Fox FX on TopTV secures the 4th season of The Walking Dead; will continue to bring South African viewers episodes very quickly.

Fox FX (TopTV 110) will definitely have the 4th season of the terrifying hit zombie drama The Walking Dead and will have it exclusively for South Africa. Fox FX will also continue to roll out episodes when the 4th season of The Walking Dead starts very close after its been shown in America.

Fox International Channels (FIC) which runs Fox channels internationally confirms that it has picked up the global broadcasting rights to The Walking Dead's 4th season and will continue its global release model as in previous years, making the crazy-scary series available in all major international TV markets.

The Walking Dead continues to break viewership records both in America and worldwide across FIC's 200 entertainment channels in 122 countries, including South Africa where FIC Africa is responsible for the show.

The second half of the 3rd season of The Walking Dead will return this February to Fox FX in South Africa as soon as episodes resume in America, with 8 additional episodes after the mid-season hiatus.

Bones on Fox FX with Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz renewed for a 9th and most likely final season.

Bones on Fox FX (TopTV 110) has been renewed for a 9th and most likely final season in America where it's broadcast on the Fox network.

Bones finished the first four seasons already on Fox FX in South Africa, so will still have at least five more seasons to go before the story runs out for Dr Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and special agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz).

The longrunning drama's upcoming 9th season wasn't declared the last, but renewal for further seasons for Bones have become harder the last few years.

A new 9th season for Bones was dependent on Fox, producers and 20th Century Fox TV signing contract renewals with Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz which they've clearly done.

"After more than 150 episodes, Bones continues to be one of television's most dynamic and consistent dramas," says Kevin Reilly, the entertainment chairman at Fox in a statement announcing the 9th season.

"We at Fox, along with millions of zealous fans, look forward to seeing where the incredible creative team takes the series next season."

The Walking Dead now TV's biggest global hit with massive viewership around the world for the 3rd season of the zombie drama.

The Walking Dead seen in South Africa on Fox FX (TopTV 110) on TopTV on Tuesdays at 21:15 is now television's biggest global TV hit with the third season of the zombie drama luring massive viewership across the globe.

The third season of The Walking Dead, with South Africa just days behind, raked in huge viewership numbers through Fox International Channels (FIC) around the world with it's strategy to make episodes of the show available as soon as possible to viewers.

In America The Walking Dead on the AMC channel is now the number one TV show in all of television (pay-TV as well as free-to-air) in terms of viewers 18-49, the demographic most coveted by advertisers. Within a week of The Walking Dead starting in America, the third season started in 122 countries worldwide across Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa to more than 16,2 million viewers.

In Latin America The Walking Dead is the number one TV show on pay-TV under viewers 18-49, on FX in the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia the show's third debut was also number one on pay-TV. Even in the Phillipines, The Walking Dead broke all previously held performance records for Western general TV entertainment.

In South Africa where pay-TV viewers mostly turned to M-Net the past two decades for high-buzz, brand-new American TV shows, it is now an edgy Fox TV channel on the smaller pay-TV competitor TopTV and which has the exclusive broadcasting rights to the show which viewers have to turn to, to see the zombie drama which has invaded popular culture.

In the show which follows after a zombie apocalypse, a ragtag bunch of human survivors constantly flee in a search for safety, lead by an unwilling police officer Rick Grimes.

"The Walking Dead is without a doubt the biggest global TV hit of the moment," says Hernan Lopez, the president and CEO of Fox International Channels. "Our viewers can't get enough of Dead."

"This incredible global success is the result of a unique partnership and collaboration between FIC, AMC and The Walking Dead's talented team," says Sharon Tal Yguado, FIC's executive vice president of scripted programming and original development.

"For a third consecutive season we are bringing this highly anticipated show to viewers in more than 120 million countries a day after it airs in the United States. We've made a strong committment to the show's hungry and loyal fans and it paid off big time."

"The figures are a great stamp of approval for the quality that we believe our now-universally recognized series has," says Thandi Davids; FIC Africa director of marketing and sales.

Season three of The Walking Dead is already receiving rave reviews with the New York Post stating that the series is the "flat-out scariest, best, most unusual show to ever hit the small screen". Newsday states that season three, "doesn't disappoint".  The Houston Chronicle said that "in less than two years, The Walking Dead has jumped into a crowded pop-culture pool of serial killers, vampires and dragons to become a darling of the horror fantasy set."

The Americans, a new spy drama that will be set in the 80s and showing remarkable similarities to another old show, could pop up on FX in 2012.

Another interesting new TV drama might come to South African viewers in 2012 and go straight to FX (TopTV 110) - The Americans, a brand-new spy drama set in the 1980s with a pilot episode which will be filmed for America's FX channel.

In television everything old is new again, and The Americans shows remarkable similarities to the 80s drama Scarecrow and Mrs King (which South African viewers saw on the SABC's then TV1 and dubbed in Afrikaans as Spioen-Spioen), but in a sense reversed.

The Americans, if picked up in 2012 as a new drama series would most probably go to FX if shown in South Africa. It's made for FX in America and it's produced through Fox TV Studios and FX Productions.

The Americans revolve around a couple of spies, Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings. Like Scarecrow and Mrs King they're working undercover. It's also set in Washington. Similarly, to that hit show the two children are clueless and not aware of their parents' true identity. But in The Americans the two main characters will not be American spies. The roles are reversed and they're KGB spies for the Soviet Union.

As the Cold War intensifies, their cover gets more difficult to maintain, the relationships with informants and spies more intricate and their love of the American way of life actually more real.

''Joe Weisberg has written one of the best pilot scripts we have ever read with two richly drawn and indelible characters embarking on an epically exciting, emotional, and morally complex journey," said Nick Grad, the executive vice president of the FX channel in America in a press release.

Wonder if they're also drive a station wagon ...

BREAKING. The Walking Dead on FX just renewed for a 3rd season as the zombie show becomes a worldwide TV hit.

The Walking Dead that just started its second season in America on the AMC channel and shows simultaneously on FX (TopTV 110) in South Africa, has just been renewed for a 3rd season in America.

The second season of the zombie drama show on Tuesdays at 21:15 has made South Africa the 3rd country in the world to start the 2nd season of The Walking Dead after its American broadcasting date. The second season will have 7 episodes now, with a further 6 episodes starting on FX in mid-February 2012.

''Today we are pleased to announce that the 'dead' shall live as we proudly renew The Walking Dead for a third season on AMC and, globally, with our terrific partners at Fox International Channels (FIC),'' says Charlie Collier, AMC's president.

''We are thankful for everyone's contribution in front of and behind the camera as we continue to make The Walking Dead a unique television experience. And, we are so proud as it continues to set viewership records around the world.''

BREAKING. American Horror Story the latest brand-new, big-buzz show grabbed by FX for South African viewers; to be shown super soon.

You're reading it here first.

First the major news, then I'll tell you what it means: I can exclusively reveal - although not so much as a peep from anyone yet - that the brand-new American drama series American Horror Story has been snapped up by Fox International Channels (FIC) that will have it for South African television viewers on FX (TopTV 110) literally within days or weeks after this big-buzz show starts in America in October. My guess would be November.

American Horror Story has Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Jessica Lange and Zachary Quinto in the cast and the show is from producer Ryan Murphy (from Glee). American Horror Story is a high-buzz, creepy horror show about a family who move into a Los Angeles mansion ... that's actually haunted (see, there's a hand under the carpet).

Although TopTV as an overall pay TV platform is lagging with innovation, FIC that runs and supplies channels such as FX to TopTV in South Africa, has now become a bona vide and major game-changer on its own within the South African television industry.

Following drama series The Walking Dead, Falling Skies, and soon the 2nd season of The Walking Dead, and now American Horror Story, FIC's role as an innovator, disruptor of the status quo, and a massive game-changing agent shaking up the South African television environment can now easily be a new exam question posed to students at South African film schools. Because FIC is definitely changing this up by grabbing great shows exclusively and showing them very quickly in South Africa.

M-Net for instance got the rights to Terra Nova - Steven Spielberg's dino-time travel show starting this month in America - but decided to wait until January 2012 to show it in South Africa. FIC and FX now clearly has decided to focus on acquiring some similar high-buzz shows exclusively, that's also brand-new, and is now clearly doing so consistently ... and then shows it (worldwide, not in South Africa) as soon as it possible can, instead of waiting.

Is this - or rather what - effect is this going to have on the rest of the South African TV industry? Is M-Net going to up it's gamesmanship? Vuzu has already dramatically brought series premiere dates forward the past two years - youth viewers are an impatient bunch. South African television channels must surely be realizing that the ''buy, slot on the schedule, show it months from now'' equilibrium has been disturbed.

Once viewers and South African pay TV subscribers realize that not only, in fact, it is possible to see shows and episodes much quicker instead of waiting weeks or months, but that rivals are actually doing it, pay TV operators are going to have to improve what they show and when they show it. The scheduling game is changing before subscribers' very eyes.

ALSO READ: The 2nd season of The Walking Dead to be shown from 18 October in South Africa; 48 hours after episodes premiere in America.
ALSO READ: FX in South Africa immediately also super-sizes the premiere episode of the 2nd season of The Walking Dead after America lengthens the first new episode.

BREAKING. The Walking Dead's second season premiere episode on Fox FX in South Africa will also be the new, longer version.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively break the news that South African viewers are now also going to see the longer premiere episode of the brand-new second season of The Walking Dead when the season kicks off on
Fox FX (TopTV 110) on Tuesday 18 October at 21:00 after the news late yesterday that the first episode has been supersized to 90 minutes in America.

Fox in South Africa quickly responded to my media enquiry to find out what is happening and is telling me that TopTV subscribers will now also be seeing the longer first episode of the second season when the season kicks off in South Africa 48 hours after it will start in America.

The South African episode's actual broadcasting time will be slightly shorter than 90 minutes - because the episode won't have the same number, and duration, of commercials than in America. ''We will be airing the longer version of episode one,'' says Thandi Davids, Fox Africa director, ''although as we do not take ads it will not be 90 minutes long.''

BREAKING. The Walking Dead's second season premiere episode lengthened to 90 minutes in America; will Fox FX in South Africa follow?

The first episode of the second season of the zombie drama The Walking Dead that starts soon in America and on Fox FX (TopTV 110) on Tuesday 18 October at 21:00 has just been supersized to 90 minutes.

Now the question (and I've asked, and will tell when I get an answer): will Fox FX adapt and change its October schedule to also show the first episode of the second season of The Walking Dead as a 90 minute special episode in South Africa?

Another just-announced change which will also impact the showing of the second season in South Africa: There will only be 6 episodes of The Walking Dead, before the show takes an unscheduled break in America. It's not been said, but production drama behind-the-scenes of The Walking Dead is definitely to blame.

With South Africa getting the second season of The Walking Dead within days of episodes being shown in America, it's going to mean that South Africans will also just get an initial 6 episodes before Christmas, and then the remainder of the second season only again from early in 2012 when the next batch is broadcast in America.

ALSO READ: The Walking Dead's second season in South Africa will kick off on Fox FX a mere 48 hours after episodes are shown in America, starting in South Africa on Tuesday 18 October.

BREAKING. The 2nd season of The Walking Dead will start in South Africa on Tuesday, 18 October just 48 hours after it starts in America.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively break the news that the brand-new second season of the acclaimed zombie drama The Walking Dead will start in South Africa on FX (TopTV 110) on Tuesday 18 October - a mere 48 hours after the first new episode starts in America.

I'm told that 18 October is the preliminary starting date and that there's still a slight possibility that it might change. However, I'm told that Fox International Channel (FIC) and Fox in South Africa is ''firmly committed'' to have The Walking Dead start in the very same week after the weekend it starts in America and that subsequent episodes will be shown as quickly.

FIC just announced this morning that the second season of The Walking Dead will start in 122 countries worldwide ''just hours'' after the American debut with South Africa now definitely a lock as one of these 122 territories that will be able to follow the show in virtual real global playout time.

ALSO READ: The second season of The Walking Dead to be shown globally ''within hours'' of its American debut.

BREAKING. FX acquires the broadcasting rights to Stargate Atlantis; first season set to start on Wednesday 22 June at 21:35.

You're reading it here first.

Stargate Atlantis is coming to FX (TopTV 110), starting on Wednesday 22 June at 21:35 for a first season of 20 episodes.

FX that has Stargate SG1 is branching out and catching up with the high quality and well-liked spin-off series in the franchise that was shown on M-Net Action.

The science fiction show follows the adventures of another Stargate team who ventures to another galaxy and a water planet where they discover the mythical city of Atlantis built by a long gone race called Ancients.

Programming note: FX gets Battlestar Galactica in May; will finally continue Stargate SG-1 with the 5th season from 17 May.

Shhh. Some of the people in this photo are actually not people, but Cylons - evil robots intent on destroying humanity and the people who created them and who are now fleeing looking for the mythical world of origin called Earth.

FX (TopTV 110) has acquired the excellent updated sci-fi drama Battlestar Galactica that will start its first season in May on Wednesday 11 May at 20:40 for 13 episodes. It's great and addictive viewing. For science fiction lovers FX has also (finally!) added the new 5th season of Stargate SG-1 that will start on Tuesday 17 May at 18:15.

Other new good FX May fare include the 3rd season of Bones starting 1 May, The Office's 3rd season starting on 5 May, the 3rd season of American Dad from 12 May and the 4th season of Las Vegas from 17 May.

BREAKING. FX renews its funny animation spy show Archer for a 3rd season of 16 episodes.

FX (TopTV 110) just announced that the channel's comedy animation spy caper Archer has been renewed for a 3rd season.

FX in South Africa is close on the heels of the current second season episodes of Archer being shown in America. FX announced a season order run of 16 episodes for the 3rd season.

Programming note: Archer back on Fox FX for a silly (and sexy) second season from 24 March.

You're reading it here first.

The second season of that deliciously silly spy caper Archer will start its second season on Fox FX (TopTV 110) just a mere few weeks after America (where the second season just started) with South African viewers who can see it from Thursday, 24 March at 20:30. There will be 13 episodes in the second season.

Spy Sterling Archer (his rambunctuous behaviour is far from sterling) who has the ''less than masculine'' codename of ''Duchess'' will land in all sorts of trouble again - as well as office politics of course - in this anachronistic animation show that blends 80's spy and technology with a modern-day look.

Programming note: The first season of Lie to Me with Tim Roth comes to Fox FX in February.

The truth: a great show is coming to Fox FX (TopTV 110) - the first season of drama Lie to Me that will start on the channel on Wednesday, 9 February at 20:30 for 13 episodes.

The show that already premiered on M-Net is great and centers around dr Cal Lightman, played by Tim Roth who heads up the Lightman Group consultancy firm. They specialize in helping whoever requires their services, to discern between truth and lie - interpreting microexpressions, body language, voice patterns, as well as various forms of applied psychology.

BREAKING. Two for two: Days of Our Lives renewed for two years; The Walking Dead renewed for a second season.

It's two for two. The longrunning soap Days of Our Lives (SABC, weekdays, 16:45) has just been renewed for a further two years through 2012 and 2013 with the news coming on the day of the soap's 45th anniversary today.

The Walking Dead, the big buzz worthy new zombie drama that just started in America also got renewed for a second season just after the broadcast of its second episode there. The Walking Dead is shown in South Africa on TopTV (Fox FX 110).

''Days of our Lives remains vitally creative through the years as it continues to draw new generations of viewers,'' says Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment in a press release. ''With great joy, I am pleased to announce the best news any soap opera could receive,'' says Ken Corday, Days of Our Lives executive producer in the same press release. ''We extend our greatest gratitude to NBC for blessing us with the gift of such an amazing commitment.''

''We continue to be big believers in the serialized daytime drama and we're thrilled that our great partners at NBC have renewed Days of our Lives,'' says Steve Mosko, the president of Sony Pictures Television that produces Days of Our Lives for the NBC network.

In another press release The renewal of The Walking Dead was announced for a 13 episode second season. ''Since debuting Sunday, October 31, The Walking Dead has broken ratings records, with the series reaching more adults 18-49 than any other show in the history of cable television,'' says AMC, die American TV channel that broadcast The Walking Dead.

TopTV is drawing its first blood, grapping its first big buzz-worthy, brand-new show that would have been on M-Net.

It had to happen eventually; took exactly 6 months; and now TopTV has drawn its first blood (with not a vampire TV show but a zombie drama) by grabbing the first big, buzz-worthy and must-see, brand-new show that clearly would have been on M-Net.

The already highly-praised, and utterly compelling new zombie drama The Walking Dead that just started in America and will be shown worldwide and in South Africa a mere 3 days later, would clearly have been on M-Net had TopTV not existed (below I'll tell you exactly why).

The Walking Dead that starts tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2 at 21:20 on Fox FX (TopTV 110), stars Andrew Lincoln as police officer Rick Grimes who have to survive and lead a group of survivor to safety in a post-apocalyptic current world suddenly changed and overrun by zombies.

It's very clearly conceivable that if South Africa didn't now have the premium Fox FX channel on the TopTV bouquet, that The Walking Dead would have very probably made its debut on M-Net first. M-Net has great international distributor relationships with both Fox International and AMC. If you look at its programming, M-Net grabbed the vampire drama True Blood which is very similar to The Walking Dead, which clearly would have fit with it schedule - a big-buzzed about drama. M-Net has also already taken acclaimed AMC shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, indicating that The Walking Dead would have been something the pay broadcaster would have been interested in as well. Then there's Fox's international massive roll-out and global push for The Walking Dead. Mmm. Does that sound like something M-Net would have jumped at, given its giddy alread locked-in similar strategy for showing episodes of The Event just 36 hours after America?

ALSO READ: Zombies ''invade'' Johannesburg as part of global stunt for the new The Walking Dead starting on TopTV's FX channel.

BREAKING. Zombies ''invade'' Johannesburg as part of a global stunt for new The Walking Dead show on TopTV's FX.

You're reading it here first.

Zombies ''invaded'' Johannesburg in South Africa as well as 25 cities across the globe yesterday as 26 cities played along in a worldwide stunt on Tuesday, October 26 for the new zombie drama The Walking Dead that will start on Fox FX (TopTV 110) as well as 120 countries at the same time.

I can be first to tell you that The Walking Dead will debut in South Africa on TopTV's Fox FX (TopTV 110) on Tuesday, November 2 at 21:20 and that it will be an extended pilot episode of 90 minutes. The Walking Dead debuts in South Africa - as well as the rest of the world in 33 different languages on Fox International Channels just two days after it starts in America on October 31 (Halloween). The first season has 6 episodes and The Walking Dead has already been renewed for second season that will start filming in February 2011 before even one episode has been broadcast.

Several cities from Istanbul, London, Buenos Aires, New York, Los Angeles, Athens, Washington and Munich had ''zombie sightings'' during morning rush hour on Tuesday as part of the global promotion for The Walking Dead.