M-Net is going dancing and is getting ready
to cha-cha Dancing with the Stars SA
to television.
M-Net has picked up and taken over the floor
reality format show Strictly Come Dancing
SA that was on SABC3 and will be relaunching it in early 2018 under the
American title, Dancing with the Stars SA.
DStv Media Sales is now looking for
advertisers and sponsors to come aboard Dancing
with the Stars SA, set for a 2018 debut on the pay-TV broadcaster, as the
latest longtime show that has been associated with the public broadcaster that
is moving over to pay-television in South Africa.
The 8th season of Strictly Come Dancing SA concluded in 2015 with SABC3 that didn't
pick up further seasons the past two years.
In response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus after spotting a public advert looking for sponsors for the show, M-Net says
the pay-TV broadcaster "is currently
in the process of contracting a number of exciting new local productions for
2018".
"We are very excited to confirm that the hit BBC Worldwide format Dancing with the Stars is indeed one of
the series that we will be producing in the new year."
"For now, we are unable to provide any more information around
this global format, but we will be making further announcements over the course
of the next few weeks."
M-Net is deliberately rebranding Strictly – the format's British title –
and will relaunch the show under the American moniker in order to break the
viewer brand name association with SABC3.
While further seasons of the British version,
Strictly Come Dancing UK, has been
moved and since mid-October will now be unspooling on BBC Worldwide Africa’s
BBC Brit (DStv 120) in South Africa and across the continent, the premise of
programme of the locally-produced format show will remain exactly the same.
Sequined South African celebrities will be
dancing with experienced partners as an in-studio audience looks on, as the
well-heeled all vy weekly for the glittering mirror ball trophy in spectacled dance
drama that's broadcast live, while viewers at home get to vote.
It's not clear whether Rapid Blue productions
as the local format rights holder that was responsible for multiple seasons of Strictly Come Dancing SA on SABC3 will
be producing Dancing for M-Net, but
the pay-TV broadcaster wants the show to up the production values, wow-factor
and the dance drama.
It will for instance be the first time that
South African viewers will be able to see the dancing celebrities and their
ballroom outfits in Strictly, now Dancing, in high definition (HD) for
instance – something that's not possible on the SABC’s still analogue-run TV
channels.
As far as the on-screen talent and
contestants are concerned, M-Net will also ditch the SABC personalities and
presenters that’s been a mainstain of the show on SABC3.
M-Net will repopulate the glitter floor
franchise with new presenters and a menagerie of M-Net stars who are associated
with the range of M-Net packaged TV channels across MultiChoice's DStv
satellite pay-TV platform.
