What to watch on Open Time weekend

Survivor S48

Nearly 25 years since it first premiered, Survivor continues to be the ultimate test of will and stamina. Now a fresh group of 18 castaways begins the adventure of a lifetime on the breathtaking Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. 

Armed with fresh perspectives and a fervent passion for the game, these diverse competitors have the same ultimate goal: to outwit, outplay, and outlast, claim the title of Sole Survivor and win the $1 million prize. 

Hosted by Jeff Probst since inception, previous seasons have won seven Emmys. 

Watch Survivor Season 48 on Open Time weekend on Friday, 7 November at 6PM on M-Net Channel 101

Piece by Piece

The Pharrell Williams story – in LEGO!

Piece by Piece is a one-of-a-kind animated biopic about one of music's most innovative minds: 13-time Grammy Award winner and two-time Oscar nominee Pharrell Williams.

Directed and co-written by Oscar winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom), Piece by Piece was nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best Music Documentary at last year’s Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, among other prizes. Wall Street Journal calls the film “a party for the eyes and ears,” and The Times (UK) “an exuberant joy.”

Listen out for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Busta Rhymes, Pusha T and, of course, Pharrell himself.

Watch Piece by Piece on Open Time weekend on Saturday, 8 November at 4:30PM on M-Net Channel 101

X-Repo S16

In the hit Moja Love reality series X-Repo, the repossession team helps people reclaim what is rightfully theirs.

X-Repo is up for Best Non-Scripted Reality Series at The National Film & TV Awards, where presenter Xolani Maphanga is up for Best Male TV Personality.

Watch X-Repo on Open Time weekend on Saturday, 8 November at 7PM on Moja Love Channel 157

America's Got Talent 20th Anniversary Special

The glittering confetti is still settling on the stage around the 20th winner of America’s Got Talent but the party’s not over yet. Join us for two spectacular specials as we celebrate the 20th birthday year of the star-making phenomenon that’s been nominated for 12 Emmys, won five Kids’ Choice Awards, spawned over 72 Got Talent franchises globally, and been named the world’s most successful reality TV format ever by the Guinness World Records.

America’s Got Talent Special: 20th Birthday Party is an epic, two-hour special of iconic, internet-breaking performances, jaw-dropping talent, global stars, and the heartwarming stories that have captivated fans since 2006.

Watch America's Got Talent 20th Anniversary Special on Open Time weekend on Saturday, 8 November at 7PM on M-Net Channel 101

Black Bag

Metacritic’s seventh best-reviewed film from the first half of 2025, Black Bag is a gripping spy drama from Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh.

Two-time Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender and two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett co-star as legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife, Kathryn. When Kathryn is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test: loyalty to his marriage or his country.

Also look out for 2025 BAFTA winner Marisa Abel (Industry), Oscar nominee Naomie Harris (No Time To Die), Emmy nominee Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton), Gustav Skarsgård (Floki in Vikings), and Pierce Brosnan (James Bond in The World Is Not Enough).

Black Bag has a 96% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with ScreenDaily praising it as “highly entertaining from start to finish.”

Watch Black Bag on Open Time weekend on Saturday, 8 November at 8PM on M-Net Movies 1 Channel 104

Jerrod Carmichael: Don't Be Gay

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael returns to the stage for his fourth HBO stand-up special, Don’t Be Gay, three years after he came out publicly in the Emmy-winning special Rothaniel.

“We’ve worked with Jerrod since his first special in 2014, and it’s truly been inspiring to see him grow and push boundaries at every turn,” says Nina Rosenstein, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Late Night and Specials. “His last special, Rothaniel, was raw, intimate, and sparked a conversation about what a comedy special could be. He pushed that even further with Reality Series, a groundbreaking blend of verité and performance in which he delivered some of his most emotionally honest work yet. This new special continues to build on that impact with the same vulnerability and sharp wit that makes Jerrod’s voice so singular.”

Variety hails the “laugh-out loud” special from the “master storyteller” as “witty, brash, guttingly honest and slightly heartbreaking.”

Watch Jerrod Carmichael: Don't Be Gay on Open Time weekend on Saturday, 8 November at 11:20PM on M-Net Movies 1 Channel 104

Abandoned S4

With even more heart-wrenching reunions and emotional revelations, Abandoned continues its mission to reconnect families torn apart by abandonment.

Hosted by the empathetic Phumeza Shoba, the Mzansi Magic reality series follows the journeys of individuals seeking to reunite with parents who left them behind.

With the help of private investigators, law enforcement authorities as well as government departments including Home Affairs and Social Services, the show uncovers the truth behind each story and offers both parties a chance to heal.

Watch Abandoned on Open Time weekend on Sunday, 9 November at 5PM on Mzansi Magic Channel 161

NCIS: Tony and Ziva S1

Tiva shippers, the long wait is over!

The NCIS spin-off series Tony & Ziva reunites fan-favourite former NCIS special agents Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) for the first time in 12 years when they are forced to go on the run together in Europe, while trying to work out who is after them.

Paramount bills NCIS as “the world’s most successful television franchise globally” and the trailer for Tony & Ziva racked up 93m views in seven days – a new record for both the franchise and Paramount+.

The seventh instalment of NCIS, the series has an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As Variety says, “Tony & Ziva is the best of the approximately one thousand NCIS spinoffs to date… recapturing the overriding wit that set NCIS apart from all the other procedurals… At last, it’s a take on the show that doesn’t shrink away from the fact that 90% of the audience is there for the relationships, not the murder-of-the-week.”

Watch NCIS: Tony and Ziva S1 on Open Time weekend on Sunday, 9 November at 5PM on M-Net Channel 101

Som van Twee

The directorial debut of Hotel actress Simonè Pretorius, Som van Twee was the biggest winner at last year’s Silwerskerm, taking home seven awards, including Best Film, Director and Script, which Pretorius co-wrote.
When Henk (Louw Venter), a recently widowed psychologist, is forced to retake his matric maths exam, he offers to drive his son’s band to a music festival in exchange for extra lessons.

Venter lost the Silwerskerm Best Actor prize to co-star James Borthwick, who plays his eccentric father. Also look out for Adriaan Havenga, Greteli Fincham, Righard van Jaarsveld, and Die Groot Ontbyt’s Pierre Breytenbach, who won Best Supporting Actor at Silwerskerm.

Top Afrikaans critic Leon van Nierop hailed Som van Twee as “the funniest Afrikaans comedy of the year.”

Watch Som van Twee on Open Time weekend on Sunday, 9 November at 8PM on kykNET Channel 144

Drop

Drop follows a widowed mother who is relieved that her first date in years is more handsome and charming than expected. But her cautious optimism quickly gives way to irritation, then terror, as a series of anonymous drops to her phone make everyone in the vicinity a suspect.

Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus) and Brandon Sklenar (It Ends with Us, 1923) co-star.

Drop has an 83% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Praising “Fahy’s movie-star-making performance,” Salon.com calls the film “immensely entertaining… a tense throwback to aughts genre delights, with a lead who doesn't need any saving [...and…] a high-octane third act that concludes with some of the most satisfying sequences of any thriller in recent memory.”

Watch Drop on Open Time weekend on Sunday, 9 November at 8:05PM on M-Net Channel 101

Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember

In this intimate documentary, actor Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) turns the spotlight away from himself and toward his father, Craig, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Determined to help, Chris plans a therapeutic “road trip back in time,” revisiting key places from their past to explore the powerful science of social connection – a crucial but overlooked tool in protecting brain health.

Along the way, Chris uncovers surprising research showing that connection isn’t just good for the soul; it can also reduce the risk of dementia, slow cognitive decline, and even prolong life.

This emotional journey across his native Australia becomes a chance for Chris and Craig to deepen their bond, relive memories, and discover how love, community and nostalgia can be potent medicine.

Watch Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember on Open Time weekend on Sunday, 9 November at 9PM on National Geographic Channel 181