrannosaurus Rex, Tyrannosaurus Lance and Tyrannosaurus Bruce."


3. The "I Hate Barney Secret Society" Is Created


Interviewee Rob Curran claimed in the doc that his daughter became "transfixed" by Barney as a toddler, much to his annoyance. "Barney only appeals to a 3-year-old mentality," he stated. "Barney just drove all the parents crazy. I realized I had to do something." So, he created "The I Hate Barney Secret Society," a newsletter and community for anti-Barney parents like him. "We are a support group for parents who have a Barney addict in the family," he explained. "I just gave a voice to all the fears of all the parents."



In just a few weeks, the newsletter got 7,000 sign-ups.


4. Barney Haters Form a Jihad


Like Curran, Sean Breen found community as the former leader of "The Jihad to Destroy Barney," an online group in which Barney haters created fan fiction with the goal of defeating fictionalized Barney villains. "Our criticism of Barney was it was all about conformity and consensus," Breen explained, "and that's a very ‘90s attitude."


Regular Nick:

Wonder Pets revival might be in the works for Nickelodeon

Peacock greenlights two new animated series

Boomerang to go dark on the DStv platform next month

Disney Junior and Disney+ to debut new Star Wars series in May


5. Barney Bashing Gets Physical


In 1993 haters took Barney bashing to the next level. Citing a news report, the documentary explained how, "In a Galveston, Texas K-Mart, three boys aged 10, 11 and 12 attacked a man dressed up as Barney. They punched Barney and tried to tear off the dinosaur's head."


David Letterman even poked fun at the backlash during a Late Show episode, adding "Beat the crap out of Barney in a Texas shopping mall" to his segment "Top 10 Things That Will Get You on the Evening News."


6. Death Threats Begin


Former Barney & Friends music director Bob Singleton recounted his first experience with the Barney backlash, "The first time I really heard about Barney bashing was when I was nominated for a Grammy." While doing a radio interview about the achievement, he recalled, "There were people saying, 'His music drives me crazy. I'd just love to get my fingers around that guy's neck.' I was surprised that they felt like they wanted to do me physical harm. And it wasn't just one or two phone calls."



Singleton later unlisted his phone number. "I was in fear," he said. "I got actual death and dismemberment of my family emails. I really don't want to revisit it, that was a terrible time. It hurt so bad."


7. More Cast Members Get Threatened


Bob West, the original voice of Barney from 1988-2000, said he received similar threats. "I started getting emails, from middle school kids especially," he shared. "And some of them were very nice and some of them were absolutely hateful. They were very explicit and very violent. There was one email that asked, 'Are you the Barney that I stabbed and shot outside of New Orleans?' Then they went on to say they were going to come and find me and they were going to kill me."


8. Chicken Controversy & Lawsuits


Ted Giannoulis, the man behind famous San Diego sports mascot The Chicken, began incorporating Barney bashing into his game day comedy acts. "I decided to do a dance-off contest with Barney the Dinosaur," he recalled in the doc. "Suddenly he breaks into this great break dancing that puts me to shame." A "ticked off" Giannoulis would then tackle Barney on the field and rough the dinosaur up as fans cheered him on in the stands.


Sheryl Leach's company sued Giannoulis in 1998 for copyright infringement and asked for payment for using Barney's likeness. Unfortunately for team Barney, the law was on Giannoulis' side as he recounted from the court's dismissal of the case that his use of the character "clearly qualifies as a parody," a form of protected speech.


9. The Beginning of the End


In 1998, Sheryl decided to step away from her role at Barney & Friends. As Sloan Coleman, former SVP of Live Events, said, "Once Sheryl departed, it really was never the same again."


Then in the early 2000s, two more pivotal crew members left. Bob West walked away after more than a decade of voicing Barney ("I was bored," he explained) and David Joyner, the man inside the costume from 1991 to 2001, left to pursue other acting opportunities.



Soon after, Barney was sold to a giant media conglomerate for $275 million, and was later cancelled in 2010.


Insidus Games:

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The Powerpuff Girls: Mojo Jojo A-Go-Go!


10. Kid Actors' Troubled Teens


Several child actors who appeared on Barney & Friends shared how they faced hardships after their time on the show. Pia Hamilton, who played Min from 1992 to 1996, and Hope Cervantes, who portrayed Tosha from 1992 to 1996, recalled being bullied in school and getting called names like "Barney lover" and "Barney girl." Cervantes added, "I did turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, to deal."


Ricky Carter, who played Derek from 1990 to 1995, admitted he began hanging around the wrong crowds and doing drugs after Barney. In 2004, he said he found himself in a potentially fatal situation when a supposed friend pulled a gun on him and asked for everything he had. "I jumped out the car and that's when he shot me in the spine," Carter explained. He said he was initially told he would be paralyzed for life, but after extensive therapy he was able to walk again.


11. Patrick Leach's Troubled Childhood


In a 2001 Katie Couric interview, Sheryl admitted her only child, son Patrick Leach, was bullied over his connection to the famed dinosaur.


Patrick would later have a violent run-in with a neighbor that landed him in prison, and the commutation application to shorten his prison sentence shed light into his troubled childhood. "Mr. Leach faced significant challenges as a child and entering early adulthood," Charles Mittelstadt, a Criminal Defense Investigator, quoted the commutation application document. "When he was young, his mother was busy building a successful career and his father struggled with depression. Mr. Leach's parents separated when he was 14 years old and divorced three years later. During that time Mr. Leach developed a brain tumor—benign—that was surgically removed."



12. Jim Leach's Tragic End


When Patrick was just 18, his father Jim Leach died by suicide several years after his and Sheryl's divorce.


13. Patrick Leach Shooting


By 2013, Patrick was 27 and living in Malibu. That January, Patrick shot his neighbor Erick Shanks on Shanks' property after accusing him of trespassing on his. (Shanks survived.) Patrick fled but was soon arrested with multiple firearms in his possession, according to L.A. deputy district attorney Brenda Lee.


Patrick plead no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and in 2015 was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but ultimately only served five years after a commutation.


Criminal Defense Investigator Charles Mittelstadt shared his own insight into Patrick's mental state at the time, "By him own admission he became essentially almost addicted to marijuana to where it was coping mechanism as a way to numb his emotions...It sort of amped up his anxiety and amped up his paranoia."


Review: The Outcome To The eFamily Of Channels On DStv

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Earlier in the year, it was reported that eMedia Investments 4 TV channels currently seen on the Openview platform would exit the DStv platform. Now the channels remain onboard for a few months as the Competition Tribunal conduct their findings.


As it the channel's futures seem very dark on the pay-tv service as they've been hit with various limitations leading them to launch several new channels like Racing240, Hilaal TV and Qwest TV in place of others like Tellytrack, ITV Networks and MTV Hits.


But that's not what aggravated them to axe the channels but mostly the fact that these brands lacked originality and the only existed to mash the existing offering on their platform as it is eMovies and eToonz are duplicating Studio Universal and DreamWorks.



Honestly, when those channels exited for the short while sure I was pissed as there was plenty of content I followed but overtime I felt like a huge burden had been lifted of my shoulders. I mean I kind of got used to their absence and was stunned when they were reinstated.


Just as I was ready to just open up a new chapter I discovered there was more to the previous chapter in this eMedia. Trust me when I say I do take people's opinions to consideration but when it comes to these channels this comes from my point of view.


Honestly, I do feel that these channels are very much possessive or distractions but not a bad way I mean it's hard finding channels that can keep viewers glued this long despite the annual increases and reshuffle of entertainment.


If anything, the only other brand that has me latched onto the platform would be CBS Reality not because of Judge Judy or Cheaters but primarily over the fact that they're very selective I mean they have Animal Hoarding and Shocking Emergency Calls.



I know there's National Geographic Wild and Investigation Discovery but the magic is different from what you can already see on CBS Reality. eMedia's channels had the same effect with the bulk of alternatives already found on DStv.


Sure they may have been a mishap with the amount of Zee World on eExtra but that doesn't mean no one watches it. As it is neighbouring countries are up to speed with what's going on with Twist Of Fate and I Do while others have to catch up through this channel.


eExtra happens to be the most popular attraction on eMedia's stable on DStv alongside eMovies but comparing the two I do feel that this channel should fall back while the others remain exclusive to the Openview platform.



MultiChoice has plenty of movie channels at this point particularly on the ones that eMovies cater for in this case Premium all the way done to Access such as M-Net Movies 4, Movie Room, TNT and KIX and the same can be said about eToonz really.


With eExtra, it's not really about the stories but the fact eMedia views the brand as another window to their local endeavours with the likes of Die Kontrak and the former Afrikaans movie block so why leave kykNET as the only alternative at this point.


Sure there's plenty of viewers tuning into Elif and Verdeelde Liefde on eExtra alongside In Die Ysterhand Se Greep and Kind Van Die Noodlot on kykNET & Kie but those are just complimenting each other even if kykNET were to just give it a channel the feeling would be mutual.


Having both these brands would give consumers more choices compared to the Openview platform which seems to following the route of most M-Net channels that rush to duplicate an offering on another channel.


Introducing The Renowned Graphic Designer For eMedia's eToonz Channel, Rayaan Cassiem + Several Designs For The Channel

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Born and raised in Cape Town, Rayaan was never found without a crayon, paintbrush or pencil in hand scribbling, doodling and painting for hours at a time.



Being determined to study Graphic-Design at the Technical University, he sold his car and worked odd jobs, ranging from construction to shelf-packing. His hard work and dedication paid off and he received a bursary in his third year, completing his BTech in Graphic Design. Rayaan draws his inspiration from a myriad of avenues including graffiti and street art, album covers, comic books, animation, video games, fine art as well as graffiti and street art. ‘Being able to earn a living and supporting my family doing what I love is a blessing,’ he says.



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Rayaan’s artwork appeared alongside local and international artists as part in popular mixed-media group exhibitions in South Africa, Europe and the United Arab Emirates, where currently lives and works. His special interest in local African Mythology and Folk stories inspired Rayaan’s edition of 30 portraits of children from the Matchbox daycare centers in his unique graffiti-inspired style, all drawn on fine paper in A4 format.


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