A new South African reality-type show called MAN's premiering on SABC3 in October. It was supposed to start a month earlier but with all the cricket-blah-blah it's been pushed out by a month.
I've seen a sneak peak of it and grabbed it for us (see video below!) 'cos it's so different I thought you'd enjoy seeing some of it to get a proper idea.
The thing that blows my hair back is that it's the first time in ages that I've seen a fresh South African concept that isn't trying to do anything except be fun and entertaining - and one that doesn't patronise us but rather talks to us as if we're savvy enough to handle some proper heatt.
The scenario of it: four Cape Town guys - everyday/real life guys get together to date in the city to see what happens. Two are straight, one's gay and the other's bisexual.
The 13-episode series follows their adventures as they date - no-one needs to get to married so there's no competition element to it. Rather the show follows them as they give their take on being men, being-
with men and women; and how they see each other.
It also follows the character of Cape Town - according to the show's producer Michael Raimondo Cape Town features as a fifth personality in much the same way New York does in Sex and the City - this sold me on it bigtime 'cos of how I've been whining on about wanting to live in a big New Yorky-type vibe.
Also - my very first impression when I heard the name is that it's a marketing drive sponsored by a man's deodorant or some slappy "masculine" product which put me off - I immediately got wary that it was yet another veiled attempt to rush together a show to sell a product while pretending it isn't
.
BAH!!
It turns out it's not at all though so it comes with a cool
relief warning: there's
no attempt to coerce us into watching an advert instead of a show.
BUT - how's this for interesting - apparently SABC3 were initially concerned about various products that appear in some of the scenes that the guys genuinely use and suggested that these get blurred out so as not to promote them. A debate ensued about how certain products are also cultural and key to who someone is and the result is no blurring will be happening.
Instead we're getting a 100% authentic show that's sincerely for entertainment , which blows my hair back most.
NOT.
The fact that it's all about men and shows their bodies that I love-love-lurrrrrve - helps a
lot. The peak ...
Some viewing interruptions:
- Beware - there's swearing.
- How's their sense of being aware of the cameras while trying not to be and almost acting - notice how it varies from scene to scene - very real I thought.
- The casting: the producers put out a call for four regular guys and chose these four because of their different experiences (and tight butts obviously).
- Apparently the show's cost a lot to make so it does actually need a sponsor - the price of freedom always sucks! My solution: a headline sponsor for it aka like Survivor and Idols do.
- My best is the one dude who talks with a slight American accent, which gets "worse" when he's on a date.
It's going to be on on Friday nights - as yet there's no premiere date - I'll keep you scooped when I hear more. Still deciding which one of the four I want to organise on speed-dial to get the "Oh hi, hahaha, you're my man-mole, I need ... the goss".