BREAKING. Touch, the terrific new drama with Kiefer Sutherland, coming to M-Net from 6 August at 20:30.

Touched, the new science fiction drama with Kiefer Sutherland about a father and his autistic but genius son who sees global patterns between people in the world and brings them together, is finally set to start in South Africa on M-Net which has the broadcasting rights, on Monday 6 August at 20:30.

ALSO READ: M-Net grabs Touch, the new Kiefer Sutherland drama, for South Africa.
ALSO READ: Must-see first look! Touch - the new science fiction drama with Kiefer Sutherland.
ALSO READ: South Africa to be left un-Touched when the new Kiefer Sutherland drama which M-Net secured, will start in January in 100 countries worldwide simultaneously - but not in South Africa.

The first season of Touch recently concluded and which the whole world watched together - the premise of the show and the value-added spin-off from the producers is to tie in the theme of the show - a globally connected world - with social media and leveraging social media networks.

The Touch producers wants viewers around the world to talk and discuss the show at the same time. That will now not be possible for South African viewers since the wave of the first season has passed.


Touch has however been renewed for a second season - hopefully M-Net will show that second season at the same time when that starts, so that South African viewers can get the full benefit of what the experience of the show is actually intended to be.

South Africa to be left un-Touch-ed by the new Kiefer Sutherland drama when it starts in America and 100 countries worldwide from 19 March.

You're reading it here first.

South African viewers, once again it seems, will be left out cold when the new high-buzz TV drama Touch with Kiefer Sutherland that's been acquired by M-Net gets a global roll-out and will be starting in most of the world at the same date in March ... but just not here.

Touch has been developed as a TV show by Tim Kring who did Heroes and is being produced with a highly integrated social media component: Part of the TV show's dynamic will be that a global TV audience will be talking about it in real-time through all kinds of social media at the same time and about things happening inside episodes and from episode to episode as the story progresses.

FIRST LOOK: Watch the Touch trailer.

That means that it's absolutely crucial for the episode to be seen at the same time or within days in South Africa for M-Net viewers to actually experience and enjot the TV show to its fullest effect and how the production actually intends for Touch to be ''consumed''.

M-Net has the rights to the new show with Fox International Channels (FIC) Africa handling distribution, but I can reveal that M-Net is not currently going to start Touch here when it starts in America as a new weekly show on 18 March and simultaneously in 100 countries worldwide from 19 March.

The worldwide watching is exactly what Tim Kring and Kiefer Sutherland wanted for their new show - a global, unified worldwide audience to watch, discuss and talk about it at the same time.

FIC Africa had great success last year by showing The Walking Dead as well as Falling Skies op TopTV within days of episodes of both shows being broadcast in America. It made it possible for South African viewers to have an instant same-time social following and conversation about the show - as well as not being exposed to spoilers because there weren't any.

The 13 episode Touch is about a man (Kiefer Sutherland) whose son never speaks, but sees the world through mathematical formulae. Then he discovers that his son may have the power to see the future. The mute 11 year old son possess the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.

The date of 18 March - when the show starts in America and 19 March when the show starts globally to connect with a world wide audience - features very prominently in the pilot episode of Touch. That makes it even more important for M-Net to storywise and in keeping with the real-time feel of the show, start showing it then in South Africa. Britain, Germany, Israel, Russia and a huge number of countries in South America, Asia and Europe will start seeing Touch immediately.

At Mipcom's TV market in October last year Tim Kring said Touch borrows some elements from Heroes, in that this new drama will tell stories with an ''international scope through characters around the world who are interconnected in various ways. ''It's the emerging story of our time: we are more connected than we ever dreamed, both biologically and spiritually.''

Asked again earlier this week when exactly M-Net plans to start showing Touch and whether South Africa will also form a part of the 100 countries outside of America where Touch will start at the same time with coordinated worldwide distribution during the week from 19 March, M-Net didn't give an exact date.

''The global marketing campaign for Touch is relevant for territories in America, Latin America, Europe and Asia,'' says M-Net. ''M-Net and/or DStv will create its own awareness, publicity and marketing campaigns respectively, as and when the strategy comes into the channel's carefully planned schedule.''

''This is also determined within the agreement with the distributor with whom M-Net negotiates the licence.''

This answer from M-Net would indicate that South African viewers will not be seeing Touch at the same time as the rest of the world as a weekly show starting between 19 and 26 March. It would seem unlikely that Touch appears on the latest M-Net schedule for March which is where this new TV property would maximise the best value for M-Net on its investment and would work best for viewers as content consumers.

BREAKING. M-Net grabs Touch for South Africa, as the new Kiefer Sutherland drama is set to try a worldwide launch from April 2012.

More than a week ago I told you RIGHT HERE about the new science fiction drama of Kiefer Sutherland called Touch that will be coming to South African viewers from the end of April 2012,. Then, last Friday I had your first look at the Touch trailer RIGHT HERE and more information.

Now I can reveal tht M-Net insiders told me last week that M-Net has the broadcasting rights to Touch and will try to show it at the same time from April 2012 as part of a global show that will try and make heavy use of social media.

One insider at M-Net early last week called Touch ''big'' and that ''M-Net always has all of the biggest shows,'' although not confirming that M-Net had the rights. Yet another source said '' Touch will be on M-Net and nowhere else [in South Africa] and show here very close to America''. Another source told me last week ''the new Kiefer Sutherland drama Touch will be an M-Net title,'' although according to this person the specific scheduling is not certain at this stage.

I also waited for an answer last week from Fox International Channels (FIC) since Touch could have gone to either TopTV's Fox Entertainment or Fox FX - or to M-Net as I've said previously. Thandi Davids, the regional director for Africa for Fox International Channels (FIC) was off ill last week and couldn't get back to me immediately. By Wednesday I did get a response from her, but by then TV with Thinus already knew that Touch was going to be on M-Net from multiple sources at the pay broadcaster.

''Wow! Word certainly gets out quickly!'' said Thandi Davids. ''We are thrilled to hear that news of a global launch has spread so quickly. We know the show lends itself to the notion of inter-connectivity, and while we're not yet able to comment on the home for the show in South Africa, we are looking forward to its successful premiere in the region,'' she said.

Because of the themes of interconnectedness, and global interconnectedness in the story, FIC plans to roll-out Touch at the same time worldwide in 2012.

The 13 episode Touch is about a man (Kiefer Sutherland) whose son never speaks, but sees the world through mathematical formulae. Then he discovers that his son may have the power to see the future. The mute 11 year old son possess the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.

''Mathematical patterns of in-design are hidden in plain sight, it's just tough to know where to look,'' says the trailer. ''There are those among us - mostly kids - whose sole purpose is to act as 'air-traffic controllers' for that interconnectivity. Your sons sees ... everything. The past, the present, the future. He sees how it's all interconnected...''

Tim Kring from Heroes is behind Touch, an almost-redo TV turn, trying to this time be responsive to viewers (but on a global scale at the same time) to give pay-offs in each episode to mysteries and questions, and of course to capitalize on the immediate buzz so that more viewers around the world watch the show instead of later when interest has possibly started to dim.

ALSO READ: Must see first look! Touch, the new science fiction drama with Kiefer Sutherland starting late March 2012, worldwide at the same time.
ALSO READ: All about Kiefer Sutherland's new drama Touch that will be coming to South African viewers from around April at the same time as in America.

MUST SEE FIRST LOOK! Touch, the new science fiction drama with Kiefer Sutherland starting late March 2012, worldwide at the same time.

WOW! ''What if co-incidence is calculation? What if fate is formulae?'' Here's the must-see hot first-look trailer of the brand-new science fiction drama Touch with Kiefer Sutherland that will start late March 2012 and that South African TV viewers will in all likelihood see very, very close to the American broadcast date.

Yesterday I wrote RIGHT HERE everything available regarding Touch and how and why South Africans will with a very high probability also see this new, great-looking show, immediately or within days of the American broadcast, probably on Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) or M-Net (DStv 101).

''Mathematical patterns of in-design are hidden in plain sight, it's just tough to know where to look.''

''There are those among us - mostly kids - whose sole purpose is to act as 'air-traffic controllers' for that interconnectivity. Your sons sees ... everything. The past, the present, the future. He sees how it's all interconnected...''

The 13 episode Touch is about a man (Kiefer Sutherland) whose son never speaks, but sees the world through mathematical formulae. Then he discovers that his son may have the power to see the future. The mute 11 year old son possess the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.

Fox International Channel (FIC) will handle the distribution for Touch which will include Africa and South Africa, but FIC has not responded to enquiries made so far about this new show.

BREAKING. Kiefer Sutherland's new drama, Touch, could be coming to South African viewers in late March 2012 at the same time as America.

South African TV viewers can definitely prepare to see the new Kiefer Sutherland science fiction drama Touch at the same time as in America and viewers across the world, when the new drama series starts around late March 2012.

Because of the themes of interconnectedness, and global interconnectedness in the story, Fox International Channels (FIC) plans to roll-out Touch at the same time worldwide from late March/early April.

My bet would be that the new show will be on TopTV's Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) or Fox FX (TopTV 110), unless M-Net gets it like the new upcoming new scary drama American Horror Story. Whatever TV channel it's on, be sure that deals will include that South African viewers will have to see it immediately.

The 13 episode Touch is about a man (Kiefer Sutherland) whose son never speaks, but sees the world through mathematical formulae. Then he discovers that his son may have the power to see the future. The mute 11 year old son possess the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.

At Mipcom Tim Kring who did Heroes and is the series creator for Touch, said that Touch borrows some elements from Heroes, in that this new drama will tell stories with an ''international scope through characters around the world who are interconnected in various ways.''

''We talked a lot about interconnectivity in Heroes. This takes that theme and really crystallises it. It’s the emerging story of our time: we are more connected than we ever dreamed, both biologically and spiritually.''

Kiefer Sutherland, in the panel discussion of an hour which I just finished watching, says ''Touch - something that we really want to do, and that we're really excited about is trying to release this show globally at the same time. It might not all be on the exact same day - but at least close enough so that audience members have an area to congregate to. So that someone in Africa, or someone in Australia can be talking to someone in Europe. That to me is an unbelievably exciting opportunity.''

TV wth Thinus asked Fox International Channels for Africa yesterday about Touch and what the plans are for this show for South Africa. By a day later there's been no response.