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The new expansion of M-Net Series from today into the channels trifecta of M-Net Series Showcase (DStv 113), M-Net Series Reality (DStv 114) and M-Net Series Zone (DStv 115) creates a new dynamic in South African television as it broadens the overall available premium landscape.
Besides M-Net (DStv 101) as a high definition (HD) premium, destination-viewing, appointment-television, TV channel showing first-run shows "hot on the heels" of American broadcasting date series, M-Net Series Showcase (DStv 113) now in every way offers the very same channel proposition.
High-def? Check. Premium channel? Check. Destination-viewing, appointment television, "hot on the heels" broadcasting dates close to American airdates? Check, check, check.
So, how will viewers know whether a hot new high-buzz show or series will be on M-Net (DStv 101) first, or whether it will be on M-Net Series Showcase (DStv 113) first?
Does M-Net keep a must-get, must-have show on M-Net (DStv 101) to entrench and continue to symbolise its legacy bluechip status under the now ever-growing plethora of M-Net produced TV channels?
Or does M-Net allocate core quality series to M-Net Series Showcase, thereby slightly diluting the M-Net (DStv 101) channel, but adding cache, lure and ballast to M-Net Series Showcase (DStv 113) to signify and grow the image of its premium status in viewers' and DStv subscribers' minds?
M-Net Series Showcase is launching with a massive menagerie of must-watch, premium television in high definition - an astounding avalanche of breathtaking TV content. Will it remain this way? I asked M-Net whether strong and premium TV shows are going to end up on M-Net Series Showcase exclusively which might previously have been on the M-Net channel.
"Adding to the amazing shows on M-Net 101, the new channels will allow more creative scheduling, that will amplify the way viewers can enjoy their TV series."
So how will a viewer or DStv subscriber be able to judge or guess instantly what would always be an M-Net show in terms of a series, and what would be a M-Net Series Showcase show? "M-Net 101 is where the biggest blockbuster shows can be found," M-Net tells TV with Thinus. "M-Net Series Showcase will complement the M-Net 101 scheduling."
"As viewers have different tastes, their most beloved series will be either on M-Net or M-Net Series Showcase. But having more than one channel allows us to have more top-notch content."
With the new M-Net Series channels template - a subset "grid" similar to the M-Net Movies brand which was commercially launched in October 2012, M-Net is now piping TV series loosely graded on a matrix according to genre, quality and time. Why did M-Net decide to do it?
The pay-TV broadcaster says "the world of television is dynamic and ever-changing and we review and adapt our content strategies continually. Whatever we do, it will always be for the convenience - and needs of - our multitude of audiences".
The M-Net Series template - similar to the M-Net Movies kaleidoscope of channels which already expanded beyond its original channel group launch with the start of the M-Net Movies Zone channel recently - is clearly also expandable. Could there be more M-Net Series channels in the future, possibly grouped around a specific genre or type of series?
"It is too early to predict the future of more M-Net Series channels at this stage," says M-Net, "but the way the channels are structured will make it easy to add more channels, if required."
ALSO READ: Green! Silver! Purple! What the colours of the new M-Net Series channels trifecta really mean and signify.
