How to fix an unfixable (and growing) The Fixer problem? With Kerry Washington and Eric Dane both in The Fixer, which Fixer is which?

Perhaps you've heard of The Fixer ... no, not Shonda Rhimes' Scandal which was forced to be changed to The Fixer in South Africa due to e.tv's soap Scandal!, but the new drama The Fixer with Eric Dane and Kathleen Robertson.

Will The Fixer, if it's shown in South Africa be forced to change its name to something else because The Fixer is being used for Scandal on M-Net and SABC3 and Star Series E1 (StarSat 125), because Scandal! is on e.tv?

And if The Fixer (Eric Dane's show) doesn't change, will viewers looking at a TV schedule realise its another new show and not The Fixer (Kerry Washington's show)? Who knows? Even I can't puzzle it out.

That's the troubles that start and grows when TV shows from different places with the same names start impacting on each other in the same TV markets and territories.

Luckily The Fixer (Eric Dane's show) is a mini-series; it's an additional project and he is still involved with The Last Ship shown on M-Net.

Perhaps The Fixer (Eric Dane's show), if it is shown here in South Africa by M-Net or another broadcaster and retains its title, it should just be shown not concurrently with The Fixer (Kerry Washington's show).

Although, even if it's shown during a mid-season break or in-between seasons, ordinary viewers will still struggle to discern from just looking at a printed TV schedule or EPG which The Fixer is now which.

BREAKING. Scandal vs Scandal! South African viewers get 2 shows with the same name in the same timeslot.

You're reading it here first. 

Careful with setting those PVR and scheduling those VCR and other recordings, people - South Africa will soon have two TV shows both at the same time, and both called the same thing: Scandal and Scandal!


M-Net has acquired the broadcasting rights to the new Shonda Rhimes drama Scandal, the first season of which I can reveal will start on M-Net Series (DStv 110) on 19 September at 19:30. Meanwhile e.tv has its soap Scandal! also at 19:30.

Sheer co-incidental timeslot tinkering or deliberate counter-programming?

Scandal with Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope protects Washington DC's powerful elite running her own crisis management firm. She tries to spin the news in her clients' interest and has a team of uniquely gifted people helping her.

Scandal was recently renewed for a second season.