BBC Studios Africa unveils its Summer 2022 slate: Come Dine with Me SA, Prince William conservation series and Frozen Planet II in early-2023.

by Thinus Ferreira

BBC Studios Africa unveiled its upcoming Summer 2022 content slate of its BBC TV channels in South Africa to advertisers, with a new season of Come Dine with Me South Africa starting on 12 October on BBC Lifestyle, a conservation series fronted by Prince William starting in November, and the second season of Frozen Planet making its debut on BBC Earth in February 2023.

ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. The BBC Studios Africa Summer 2022 upfront in 37 photos and 9 videos and channel sizzle reels.

Pierre Cloete, commercial director for BBC Studios Africa, noted that BBC Studios Africa's collection of linear TV channels on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV service has now passed 2 million viewers weekly.

"Currently we're sitting at around 2 million unique viewers per week who watch our channels so that's quite a big feat for us to hit that 2 million mark. Since 2019 we've seen growth year-on-year and this is across our five channels of BBC Brit, BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies and BBC World News."

BBC BRIT (DStv 120)

The Weakest Link UK (season 1)

A reboot of The Weakest Link starts on BBC Brit on Wednesday 21 September at 20:00 for a 10-episode season with new host Romesh Ranganathan. Nine contestants will work together to answer questions and bank as much money as possible as players are voted out at the end of each round.

Strictly Come Dancing UK (season 20)

The shiny floor dance competition show is back from Saturday 25 September at 19:00 for 25 episodes, with the South African dancers Johannes Radebe and Cameron Lombard once again part of the contestant pairs strutting their stuff on the dance floor.

Dragon's Den (season 19)

A new set of eager entrepreneurs will be showing up in the 19th season from Thursday 6 October at 20:00 for 14 episodes,, hoping to strike a life-changing deal, as they pitch their business ideas to five multimillionaires. The Dragons - Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman and Sara Davies are joined by Steven Bartlett, the youngest ever Dragon, a 29-year-old entrepreneur and podcast host.

Pointless (season 25)

A new 55-episode season of Pointless will debut on BBC Brit in November when the brainy quiz returns for season 22 and contestants trying to score as few points as possible by plumbing the depths of their general knowledge to come up with the answers no one else could think of. Presented by Alexander Armstrong and co-host Richard Osman.

Mrs Browns' Boys Christmas special

Three episodes in December. It's Christmas in Finglas, and Mrs Brown is coping with life after lockdown. As she gets news of a very special competition, Grandad, Winnie and Father Damien come to her for help.

Father Brown (season 10)

A new 10-episode, 10th season of this crime drama series coming in January 2023. Set in the 1950s in the heart of the beautiful English countryside, Father Brown, the Catholic priest who also happens to have a particular talent for solving crimes, is back in this adaptation of GK Chesterton's novels.

QI (season 21)

There will be 14 new episodes in January 2023 of this British quiz show with more celebrity guests and more weird and wonderful general knowledge. Sandi Toksvig returns as host.

BBC LIFESTYLE (DStv 174)

Come Dine with Me South Africa (season 8)

The 8th season of Come Dine with Me SA, produced by Rapid Blue, will have 12 episodes, once again featuring voiceover legend Dave Lamb. Four strangers per episode, from across South Africa, once again each get a chance to entertain each other, and then scoring it with snark from Wednesday 12 October at 20:00.

Great Pottery Throw Down (season 5)

The search for Britain's best home potter continues with a new season of 10 episodes, starting on Monday 17 October at 20:00. Over 35 gruelling days and 18 different challenges, the potters must make earthenware kitchen bowls, ornate but functional chandeliers and super-sized garden sculptures, among many other household objects.

Nadiya's Fast Flavours

A new series with 6 episodes starting in January 2023 in which Nadiya Hussain inspires viewers to bring the fun back into everyday meals with easy and delicious recipes.

Jamie and Jimmy's Food Fight Club (season 9)

In January 2023 celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is back together with Jimmy Doherty for 8 episodes to whip up easy recipes and to have hilarious conversations with celebrity guests. As well as candid chats and cooking at their cafe on the pier in Southend, they travel around defending great British ingredients and putting them to work in good-humoured battles with prized local delicacies around Europe.

Bake-Off  -The Professionals (season 5)

In January 2023 viewers can watch the 5th season with 10 episodes, as 12 teams from across Britain compete to craft exquisite entremets, delicious desserts and spectacular showpieces in a bid to impress world-renowned judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden.

BBC EARTH (DStv 184)

Dynasties (season 2)

A second season of Dynasties will start on BBC Earth on Sunday 2 October at 16:15 for 6 episodes. This series immerses viewers in every gentle moment, poignant event and heart-wrenching betrayal as animals strive to create dynasties fit to rule for generations. 

A cheetah must prepare her daughters to survive alone. An inexperienced elephant unites her herd facing their greatest challenge – twins. High in the mountains a puma and her cubs face a battle for survival. Family rivalries cause chaos within a clan of hyenas. New alliances must form to care for the young of a troupe of macaques. Will a gang of meerkats survive the drought and rebuild their shattered dynasty?

The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet

On Sunday 13 November this new series of 5 episodes starts and is focused around the Earthshot initiative to save the planet. Facing up to the urgent need to fix our climate, restore nature and build a waste-free world can feel overwhelming. This pioneering series, fronted by Prince William and his team of high-profile champions, explores these simple but ambitious Earthshots – five goals crucial to the survival of our precious planet, and to life itself.

Inside the Factory (season 7)

A seventh season of this engineering series will come to BBC Earth in 2023 with 9 new episodes. Gregg Wallace takes his love of food back to the source - the factories that feed us - to find out how some of our favourite foods get made. Stepping into a different factory each episode, he uncovers the amazing processes behind the production of bread, dairy and confectionery.

Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild (season 3)

In January 2023 adventurer Ben Fogle revisits people around the world who turned their backs on the rat race to set up homes in some of Earth's most remote locations in 9 new episodes. Ben returns to Norway to meet the woman living on a remote island. He revisits the owner of a guest house located deep in the Sahara. And he goes to Wales to find out how a family who built their own eco home are coping. Ben discovers what's changed for these compelling characters as he learns about the challenges they’ve faced since he first spent time with them. Is life in the wild still their ultimate dream?

Life Below Zero (season 10)

There are 19 new episodes in the 10th season of this eye-opening series that follows the drama and hardships experienced by four Alaskan households in different corners of this merciless territory, as they battle to make it through a long, dark, freezing winter. Life is all about survival in the face of unrelenting weather, scarce resources and man-eating carnivores.

Frozen Planet (season 2)

There will be 6 episodes in the second season of this groundbreaking natural history series exploring the north and south poles - covering everything from wolves hunting huge bison across vast snowy plains to killer whales using cunning techniques to stalk their prey.

CBEEBIES (DStv 306)

Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service (season 2)

There are 26 new episodes in the second season, starting 3 October at 17:40. Everyone's favourite postie is back with an even more challenging set of deliveries. Whatever the people of Greendale and Pencaster need, Postman Pat comes to the rescue. Racing ducks, cowboys, a big ukelele band, bagpipes, geckos and digeridoos are all part of the fun in this new season.

Noddy: Toyland Detectives (season 2)

Noddy continues his detective adventures in 55 new episodes from Monday 3 October at 18:20 as he and his friends set out to solve mysteries in Toyland. 

Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest (season 1)

Wildlife expert Ranger Hamza takes his young Ramblers on a journey from cities to the countryside to discover conservation in all its forms in this new show, starting Monday 17 October at 10:45 for 20 episodes. Using his extensive knowledge of UK wildlife, conservation expert Ranger Hamza and his team of young Ramblers search for new Eco Heroes to discover the important part they play in conservation and sustainability.

Shaun the Sheep (season 2)

There are 40 episodes, starting in November, of the world's favourite award-winning sheep, Shaun, and his hilarious farmyard antics, together with the Farmer and the long-suffering sheepdog Bitzer.

JoJo & Gran Gran (season 2)

The heartwarming animated series has 10 new episodes, celebrating the special relationship between an inquisitive girl and her vibrant grandmother is back. JoJo adores spending time with her energetic Gran Gran, who is always ready with a "Gran Gran Plan" when JoJo comes to visit. Gran Gran moved to the UK from Saint Lucia when she was a young girl and the culture of Saint Lucia is woven across the show.

Swashbuckle (season 8)

The Swashbucklers are back for 26 new episodes from December in this adventure gameshow as they help Gem win back stolen treasure from naughty pirates. Set in a shipwreck, the swashbucklers are a team of six and seven-year-old pirates who undertake a number of large physical team games to win jewels.

Hey Duggee (season 4)

Ten further episodes from December in which the big lovable dog Duggee and the little Squirrels have fun earning achievement badges. The Squirrels each have their own distinctive personalities, but they all love playing, learning and making friends together.

ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. The BBC Studios Africa Summer 2022 upfront in 37 photos and 9 videos and channel sizzle reels.

The four South African personalities revealed who will be taking part in Come Dine with Me South Africa's 5th season special episode on BBC Brit in March.

The 5th season of Come Dine with Me South Africa on BBC Brit (Dstv 120) will start on Monday 11 March at 20:00 with an episode featuring local South African personalities Candice Modiselle, Lucky Du Plessis, Christall Kay and Gert-Johan Coetzee.

The four will compete, similar to viewers in the rest of the episodes to win money for their chosen charities.

The new season of Come Dine with Me SA has a further 12 episodes filmed in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

Production company Rapid Blue produces the ITV Studios Global Entertainment format for BBC Studios, with the South African version that also features the voice-over narration of Dave Lamb.

Actress and presenter Candice Modiselle says "Come Dine with Me SA was arguably one of the most challenging but rewarding experiences. I've always been a fan of the show and was humbled to be invited".

The Real Housewives of Johannesburg reality star Christall Kay says "I had a really good time at everyone's evenings and am confident that people will be impressed with my night in particular as I eat out a lot and know what makes a good dinner party".

Fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee says "I planned my evening to perfection and can't wait to see what people think of my couture evening as it was, in my opinion, cooked and styled to perfection and all in aid of a good cause".

Radio DJ Lucky Du Plessis says "It was a fantastic 4 days taking part and it was a good laugh meeting my fellow dinner party contestants. Now I just can't wait to see what everyone thinks of the episode".

BBC Worldwide Africa switches Come Dine with Me South Africa from BBC Lifestyle to the BBC Brit channel on DStv; 4th season will start on 15 February with more colourful and diverse contestants.

The 4th season of the beloved Come Dine With Me South Africa series is switching channels from BBC Lifestyle to BBC Brit (DStv 120) and will start on Thursday 15 February at 20:00 with the revived show that will once again include voice-over narration done by Dave Lamb.

The 4th season of the show will start on BBC Brit exactly a year after the SABC awkwardly announced that it had picked up the food competition series for a 4th season on SABC3 - just to then be forced to backtrack after already airing promos and announcing that it will no longer be producing the show.

The out-of-cash SABC failed to sign the necessary contracts for the ITV Studios format produced show.

BBC Worldwide Africa and the South African production company Rapid Blue that is the format rights holder, then agreed to bring the show back for viewers of the BBC's entertainment fare in South Africa and across Africa.

BBC Worldwide Africa has been reluctant to bring Come Dine with Me SA back for a 4th season although TV critics loved it and viewers have been clamouring for more local episodes of the show.

In each episode ordinary South Africans take turns to host each other in dinner parties at their homes. They then rate each other's food, presentation and hosting abilities.

There's a 5 year gap between the 3rd season of Come Dine With Me SA and the upcoming 4th season that will have episodes filmed in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

The new season of Come Dine With Me SA will also see the show switch channels. The previous three seasons were all broadcast on BBC Lifestyle where seasons of shows like The Great South African Bake Off were also shown.

Early in 2017 BBC Worldwide announced that Come Dine With Me SA would return to BBC Lifestyle in early 2018, but now Come Dine With Me South Africa is switching to BBC Brit.

BBC Worldwide Africa didn't specify why Come Dine With Me SA is switching to BBC Brit and why it will no longer be on BBC Lifestyle.

"We are thrilled to be able to announce the return date of Come Dine With Me South Africa for a 4th series," says Joel Churcher, general manager and vice president of BBC Worldwide Africa.

"Since announcing its return, viewers have blown us away with their excitement at seeing a new line-up of the country's best and worst dinner hosts step into the kitchen."

"I have seen a sneak peek of episode one and am confident that the new contestants will find their ways into the hearts of our viewers with the new episodes, promising even more iconic moments and catchphrases".

The first episode of the 4th season of Come Dine With Me South Africa is set in Pretoria with pole dancer Carmi van Heerden, the hyper-critical Philipine Modimogale, the amateur-dramatic Ian Perryman and the chatty Nonhlanhla Ntwasa.

"After all these years of producing international formats for a South African audience, I'm still constantly amazed at all the colourful and diverse personalities that our amazing country has to offer," says Kee-Leen Irvine, Rapid Blue executive producer. 

"This season of Come Dine With Me South Africa once again bring the proof to the pudding.”

AWKWARD. SABC loses the revived Come Dine with me South Africa on SABC3 after Rapid Blue withdraws the offer to make a 4th local season for the SABC.

The slush bucket filled with unending awful at the SABC continues:

After the SABC announced that it will be taking over and doing a new season of Come Dine with Me South Africa, the embattled South African public broadcaster on Tuesday afternoon was suddenly forced to issued a terse statement saying it won't anymore - and that the show has been taken away from it.

Sources told TVwithThinus on Tuesday evening that it's fully the SABC's own fault and that the public broadcaster lost the opportunity due to failure and "non-delivery of the contract".

TVwithThinus reported two weeks ago that Come Dine with Me SA would be back for a fourth season, and this time revived on SABC3.

The format rights holder, the production company Rapid Blue, who made the previous three seasons, was ready and willing to do a version for SABC3.

It was a win-win-win-win: the production company got to make another season, ITV Studios got a new localised season of its show in a country where viewers are desperate to see more of it, SABC3 got a great quality show to improve its schedule, and viewers got to participate in a show that ended prematurely and has a lot of life and ratings potential left to it.

The SABC has been running on-air promos on SABC3 for two weeks already, asking viewers living in Gauteng in and around Johannesburg to enter Come Dine With Me SA.

The SABC said Come Dine with Me SA would start in July on SABC3 and would be broadcast for 13 weeks - only it's not.

Now it's hella-awkward for the SABC - once again looking amateurish and as if the public broadcaster doesn't know how television works, how to professionally go about it and how to properly do local commissioning deals.

It's not clear why the SABC would promote a show - a local version of the ITV Studios format - and then suddenly two weeks later not have it and why the SABC would announce a show if at the time it didn't have a signed contract.

The awkward public backtracking makes the SABC look like a cat whose milk has turned sour.

Rapid Blue - who previously did Come Dine with Me South Africa for BBC Worldwide's BBC Lifestyle channel on MultiChoice's DStv - took the show away from the SABC just two weeks after the public broadcaster announced it.

The SABC says Rapid Blue has withdrawn its offer to make the show.

The SABC in a statement says "The SABC has been in negotiations with the rights holder, production house Rapid Blue, to showcase Come Dine With Me South Africa. However the Corporation was informed by the production company that they have subsequently withdrawn their offer for us to produce the show."

"The SABC would like to apologise to all South Africans who adhered to the call to action in anticipation that we would be producing the show."

"The SABC strives to have the best local television formats and will continue to pursue bringing you the best of local premium content. Further announcements of the show's replacement will follow."

Rapid Blue in a statement says "Although we will not be moving ahead with SABC3 on this occasions, we remain committed to the Come Dine with Me format and are exploring how best to bring a new series of the show to South African viewers".

The news at the beginning of February that SABC3 would be taking over Come Dine with Me South Africa was met with positive reaction, with South African TV industry insiders welcoming the move and saying that it possibly signaled the start of a turn-around for the ratings-starved and content-struggling SABC3.

Come Dine with Me SA that got glowing reviews during its three seasons on BBC Lifestyle was seen as the start of a commitment by SABC3 to return to quality programming and to steer away from terrible shows like Divas of Jozi, Top Chef South Africa and Arthur Mafokate's awful A Date with Arthur (filmed in his real-life living room) none of which got ratings or acclaim.

BREAKING. Come Dine with Me South African taken over and picked up for a 4th season by SABC3; now looking for dining contestants.

SABC3 has picked up Come Dine With Me South Africa with Rapid Blue that will now produce a new local 4th season for the South African public broadcaster.

The new season for Come Dine with Me SA comes after BBC Worldwide Africa dropped the local series in 2013 after just three well-received seasons.

Despite big buzz, ratings and viewership love when local seasons of the format show were broadcast on BBC Entertainment, BBC Worldwide opted out of doing more of the dining competition series three years ago.

The show in which ordinary South Africans take turns to host a dinner party in their homes and in turn judge each other, still has a lot of life left and now SABC3 decided to pick up the show.

Come Dine with Me SA signals a serious intent by SABC3 to revamp its lackluster and flat 2016 local content offering that saw the channel's viewership nosedive with badly produced shows like Top Chef SA, Divas of Jozi and others that were shunned by viewers and failed to garner ratings.

SABC3 hopes that Come Dine with Me SA and other higher quality local fare will help to jumpstart a ratings turn-around for the public broadcaster's embattled and only commercial TV channel.

South Africans who live in Gauteng can now enter for the new 4th season. The show is looking for people who think they are a whizz in the kitchen, love entertaining, and have the ability to perform under pressure.

Auditions for SABC3's Come Dine With Me SA will take place between March and May, and episodes will be recorded between April and August. Entries for the show are closing on 26 February and people who want more information can email comedine@rapidblue.com

People need to be older than 18, must live in or around Johannesburg in Gauteng and mustn't be regarded as a professional chef.

Find the entry form here: bit.ly/2jzSm1W

BREAKING. Come Dine with Me South Africa cancelled after three seasons; BBC Worldwide looking for a new format show to adapt for SA.

The well-received, well-liked and highly successful Come Dine With Me South Africa on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) has been cancelled and will not see another season.

BBC Worldwide says the format show will not see more local versions for South Africa, although BBC Worldwide is looking for a new format show to adapt for South African viewers.

Come Dine With Me SA won't see a 4th season being produced in South Africa, but BBC Worldwide says it will make a new locally produced format show for South Africa.

The first two seasons of the snarkily delicious show were well-liked, although viewers started complaining about over-commercialisation of the third season with sponsors and ads which became too intrusive in the viewing experience.

Rapid Blue produced the three seasons of Come Dine With Me South Africa, with the format belonging to ITV Studios, with exceptionally high production values which delighted viewers and South African TV critics alike.

"Come Dine With Me South Africa was a huge hit for BBC Entertainment and we are very proud of the series," says Joel Churcher, the vice president and general manager Africa for BBC Worldwide.

"We feel the time is right to take this experience and seek new opportunities for a fresh, innovative local format for audiences to enjoy. We are committed to investing in the very best quality programming for our channels and are actively looking at all opportunities," says Joel Churcher.

Come Dine With Me South Africa on BBC Entertainment: Once great, now bad, due to irritating, intrusive on-screen crawl ads spoiling it all.

What used to be so great is now utterly awful with the quality viewing experience of Come Dine With Me South Africa on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) totally debased and crassly commercialised with irritating, intrusive and terrible on-screen crawl ads spoiling the watching.

Where the previous seasons of Come Dine with Me South Africa, the hit ITV Studios format produced by Rapid Blue for BBC Worldwide's BBC Entertainment on DStv, had classy restraint with in-show product placement which was at least functional and not overdone, it has now gone overboard and is spoiling it for viewers.

The latest third season of Come Dine with Me South Africa is now so commercially pandering by even adding stripped ads which completely detracts from the show, that is comes across as if BBC Worldwide and everyone else smelled money and is now just in it to mine the TV property at the expense of who really should matter: the ordinary viewer forced to watch this over commercialised show.

When you go to a classy restaurant, are there stripped adds all across the menu? Are you being confronted to look at brands on your wine glass and stickers on your knives and forks like Ariel washing powder trashing and trashing around just to get noticed irrespective of the impact and the detracting experience it has on your dining evening?

Why them is BBC Entertainment and Come Dine With Me South Africa filling the screen of the local third version with even more crass marketing trash this time around? It's so unbecoming of what used to be a good show. It lowbrows what used to be higher brow.

Do the people who book, excitedly decide, and then give money and get money for these things actually sit down and watch the total end product and how it's trashed up? You expect this hard-selling approach from something like a Tropika Island of Treasure Paradise we-will-run-a-show-with-a-dead-contestant and SABC1. Not from Come Dine With Me South Africa and the BBC.

Go mar your kid's kindergarden picture, your wedding photo, your car's windscreen or your own dining room table with garish banners and stickers and labels and see if you like it. Of course nobody will do that, yet somehow television and the viewing experience offered to pay-TV subscribers are seen as ripe territory to stuff down intrusive ads.

Why yet another local produced South African TV show must be made to look like an infomercial on-screen with pandering brands hoping to get noticed (and then ironically be rejected by viewers precisely because of that) is not clear. Why can't commercials be kept where they're supposed to be ... in the ad breaks between shows?

Come Dine with Me South Africa on BBC Entertainment on DStv renewed for a 3rd season now visiting Port Elizabeth as well.

Yesterday I got word that there will be a third season of Come Dine with Me South Africa with sources which told me that a contract has been signed for a third series of the ITV Studios format show with a South African flavour - now today comes the official announcement that it is indeed the case.

Rapid Blue will once again be producing (which interestingly last month send me an invite to what I assume is/was the South African production company's 20th anniversary or birthday, just to get no answer after I asked are they aware that I'm based in Cape Town.)

Anyway, a third season of Come Dine with Me South Africa has now been commissioned in a deal with ITV Studios Global Entertainment for BBC Worldwide and will be broadcast on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) on MultiChoice's DStv platform from September.

The deal for the third series was brokered by Andre Renaud, the senior sales executive, EMEA South & East for ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Sabrina McNally, acquisitions manager for BBC Worldwide.

Come Dine with Me South Africa will now also include a visit to Port Elizabeth as well as the usual South African cities of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. South Africans who want to host a dinner party and want to be judged by attendees and in turn attend their with an overall score deciding a winner, can apply until 22 May.

Tracy Forsyth, the vice president for commissioning for BBC Worldwide will be the executive producer for BBC Worldwide. "Filmed in Port Elizabeth for the first time, alongside Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, we hope to make moments of compelling, unmissable television," says Tracy Forsyth.

"I can't wait to see what the next series brings," says Ian McDonough, the executive vice-president for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for BBC Worldwide in a statement announcing the new season.

"Come Dine with Me is a format that has become a returning staple of broadcasters' schedules, with versions now produced in 36 international territories," says Jennifer Ebell, the vice president SE EMEA at ITV Studios Global Entertainment in the statement.

Programming note: Second series of Come Dine With Me South Africa on BBC Entertainment again pushing a celebrity episode.

Although it was the least liked of all the first season's episodes, BBC Worldwide Channels, production company Rapid Blue, and BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) is once again including a celebrity filled episode as part of the second season of Come Dine With Me South Africa for the 7th episode in the second series.

The four South Africans with a lower fame quotient than the first series quatro dinner guests, include Big Brother Africa All Stars contestant Lerato Sengadi, radio DJ's Harry Sideropoulos and Koula and the only current TV face out of the four, the hilarious comedian David Kibuuka from Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on eNCA and e.tv.

The 7th "celebrity: episode of the second series of Come Dine With Me South Africa will be broadcast on BBC Entertainment on Monday 5 November at 20:00.

The second series of Come Dine With Me South Africa is once again helping to lift the viewership of BBC Entertainment; the second and third episodes of the well-produced show performed even better than the already great first new episode of the second series. The third episode of the second season pulled 125 000 viewers for BBC Entertainment, the show's biggest viewership yet.

"We are really pleased that the Come Dine With Me South Africa celebrity special is back with these fantastic contestants," says Tracy Forsyth, the vice president for commissioning at BBC Worldwide Channels and executive producer, said in a press statement.


ALSO READ: BBC Summer Showcase 2013: Complete channels' coverage.
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BREAKING. The second series of Come Dine with Me South Africa on BBC Entertainment is again an instant viewership hit on DStv.

You're reading it here first. 

The ascendant BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) TV channel has even more reason to smile: the second season of Come Dine with Me South Africa which started on Monday night for a new 13 episodes is again a viewership success story.

From Downton Abbey to Come Dine with Me South Africa and The Only Way is Essex , BBC Entertainment since the latter part of 2011 has suddenly become that most rarest of TV channels: one that can proudly boast a sterling line-up of highbrow, high quality TV shows - but shows also getting ratings.

Flushed with productions that's both quality and viewership hits, the second series of Come Dine with Me South Africa is instantly delivering for the channel and BBC Worldwide Channels.

The second series of Come Dine with Me South Africa, an ITV format for BBC Worldwide Channels and produced by Rapid Blue, started on Monday night at 20:00. It immediately lifted BBC Entertainment's viewership in the timeslot with 64% on DStv compared to the previous two month's average.

The debut episode of the second series of Come Dine with Me South Africa Monday night pulled 160 000 viewers on DStv, doubling the audience share for DStv viewers between 16 and 50 compared to the previous three months.

Come Dine with Me South Africa is the very first - and highly successful - originally produced TV show from BBC Worldwide Channels in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Not only did viewers love it, making BBC Entertainment the number one international TV channel on DStv in its timeslot during its run, but TV critics could find no fault at all.

BBC Worldwide Channels says the show is an example of the way in which BBC Worldwide Channels is committed to commissioning original programming targeting local TV markets as well as a gloval audience.

Come Dine with Me South Africa is the very first - and highly successful - originally produced TV show from BBC Worldwide Channels in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Not only did viewers love it, making BBC Entertainment the number one international TV channel on DStv in its timeslot during its run, but TV critics could find no fault at all.

"Given the fantastic response to the first series we knew that it was going to be a hard act to follow, but we had faith in our production and the hugely entertaining contestants that have come forward to compete for the title of South Africa's ultimate dinner party host," says Ian McDonough, the senior vice president and general manager for the EMEA region for BBC Worldwide Channels.

Programming note: Second season of Come Dine with Me South Africa to start on BBC Entertainment on 24 September at 20:00.

The second season of Come Dine with Me South Africa will start on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) on Monday 24 September at 20:00.

The second season of Come Dine with Me SA was again produced by Rapid Blue for BBC Worldwide Channels.

"We are delighted that Come Dine with Me South Africa is returning to BBC Entertainment for another series," says Carolyn Gibson, the senior vice president for international sales for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and US region.

"Building on the runaway success of of series one, we're committed to bringing yet another top quality and entertaining localised production to our South African viewers."

BREAKING. Huge viewership for Come Dine with Me South Africa lifts BBC Entertainment to the number one international channel in the timeslot.

You're reading it here first.

Come Dine With Me South Africa, the first original TV production commissioned by BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) for South Africa which just finished its first season and is now being repeated on BBC Lifestyle, has been a viewership and critical success, averaging 100 000 viewers per episode.

The viewership for Come Dine with Me South Africa has made BBC Entertainment the number one international channel for DStv viewers during the 21:00 to 22:00 timeslot over the course of the enitre first season's 10 episodes that boasted great production values and entertaining contestants.

The first episode of the show, a local version of ITV Studios' hit format and produced by South Africa's Rapid Blue, increased BBC Entertainment's timeslot share by a whopping 172% compared to the average viewership in the timeslot in the preceding 12 weeks.

''I am thrilled that Come Dine With Me South Africa has been a huge hit with enormous positive buzz around it,'' says Jon Farrar, the vice president for the EMEA region for BBC Worldwide Channels and executive producer of Come Dine with Me South Africa. ''I've learned that South Africans really know how to hold the most entertaining dinner parties in the world, and I'm so glad we had our cameras there when they did. The result has been a series that has exceeded even our own highest expectations.''

Programming note: Special episode of Come Dine With Me South Africa on 14 December on BBC Entertainment filled with stars.

A star-filled episode of Come Dine With Me South Africa will be broadcast on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) on Wednesday 14 December at 21:00, with DJ Samantha Cowen, SuperSport presenter Neil Andrews, presenter Shashi Naidoo and M-Net presenter Ashley Hayden competing with round-table dinners in an attempt to win money for charities.

''We will be finishing this fantastic first season of Come Dine With Me South Africa in spectacular fashion – with a celebrity special,'' says Jon Farrar, the vice president for programming for the Europe, Midde East and Africa (EMEA) region for BBC Worldwide Channels who also has an executive producer title for Come Dine With Me South Africa.

''It's going to be a lot of fun seeing how Samantha Cowen, Neil Andrews, Shashi Naidoo, and Ashley Hayden get on trying to outdo each other to host the perfect dinner party,'' says Jon Farrar.

REVIEW. Come Dine with Me South Africa on BBC Entertainment is a jolly good, delightful, and delightfully funny TV meal.

There's possibly a reason for portion control. You can have the mega fries, yes, but doesn't potatoe gnocchi with a yoghurt sauce just simply taste of better quality?

There's only 10 episodes in the first of what will hopefully be more seasons of Come Dine with Me South Africa on Wednesdays at 21:00 on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) but with the brevity comes absolute quality viewing.

Come Dine with Me South Africa as BBC Entertainment's first locally South African production (and also first globally commissioned TV show and format adaptation outside of Britain) is absolutely spot-on and really well done. Each week - episode 6 was broadcast tonight - sees four strangers and ordinary (okay, maybe not so ordinary) South Africans each host a dinner party in their own homes. They're scored by each other, with a winner at the end.

From starter, through main course, to dessert, Come Dine with Me South Africa is pure viewing delicatessen. Narrator Dave Lamb who can be heard in the original British version gives delicious bite with his cutting voice-overs. The snooty, snobbish and quite cooky contestants strive to outdo, cook and bitch. And from episode to episode the slightly unhinged, all of them on a quest to impress, are remarkably well chosen.

The production values in Come Dine with Me South Africa - every episode, every interieur, every plate of food beautifully lit in a warm yellow glow with incandescent light falling through wine glasses - all come together in an appetising TV feast. Just start to watch and you'll quickly forget you're going for an hour.

The pacing, the editing - even the little sound effects you wouldn't even realise have been added that you hear - are crisp and clearly meticulously crafted. Like a dinner table painstakingly arranged to perfection, Come Dine with Me South Africa is a fantastically well-adapted format.

It's a great example of A grade format adaptation for South Africa and a feather in the commissioning cap for BBC Worldwide Channels: a first try, and a first try that's sterling silver. It's clear that painstaking attention to detail by production house Rapid Blue went into each and every aspect of the local version of this programme - quality that shows.

Even in the small things Come Dine with Me South Africa sets a brilliant benchmark. Does other local shows so clearly, and absolutely correctly spell out its product placement? Is any other show in this mold so beautifully and richly lit? And why do the haughty, yet hapless cuisine contestants - all with a good streak of common - seem so much better picked, and funnier, than the cauliflower on other shows?

The framing - both in the visual look and camera angles as well as how the impromptu dialogue from the contestants actually narratively connects to each other if you listen closely - speak volumes of creative people behind the scenes of Come Dine with Me South Africa who took time to prepare this TV meal. No quick heat and eat here.

Come Dine with Me South Africa is packed with awesomely acidic, yet deliciously palatable humour, cleverly cut to give the viewer a gossip dollop treat while you watch the oh nouveau dinner party people try to impress (and later deflate) each other.

The short episode order of Come Dine with Me South Africa is probably because the Beep keeps to the cardinal rule of fine dining that's also oh so applicable to television: as a guest in someone's home you should never overstay your welcome.

Yet this high quality and irreverently enjoyable TV production will most probably - and deservedly so - have viewers begging for seconds.