South Africa's ShowMax adds 125 hours of ITV Studios content to its subscription video-on-demand service, including new Jekyll and Hyde.

ShowMax has added 125 hours of content from ITV Studios Global Entertainment to its video-on-demand (VOD) service.

It gives ShowMax access to the brand new ITV Studios' action-adventure series Jekyll and Hyde, seasons one to three of the acclaimed drama Rectify, series one to three of the period drama Mr Selfridge with Jeremy Piven, the first season of the new TV series Good Witch and the drama Texas Rising with Bill Paxton, as well as the crime series Vera.

The deal was brokered by André Renaud, ITV's general senior sales executive for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

"Our aim is to make our premium content available for viewers to watch whenever and wherever they like, so we are delighted that South African audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy some of our most popular recent dramas," says Dan Gopal, the executive vice president of EMEA distribution and global digital partners for ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

"Africa is one of the fastest growing markets for TV content and ShowMax is one of the major players in the region, so they are the ideal partner for our programming".

"Our goal from the outset has been to establish ShowMax as the most comprehensive, high quality SVOD content collection in Africa," says Victor Eckard, ShowMax's head of content.

"We're delighted to partner with ITVS GE to add these incredible programmes to the platform and look forward to a great working relationship".

Four Weddings will be A+E Networks UK's first locally commissioned show for SA's Lifetime channel; Rapid Blue looking for couples getting married.

Lifetime (DStv 131) from A+E Networks UK on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform has commissioned its first local South African TV series, Four Weddings SA, which is being produced by Rapid Blue for broadcast later in 2015.

Rapid Blue is now looking for couples getting married in 2015 for the format show from ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Four Weddings SA is essentially Come Dine With Me SA (co-incidentally also produced by Rapid Blue) - but with brides.

"We are delighted to announce a South African version of this very entertaining series," says Heather Jones, the vice president of programming at A+E Networks UK.

"Every local production of Four Weddings has created a 'talk about' piece of TV and we expect the same for Africa".

There will be 4 hour long episodes of Four Weddings which will follow 4 opinionated and competitive brides who think their weddings are better than anyone else's.

The brides attend each other's weddings and score on four important components: venue, food, dress and overall experience. The bride with the highest score wins a honeymoon.

"Four Weddings has been produced in more than 20 territories around the world and every bride has a very different idea of their perfect day," says Dan Gopal, the executive vice president for distribution for ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

"We look forward to seeing what South African brides have to offer in the battle for the best wedding!" 

Four Weddings South Africa has been commissioned by Koulla Anastasi, the director of programming for Lifetime and the Crime + Investigation channels.

"We are really looking forward to working with Lifetime on this commission, especially because Lifetime is a new and exciting channel in the market and this is its first locally produced series," says Kee-Leen Irvine, the managing director of Rapid Blue.

"We have no doubt the show will reflect South Africa’s huge cultural diversity and, with it's compelling mix of all the wedding drama plus the nerves of the competitive brides, Four Weddings South Africa will make for unforgettable and often jaw-dropping entertainment".

People who want to enter Four Weddings South Africa and who are getting married between now and June 2015 can email fourweddings@rapidblue.com and ask for an entry form.