Tuesday, January 4, 2011

BREAKING. M-Net's massive coup: Pay broadcaster scoops up the rights to most of 2011's hottest shows from Terra Nova to Game of Thrones.


You're reading it here first.

I have the first big TV news of the year to break and it's really massive. M-Net will be the broadcaster to watch in 2011 if you want the best new international TV shows. I can reveal that M-Net has signed for the broadcasting rights to almost all of the very best, and most highly buzzed about new shows that will be starting in 2011 and which heralds a great start to M-Net's upcoming 25th birthday later this year.

I can break the news right here that M-Net has acquired the rights to what will be the number one want-to-must-see show of 2011, Steven Spielberg's Terra Nova. The pay broadcaster also snagged the broadcasting rights to almost all of the other best upcoming new shows. M-Net has the rights to the fantasy drama Game of Thrones (going to M-Net Series, DStv 110). The exotic new medical drama from Grey's Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes set in a South American jungle called Off the Map will also debut this year on M-Net Series. The big one however is Terra Nova which will be on the main M-Net channel (DStv 101) about a family time traveling 85 million years back in time to prehistoric Earth and getting stuck there.

One big buzz show M-Net doesn't have yet is Steven Spielberg's other new drama Falling Skies starring Noah Wyle about an alien invasion on modern-day Earth. But keep in mind that M-Net already has both V as well as The Event of last year, series which are both continuing this year and both of which already deal with the same theme. Also, it just means that M-Net hasn't secured Falling Skies yet as it did the broadcasting rights to all of these other shows already so early in the year, but there is still the possibility.

ALSO READ: Compare what M-Net got - and read more about all of these shows - as you look at my comprehensive list of what will be the (h)IT shows for 2011.