Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut

Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut
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Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut

Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut

Netflix's first original African animated series premiered on Thursday in a debut its creator said she hoped would pave the way for more productions from the continent.

Set in a futuristic version of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, "Supa Team 4" tells the story of four teen girls who turn undercover superheroes after being recruited by a retired secret agent to save the world.

"I'm excited that the world finally gets to see the fantastic show that the incredibly talented super team, from Africa and beyond, have put together," Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema told AFP in a statement.

"We hope 'Supa Team 4'... will lead to further investment and collaboration so we can continue to grow the industry."

Mulendema created the series after pitching it at a pan-African talent search by animation studio Triggerfish, where she became one of the winners in 2015.

When the show was first announced in 2019, Mulendema said she set the story in her home country to "illustrate that anyone from anywhere can be a superhero".

"(Animation) series shaped our childhoods and to know young Zambians get to see what they've never seen on TV before is Amazing!!" Zambian singer Sampa the Great, who worked on the theme song, wrote on Instagram this month.

Netflix has bet on diversifying its production outside the United States in recent years, scoring big with series including Spanish smash "Money Heist" and South Korean dystopian drama "Squid Game".

In April, the firm said it planned to expand operations in Africa and give "more African storytellers an amplified voice on the global stage".



Jon Stewart Will Remain ‘Daily Show’ Host on Mondays through 2025

Jon Stewart poses in the press room with the award for outstanding talk series for "The Daily Show" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)
Jon Stewart poses in the press room with the award for outstanding talk series for "The Daily Show" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)
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Jon Stewart Will Remain ‘Daily Show’ Host on Mondays through 2025

Jon Stewart poses in the press room with the award for outstanding talk series for "The Daily Show" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)
Jon Stewart poses in the press room with the award for outstanding talk series for "The Daily Show" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)

Jon Stewart isn't done skewering the news — he's signed on to continue hosting “The Daily Show” on Mondays through the end of next year.

Paramount announced Monday that Stewart would continue hosting the Comedy Central series once a week, as he's done through much of 2024 in the runup to the US presidential election.

The Emmy winner hosted “The Daily Show” from 1999 through 2015, delivering sharp, satirical takes on politics and current events and interviews with newsmakers.

In his return run, he's maintained his acerbic take on American politics and the presidential race, which was shaken up in July when President Joe Biden announced he would no longer seek reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

“His ability to cut through the noise and deliver clear-eyed insights is exactly what we need which is why we are thrilled to have him leading The Daily Show for another year,” said Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy.

Stewart, who returned in February and was originally supposed to host through the November election, joked in a statement that he wanted to host every other Monday, but that he will “suck it up” and keep up with it weekly.

Stewart will also remain an executive producer on the show, which relies on a revolving series of hosts for the other days of the week. “The Daily Show” airs Mondays through Thursday at 11 p.m. Eastern on Comedy Central and streams the next day on Paramount+.