What to watch on Showmax in April 2023

It’s not just the Easter bunny bringing gifts this Easter: Showmax is delivering top-quality entertainment from at home and abroad. Die Real Housewives of Pretoria will be sweeping onto your screen, along with some hot Moja Love reality series. On the international front, it’s a basket of delights, with new seasons on Yellowjackets, HBO comedy Barry, medical drama Transplant and action series Gangs of London, and new series like Irma Vep and sitcom Home Economics.

Plus, don’t forget to catch new episodes of Succession, coming first to Showmax, and binge The Last of Us, the most talked-about series worldwide.

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Showmax Originals

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Jay Jay: The Chosen One | Showmax Original | 6 April

Showmax has launched its first animated series, Jay Jay: The Chosen One, which reimagines the childhood of Nigerian football legend Augustine “Jay-Jay” Okocha. It follows 11-year-old Augustine’s passion for football and love for the animal kingdom, and how the latter bestows superpowers upon him in return for his fight against illegal poaching.

The series is voiced by a talented Nigerian cast, including award-winning teen actor Prince Unigwe, veteran actor Chinedu Ikedieze, pro-footballer-turned-actor Eric Obinna, and upcoming actor Lexan Peters. The series is animated by Nihilent Limited, in partnership with production studio 5th Dimension and animation studio I-Realities, and features music from popular Nigerian singer Waje.

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International Series

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Yellowjackets S2 | First on Showmax | Episode 1 from 1 April, new episodes every Tuesday from 4 April

The Antler Queen returns in Season 2 of the acclaimed survival epic Yellowjackets. Psychological horror meets coming-of-age drama as the saga continues, following the now-adult survivors of a plane crash that stranded their wildly talented high school girls’ soccer team deep in the Canadian wilderness in 1996. 

The new season sees Lynskey and Christina Ricci (The Matrix Resurrections) return in their Emmy-nominated roles as Shauna and Misty, alongside Oscar nominee Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers) as Natalie and multi-award-winner Tawny Cypress (The Blacklist: Redemption) in her Black Reel Award-nominated role as Taissa.

The first season of Yellowjackets was nominated for seven Emmys.

Season 1 of Yellowjackets achieved a rare 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it was the fourth highest-rated drama of 2021, and became the second-most streamed series in Showtime’s history (topped only by Dexter: New Blood).

Season 2 promises to answer at least some of the burning questions we were left with in that twisty Season 1 finale, but don’t expect everything to be tied up in a neat little bow, because the great news is that the show has already been renewed for a third season.

Barry S4 | First on Showmax | Mondays from 24 April

In the fourth and final season of HBO’s dark comedy Barry, Cousineau is hailed as a hero as Barry’s arrest has shocking consequences.

Barry is a dark comedy series on HBO about a hitman named Barry who travels to Los Angeles to carry out a job, but ends up finding a new passion in acting. As he navigates his double life, he struggles to leave his violent past behind and pursue a career in Hollywood. 

Bill Hader has already won two Emmys and two Critics Choice Awards as conflicted hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman, the title character. As his acting coach Gene Cousineau, Henry Winkler has also picked up an Emmy and two Critics Choice Awards. 

Barry has won nine Emmys and 50 awards for its first three seasons. Variety hailed season three of Barry as “a masterpiece…funnier and sharper than ever,” with “a remarkable performance by Hader’.” The Daily Beast called it, “the best show on TV,” and the LA Times, “a masterclass… one of TV’s best suspense-filled thrillers.”  

Irma Vep | Binge from 7 April 

Winner of Rotten Tomatoes’ Golden Tomato Award for the best limited series of 2022, Irma Vep stars Oscar winner Alicia Vikander as Mira, an American movie star disillusioned with her career and recent breakup who travels to France to star as Irma Vep in a remake of the French silent film classic, Les Vampires.

Rotten Tomatoes, calling the series “catnip for cinephiles and a welcome spotlight for the spellbinding Alicia Vikander.” Irma Vep has a 95% critics rating on the site. 

Gangs of London S2 | Mondays from 10 April

London is for the taking. Who will rise?

The second season of Gangs of London sees the surviving Wallaces scattered and the Dumanis broken, while ex-undercover cop Elliot Finch is forced to work for the Investors. The Investors bring in reinforcements to restore control as chaos ensues in the city. 

Old favourites and new players fight back against the new order, forcing sworn enemies to work together and family members to betray each other. The series is created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery and stars Paapa Essiedu, Lucian Msamati, and Michelle Fairley. Gangs of London has an 84% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

In their four-star S2 review, The Independent (UK) says, “The series’ pleasures are unchanged by the years: impeccably choreographed fight scenes, quick-twitch pacing, and clever, immersive direction that takes suspense as its watchword.”

Litvinenko | Binge from 17 April

Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy and Kremlin critic, dies in a London hospital bed, but not before accusing President Vladimir Putin of his murder in the British true-crime drama Litvinenko.   

BAFTA winner David Tennant (Doctor Who) stars as Litvinenko, with Margarita Levieva (The Deuce, Adventureland) as his wife, Marina. 

Den of Geek calls it, “Line of Duty with a Russian twist”… “a bold, powerful, furious statement on high-scale corruption,” and, “an important, relevant drama – especially when you consider its release comes in the year Putin invaded Ukraine”.

Home Economics S1 | Binge from 26 April

The heartwarming – and often awkward – sitcom Home Economics centres on three grown-up siblings at vastly different ends of the financial spectrum, who find that family is still family – no matter who’s getting the cheque.

Season 1 has an 82% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with TVLine calling it, “a breezy watch with a casually zany hangout energy [that] hits on some touchy subjects without getting too deep with them … It’s tough to talk about money sometimes, but the Home Economics crew finds a way to make it almost fun.”

Emmy winner Topher Grace (Spider-Man 3’s Venom) stars as eldest brother, family man and struggling author Tom, while Jimmy Tatro (American Vandal) plays the super-wealthy youngest sibling, Connor, with Caitlin McGee (Mythic Quest) playing middle child Sarah, a therapist barely earning enough to feed her two adopted kids. 

Transplant S2 | Binge from 3 April

Canadian hospital drama Transplant follows the life of Dr Bashir Hamed (Hamza Haq), a doctor who fled the Syrian Civil War and is now rebuilding his career in the ER unit at York Memorial Hospital in Toronto. The second season introduces a woman from Bashir’s past, adding a new layer of complexity to the show’s gripping storyline. The show has been critically acclaimed, with numerous awards under its belt, including eight Canadian Screen Awards in 2022, and has already been renewed for a third season.

BAFTA nominee John Hannah returns as ER head Dr Jed Bishop, while Atticus Mitchell and Gord Rand join the cast.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Transplant is “the best medical show on American television,” while The Globe and Mail praised the show’s depiction of the “terror and frustrations that immigrants experience, trying to use their skills in a new country”, and Haq’s performance as “a solid leading man, giving Bashir a frazzled soulfulness, but never making him saintly.”

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Movies 

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Dog | 10 April 

The 45th biggest box office hit of 2022, Dog sees two former Army Rangers paired against their will on the road trip of a lifetime. Army Ranger Briggs (Channing Tatum) and Lulu (a Belgian Malinois dog) buckle into a 1984 Ford Bronco and race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time. Along the way, they’ll drive each other completely crazy, break a handful of laws, narrowly evade death, and learn to let down their guards in order to have a fighting chance of finding happiness.

Dog is Tatum’s co-directorial debut, alongside Reid Carolin (the writer behind the Magic Mike films). The film has a 77% critics’ rating and an 89% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, who write, “Dog is as heartwarming as you’d hope, but it also tells a sensitive story about the long road to healing after experiencing the horrors of war.”

Father Stu | 6 April

This heartwarming biographical drama stars Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg (Unchartered) as Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest who inspired countless people during his journey from self-destruction to redemption. Mel Gibson and Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver (Yellowstone) co-star. As AV Club says, it’s “told with sensitivity, earnestness and no small amount of sly, rascally charm… a sure-handed match of material and a movie star’s strengths.”

Ambulance | 27 April

Over one day across the streets of LA, three lives will change forever in the breakneck thriller Ambulance. It comes from director, producer and master of explosions, Michael Bay, who’s given us big-boom blockbusters like The Rock, Bad Boys, and Armageddon. 

It follows decorated veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II from The Matrix Resurrections), who’s dragged into an audacious bank heist by his adoptive brother, Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), a charismatic career criminal with his eye on a $32 million prize. But when their exit plan goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers are forced to hijack an ambulance carrying an ace EMT (Eiza González from Baby Driver) and her patient, a critically wounded cop, in a bid to execute the most insane escape LA has ever seen.

The Globe and Mail saying, “Ambulance is here to remind you of the head-spinning delights of watching a genuine cinematic madman at work.”

Gold | 13 April

Zac Efron stars in the Australian survival thriller Gold. Set in the not-too-distant future, Gold follows two desert drifters who stumble across the biggest gold nugget ever found. They hatch a plan to excavate their bounty with one man leaving to secure the necessary tools, while the other remains and must endure harsh desert elements, ravenous wild dogs, and mysterious intruders, while battling the sinking suspicion that he has been abandoned to his fate.  

The critics have praised the film’s cinematography, as well as Efron’s performance, with Observer saying Gold ”stretches [Efron’s] range and physical endurance far beyond anything his fans ever dreamed of.”

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Local

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KuRuff | First on Showmax | Mondays from 17 April

KuRuff is a 13-part reality show that tackles the “burden” of being a sole breadwinner. The Showmax Original premieres on 17 April 2023, with new episodes every Monday.

KuRuff will be hosted by Wright Ngubeni. In each episode, Ngubeni will hear from both the sole breadwinner and their dependents, before staging an intervention to try to improve the situation. “There is no set of rules of what black tax is and how one can handle it,” says Ngubeni. “It’s rough. I think the line between responsibilities and entitlement is very complex. KuRuff is about changing lives in a positive way and having conversations that we, as black people, seldom have.”

KuRuff is the first collaboration between Showmax and Moja Love.

Die Real Housewives Van Pretoria | From 13 April 

Provoco (Sex in Afrikaans) produced the first Afrikaans version of NBCUniversal’s hit international reality series franchise The Real Housewives for kykNET. 

Die Real Housewives van Pretoria builds on the success of the Durban and Lagos editions on Showmax and Mzansi Magic’s Johannesburg and Cape Town editions. 

“We want to showcase a group of strong Afrikaans women from Pretoria who play big roles in their families and communities and, of course, also bring the pizazz that The Real Housewives is known for,” says Director of Premium Channels Waldimar Pelser. “These women live large and know the beautiful things in life. This is a rare chance to get to know them intimately and walk in their shoes.” 

Suidooster S9 | From 4 April, 24 hours express

A brand-new season of the award-winning hit series Suidooster is coming to our screens express from kykNET this month, so you can stay up to date with all the daily goings-on in Ruiterbosch, where the Octobers, the Samsodiens and the Du Plooys share their joys and sorrows, their romances and disagreements, retaliations, misunderstandings, and jealousies in the course of their busy daily lives.

Plus, look out for Theodore Jantjies (Jordan from Getroud Met Rugby, and 7de Laan’s Xander), who joins the cast this season as Aiden Booysen, the new pharmacist in the Aalwyn Apteek.

Suidooster added a fourth SAFTA win to its accolades last year, winning Best TV Soap at the prestigious 2022 awards, with a further nine nominations in the hotly-contested TV Soaps category. 

Gomora S4 | From 24 April, express from Mzansi Magic

The fourth and final season of popular telenovela Gomora debuts on Showmax on 24 April. After years of watching Thathi’s decline into criminality after losing everything in the show’s opening episode, we can’t wait to see how the series ends.

Gomora has been praised for its strong writing, engaging characters, and powerful performances. The show has been a commercial and critical success, and has won numerous awards, including two SAFTA awards for acting and writing, with a further five nominations.

Entangled S1 | Binge from 10 April

Entangled follows Sharon, a 30-something about to marry the love of her life, Sizwe … until Julius, a blast from the past, returns to disrupt their happy-ever-after. Together, they’ll have to navigate this complex triangle, and the consequences of the choices they made in their 20s.  

The 13-part series stars Phuthi Khomo (Egoli), Vuyo Ngcukana (The Queen) and Vuyo Dabula (Five Fingers for Marseilles), alongside the likes of Mpho Popps, Senzo Radebe, Pearl Modiadie, Tessa Twala and SAFTA winner Motshabi Tyelele. 

Entangled is created by SAFTA winners Katleho Ramaphakela and Rethabile Ramaphakela (How to Ruin Christmas) and directed by SAFTA winner Johnny Barbuzano (The River).

Moja Love classics | 3 April

Named Coolest TV Channel of 2022 at The Sunday Times’ GenNext Survey, Moja Love’s classic reality shows are always a hit on the Showmax Top 20 and, from 3 April, you can catch two episodes a week of Ukungenwa S1 and Umndeni S2. 

Ukungenwa looks at the age-old traditional practice that sees a young man inheriting his brother’s wife and children if he passes away. But what challenges does this bring to his existing wife? Season 1 joins Siyabonga Mhlongo and his blended family as MamMkhize and MamChunu try to find a way of co-existing when secrets are revealed. Meanwhile, Season 2 of Umndeni sees the Maseko family running the show. They welcome a new member, Mpilo, and it’s the end of a journey for Colleen.

South African documentaries:

Catch these three moving documentaries directed and produced by Silwerskerm Festival Award-winning author and filmmaker Stefan Enslin (Nul is Nie Niks Nie, Verskietende Ster).

War Dogs and I | 13 April

War Dogs and I is a heart-warming documentary about Kobus Oliver, nomad cricketer and Ukraine Cricket CEO, who did everything in his power to protect his four dogs during the war between Russia and Ukraine, Putting his own life in danger for that of his beloved dog children, Tiekie, Ollie, Jessie and Kaya. This feature documentary takes the audience on their incredible journey from when bombs started to explode and all the tribulations they had to endure to get to safety.

Against All Odds: The Alwyn Uys Story | 10 April

This is the story of former rugby player Alwyn Uys, who had a life-changing accident in 2014 that left him paralysed from the waist down. But Alwyn was never going to sit still. In 2020, he became the first-ever paraplegic to swim from Robben Island to Eden on the Bay in the Western Cape. Against All Odds tells the story of how Alwyn overcame adversity and became an inspiration to many.

Unstoppable: The Rebecca Nagel Story | 10 April

Unstoppable: The Rebecca Nagel Story follows the incredible journey of the first paraplegic female to complete a half-marathon trail event in a wheelchair completely unassisted. When Nagel had a car accident that left her paraplegic, she lost all joy, and it seemed unimaginable that she would one day break boundaries. She discovered CrossFit in 2020 and just two years later, made it to the top three worldwide as a CrossFit athlete for the category in which she was competing.

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Non-Fiction

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Janet Jackson. | 19 April

In the four-part documentary series, Janet Jackson., the iconic pop star, five-time Grammy winner and one of the top selling artists of all time with over 100 million records sold, opens up for the first time to give us an intimate and unfiltered look at the untold story of her life.

In the five decades since she first stepped on stage, Janet has enjoyed immense levels of success, experienced incredible tragedy, and endured a tumultuous private life. This docuseries features archival footage, never before seen home videos and interviews with the likes of Mariah Carey, Samuel L. Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Regina King, and Tyler Perry, and Janet opens up about growing up in one of the world’s most famous families. 

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Kids 

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Minions: The Rise of Gru | From 6 April

Minions assemble – for the fifth biggest movie of 2022: Minions: The Rise of Gru, the untold story of one kid’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain.

Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Steve Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It’s a lonely pursuit, until Gru crosses paths with Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto, aka the Minions (voiced, as always, by the director of the Despicable Me trilogy and Minions, Pierre Coffin).

The all-star voice cast includes 2023 Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Oscar winners Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins), among others. 

Abominable and the Invisible City S1 | First on Showmax | 27 April

The winner of the 2023 Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production for Children’s Audience, Abominable and the Invisible City is a wild and woolly follow-up to DreamWorks Animation’s 2019 movie Abominable. 

Set in modern-day Shanghai, the animated series sees Yi, Jin, Peng and their lovable yeti friend, Everest, discover that there is a whole magical world out there – and it’s closer than they think, teeming with magical creatures who all seem to need the kids’ help, leading them to embark on extraordinary, hilarious and heartfelt adventures throughout their city and beyond.

Common Sense Media recommends the series for ages 5+, saying, “young viewers are in for a visually stunning experience with suspenseful scenes that will keep them engaged, excited, and eager for more of the fun crew that is helping in their community.”

Dragons: The Nine Realms S1 | First on Showmax | 20 April 

The future of dragons is here, with the Emmy-nominated animated adventure series, Dragons: The Nine Realms.  

Set 1 300 years after the events of How To Train Your Dragon, dragons are now just a legend in the modern world. When a geological anomaly opens up a miles-deep fissure in the Earth’s surface, scientists gather at a new research facility to study the mysterious phenomenon. But it’s not long before a group of misfit kids uncovers the truth about dragons and where they’ve been hiding – a secret they must keep to themselves to protect what they’ve discovered.

Common Sense Media gives it a 4/5-star rating, saying, “super fun for kids and grown-ups alike… Dragons: The Nine Realms has a great mixture of awesome dragon scenes, teenage friendships, and scientific mystery,” and adding that, “Families who enjoyed the original movies will have a great time watching this series together.”

Cats | 17 April 

Based on the legendary Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (in turn based on TS Elliot’s 1939 poetry collection), Cats tells the story of the Jellicles, a tribe of cats who gather each year to decide which of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life. Directed by Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and led by Kenyan-born British ballet dancer Francesca Hayward in her debut film, the movie’s all-star cast includes James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Rebel Wilson, and Ian McKellen.

Summer Memories S1 | 31 March

Aimed at kids between 6-12 years old, this heartwarming buddy comedy series follows the adventures of best friends Jason and Ronnie, as Jason looks back on the most pivotal summer of his life (which was just a few weeks ago). This is Jason’s summer of change … and he fears change. Lucky for him, he has charismatic life-adventurer Ronnie at his side. Summer Memories transcends time, space and memory — the good and the bad — as it chronicles Jason and Ronnie’s sweet, fun-filled relationship.

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Also coming to Showmax in April

3 April

6 Guns | The Croods: Family Tree S1 |  The Fatal Raid | The LEGO Movie | The LEGO Ninjago Movie | Poena S1 | Saving General Yang

6 April

Bulletproof | Enter The Girl Dragon | The Legend of Tarzan | Osmosis Jones | Sê Jou Sê S1 | Special Female Force

10 April

The House | Storks

12 April

101 Places To Party Before You Die  

13 April

Blood Diamond | Horrible Bosses 1 + 2 | Vergewe My S4

17 April

Fool’s Gold | Forever Maybe S1 | Fortress | Nancy Drew

20 April

American Siege | CHiPs | Date | Agteruit | Mzansi Icons S1 | Nataniël | Erik | Wolf S1 | Sex and the City | Sex and the City 2

24 April

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | The Powerpuff Girls | Pursuit

27 April

Kong: Skull Island | Wedding Crashers | Zuba S7