M-Net has grabbed the brand-new sitcom The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams which just started in America as part of the new so-called fall TV season, with The Crazy Ones set to start on Thursday 7 November at 18:00 on South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101).
Robin Williams is an advertising and marketing executive with Sarah Michelle Gellar as his daughter.
M-Net's publicity department didn't bother to respond to media enquiries made last week to the pay-TV broadcaster as to whether the fast food giant McDonalds in South Africa might be an advertiser on the channel during the first episode on 7 November on M-Net.
Interestingly, McDonalds features as part of the story line in the first episode of The Crazy Ones where - without being integrated into the episode as part of any advertiser-funded deal or sponsorship, the ad agency Lewis, Roberts & Roberts tries to get Kelly Clarkson to sing the jingle for a McDonalds TV commercial.
If McDonalds in South Africa actually advertised during the first episode - or if another fast food chain such as KFC, Nando's or Spur became the actual sponsor of the sitcom on South African television, it would create and lend an interesting dynamic to the sitcom created by David E. Kelly.
Real life brands are being incorporated into the episodes, starting with McDonalds as a client of the fictitious ad agency to give a sense of realism to The Crazy Ones. There is however no barter agreement, sponsorship or product placement deals and the companies do not get script approval.
