BREAKING. Carte Blanche on M-Net goes out on top - the top of the South Point Towers building and Randlords in central Johannesburg that is.

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The longrunning investigative magazine show Carte Blanche (Sundays, M-Net, 19:00) has a storied past but the Combined Artists production on the pay broadcaster literally rose to a whole new level with tonight's episode that for the very first time took place on top of the roof of a high rise building. Carte Blanche was broadcast from the South Point Towers building in central Johannesburg where anchor Derek Watts opened the show at the top of the hour with a magnificent skyline backdrop behind him.

Derek Watts, braving the cold and telling viewers that it's ''cold up here'', did this evening's Carte Blanche from the 22nd floor of the South Point Towers in Braamfontein and the ultra-lux Randlords lounge venue.

The show using two different angles for two different backdrops - first the episode promo and then after the break, the episode intro - saw Derek Watts standing in the upmarket Randlords locale framed against a magnificent sunset skyline, making downtown Johannesburg look terrific. The view and refreshing idea made Carte Blanche seem as if it originated from a dusky grey-tint media metropolis like New York. The plan and its execution was and looked brilliant.

M-Net didn't immediately respond to media enquiries about the remarkable change of scenery for the blue chip production that took the episode to new heights so to speak.
Is this a once-off broadcast, or will it happen regularly on a weekly or monthly basis? Will this be how the show will come to viewers now permanently every week? And if weekly, will Carte Blanche viewers now see the show coming from a different high rise every Sunday? Why did Carte Blanche ''up'' the ante?

ALSO READ: Carte Blanche on its new rooftop broadcast: ''There may be other buildings we make use of in future.''

The Carte Blanche backdrop change and outside broadcast gives new meaning to the TV phrase ''a cold open'' and made for a wonderful surprise and perfect upgrade to the evening's episode. The show's erstwhile slogan, ''the right to see it all'' clearly broadened its interpretation (for one night at least) to literally include the African horizon; suddenly allowing viewers to really see it all - even when it comes to its own backdrop.