Emile and Razia Samson the winners of Power Couple South Africa on M-Net; taking home R508 000 in live finale broadcast from Cape Town.

Emile and Razia Samson from Johannesburg were announced as the winners of Power Couple South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) in the live finale broadcast from The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay, Cape Town, on Thursday evening.

It bring to a close the new reality show produced by Afrokaans and that started in August on M-Net, based on an Israeli format.

South Africa and M-Net became the first to do an English language version of the show that put 8 couples from across the country through various relationship tests while living in a Camps Bay villa as the cameras rolled.

Emile and Razia won R508 000 with Dyllan Smith and Viki van den Barselaar-Smith winning R100 000.

Power Couple SA wasn't the big ratings grabber that Idols and MasterChef South Africa were that consistently cracked the top 10 list of most watched shows on M-Net, but it was an opportunity for the Randburg-based pay-TV broadcaster to test the waters with a novel reality format and spruce up its schedule during the second half of 2015.

An avalanche of awesome coming your way on Thursday evening, 10 September - let those PVRs hum to try and catch all this new television.

Not even a DStv PVR or DStv Explora is going to help you cope with this - you'll need multiple DStv Explora decoders for the absolute avalanche of TV "homework" happening tomorrow, Thursday 10 September on South African television.

I'm trying to think when last I had to juggle keeping up with, and watching so many shows on one night, which will happen again on Thursday evening. Even if you try and set all the recordings, your technology is going to protest and refuse.

So, difficult choices - which is great! - and a lot of things to watch!

Here's your plethora of Thursday 10 September wanna-watch stuff:

M-Net (DStv 101) has the debut of Power Couple South Africa at 19:30, the brand-new reality show filmed in Cape Town in which 8 couples live in a villa and compete weekly while they try to complete daunting challenges. Afrokaans is producing and the production values look great.

M-Net (DStv 101) has the new second season of The Night Shift starting at 21:30.
If you haven't watched the first season, start watching now - the drama series is great.

Someone is placed on suspension (following the season finale's drama), a new surgeon joins and someone steps down.

Then you want to watch Top Billing on SABC3 at 19:30 to see how Chris Jaftha is doing as the latest new presenter joining the local glamorous entertainment magazine show with his first insert at the Durban Fashion Fair.

Top Billing calls Chris Jaftha a "super stud" but no, he won't be schmodeling at the Fashion Fair himself, but knowing the Top Billing producers' penchant for having the presenters bare their man flesh it probably won't be too long before viewers see this six pack on their screens.

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has the must-watch Celebrating Joan on Thursday at 21:00, a half hour show presented by her daughter Melissa Rivers, a clip-show celebrating her best and funniest moments one year after her untimely passing.

You will laugh. A lot. See Joan Rivers' bloopers and funniest moments, as well as hilarious interactions with some guests over the years on E!'s Fashion Police, as well as a lot of bleeping when Joan uses her "favourite words" (which can't be said on television.

Just before it at 20:00 on Thursday, E! Entertainment and NBCUniversal Networks International is supposed to start with the very first episode of E! News Special, the the brand-new profile series interviewing local South African personalities.

The first E! News Special is supposed to be on Thursday at 20:00 - although it isn't showing at all on E! and DStv's channel schedule and also not on DStv's electronic programme guide (EPG), so it's not recordable and people won't know it will be on.

Bonang Matheba will be the first profile episode in this show produced by Brainstorm.

Colin McLeod‚ the managing director for emerging markets at NBC Universal International Networks last month said E! is "confident that the profiles of local celebrities will resonate well with our audience" and that the brand-new show will help to make "E! the TV destination for the pop of African culture".

Then History (DStv 186) has a new season (its 25th!) of car show Fifth Gear at 20:30. This episode is special  since Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson visit sunny South Africa to drive everything from rally cars to military vehicles.

You'd think A+E Networks UK would make a much bigger fuss about this and actually let people know about it more, but at least now you know.

While BBC Brit (DStv 120) is suddenly showing shockingly old reruns of Top Gear (the second season of years and years ago) after that show's self-destruction earlier this year, Fifth Gear is brand-new.

The new series Expedition Unknown starts on the Travel Channel (DStv 179) at 20:00 on Thursday. The adventurer Josh Gates investigates unsolved iconic stories across the globe. Armed with a degree in archaeology and a passion for travel, Josh Gates begins by uncovering recent developments in the story, then springboards into a fully immersive exploration.

Of course it's way too much to expect that the SABC will ever actually do marketing or any publicity for its stocked with reruns channel SABC Encore (DStv 156) on DStv.

But on Thursday at 20:30 (yes, I'm not kidding) you can watch the first episode of the worthwile heydey local drama John Ross - An African Adventure - the first rebroadcast in many, many years.

In David Lister's highly acclaimed youth series first shown on TV1 in 1987, the British teenager (played by Darrel Robertson) is washed ashore in October 1825 off the coast of Zululand, and is escorted by a small band of Zulu tribesmen as John Ross sets out on foot from Durban to Delagoa Bay. It has 13 episodes.

If you know anything about Star Wars, you'd want to tune in on Thursday to M-Net Movies and Disney's Star Wars pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv on channel 109 at 17:55 for more on the dreaded "Order 66".

Order 66 of course is the secret order that was given by Senator Palpatine, who becomes/is the evil Emperor, for the Stormtroopers to assassinate all the Jedi in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

It's a really painful event and moment in the Star Wars narrative, and the fascinating Behind the Scenes featurette gives more background and an explainer of Order 66, what was shown - and not shown but created - for the movie.

The 8 'power' couples who will be competing in reality show Power Couple SA on M-Net.

Here's the 8 couples who will appear and compete in Power Couple SA reality show shot in Cape Town earlier this year that starts on M-Net (DStv 101) on 10 September at 19:30.

Cape Town DJ Ryan O'Connor is the presenter.

Power Couple South Africa revolves around these 8 couples competing in various challenges in and around a camera-filled villa in Cape Town.

The aim is to try and win a cash prize worth more than R1 million - premised on how well they know each other and how well they can "predict" how each other will fare in challenges they have to bet a wager on before the challenge is revealed.

Nutritionists Dean (32) and Crystal (29) are from Durbanville in Cape Town and have been married for 8 and a half years with one daughter, Cameron. They say they both like to get their point across and have strong personalities.

Dyllan (36) in print supply and Viki (34) who is a producer from Salt Rock in KwaZulu-Natal have two kids, a boy and a daughter. They've been married for 6 years. Dyllan already told viewers in an on-air promo that he was unfaithful but that the couple managed to patch it up. "Love is forgiving," says Viki.

Emile (35) and Razia (34) from Illiondale, Johannesburg share a passion for fashion and have been married for 9 years and have been together for 15 years. They have three daughters.

Gift (35) and Bana (32) from Randpark Ridge in Johannesburg have been married for two years and also work together. "We're here to play; we're here to have fun," says Gift.

Ivan (32) and Roshila (35) from Pretoria have been married for 8 and a half years. They say they're not afraid to argue and disagree.

Juran (32) a quality inspector and Juanita (33) a horse riding instructor from Port Elizabeth have been dating for two years and have no children. They agree to having power struggles now and then but they always figure out who should win and when.

Mo (38) and Phindi (38) from Durban have been married for 10 years and have three children together and Mo's son from a previous relationship. "A power struggle can ruin a relationship," said Phindi.

PJ (29) and Marzanne (29) from Woodstock in Cape Town are newlyweds. They've been married for a month but have been together for 5 years. She works in property and he works in car sales. "When you grow together and live together, you learn what will break trust," says Marzanne.

BREAKING. M-Net's next new reality show is Power Couple South Africa, looking for 8 couples to compete in relationship challenges.

M-Net's next local new prime time reality show on South African television will be Power Couple South Africa.

It will be the first time that the reality show - which has been done in Israel, Portugal and currently in Brazil - is being done as an English language show anywhere in the world.

The show - a bit of a cross between elements of Fear Factor, Love in the Wild and Temptation Island will revolve around 8 couples competing in various challenges in and around a camera-filled villa in Cape Town, to win an ultimate cash prize - worth more than R1 million - premised on how well they know each other.

Auditions for Power Couple SA kick off on 14 February - Valentines Day - in Cape Town at The Bay Hotel, with auditions also taking place on 18 February at the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban and on 28 February at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg.

People who want to enter need to be older than 21, irrespective of how long or short they've been a romantic couple.

Power Couple SA, produced by production company Afrokaans, is set to debut in August on M-Net for a total of 14 weekly episodes and will be filmed over the course of 5 weeks from the middle of March to mid-April.

Viewers will decide the eventual winner through public voting who will be announced during a live finale broadcast on M-Net in December.

M-Net executives, the show's executive producers and some South African power couples like Nico Panagio and his wife Christi announced the show to the media on Tuesday afternoon at the Table Bay Hotel in Camps Bay at a press conference, calling Power Couple SA "a revolutionary concept" which "combines all the elements needed for compelling television".

"No show we've ever tested that was brand-new to M-Net has ever tested this highly," Anne Davis, M-Net's senior commissioning editor told TV with Thinus.

The 8 couples will compete in some small yet difficult and intimate, and some spectacular high-adrenaline action adventure challenges, through which they will accumulate thousands of rands depending on what they've bet and how successful they think their partner is going to be in completing specific tasks.

If they win in Power Couple South Africa a couple adds money to their savings pot; if they fail the money they've bet is lost.

Power Couple SA producer Handrie Basson when asked, told TV with Thinus that the new show is specifically not looking for famous or established power couples - although the idea was discussed - but is looking for ordinary South Africans couples to enter.

"We are not looking for famous couples. We want ordinary South African couples. Any couple can enter and maybe be one of the 8 couples chosen to live in the villa. They can be straight or gay, but must be romantically involved. It's about sharing a bedroom," said Handrie Basson.

"The house where the 8 couples will live is a luxurious villa in Cape Town where they will stay for the duration of the production in the lap of luxury," said Handrie Basson.

Although divorced people and those who are not a romantic couple can't enter, he says "maybe there's a relationship we could save on this show. It's about how well people know each other - or how well people who realise they don't know each other, work and communicate to get to know each other".

Based on the outcome of the challenges, two couples will be up for elimination each week as the others will decide whom they would like to keep in the game.

"At the heart of Power Couple SA is that it is a feel-good show," said Handrie Basson. "Power Couple SA will be done in English but when a couple speak not in English but in their love language - like Afrikaans or other - you can speak it, there will be subtitles".

"The interesting thing for couples entering Power Couple SA and for viewers watching, will be whether they know each other well or learn to get to know each other very well when starting the game - or learn to communicate very well," said Handrie Basson.

"You're going to see very intimate and revealing challenges which will make you laugh out loud and which will be full of entertainment value - however we're not laughing at them, viewers will be laughing with them," said Handrie Basson.

"The challenges the 8 couples will face over the course of their stay in the house will be big in scale and also fun," said TV director and producer LeRoux Botha.

TV with Thinus asked Victor Eckard, M-Net director, whether the production and broadcast of Power Couple SA means no further seasons of some other as yet unannounced renewed or cancelled reality shows like MasterChef SA this year.

"Making Power Couple SA doesn't mean we're not doing any of the other big reality shows or that we will continue doing them. The idea with Power Couple SA is to bring something new to South African viewers that people haven't seen before and we're very excited about this show".

"We consistently evaluate all the M-Net reality shows and we're looking for brands to take us to even bigger ratings and to take M-Net on channel 101 on DStv to the next level - something which we're definitely evaluating every single day at M-Net and M-Net Edge," said Victor Eckard.