BREAKING. Expedition Impossible to become SABC3's brand new major reality show on Mondays; to alternate with Survivor, Amazing Race.

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SABC3 tells TV with Thinus that the broadcaster is positioning and launching the popular new hit American reality series Expedition Impossible with host Dave Salmoni as the channel's new 3rd major reality show tentpole to create a new tripple play reality show franchise on Monday nights together with veteran reality shows Survivor and The Amazing Race.

SABC3 says  Expedition Impossible that will be starting on Monday 14 November at 20:00 for 10 episodes, will henceforth alternate seasons with new seasons of Survivor and The Amazing Race to establish a new tripple reality show benchmark on Monday nights on the channel's schedule.

Expedition Impossible that just finished in America proved a surprise viewership ratings success and SABC3 snapped it up immediately, together with the reality song competition The Voice (news I broke RIGHT HERE exclusively last month).

The show, created by reality raconteur Mark Burnett sees contestants in groups of 3 (a total of 13 teams) race each other in an expedition taking them across several terrains including deserts, mountains, snow and even rapids, making for adventurous, adrenalin-fuelled viewing. Of course the 3 people in a team have to work together while personalities clash. The first season of Expedition Impossible is set in Morocco.

''Mark Burnett is probably the best reality television producer in the world,'' Lefa Afrika, SABC3 programming manager tells TV with Thinus. ''A show like Expedition Impossible could only come from him. SABC3 proudly acquired yet another of his big-budget, high quality productions.''

''SABC3 will place Expedition Impossible alongside the popular American Survivor and The Amazing Race on Monday nights with new seasons of all these shows following each other,'' he says.

''In any case we as SABC3 have to be open about it - we don't have The Amazing Race as a first-run exclusive for our territory in South Africa. Some of our viewers can follow it on another channel or online. Expedition Impossible is another brand-new show that's ours strengthening our core reality shows. And when we show The Amazing Race it still does exceptionally well, which shows that our viewers do wait to watch it on our channel.''

Adds Risuna Mayimele, SABC3 marketing manager: ''Survivor and The Amazing Race have been running and are performing well; we're also now just giving our viewers variety with a new, big, third reality show. Instead of just Survivor, Amazing Race, Survivor, Amazing Race, we're bringing in some more variety. And Expedition Impossible is definitely going to bring new viewers to the channel,'' she says.