Following intense speculation about the identity of M-Net's new reality show, we can now confirm that there is indeed -
as TVSA accurately guessed - going to be a new Big Brother.
But that's not all - explaining
our hesitancy somewhat, M-Net has announced that they will also be launching a new Idols competition, which means that with
the new Survivor South Africa all three top reality shows will be premiering in the same month!
In the past, M-Net rotated these three reality shows year on year, but this time the channel is flighting all three shows in the same year.
Idols will be aired on M-Net and will have a dedicated DStv channel for all the highlights (and of course lowlights), but BB Africa will not be on M-Net - it will air on AfricaMagic and a second DStv channel.
Big Brother Africa 2 will hit the small screen on 5 August;
Survivor: South Africa Malaysia will start on 15 August; and
Idols 4 will follow on 16 August.
"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," said Carl Fischer, Head of M-Net's Original Productions.
"We trust that they will again provide headline-making news, controversy and a huge fan base. 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 thing we do know is that it will be a totally different house to the previous one, as that has been incorporated into M-Net's broadcast facilities (
Deal Or No Deal is currently filmed in the old house).
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 100,000 US dollars.
Entries for Big Brother Africa open today. 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 (i.e. a drunken lout who doesn't mind showing off their whang in the shower on national telly).
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
Idols returns to M-Net for a fourth season with promises of loads of entertainment, talent and new twists. You hear that? They're promising talent. The jury is still out on that one.
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 South Africa
The selection team for Survivor SA: Malaysia are 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.