What to watch on Showmax in Kenya in November 2024

Showmax has another bumper lineup this November, including:

• The return of Showmax favourite Youngins
• The Station Strangler, from true crime masters IdeaCandy
• HBO’s epic Dune: Prophecy series, express from the US
• Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist series, starring Kevin Hart, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson & more
• Kung Fu Panda, the sixth biggest blockbusters of 2024 so far
• Blockbusters The Fall Guy, Civil War and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
• Second season of The Real Housewives of Dubai

Showmax Originals: Kenya

Black & Blue | Wednesdays from 6 November

In a bold attempt to rebrand themselves and better appeal to the public, the Kenyan Police enlists a civilian as an Officer Commanding Station (OCS). This new OCS brings a unique civilian perspective to policing, turning things upside down at the experimental pilot station. A documentary team is hired to follow them and document the process, but inadvertently reveals the shenanigans the police get up to behind the scenes as they grapple with adjusting to the new reforms.

Black & Blue’s cast includes Kalasha winners Gitura Kamau (Mission to Rescue, Shimoni) and Annstella Karimi (Baba Twins, Sue na Jonnie) as well as Kalasha nominees Lydia Gitachu (Kina, Kidnapped) and Mwajuma Belle (Poacher). Andrew Ng’ang’a (Escape from Mogadishu), Lawrence Kimani (When the Gods Argue), Hillary Wamiti (Shimoni), Collins Koyo and Dennis Mutisya also feature.

The cop comedy is produced by Yare Production’s Abdi Shuria (Kalasha-nominated Showmax thriller Igiza) and directed by King Muriuki (Igiza and Showmax crime drama Faithless).

Black & Blue presents the police in a completely new light, painting them as ordinary people who are flawed, insecure and, most importantly, relatable. 

Showmax Originals: Nigeria

Princess On a Hill S1 | Thursdays from 7 November

In Princess on a Hill, Onyinye Odokoro (Slum King, Adire) stars as Zara, a naive young woman whose life takes an unexpected turn after she wins the prestigious Lawson Group’s Leading Ladies reality show. 

With her newfound fame comes a heavy burden: saving the very company that catapulted her to stardom. Zara’s biggest challenge lies not just in adapting to the complex and cutthroat world of high-stakes business, but in standing her ground against the tyrannical CEO, Moyosore Lawson (Bimbo Manuel from Breath of Life, 2024 AMVCA winner for Best Movie). As she navigates the intricate web of corporate politics and personal ambition, Zara must dig deep to find the strength to resist manipulation, maintain her integrity, and ultimately prove that she is more than just a “princess on a hill”.

The corporate drama also stars two-time Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice nominee Efa Iwara (Seven, This Lady Called Life) and African Movie Academy Awards nominees Ireti Doyle (Fifty, Flawsome) and Femi Jacobs (Ajaga: The Yoke, The Meeting), as well as Andrew Bunting, Mimi Chaka and Norbert Young. 

Princess On a Hill is co-created by Abiola Sobo and Tolu Ajayi. Ajayi’s debut film, Over The Bridge, premiered at the New York African Film Festival and scored 12 nominations at this year’s Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). Chuka Ejorh and Shayo Oke-Sobo are co-executive producers.

Showmax Originals: South Africa

Youngins S2 | Fridays from 15 November 2024

When the gang of five returns to the school for the second term, the outing of Principal Bae and the introduction of FW De Klerk as their new principal isn’t the only thing that’s changed. They walk onto the school grounds and find that they’ve become overnight heroes, especially to a student named TK, who becomes the catalyst behind the latest drama that unfolds at Olifantsfontein High.

Produced by Tshedza Pictures (Adulting, Outlaws), the Showmax Original is also up for Best South African Streaming Series at the Behind The Scenes Awards and Best Newcomer (Kealebogo Masango) at the National Film & TV Awards South Africa, which are both scheduled for 9 November 2024 in Johannesburg. 

Youngins is also up for Media Award of the Year at The Feather Awards, Africa’s biggest queer award ceremony, to be held on 7 November 2024 in Johannesburg.

Ayakha Ntunja, Lebohang Lephatsoana, Thabiso Ramotshela, and Toka Mtabane co-star with Masango as the Olifants Five, with DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards winner Sannah Mchunu also returning as Matron Lulu.

The Station Strangler | Stream from Wednesday, 6 November

The latest true-crime feature documentary from IdeaCandy (Tracking Thabo Bester, Devilsdorp), The Station Strangler investigates the serial killer who is believed to have killed 21 young boys and one adult from the late 80s to the mid-90s on the Cape Flats.

Norman Simons, a school teacher, was arrested but only convicted of one of the murders. Twenty-eight years after his imprisonment, Simons was released on parole, opening up fresh wounds in a community where justice has been denied for too long.

The Station Strangler features interviews with family members of the victims, lead investigator JD Kotze, serial killer profiler Micki Pistorius, and Dr Allan Boesak, among others.  

Director Nadine Cloete won the Audience Award at Encounters for Action Kommandant, while her short Address Unknown won the SAFTA for Best Short Film. 

Sunday Times calls The Station Strangler “chilling”, adding: “Cloete is a formidable force in South African filmmaking, known for her fearless explorations of the country’s most poignant and untold stories … With The Station Strangler, she continues to challenge and redefine documentary filmmaking … infusing the documentary with a depth of empathy and meticulous storytelling.”

Series

Dune: Prophecy | Mondays from 18 November at 21:00

From Frank Herbert’s expansive Dune universe, Dune: Prophecy is set 10 000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, following two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.

Inspired by the 2012 novel Sisterhood of Dune, written by Herbert and Kevin J Anderson, the prequel series stars Emily Watson (Chernobyl), Olivia Williams (The Crown), and Travis Fimmel (Vikings). 

The series is co-produced by HBO and Legendary Television, with Legendary also producing the film franchise that has released two instalments to critical acclaim, the first of which took home six Oscars. 

Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist | Wednesdays from 13 November 

Based on the acclaimed true-crime podcast, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist stars Emmy nominee Kevin Hart as Chicken Man, a hustler who hosts a glamorous afterparty to celebrate Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight, with a guest list of the country’s wealthiest. When the night ends with the most brazen criminal underworld heist in Atlanta’s history, Chicken Man finds himself a prime suspect in the eyes of his old adversary, Detective JD Hudson (Oscar nominee Don Cheadle), one of the first Black detectives in the city’s desegregated police force. 

The Peacock Original’s stellar cast also includes Oscar nominees Samuel L Jackson, Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard.

Fight Night has a 96% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, at #21 on their list of the best TV of 2024 so far. As the critics’ consensus there says, “Skillfully weaving an inflection point in Black culture into a rollicking heist story, Fight Night is punchy entertainment with a never-better Kevin Hart broadening his dramatic range.”

Hysteria! | First on Showmax | Binge from Friday, 1 November

Hysteria! kicks off when a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the “Satanic Panic” of the late 1980s, and a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts realises they can capitalise on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band. But a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported “supernatural activity” triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that soon leads directly back to them.

The coming-of-age thriller stars Emjay Anthony, Kezii Curtis and Chiara Aurelia (Cruel Summer) as the band members. AVClub calls Hysteria! “a devil of a good time”.

Found S2 | First on Showmax | Tuesdays from 26 November

Hunt the enemy. Save the missing. 

Found returns with a gripping new season of shocking twists centring on recovery specialist Gabi Mosely (Shanola Hampton from Shameless) and her crisis management team as they work tirelessly to find missing people forgotten by the system. They’ll stop at nothing to solve these cases because for them, it’s personal – every member of the team has firsthand experience with a mysterious disappearance. 

After bringing her darkest secret to light, Gabi must rebuild trust with her team and face her escaped kidnapper once again in Season 2, all while rescuing the missing people who need her, before it’s too late.

The Good Doctor S7 | Binge from Monday, 4 November

The Good Doctor follows Dr Shaun Murphy, a surgeon with autism and Savant syndrome. The farewell season starts with Shaun (Freddie Highmore) and Lea (Paige Spara) adjusting to parenthood as Shaun takes on his first case back at the hospital: two baby patients in need of the same heart. 

Created by Emmy-winning showrunner David Shore (House MD), The Good Doctor has an 8/10 rating on IMDb and has won multiple awards. The Good Doctor goes out on a high: its tenth and final episode this season is also its highest-rated yet on IMDb, with a 9.4/10 score. 

My Fairytale Wedding S1 | Binge 4 episodes from Sunday, 10 November

This romcom offers a refreshing reimagining of classic fairy tales, tailored with an African heart and soul, and set against the vibrant backdrop of Lagos, Nigeria.

In this three-part series, we follow Mojisola, or MJ (two-time African Movie Academy Award nominee Ini Edo), a 29-year-old woman who, in a desperate bid to find love, turns to the mystical power of Kanyamata through a flamboyant seller, Madame Fantasia (Shaffy Bello from The Black Book). What starts as a dream come true quickly spirals into a whirlwind of hilarious and outrageous consequences, proving that magic may not always lead to a fairytale ending.

Chicago PD S11 | Binge from Monday, 11 November

From Emmy-winning Law & Order franchise creator Dick Wolf, Chicago PD celebrates its 10th year on screen this year. It’s the second show in the hit One Chicago franchise, that also includes Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. 

Nominated for a 2024 Imagen Award for Best Drama Series, the popular police procedural follows two different units at the 21st District of the Chicago Police Department: the uniformed cops and the Intelligence Unit.  

Season 11 picks up six months after Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) was shot, as he struggles to get back in shape and back on the job, while Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) faces challenges of her own due to the ongoing changes in her personal life. 

Law & Order: Organised Crime S4 | Binge from Monday, 18 November

Emmy nominee Christopher Meloni is back in Season 4 of Law & Order: Organised Crime. The seventh series in the mega-hit Law & Order franchise, Organised Crime sees Meloni reprise his long-standing Special Victims Unit role as Elliot Stabler, who’s now back at the NYPD after a devastating personal loss and determined to take on a complex web of criminality. 

Law & Order: Organised Crime has already been renewed for a fifth season.

Billy the Kid S2 |  Binge from Monday, 25 November

Billy the Kid returns for an epic second season starring Tom Blyth (Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as the infamous outlaw.

Already renewed for a third season, the epic romantic adventure from Vikings creator Michael Hirst traces the life of Billy the Kid from his humble Irish roots and his early days as a cowboy and gunslinger in the American frontier to his pivotal role in the Lincoln County War and beyond.

The new season opens with a war brewing in Lincoln County between rival businessmen Murphy and Tunstall. After seeing the Irishman’s brutal ways, Billy joins Tunstall in his battle to stop Murphy and the corrupt organisation, the House… even if it means being enemies with his best friend, Jesse. Meanwhile, attorney Mr Catron sends his son-in-law, Mr Waltz, to gather information on Billy.

Movies

Kung Fu Panda 4 | First on Showmax | Stream from Friday, 29 November

The sixth biggest box office hit of 2024 (so far), Kung Fu Panda 4 returns comedy icon Jack Black to his role as Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master. When Po is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, but a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished back from the spirit realm. Po finds help in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen, a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur, but the comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together if they’re going to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws. 

Golden Globe winner Awkwafina voices Zhen in a star-studded voice cast that includes Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman, Ke Huy Quan and Viola Davis.

The Fall Guy | Stream from Monday, 18 November

The Fall Guy stars Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (Barbie’s Ken) as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred former stuntman who is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie — being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno — goes missing.

Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) play Jody and lead actor Tom Ryder, with Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) as the film’s ruthless producer. 

Directed by former stuntman David Leitch (Bullet Train), The Fall Guy has an 81% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As RogerEbert.com says, “This is a ridiculously fun movie, anchored by a movie star in a part that fits him perfectly and a director who really has been working toward this film for his entire career.”

Civil War | Stream from Monday, 25 November

From Oscar-nominated writer-director Alex Garland (Ex Machina), Civil War journeys across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend on the White House.

The A24 film stars Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus) and Wagner Moura (Narcos), and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Dune: Part One). 

Civil War has an 81% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with AVClub hailing it as “a provocative, thrilling monster of a movie that will sear itself into your eyeballs.”

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Stream from Monday, 11 November

The #15 biggest blockbuster of last year, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was up for Favourite Movie at the 2024 Kids’ Choice Awards, with star Jason Momoa nominated for Favourite Movie Actor and Action Movie Star of the Year at the People’s Choice Awards. 

Driven by vengeance, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is more formidable than ever, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident. To defeat him, Aquaman must enlist the former King of Atlantis, his imprisoned brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), to forge an unlikely alliance to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.

The End We Start From | Stream from Thursday, 21 November

The Hollywood Reporter says Emmy winner Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) “gives a career-defining performance” in The End We Start From. When catastrophic floods hit London, a new mother must protect her baby from the surrounding chaos as she embarks on a dangerous journey in search of safety. 

Based on Megan Hunter’s bestseller, it also features Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong (Cruella), and Gina McKee (Our Friends In The North). 

The End We Start From has an 89% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As the London Evening Standard says, “Jodie Comer is a beacon of light at the end of the world … the beating heart of a film that looks at the momentous decision to love and raise a life in the face of disaster.”

Immaculate | Stream from Thursday, 7 November

Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus, Euphoria, Anyone But You) was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw award for her role in Immaculate in Cecilia, a novice nun who joins a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly descends into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbours a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors. 

Filmed in Rome, Immaculate also stars Emmy nominee Simona Tabasco (The White Lotus), and award-winning Spanish actor Álvaro Morte (The Professor in Money Heist). 

TheWrap says: “Sweeney has never been better than she is here. What a darkly beautiful yet brutal, bloody and bold film.”

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines | Stream from Thursday, 14 November

Based on the terrifying 1983 novel by Stephen King, the prequel movie Pet Sematary: Bloodlines takes us back 50 years before the events of 2019’s Pet Sematary. In 1969, a young Jud Crandall is set to leave his hometown of Ludlow, Maine in search of his life’s purpose. Before he makes it out, however, Jud and his childhood friends encounter an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its founding. 

Jackson White (Mrs Fletcher) stars as the young Jud, opposite the likes of Emmy nominee David Duchovny (The X Files, Californication) and Golden Globe nominees Henry Thomas (The Fall of the House of Usher, The Haunting of Hill House, Elliot in E.T.) and Pam Grier (Them, Jackie Brown).

Director Lindsey Anderson Beer co-wrote the script alongside Pet Sematary screenwriter Jeff Buhler. 

Heist 88 | Stream from Monday, 25 November

Heist 88 centres on Jeremy Horne, a criminal mastermind who decides to pull one last job before going to prison, recruiting a group of young bank employees to steal $80 million dollars.

Emmy winner Courtney B Vance (American Crime Story, Lovecraft Country) stars as Horne, alongside Black Reel nominee Keesha Sharp (Power Book II: Ghost) and triple Emmy winner Keith David. 

Helmed by award-winning Kidulthood director Menhaj Huda, Heist 88 earned Dwayne Johnson-Cochran the 2024 Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie. The film was also nominated for Outstanding Television Movie, and Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie for Vance.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One | Stream from Thursday, 14 November

In the first instalment in DC’s animated Justice League trilogy, Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One, death is coming. Worse than death: oblivion. Not just for our Earth, but for everyone, everywhere, in every universe! 

Against this ultimate destruction, the mysterious Monitor has gathered the greatest team of Superheroes ever assembled. Will the combined might of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern and hundreds of superheroes from multiple Earths be enough to save all of reality from an unstoppable antimatter armageddon?

Based on the legendary 1985-86 crossover comic book series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the trilogy is off to a strong start, with an 88% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes for Part One. “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One Finally Gets the DC Crossover Event Right,” Inverse headlined, praising the film as, “A worthy adaptation focusing on heart and character.”

The voice cast is led by Emmy nominees Matt Bomer (Doom Patrol), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) and Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus) as Flash, Green Arrow, Lex Luthor and Lois Lane respectively, with Emmy winner Darren Criss (Glee) as Superman/Clark Kent. 

Mission: Impossible | Binge all seven blockbusters from 25 November

Showmax is bringing you a box set of one of the biggest franchises of all time: Tom Cruise in his career-defining role as Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Missions Force. This includes all seven blockbusters: Mission: Impossible 1-3, Mission: Impossible – Fallout; Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol; Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation; and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, the ninth biggest hit of last year, which was up for two Oscars and earned Cruise and co-star Rebecca Ferguson Critics Choice Super Awards for Best Actor and Actress in an Action Movie. 

Reality 

The Real Housewives of Dubai S2 | First on Showmax | Binge from Friday, 15 November

Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Dubai (RHOD) returns us to the glamorous, ultra-rich world of Sara Al Madani, Caroline Brooks, Lesa Milan, Caroline Stanbury and Kenyan-born, Somali and Ethiopian supermodel and entrepreneur, Chanel Ayan.

The eleventh instalment of the Real Housewives franchise, RHOD’s second season kicks off with Caroline Stanbury’s marriage to former Real Madrid soccer player Sergio Carrallo taking strain amid home renovations, while Sara is ready to put her past behind her. Caroline Brooks brings her friend, singer Taleen Marie, to Lesa’s Good Weather Girls brunch … which could fill the gap left by Nina Ali’s departure.

Queens Court S2 | Binge from Friday, 8 November

In this season of Queens Court, celebrity queens LisaRaye, K Michelle and London “Deelishis” Charles embark on a journey to find their forever partners. Even with success, fame and fortune, the one area they have not ruled is matters of the heart. In this era of self-discovery, these Queens are opening their hearts to find their Kings amongst 22 confident, successful men. 

Hollywood power couple Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete return to guide the new Queens as they let go of the past, embrace new connections, and look for their happily ever after.

Documentary

Action S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from Monday, 11 November

Action is an adrenaline-fueled docuseries following the 87North stunt team as they take centre stage for once, revealing the captivating stories of ordinary individuals who have been drawn to the electrifying world of action sports, martial arts, motor-cross and more. These daredevils navigate the high-octane, highly skilled, and often perilous world of film stunts, balancing their professional passion with the demands of everyday life. 

Diving into the making of The Fall Guy and Violent Night, the six-part series features interviews with the likes of adrenaline junkie Keanu Reeves (aka John Wick) and real-life stuntman David Leitch and his wife Kelly McCormick (who’ve produced epic thrill-rides like The Fall Guy, Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, John Wick, Nobody and Violent Night), as well as some of Hollywood’s most legendary stunties and the stunt coordinators behind some of the most explosive action sequences in movies today.

Also watch the blockbuster movie The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling, on Showmax this month.

Great African Mysteries S1 | Binge from Monday, 4 November

Nominated for Best Cinematography in the Documentary category at this year’s SAFTAs, Great African Mysteries explores some of South Africa’s most fascinating and enduring mysteries.

Hosted by Talk Radio 702’s John Robbie, the series delves into the events surrounding the ill-fated Helderberg flight in 1987, the hunt for the Kruger millions,  and the discovery of Homo naledi at the Cradle of Humankind, among other topics.  

The History Channel has already renewed Great African Mysteries for a second season.

Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion | Stream from Wednesday, 6 November

Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion uncovers the toxic origins and culture of the Brandy Melville teen brand and the global ramifications of mass-produced clothing.

Based on Business Insider investigative reporter Kate Taylor’s shocking 2021 exposé, the HBO documentary is directed by Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Orner, with Oscar winner Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar Man) and Oscar nominee Jonathan Chinn (David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived) producing. 

Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion examines the far-reaching repercussions of mass-produced fast fashion, travelling to Accra, Ghana, a destination for discarded textiles that end up polluting landfills and waters.

The documentary has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Decider saying, “Even though many of us know in our hearts that fast fashion is bad news, the film puts faces to its victims and clearly illustrates just how wasteful and destructive it is.”

Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America | First on Showmax | Stream from Wednesday, 13 November

Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America pays homage to the pioneer of the spaghetti western, Italian film director Sergio Leone, whose iconic films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West made him one of the most influential filmmakers in history, catapulted Clint Eastwood to stardom, and inspired some of the biggest directors working today.

Drawing on archive footage of Leone himself, the film features interviews with collaborators and artists who were influenced by his work, including directors Clint Eastwood, Damien Chazelle, Darren Aronofsky, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Steven Spielberg, well as comic book legend Frank Miller and Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone.

Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was named Documentary of the Year by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.

More to watch in November

4 November

10 Lives

7 November

Maties Legends and Pioneers

9 November

For the One

11 November

Bruce Lee, My Brother | Confession of Pain | Life Without Principle | The Tigers | Warriors Two

14 November

Outopsie S1-2

18 November

About Last Night

21 November

Buddy Games

28 November

Sonic The Hedgehog