South African TV viewers can definitely prepare to see the new Kiefer Sutherland science fiction drama Touch at the same time as in America and viewers across the world, when the new drama series starts around late March 2012.
Because of the themes of interconnectedness, and global interconnectedness in the story, Fox International Channels (FIC) plans to roll-out Touch at the same time worldwide from late March/early April.
My bet would be that the new show will be on TopTV's Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) or Fox FX (TopTV 110), unless M-Net gets it like the new upcoming new scary drama American Horror Story. Whatever TV channel it's on, be sure that deals will include that South African viewers will have to see it immediately.
The 13 episode Touch is about a man (Kiefer Sutherland) whose son never speaks, but sees the world through mathematical formulae. Then he discovers that his son may have the power to see the future. The mute 11 year old son possess the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.
At Mipcom Tim Kring who did Heroes and is the series creator for Touch, said that Touch borrows some elements from Heroes, in that this new drama will tell stories with an ''international scope through characters around the world who are interconnected in various ways.''
''We talked a lot about interconnectivity in Heroes. This takes that theme and really crystallises it. It’s the emerging story of our time: we are more connected than we ever dreamed, both biologically and spiritually.''
Kiefer Sutherland, in the panel discussion of an hour which I just finished watching, says ''Touch - something that we really want to do, and that we're really excited about is trying to release this show globally at the same time. It might not all be on the exact same day - but at least close enough so that audience members have an area to congregate to. So that someone in Africa, or someone in Australia can be talking to someone in Europe. That to me is an unbelievably exciting opportunity.''
TV wth Thinus asked Fox International Channels for Africa yesterday about Touch and what the plans are for this show for South Africa. By a day later there's been no response.
