From 72 Films (“Inside North Korea’s Dynasty,” “Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents,” “Trump: An American Dream”) NORTH KOREA: INSIDE THE MIND OF A DICTATOR features never-before-seen interviews that shed new light on the duality of Kim Jong Un, both his capacity for ruthlessness and a softer side nostalgic for his youth. 

For the first time in an extended global television interview, one of the assassins of Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, Siti Aisyah, tells her extraordinary full story. Also, in a world exclusive, João Micaelo, Kim’s former childhood classmate, speaks publicly, for the first time, about visiting Kim in North Korea. NORTH KOREA: INSIDE THE MIND OF A DICTATOR also tracks the game-changing rise of Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jung, to his right-hand woman and voice of the regime, maintaining order using fear and violence while her brother reinvents himself as a modern leader.

To understand Kim Jong Un’s leadership decisions over the past three years, including his encounters with President Donald Trump and his plans for the “hermit kingdom,” experts, journalists and government officials unravel the inner workings of Kim’s mind and his tumultuous past as he works to determine his legacy.

The two-hour special delves into the complex family dynamics of the Kim dynasty at the heart of North Korea’s history and operations and offers key insight on his school days in Europe, the failed Hanoi summit and North Korea’s growing arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The special also takes a deep dive into the psychology and history of the elusive Supreme Leader in order to better understand his all-encompassing dynastic power and struggle to keep a grip on control while navigating an uncertain future. From his isolated childhood to the fleeting freedom he experienced in his teenage years to his attempts at diplomacy under the pressure of crippling sanctions, the series pulls back the curtain on a dictator torn between the old ways he grew up with and the encroaching modern world.

“This documentary peels away layers of secrecy to examine the extraordinary developments of the past three years, as Kim Jong Un has moved domestically to consolidate power, whilst also exploring the motivations and personalities of the leaders of the world’s only hereditary communist state in a way that has never before been attempted” said Evert van der Veer, Vice President, Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa.

If there’s a documentary you needed to watch it’s this one because there’s no doubt that it will make for more than a compelling watch. The two-part special NORTH KOREA: INSIDE THE MIND OF A DICTATOR premieres on 2 and 9 March 2021 at 21:00 (CAT) on National Geographic (DStv 181).

From Peru, Laos and Morocco to Hawaii, Alaska and New Zealand, Ramsay will be roaring through valleys, diving into oceans, hiking through forests and scaling mountains in his relentless pursuit of culinary inspiration. Food and adventure programming is familiar ground for Ramsay, whose 2010 UK series for Channel 4, “Gordon’s Great Escapes,” saw the venerable chef explore the food culture of India and Southeast Asia.

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted follows Ramsay as he meets with indigenous people around the globe to learn about the cultures, dishes and flavours unique to each location. Every ingredient he harvests and dish he tastes will inspire a new recipe from scratch, created to represent the heart of that culture. Each episode concludes with Ramsay challenging himself with a local food legend by his side — putting his newfound skills to the test as they cook a feast together for the natives. For Ramsay, food is the gateway to culture, and every adventure is a portal into the soul of the people and place.

The series will also air globally in 172 countries and 43 languages. Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted is produced by Studio Ramsay. Additional episodes of the series have already been ordered ahead of the premiere, with production set to resume later this year. 

“Audiences can expect the same Gordon Ramsay wit that they know and love, but this time getting his hands dirty through an authentic and immersive culinary adventure. The show is a behind-the-scenes exploration of unique places, new flavours and rich cultures that only National Geographic can access, and we look forward to being taken on this journey with this extraordinary chef” said Evert Van der Veer for Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa. 

Noah Emmerich, Topher Grace, Liam Cunningham, Paul James, James D’Arcy, Robert Sean Leonard and Grace Gummer Also Star in Series, Premiering 3 July at 21:00

In 1989, in a scientific facility outside Washington, DC, the deadly Ebola virus made its first known appearance on US soil. The finding — and eventual containment — of this lethal filovirus, which had a fatality rate of up to 90 percent at the time, was thanks to a group of courageous scientists and soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Jaax. National Geographic’s six-part limited series THE HOT ZONE, inspired by the true events detailed in Richard Preston’s international best-seller of the same name, shares the harrowing tale of a global crisis that never was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YxNYnHTxAg

THE HOT ZONE begins with a terrifying look back to 1980, when an unsuspecting doctor in Kenya examines a patient with symptoms unlike anything seen before. Flashing forward to 1989, a colony of primates has become sick at a research facility in Virginia, just over 30 kilometres from the US Capitol, and sample tissues are sent to Nancy Jaax (Margulies), a lieutenant colonel with USAMRIID, the US Army’s main facility for defensive research into countermeasures against biological warfare. Jaax’s instincts and experience tell her she is seeing something far worse than a run-of-the-mill primate infection. Despite the skepticism of her colleagues Dr. Peter Jahrling (Grace) and Col. Vernon Tucker (Wisdom), but with the support of her husband, Lt. Col. Jerry Jaax (Emmerich), a US Army veterinarian, and her mentor Dr. Wade Carter (Cunningham), she pushes forward to find the truth.

Through Nancy’s perseverance, scientific testing reveals the dire truth of the situation, forcing the Army into action to contain an outbreak. The series also flashes back to the late 1970s to see how Dr. Carter and Travis Rhodes (D’Arcy) first tracked, studied and attempted to contain Ebola in Africa. But will the lessons they learned help stop this disease from hitting the human population? A dramatic, high-stakes scientific thriller with a courageous and determined heroine at its core, THE HOT ZONE brings true science and human drama together for a gripping tale that still resonates today.

“After premiering in May this year, The Hot Zone has become National Geographic’s best ever scripted series for the U.S. We cannot wait to broadcast this much-awaited drama series in Africa, especially seeing the show was partly shot in Durban and features local talent, Warren Masemola, Bohang Moeko and Sive Mabuya in moving cameo roles. This show is guaranteed to be a riveting watch” said Evert van der Veer for Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa.

EPISODES INCLUDE:

ARRIVAL – 3 JULY AT 21:00

Lt. Col. Nancy Jaax is a wife and mother of two, with one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Every day, she dons layers of protective gear and enters the Biosafety Level 4 lab at USAMRIID, where she handles the world’s deadliest viruses. One day in 1989, upon arriving at work, she tests a sample and fears it may be in the deadliest category of viruses, known as filoviruses.  Even more unnerving is the location it came from — a monkey research facility 30 kilometres from the nation’s capital. When a breach in the lab causes the samples to be lost, it is Jaax’ instincts against the world.

CELL H – 3 JULY AT 22:00

Lt. Col. Nancy Jaax must take matters into her own, capable hands. She convinces an employee at the Hazleton research facility to hand over more samples from the infected monkeys. Back in the USAMRIID lab, she and her overly confident partner, Dr. Peter Jahrling, test the new specimens and come face to face with the virus through their microscope. Jaax is determined to figure out the source of the virus. She brings in her mentor, reclusive Ebola expert Dr. Wade Carter.

CHARLIE FOXTROT – 10 JULY AT 21:00

When representatives from varying agencies disagree on how to handle Nancy Jaax’s discovery, she quickly realises there are few protocols in place for containing a deadly virus on US soil. An employee at the monkey research facility falls ill, causing Jaax to fear the virus has spread to the human population. Travis Rhodes, from the Center for Disease Control, arrives with a different way of handling matters. As Jaax battles the obstacles on the ground, viewers find out Carter and Rhodes were among the first responders to discover Ebola in Africa decades earlier.

EXPENDABLE – 17 JULY AT 21:00

Nancy Jaax begins to lead a team from USAMRIID to prepare for the most dangerous mission any of them have ever faced. With full access to the research facility, the life-threatening stakes cause great concern in the Jaax family home. Her husband, Jerry, searches for a way to protect his wife. Meanwhile, Jaax believes her mentor, Dr. Wade Carter, may have a different agenda. His obsession with exposing the dangers of Ebola is driving him to make questionable decisions. The team of animal care specialists at USAMRIID, led by Jerry, heads out to eradicate the virus at the facility, while more employees are tested for possible exposure.

QUARANTINE – 24 JULY AT 21:00

Inside the primate research facility, unforeseen dangers arise. Nancy Jaax works tirelessly in Biosafety Level 4 to find out why the virus is behaving differently in human victims than expected. With the daunting task of euthanising monkeys, unforeseen dangers arise, and even the strongest of the team are pushed to the brink. The families of the employees are quietly gathered to protect others from possible exposure, and Jaax is forced to make an impossible choice between her family and her duty to her country.

HIDDEN – 31 JULY AT 21:00

An already volatile situation inside the infected research facility boils to a head. With Nancy Jaax stepping up while those around her fall, exhaustion threatens the precision needed to sterilise the threat. Their efforts to contain panic are threatened when the press arrives and neighbours become aware of the danger next door. Jaax is forced to confront her mentor, Dr. Wade Carter, when a situation spills out of the monkey facility and puts people on the outside in danger. Jaax ultimately must face the ramifications of trying to balance her dangerous career and her loving family. Longtime rivals Dr. Carter and Travis Rhodes reach an impasse that could determine how many more people outside the lab have been exposed.

THE HOT ZONE is executive produced by Lynda Obst Production’s Lynda Obst; Scott Free Production’s Ridley Scott; and David Zucker, Kelly Souders, and Brian Peterson. Michael Uppendahl is also an executive producer. Jeff Vintar serves as a co-executive producer. For National Geographic, Carolyn G. Bernstein is executive vice president and head of global scripted development and production. The series is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, Lynda Obst Productions and Scott Free Productions.

We were lucky to see the first episode (thanks to a pre-screening from the NatGeo guys) and we are definitely going to continue watching and you should too, it’s that good.