The mysterious disappearance of Carte Blanche's award-winning theme song and the spoiling of Survivor South Africa: Champions are angering viewers wondering why the show did the changes.
Carte Blanche on M-Net has done away with the iconic theme music, no longer intro its stories at the beginning of every broadcast, and tells viewers immediately who just got voted out of Survivor South Africa: Champions.
M-Net, in answer to a media enquiry says "M-Net is renowned for bringing its viewers television content in fresh, exciting ways and has changed the transition from Survivor South Africa to Carte Blanche on a Sunday night by implementing a technique that is currently used successfully by some overseas broadcasters".
"This seamless transition from one show to another usually increases viewership because it gives viewers content from the second programme, from the word go".
"The line-up for the evening's Carte Blanche show is still there, but a little later. We are currently monitoring viewers' response to this transition and, if necessary, we will make adjustments to ensure that M-Net remains to be viewers' number one channel on a Sunday night".
"We have already noted that our viewers are missing the Carte Blanche theme music and it might return in a different guise very soon," says M-Net.
Viewers are irritated that Carte Blanche dropped and no longer tells at the beginning of the Sunday evening programme what the line-up is and what they can expect to see in the hour.
Viewers also say it discourages them from viewing Carte Blanche live, because they will now rather "PVR it and watch it later to just fast forward to inserts you want to watch because you don't know what will be on the show from the beginning".
Viewers are also sad about Carte Blanche dropping the iconic intro theme of Dave Pollecutt which was just redone to celebrate its 25th anniversary in September 2013 with an orchestral rendition by Robert Michael Brinkworth and imaging from Masters and Savant Worldwide.
The refreshed Carte Blanche intro theme - now gone - won a gold for best title sequence design at the PromaxBDA Africa 2013 Awards.
"When you heard Carte Blanche you knew you had to run and sit for event television that everybody in South Africa's watching together. Now there is nothing to tell you the ads are over and Carte Blanche started. There's no music to know the show has started," viewers say.
Survivor South Africa: Champions fans who also watch Carte Blanche on M-Net, are also upset.
They say Carte Blanche spoils Survivor South Africa by appearing to want to be current and then using Survivor South Africa: Champions to say who just got voted out.
Viewers say Carte Blanche spoils it for viewers who record Survivor South Africa: Champions to watch that show later because Survivor South Africa: Champions is a longer, hour and a half show.
"Carte Blanche's motto is the right to see it all - all except their theme song," a viewer told TV with Thinus.
"If you happen to record and watch Carte Blanche or Survivor South Africa: Champions and happen to watch Carte Blanche first, their show totally spoils Survivor South Africa: Champions by telling you who was voted out".
"Why is one M-Net show blatantly damaging another show on the very same channel? It makes no sense and I'm just a viewer and don't even work in television and I can tell you that is wrong and makes no sense" says another.
"Carte Blanche no longer plays their introductory score and they no longer give a preview of stories like they did before. Now the show starts all of a sudden with presenters getting straight into the action".
"Not sure on their reasons for the change but some of us still prefer the way it was. The preview of stories is most important because it determines if one will watch the full programme or main story or certain stories".
"I'm glad I have a PVR else I'd be forced to watch the full programme. I sent a message to the show and didn't get any response. Any chance you can request George Mazarakis [executive producer] to comment and give clarify on the change?" another Carte Blanche viewer told TV with Thinus.
