3 things to watch this summer, starting today
Primal Survivor: Extreme African Safari
Hazen Audel is back on National Geographic, this time with a brand-new season of Primal Survivor: Extreme African Safari. This is definitely one of the series and films to watch this summer.
In Primal Survivor: Extreme African Safari, the former biology teacher traverses the challenging landscapes of East Africa. On his journey, he encounters desert nomads, tracks elephants, searches for rare black rhinos, explores coastal caves and more. Ultimately, the lessons learned will stay will him for years to come. This includes the fact that survival in wild, wild Africa not only requires physical endurance and survival skills, but also understanding and respect for indigenous tribes and the ecosystems of our continent.
This season will include the following episodes: Valley of Giants, Deadly Waters, Rhino Mountain, Untamed Coast and Serengeti. Hazen Audel treks into the Chalbi desert where he meets the Gabra tribe. Then, his journey takes him down the western wall of the legendary Great Rift Valley where he searches for a revered herd of elephants. Following this, the third episode takes the survivalist to East Africa’s Tropical Coast, where he embarks on a gruelling ocean voyage to reach the coastal coral caves, home to the largest multi-species bat colony in the world. Finally, his journey takes him to the Serengeti – his ultimate goal to see the great wildebeest migration.
Hazen Audel treks 100 miles on foot, meets some of the most interesting people in the world and encounters various creatures he’s not even seen in books. It’s a series worth watching, for sure.
It premieres on National Geographic (DStv 181) on Wednesday, 22 November 2023 at 21:00 (CAT), promising nail biting, but also various inspirational scenes.
The Garden: Commune or Cult
Another one of the series and films to watch this summer, is The Garden: Commune or Cult, which also premieres in Africa on 22 November 2023. In this six-part series, Discovery’s cameras venture into an infamous, controversial off-grid community, which went viral on social media for disturbing allegations.
In the American South, The Garden is located on 22 acres of backcountry land. The community that lives here, lives by its own laws, free from the pressures of modern society. While they maintain an open-door policy to anyone wanting to join this ‘leaderless’ community, there is an initiation period to submit to when you’re new. Some barely last a week. Evidently, there are many questions about the cult-like vibes of the community.
The Garden: Commune or Cult follows new initiates – Tyler, Tisheila, Oak and Jessica – over the ten days they’ve been given to prove to The Garden that they have what it takes to be part of the community. These four initiates are all very different. Tyler is a veteran and self-described doomsday prepper. Tisheila is a truck driver survivalist. Oak wants to toughen up after years behind a desk and Jessica is a former cheerleader who wants to reconnect with nature.
Now, the question is: Did the newcomers join a commune working towards a sustainable, off-grid lifestyle, or have they surrounded themselves with members of a mind-controlling cult?
The series – produced for Warner Bros. Discovery by Hot Snakes – kicks off on Discovery Channel (DStv channel 121) on 22 November 2023 at 20:00 (CAT).
Rebel Moon – Part One: A child of Fire
Premiering on Netflix in December, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is worth adding to your watch list. Following a crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (played by Sofia Boutella) begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. Kora herself is a stranger with a mysterious past, but soon becomes the community’s only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his emissary, Adminral (Ed Skrein) discovers that the farmers sold their crops to the Bloodaxes – leaders of a fierce group of insurgents hunted by the Motherworld. Together with Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), Kora is tasked with finding fighters who would risk their lives to defend the people of Veldt. Ultimately, the new revolutionaries need to learn to trust each other and fight as one.
The two-part movie event, decades in the making, is intense and fierce and will launch on Netflix on 22 December 2023.
