Entertainment on DStv – 28 December – 3 January

To bring in the New Year, catch the iconic Royal Variety Performance (Sunday 31 December at 19:00) on M-Net. Every year, a member of the British royal family (or more than one!) attends the annual Royal Variety Performance. Since 1912, the show has taken place to support the Royal Variety Charity. That first year, in 1912, King George V and Queen Mary attended.

The 2023 edition of the show took place on 30 November at the Royal Albert Hall in London and featured performances from Hannah Waddingham, Lang Lang, Melanie Chisholm, Derren Brown and others.

For the kids, ‘Tom and Jerry: Blast off to Mars’ (Friday 29 December at 09:40) on Cartoonito will keep them riveted. Tom and Jerry are unintentionally packed off to Mars on a spaceship. Subsequent to landing on Mars, the two interact with the native Martians and cause them to decide to invade Earth.

The second season of ‘Fire Country’ (Wednesday 3 January at 19:00) on M-Net will bring viewers their dose of drama and tension. Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption, joins an unconventional prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires. It's a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began.

The feel-good film ‘80 For Brady’ will bring laughs and smiles in the New Year (Tuesday 2 January at  19:20 on M-Net Movies 1) as Four best friends live life to the fullest when they embark on a wild trip to see their hero, Tom Brady, play in the Super Bowl. Starring Jane Fonda and Sally Field, this comedy is directed by Kyle Marvin.

For your fill of cooking and reality, catch ‘Guy’s Ranch Kitchen’ (Sunday 31 December at 18:00) on the Food Network. Guy Fieri challenges his friends in a cooking showdown to prepare some of the most healthy dishes that will take them right to ‘Flavour Town’.