Triple reality show whammy
M-Net recently announced that it will be producing its own versions of the world’s three top reality TV blockbusters this year - Survivor, Idols and Big Brother – with all three to start flighting in August 2007. In the past, M-Net rotated these shows year on year.
Big Brother Africa 2 will hit the small screen on 5 August; Survivor: South Africa Malaysia will start on 15 August; and the high notes of Idols 4 will follow on 16 August.
According to Carl Fischer, head of M-Net’s Original Productions, this shows how M-Net still believes in the power of unscripted entertainment. “All three of these shows have been major rating successes for M-Net in the past and we’re bringing them back by popular demand. We trust that they will again provide headline-making news, controversy and a huge fan base,” he says.
“By scheduling them in such close proximity, our subscribers will be treated to an unprecedented reality show feast. There’s always room for improvement, though, and to keep it fresh and exciting for viewers, there will be some tweaks to each of the shows.”
Big Brother Africa 2
The Big Brother Africa 2 housemates will occupy a new Big Brother house, situated somewhere in South Africa. “The exact location and details of the house remain a secret for now,” says Fischer.
One of the 12 housemates will be a South African citizen. To find the other contestants, Big Brother will cast its eye over Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The person who manages to stay in the house for the longest will walk off with US$ 100 000.
Entries for Big Brother Africa opened on Monday, 16 April. Entry forms are available online at www.mnet.co.za or at the Multichoice offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
The selection committee will be looking for a South African Big Brother Africa 2 contestant who is fun-loving, creative, original, articulate and opinionated. The closing date for entries is 2 May 2007.
Big Brother Africa 2 will be screened 24/7 on a dedicated DStv channel and the four daily highlight shows (Tuesday to Friday) and weekly nomination and eviction show will be on M-Net’s AfricaMagic channel, also on DStv.
Idols 4
The massively popular Idols phenomenon returns to M-Net for a fourth season with promises of loads of entertainment, super talent and new twists.
This year, there will be no entry forms to fill out in order to enter for the competition. Hopefuls can simply turn up at an audition venue and sing their way to fame and fortune. An added bonus is that the Idols team will not only visit major cities in the search for talent, but will also look for that one exceptional voice in the rural areas of South Africa.
Auditions for Idols 4 will commence in June and the audition dates and venues will be announced soon.
According to Fischer, Idols has always been a sure-fire hit for M-Net. “This reality format is incredibly successful all over the world and during the past year viewers have begged us to bring back a local version. We are also excited about the improved audition process that will allow even more South Africans to become part of Idols. We will visit big cities as well as smaller towns to find South Africa’s new Idol.”
Idols 4 will be screened on M-Net on Thursday and Friday nights and, as in the past, there will also be a dedicated channel on DStv.
Survivor SA: Malaysia
The selection team for Survivor SA: Malaysia is currently interviewing possible contestants and between 23 and 30 April the South African public will be selecting their own contestant. Filming of Survivor SA: Malaysia commences in mid-May and the series will be on air from mid August.
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