Reality Beat: 'Love Is Blind' In The City Of Love, India’s Roshan Family Docuseries Confirmed

Docuseries: Netflix has confirmed its plans to stream a docuseries focused on three generations of India’s Roshan family and their contributions to Hindi-language cinema. The series will mark the first time the Roshan family has opened the doors and allowed extensive insight into their entertainment dynasty. The documentary chronicles the family’s journey from patriarch Roshan Lal Nagrath (professionally known as Roshan), through his children Rakesh Roshan (actor and filmmaker well known from the Krissh franchise) and Rajesh Roshan (composer, starred in Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai), and his grandson Hrithik Roshan (Bollywood megastar, starred in War), examining their collective impact on Indian film through music, directing, and acting. The series features insightful interviews with colleagues and peers who are well-versed in the family’s legacy. Extensive interviews with Rakesh Roshan, Rajesh Roshan, and Hrithik Roshan are also included. Industry veteran Shashi Ranjan will direct and co-produce the project alongside Rakesh Roshan.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Netflix and share previously untold stories that shaped our lives,” the Roshan family said. “The platform allows us to reach viewers from across the globe, and it’s an honor to showcase our journey to the audience.”

Shashi Ranjan described directing the series as “an incredibly rewarding journey,” noting that “being invited into the Roshan family’s world and entrusted with their legacy is a privilege I am grateful for.”

Monika Shergill, vice president of content at Netflix India, called the series “an emotional and nostalgic journey,” detailing that it “uncovers the untold story of three generations of this iconic film family.”

Docusoap: A+E Networks, Big Fish Entertainment (Amazon-owned), and cable network Reelz have settled their long-running dispute. The three companies have reached a consensus on the feud that arose when Reelz launched On Patrol: Live in 2022 following the cancellation of Live PD on A&E in 2020. The heart of the matter was whether On Patrol: Live was a “clone” of Live PD, an argument A+E Networks framed as “brazen theft” and a “flagrant violation.” By June 2023, the companies appeared to be heading to court after a judge denied a motion. On November 22nd, 2024, A&E lawyers announced the situation had been resolved. Additionally, A+E Networks struck a non-exclusive licensing deal with Amazon (in connection to the settlement) more than two years after the network company sued Reelz and Big Fish Entertainment. The deal will make A&E programs available on Amazon Prime Video, along with subscription packages and the launch of FAST channels.

“The legal dispute between A+E and Big Fish Entertainment and Reelz concerning Live PD has been resolved,” an A+E Networks spokesman stated. “A+E Networks and Amazon have agreed to significantly expand their commercial relationship in a multi-year agreement that will amplify the reach of A+E Networks’ brands and content on Amazon’s Prime Video service.”

Competitive Series: Netflix’s Love is Blind is headed to the City of Love with a spinoff clicking its heels in France, with an expected 2025 premiere. Love is Blind has seen adaptations across numerous territories and countries, including Mexico, Japan, and the UK. France will be the 11th country to get an adaptation of the reality dating series, which is often hosted by a real-life celebrity couple.

“Love is Blind is a very unique format in the sense that it truly tries to find compatibility before chemistry,” said Bela Bajaria (Netflix’s chief content officer). “In India, as you can imagine, we are very used to love being blind. But in a lot of other places, it’s a completely different experience. Over the years, we’ve taken Love is Blind to 10 countries, and I’m thrilled to announce our next adaptation goes straight to the City of Love with Love is Blind: France.”

“But we haven’t just swapped in a local host and cast,” Bajaria continued. “We’ve changed the show to fit different cultures — so Love is Blind: Sweden feels completely different from Love is Blind: Habibi, which connects Arab singles. I love Love is Blind, and how it explores different cultures through dating. And it’s just so fun.”

Celebrity MasterChef South Africa began sharpening its knives and cooking new dishes on November 30th with its second season airing on SABC3. This second season premiered nine years after the premiere of its first season. Contestants competing to win money for various charities in the new season include Siv Ngesi, Dineo Ranaka, Holly Rey, and Graeme Richards. After the finale of this surprise second season for Celebrity MasterChef South Africa, a sixth season of MasterChef South Africa will begin airing on SABC3.

Africa has hit the runway. Project Runway Africa is set to launch next year and bring emerging African designer talent from across the continent to strut the stage. Takeout Media and What Network will produce the African edition of the series through Take Two Media. African designers between the ages of 21 and 40 will be allowed to compete. The shooting location and other details of the first season are currently confidential. Spyglass Media Group launched Project Runway in 2004 in the US on Bravo. The competition series has spawned more than 30 international adaptations. Chichi Nwoko (Project Runway Africa’s co-executive producer) exclaimed that the new spinoff series would highlight Africa’s rapidly evolving fashion ecosystem and give designers an opportunity for expert mentorship.

“This isn’t just a television show, it’s a cultural moment,” Nwoko said. “Africa’s fashion industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world, fueled by a dynamic, young audience, and rich cultural influences.”

Nwoko continued, “With Project Runway Africa, we’re creating a platform that celebrates the continent’s boundless creativity, empowering designers to bring their visions to life and share their unique voices with viewers across Africa and beyond.”

Co-executive producer Elijah Affi said, “We’re creating a platform to showcase how African designers reimagine global fashion through their unique perspectives and cultural richness. This is more than television; it’s about amplifying African voices in the global fashion conversation and creating pathways for our talented designers to reach new heights.”

Anahita Kheder (Executive Vice President of EMEA, Formats, and Licensing, International at Fremantle) said, “Project Runway is known globally for launching careers, and this new chapter in Africa will open doors for designers to make their mark.”

MultiChoice and M-Net have ordered a new season of the reality series Big Brother Mzansi. The new season is set to start on January 12th, 2025, with episodes running through March 23rd. The new season was produced and conceptualized with the theme of ‘Umlilo,’ meaning ‘fire’ in isiZulu. The reality series will run as a 24-hour linear TV channel on DStv 198 until its March 23rd finale. Afrika Mdutyulwa (also known as Smash Afrika) has replaced Lawrence Maleka as the host of the fifth season.

Shirley Adonisi (M-Net director of local entertainment channels) said, “We're really going to make the housemates uncomfortable.”

“We're experimenting with things never done before. We're determined to make them as uncomfortable as possible. We’re really pushing the envelope. We'll test their intolerance to see how much they can take without breaking any legal rules. The team has come up with devious things.”

M-Net’s head of marketing and publicity, Christinah Mazibuko, said, “We're incredibly excited to bring Big Brother Mzansi back for the fifth season… This season is about pushing boundaries, and with the Umlilo theme, we're sure to give our viewers a hot, unmissable experience. Working with Smash Afrika as the host takes the energy to a whole new level, and we can't wait to see how his charisma sparks more fires in the house. It's going to be an unforgettable ride.”

Sports: WWE star Jade Cargill has signed with Paradigm’s The Sports Group, a newly launched division established to represent elite athletes and iconic teams. Cargill plunged into the professional wrestling business in 2020 and quickly made a name for herself, rising to the top of the industry. She started her career in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), feuding with many top athletes before capturing the TBS Championship a little over a year after her wrestling debut. It was a title she held for 508 days while achieving a 60-match undefeated streak during her time with AEW.

Industry: The SpringHill Company and Fulwell 73 have officially merged, forming a creative powerhouse in unscripted, live, and branded entertainment content. Shareholders of each company include Fenway Sports Group, RedBird Capital Partners, UC Investments, Nike, Epic Games, Main Street Advisors, and Eldridge Industries, with current investors putting $40 million into the combined venture. The SpringHill Company was founded in 2020 by Lebron James and Maverick Carter, while Fulwell 73 was founded in 2005 by Ben Winston, Leo Pearlman, and brothers Ben Turner and Gabe Turner (with James Corden joining as a fifth partner in 2017). Ben Winston reassured that all seven partners will remain with the merged company (including Lebron James and James Corden), with Maverick Carter and Leo Pearlman serving as co-CEOs. All seven partners will work “incredibly hard on day one to make this a huge success.” The production megadeal was reportedly a year in the making, first brought up in the parking lot of the Italian restaurant Antico Nuovo in Los Angeles.

The meeting “had nothing to do with TV or entertainment,” recalled Carter.

“Literally nothing to do with TV and entertainment,” Winston added. “We were meeting about a sports thing that we were maybe getting involved in. And in the parking lot, as we were getting into our cars, we started talking about the future of entertainment, where SpringHill was, and where Fulwell was. And here we are, a year later.”

“We believe we will be the best in live [programming] and one of the best in unscripted, focusing on sports and formats and others,” Carter said. “And though both of us have done a little bit in scripted TV and film — and we will continue to do that — we really believe [that by] coming together, we can be the biggest and the best in those two categories while still building the others.”

“I think in this industry right now, if we stand still, we’ll be left behind,” said Winston. “And I think what SpringHill has done incredibly well is they have such an impact in the commercial sector, in the branding sector, they have channels that talk directly to consumers, and so there is just enough overlap between our businesses, but yet at the same time, we do different things. So when we come together, we have scale on day one, we immediately become, I think, the leader in unscripted entertainment, from live, docs, formats, music, entertainment, sports, and we add a huge branded entertainment, direct-to-consumer, commercial side, brand consultancy firm. That means we can really make an impact.”

“Sports is a space that’s going to continue to grow and maybe have even more of an impact because consumers and viewers can’t get enough of it, how it’s delivered, where it’s delivered, both live and unscripted, and the content around it is going to keep changing and adapting,” said Carter. “As we come together, it’s going to play a major part. If you look at the NBA, there are two shows on the air right now that are about the NBA [Starting 5 and Clutch], both [are from] our companies, so we’re actually heavily into sports, and now we can go even further into it, and with our brand Uninterrupted, will be able to do it directly through talent, but also on the entertainment side, in and around live and unscripted productions.”

Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction President Eli Holzman stressed that the over-reliance on recommissions needs to end in the unscripted market. Holzman explained that the company’s biggest hits, such as Shark Tank and 90 Day Fiance, were being renewed “at a clip,” while the drive to create new reality programs didn’t exist, which impacted Sony’s unscripted business model as they were once a “100-series business.”

“We as an industry neglect new ideas at our peril,” said Holzman. “Every big hit we love today was once a risk for someone. It was a gamble and you have to do that.”

“If you looked at those 100 series, 50 were season ones and we didn’t expect most of those to come back. In non-fiction, you’re in profit in season one and that churn is an important source of profit for us. We expect those to be replaced by more season ones — that’s 50% of our business in terms of a volume standpoint. Of the 50, a small subset gets renewed and an even smaller subset becomes our hits. That’s what has declined.”

He continued, “We as an industry neglect new ideas at our peril.” He added that the business “is fuelled by the next big idea,” but currently the split between recommissions and new ideas morphed from around a 50-50 split to 70-30 in favor of returners. Holzman said, “It’s critical we get back to 50-50.”

MultiChoice and eMedia have settled their long-running TV feud behind closed doors. The confidential settlement regarding the carriage of e.tv channels on DStv and the blackout on Openview of SuperSport content (acquired by the SABC) was agreed to in September. However, the details remain unknown. The feud began two and a half years ago in March 2022, when MultiChoice decided to drop eMedia’s TV channel package of eExtra (DStv 195), eToonz (DStv 311), eMovies (DStv 138), and eMovies Extra (DStv 140) from DStv. At the time, MultiChoice shared no interest in renewing its carriage agreement after terminating its previous five-year agreement. This led to eMedia accusing MultiChoice of an abuse of marketplace dominance under the Competition Act via the Competition Commission. The feud was taken to another level after MultiChoice decided to resell SuperSport content to the SABC and then forced the public broadcaster to blackout the content on the SABC’s version of its SABC1, SABC2, SABC3, and SABC Sports channels carried on eMedia’s Openview.

MultiChoice stated, “The terms of the settlement are confidential, but we can confirm that the litigation between MultiChoice and eMedia Holdings has been settled amicably between the parties.”

eMedia stated, “The issues between the parties have been satisfactorily resolved by agreement, which brings an end to the legal proceedings between MultiChoice and eMedia. We have entered into a confidential settlement agreement on the matter. We are very pleased with the outcome.” eMedia continued, “The Competition Commission's complaint against MultiChoice South Africa by eMedia for removing eMedia's four entertainment channels from the DStv bouquet as well as DStv's preclusion of the Rugby World Cup matches from the Openview platform resulted in significant legal fees for the Group… The matter has, however, been satisfactorily settled by both parties in September.”