What’s new on Showmax in East Africa in June 2020?

There’s plenty of brand-new international series coming to Showmax in June that you won’t find anywhere else, like Motherland: Fort Salem, Miracle Workers starring Daniel Radcliffe, and brand-new Gen-Z skater drama Betty. Fans of Billions will be delighted that season five is here, and if that’s you, check out Devils while you’re at it, based on a book about investment bankers, starring Patrick Dempsey.

Don’t forget that if you use M-Pesa to pay for your Showmax subscription, you can get up to 50% off. Find out more here.

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Best of Local

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If you haven’t discovered Kina and Kovu, two local productions from Maisha Magic that have arrived on Showmax now is the time. There’s also a new season of Selina, Nyanya Rukia, Hullabaloo and Huba, plus new episodes of Njoro wa Uba and Pete. 

Date My Family | 15 June (10 episodes)

One of the cornerstones of the new Maisha Magic Plus channel, the Kenyan edition of popular dating reality show Date My Family, promises laughter and surprises as bachelors and bachelorettes “interview” their prospective dates’ friends and families. Based on how the interviews go, they then select a special someone for a romantic date.

Our Perfect Wedding S10 | 15 June

Say “I do” to another sublime season of Kenya’s sweetest nuptials, as lovebirds navigate their way through cake tastings, dress fittings and family tensions to tie the knot in style.

Dadasphere collection | 25 June

The word “dada” means sister in Swahili and dadasphere is a playful combination of dada and atmosphere. At each event, five dadas give 15-minute talks on a topic relevant to the modern women of Africa, who are intrepid, brilliant and live fascinating lives. They are educated, well-travelled, and more confident than their mothers and grandmothers. They are an interesting blend of African tradition, colonial heritage and the Africa she believes possible.

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International Series 

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Motherland: Fort Salem S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from 1 June 

Fantasy drama Motherland: Fort Salem is set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution by cutting a deal with the government to fight for the country. The series follows three young women as they fight terrorist threats with supernatural tactics. 

Devils S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from 1 June

Golden Globe nominee Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy in Grey’s Anatomy) and Alessandro Borghi, who’s won acting awards at Venice and Berlin, co-star in this adaptation of the bestselling book by Italian trader Guido Maria Brera – an insider’s look at the world of millionaire bankers.

The series centres on Massimo Ruggero, a charismatic and fearless Italian banker. With a stellar track record on the London trading floor of investment powerhouse NYL Bank, Massimo is a shoo-in for promotion to vice-CEO. But when Massimo’s fiercest rival, Edward Stuart, turns up dead, Massimo finds himself under suspicion and uncovers a vast political game plan orchestrated by the devils who rule the world’s financial fate.

Miracle Workers S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from 1 June

When God (Golden Globe winner Steve Buscemi from Fargo and Boardwalk Empire) plans to destroy the Earth, two low-level angels (Daniel Radcliffe from Harry Potter and Geraldine Viswanathan from Bad Education) must convince their boss to save humanity. They bet him they can pull off their most impossible miracle yet: help two humans fall in love.

The Good Karma Hospital S3 | Binge from 1 June 

This escapist hospital drama series was inspired by series creator Dan Sefton’s experiences as a doctor in South Africa. The series follows junior doctor Ruby Walker, who ditches London and a broken heart for a job in an under-funded rural South India hospital run by the tough-as-nails Dr Lydia Fonseca. 

The series stars Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones) and BAFTA nominee Amanda Redman (New Tricks).

Season 3 brings Ruby back to the hospital following a four-month absence, where she receives a chilly welcome from both Lydia and a wounded Gabriel, whose aloofness belies the feelings he still has for her.

Billions S5 | Tuesdays at 23:00 from 9 June | Same day as M-Net

It’s adapt or die as the struggle for power becomes a fight for survival in the new season of Billions. Alliances crumble as Bobby Axelrod (Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis from Homeland) and Chuck Rhoades (Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti from Sideways) go head to head once more. 

Season 5 ushers in a new threat to Axe’s rule in the form of social impact pioneer Mike Prince, while Golden Globe winner Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife, Hot Zone) joins the cast as Ivy League sociology professor and bestselling author Catherine Brant.

Betty S1 | Mondays at 22:30 from 22 June | Same day as M-Net

Based on Crystal Moselle’s critically acclaimed feature Skate Kitchen, HBO’s new six-episode half-hour series Betty follows a diverse group of young women navigating their lives through New York’s predominantly male-oriented skateboarding scene.

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Movies

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Yesterday | 8 June  

Jack Malik is a small-time singer-songwriter in an English coastal town who’s rapidly facing the reality that his dream probably isn’t going anywhere, in spite of the fanatical support of his best friend, manager and biggest fan, Ellie. Then there’s a mysterious global blackout, Jack gets hit by a bus, and wakes up to find that The Beatles never existed…

Time Freak | 11 June 

You know that time you messed up in a relationship and got your heart broken, maybe let the one that could have been The One slip through your fingers? Well, what if you could go back and fix it? What if, like teen genius Stillman, you had a time machine, that would give you all the do-overs you needed to get it right?

This comedy-drama with a sci-fi twist stars Asa Butterfield and Game of Thrones’ Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner. Los Angeles Times calls it “A whimsical rom-com that’s a little bit Hot Tub Time Machine, and a little bit Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Blackkklansman | 25 June

Unbelievably based on actual events, Blackkklansman is, as the opening titles tell us, “some fo’ real sh*t.” It tells the story of Ron Stallworth, Colorado Springs’ first African-American detective, who attempts to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s … with the help of a Jewish stand-in.

It stars John David Washington (Ballers) in the Golden Globe-nominated lead role, with Adam Driver in an Oscar-nominated supporting role. 

The film won auteur-director Spike Lee a long-overdue Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, making it his first competitive Academy Award in a 34-year career that’s included films like Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X.

Blackkklansman was nominated for a further five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Adam Driver and Best Original Score for Terrence Blanchard. It won the Grand Prix at Cannes, was nominated for four Golden Globes and was selected as one of 2018’s top 10 films by The American Film Institute.

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Non-Fiction

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After Truth: Disinformation and the cost of Fake News | First on Showmax | 1 June 

This brand-new HBO documentary looks into the ongoing threat caused by the phenomenon of “fake news” in the US, focusing on the real-life consequences of disinformation campaigns, conspiracy theories and false news stories on the average person, with case studies from the wildfire theories around Seth Rich’s murder to the “Pizzagate” incident fuelled by disinformation about the leaked Clinton emails.

Released in March this year, it has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Variety calling it, “An absorbing and impressively researched documentary.”

Kill Chain: The Cyber War On America’s Elections | First on Showmax | 1 June 

In Kill Chain – The Cyber War On America’s Elections, Finnish hacker and cybersecurity expert Harri Hursti investigates the exploitable vulnerabilities in modern election technology, exposing just how unprotected America’s election systems really are. 

This 90-minute HBO documentary has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. TIME Magazine says, “Kill Chain demands that we ask whom we’re trusting, and why.”

The Scheme | First on Showmax | 1 June 

The Scheme tells the story of college basketball insider Christian Dawkins and the FBI investigation into the biggest corruption scandal in collegiate sports history, which threatened to take down the NCAA, and landed prominent Adidas execs and assistant coaches behind bars.

It’s directed by Emmy-nominated producer Pat Kondelis, and has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with CNN calling it “A riveting, meticulously detailed guide to a system that seemingly invites rule breaking at every turn.”

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Best of Africa

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Gomora | New episodes from 1 June

Gomora is a story about inequality. It’s about the rich and the poor and how fine the line between the two can be. It follows the lives of two families and how their worlds collide. The first 20 episodes are available to stream now, and new episodes will land every weekday from 1 June, 24 hours after the broadcast on Mzansi Magic.

Kandasamys: The Wedding | 4 June

Having survived their meddling parents’ attempts to break them up in the 2017 hit movie Keeping Up with the Kandasamys, Jodi (Mishqah Parthiepal) and Prishen (Madushan Singh) are headed down the aisle at last. It’s going to be the wedding of the year! If they can survive their respective mothers. Shanthi Naidoo (Maeshni Naicker) has everything planned, down to the smallest detail but, as always, Jennifer Kandasamy (Jailoshini Naidoo) is ready to out-do her. After all, “the Kandasamys don’t do small”.  And so it begins…

Africa’s Home Run: The Gift Ngoepe Story | 15 June

This documentary tracks the meteoric journey of Johannesburg-born major league baseball player Gift Ngoepe from the Randburg Mets Clubhouse where his mother worked, to becoming the first African player in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jemegi S1 | 4 June

This popular telenovela from Africa Magic tells the story of a young medical doctor who returns home after studying abroad and is excited to be posted to a village to work. What seems like a dream come true soon becomes a nightmare without end as family and childhood secrets begin to unravel.

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Kids

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How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | 22 June

Inseparable besties Hiccup and the big screen’s most adorable dragon ever, Toothless, are back for their final adventure in the beloved Dreamworks threequel inspired by Cressida Cowell’s best-selling book series.

Chief Hiccup and Astrid have created a utopia for dragons and vikings alike, but now a new danger, in the form of a hired tyrant named Grimmel, threatens everything they love, just as they make a magical discovery that raises the stakes higher than ever. 

The Secret Life of Pets 2 | 29 June

The high-energy hilarity is back and the fur’s going to fly as our favourite Jack Russell, Max, and his friends face brand-new adventures. With a new baby in the house, the ever-protective Max’s neuroses land him in pet therapy, until he finds a mentor in the form of Welsh Sheepdog Rooster (voiced by Oscar nominee Harrison Ford). But the fun is only getting started as all our favourites from the first movie return, along with some fresh faces.  

Find Me in Paris S3 | First on Showmax | 18 June 

Fans of this popular teen dramedy dance series will be delighted to see the love story continue in the third and final season. The series follows Russian ballerina-in-training Lena (Jessica Lord), who lived in 1905 until she was accidentally transported to 2018 by a magical necklace. There, she joins the modern Opéra de Paris dance school in a bid to conceal her identity and evade the Time Collectors until she can return to her beloved Henri. She’s done such a good job of blending in, though, that she might never want to go home … 

The series has a 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and has a four-star rating on Common Sense Media, which recommends the series for ages 10+, praising its “international flair and a welcome wholesome feel”.

LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar S1 | 1 June

This LEGO prequel to the 2015 film Jurassic World is also a direct followup to Lego Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit TV special (so watch that first). 

Legend of Isla Nublar sees newly hired animal behaviourist Owen Grady and Assistant Manager Claire Dearing having to wrangle runaway dinosaurs, the ongoing expansion of the park, unpredictable weather and an impulsive boss, and that’s before the trouble starts. 

Common Sense Media, which says, “there’s always something visually and comically appealing about LEGO productions like this one. Small details – the disproportionate size of a coffee cup relative to the character using it, or the image of a disc of blocky leaves broken from a tree by a hungry herbivore – make its animation unique and relatable to viewers familiar with Lego building sets.”

Also catch LEGO Jurassic World: The Indominus Escape on Showmax.

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ALSO ON SHOWMAX IN JUNE:

1 June

The Halcyon S1 | Pandora S1 | The War of the Worlds S1 | Shades of Blue S1-S3 | Stitchers S1 – S3 | Growing Up Hip Hop S1 | Spud 1, 2 & 3 | Elizabeth Harvest | Final Portrait

4 June

End of Watch | LOL

8 June

Africa’s Hidden Kingdoms | Africa’s Wild Horizons 

11 June

Divergent | Our Perfect Wedding S6 & S7 | Fruitvale Station | Two Tails | The Switch

15 June

Nadia Naked – The Album Documentary 

18 June

Brad’s Status  

22 June

The Loft House | Gemini Man

29 June

Madea’s Witness Protection