M-Net Strike Back. The pay channel has the rights for the action-filled British spy drama filmed in South Africa starting its 3rd season soon.

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I can exclusively reveal that M-Net has the broadcasting rights to the action-driven new international drama series Strike Back with Philip Winchester which is being filmed right here in South Africa.

Pre-production is underway, and filming on the third season of this British and American co-production will start soon in Cape Town. Strike Back centres around former British SAS soldiers on action spy missions around the world (it's largely filmed in South African but not set here).

Another confusing of info to save you later confusion: The first season's 6 episodes were only shown in Britain. Then, the second season of Strike Back with 10 episodes was recently shown in America (basically making it America's first season because Sky and Cinemax started to do the show together).

Also: Richard Armitage was the main character of the first season, who pops up at the beginning of the second season, when Philip Winchester largely takes over as the character of Michael Stonebridge (Armitage left the show).

Strike Back tells the story of agents that are a part of Section 20, a secret branch of the British Secret Intelligence Service. Where the first season of Strike Back was largely filed in Johannesburg, the second went big with Cape Town locations. The cast also did a real ''boot camp'' military training in South Africa to prepare them for their roles.

Viewership held up and a third season of Strike Back was just commissioned. M-Net has the rights I'm told. The pay broadcaster doesn't have a specific starting date, although Strike Back should get a broadcast slot in 2012 somewhere on M-Net.