Survivor South Africa's first-ever Cape Town finale for Survivor SA: Philippines on M-Net will be done from Silverline Studios with parts of the set shipped home - and new surprises.

The 6th season's 2-hour finale of Survivor South Africa: Philippines on M-Net (DStv 101) will end on Thursday 16 August with host Nico Panagio revealing the winner and final vote tally in a live broadcast that will take place in front of a live studio audience done for the first time from Cape Town and that promises some new surprises.

The previous 5 seasons of Survivor South Africa on M-Net, all had final episodes done from Johannesburg, South Africa but Afrokaans, the production company that took over from this season, decided to move the cast reunion and big winner reveal to the Mother City.

TVwithThinus can reveal that the Survivor South Africa: Phillipines season finale will take place at the Silverline Studios in De Waterkant, Cape Town.

Lani Lombard, head of M-Net publicity, told TVwithThinus that Cape Town's notorious and notoriously fickle and fast-changing weather won't be a problem.

"We considered several venues around the country for the final and the Silverline Studios met all our requirements."

"This season has also become known for its twists and turns and building on this trend, this is the first time that a Survivor South Africa final will be held in Cape Town."

The exclusive guest list to fill the Survivor South Africa live studio audience will include the clean-scrubbed Survivor SA castaways, the media and sponsors, as well as celebrities who are fans of the show.

Fans of Survivor South Africa: Philippines haven't been forgotten with viewers who want to get access to the event and attend the finale who can win tickets on the Cape Union Mart and Huawei social media platforms.

As to what part of the special 2-hour Survivor SA: Philippines broadcast will be a live broadcast, Lani Lombard says that during the first hour viewers will see how the last two days played out on the Survivor island in the Philippines that were filmed a few months ago earlier this year for 39 days around El Nido, Palawan.

Thereafter the action will move to the Silverline Studios in the V&A Waterfront precinct, used by several American TV shows and films shooting in South Africa, for the winner announcement and the reunion show.

"There will also be prize handovers and a couple of surprises. We're not saying exactly when the winner will be announced," says Lani Lombard.

And where has the votes been kept since the island voting? "The votes that were cast at the final Survivor SA: Phillipines tribal council have been in executive producer Handrie Basson's possession from the second that host Nico Panagio walked off the set with the urn," says Lani Lombard.

"He has kept them under lock-and-key at an undisclosed location and they will only surface again when Nico opens the urn and reads them out to the castaways on 16 August."


Showstopper set, new surprises
Asked what production wise might be different in and during this season finale, Afrokaans' Handrie Basson, executive producer, tells TVwithThinus that "we had some of our set elements shipped from the Philippines and it docked in Cape Town harbour, close to the studio".

"It allows us to use more elements from the island in the overall set build of the Survivor SA: Phillipines live finale broadcast."

"The outside broadcast (OB) set-up and technical specifications will be similar to M-Net's other live broadcasts. Our Cape Town studio allows for a big studio audience, plus the scope to create a showstopper set, playing homage to our Philippines set."

While previous Survivor SA finales literally shipped in sand to the soundstage, Afrokaans is promising some new surprises to close the latest season.

"We will be crossing back to the island for the final two days - day 38 and day 39 - during the live broadcast to watch these events unfold," says Handrie Basson. "These pre-recorded inserts will live side-by-side with live crossings from the Cape Town studio."

"Our art department is recreating some elements from our iconic set from the Philippines that will feel familiar to what viewers saw on the island, as well as some pieces from the actual set that was shipped back to South Africa."

"The studio set will look and feel familiar to viewers, but with tweaks to maximise the experience for both the studio audience and the viewers at home."

The 2-hour finale of Survivor SA: Philippines will start on M-Net (DStv 101) on Thursday, 16 August at 19:00 until 21:00.

BREAKING. Days after its debut, M-Net's latest 6h season of Survivor SA: Philippines is once again popular under pirates as viewers worldwide clamour to download and illegally share the show.

Survivor South Africa has gone global (again), with the latest 6th season of the show, Survivor SA: Philippines seen on M-Net (DStv 101) that has once again become an instant must-watch show for viewers around the world who are illegally downloading and sharing the first episode on pirate viewing and torrent sites.

While the majority of illegal file sharing around TV show content takes place around American TV series, the last time that a locally produced M-Net show was so popular that it popped up on torrent sites was in April 2014  - also with Survivor SA when the 5th season, Survivor SA: Champions was shown on the pay-TV broadcaster.

Although illegally captured, uploaded and shared online, the rabid fandom and desire from people around the world who want to also watch the latest, 6th South African version, gives an indication of just what a hot TV property Survivor SA actually remains to M-Net.

M-Net revived the show last year after 4 years, previously produced by Endemol Shine Africa and now done by Afrokaans, with filming around the Philippines archipelago that wrapped earlier this year.

The first episode of Survivor SA: Philippines, again with host Nico Panagio, was broadcast this past Thursday evening on M-Net and is screened in South Africa as well as across Africa.

Moved from its former timeslot on Sundays to Thursdays, the first episode popped up online on several sites just days after its debut, having already been shared and downloaded by apparently thousands of people.

While ratings for Survivor SA: Philippines' debut episode on M-Net is not yet available, the illegal pirate viewing is unlikely to negatively impact on the channel's viewership, since pirate viewers who want to see the show are presumably largely based outside of South Africa and the African continent where they don't have access to MultiChoice's DStv or M-Net.

The previous season of Survivor SA made the top 10 list of most watched shows on M-Net.

How far stretches the reach and popularity of M-Net's Survivor SA: Philippines? Well, on the other side of the world, Brink of Reality in Australia with Ryan Brink and Jess Kent just finished doing a podcast recap of the first episode.

M-Net on Monday afternoon didn't immediately respond with its view when asked for comment in a media enquiry what the pay-TV broadcaster makes of the new season of Survivor SA: Philippines that like the previous season, also found pirate viewing popularity.

When there's a M-Net response to publish it will be added here.

M-Net however did respond in 2014 about the illegal downloading and sharing of the show and then  told TVwithThinus that "even though the illegal downloading and sharing of Survivor South Africa indicates how popular the show is and demonstrates the great demand for top-notch local productions, M-Net does not condone piracy in any form or in any region".

"Piracy has a negative impact on the development of the local television and film industries and harms the investment of broadcasters and sponsors," said M-Net.

Survivor SA: Philippines is available on MultiChoice's DStv Now and DStv Catch Up services.

REVIEW. A pristine Survivor South Africa Philippines on M-Net is a beautiful, premium TV adventure.

The world - and television - has changed dramatically in the four years since 18 May 2014 when South African viewers last saw Survivor SA on their screens, but on Thursday night the reality castaway competition show returned to M-Net (DStv 101) as if it never skipped a beat, produced and looking as good as ever, if not better, than before.

The 6th season of Survivor South Africa: Philippines in high definition - stretching over more days than ever before and including panoramic aerial drone shots of azure waters and dense green archipelago islands, deftly offset by close-ups of slithering creatures and all kinds of exotic crawlies as scene-setting and dramatic irony establishing shots - looks crisp and beautiful.

The coterie of seemingly mostly low emotional intelligence (EQ) South Africans contestants forgot a lot of things in their splashy launch to their islands but did remember probably the most important thing the show's producers must have pre-briefed them about: Speak everything you think as part of your stream of consciousness straight to camera.

It delivered intentionally and unintentionally golden TV bon mots from the contestants from the very first Survivor SA Philippines episode ranging from "I'll probably move up in the leadership quite quickly", to "lets go speak to our respective people".

With various challenges, a large group of contestant characters to introduce and establish (together with various backstabbing narratives to plot), screen time for host Nico Panagio, and a tribal council session and ouster to include, the editing of terabytes of video down to less than an hour in duration to tell a cohesive, flowing story, is a gargantuan task that production company Afrokaans somehow managed to do extremely well.

Taking over the production of the local version based on the international format from Endemol Shine Africa that produced all of the previous seasons, Afrokaans managed to make Survivor SA look and feel even better than when DStv subscribers last saw Nico Panagio snuff out torches in the South China Seas.

The glorious tribal council area looks a bit dark and underlit on screen (since it has to take place at night time) if you know what's really there in stunning colour and design, and the monumental design and construction achievement with oriental themes the production accomplished by building a tribal council area a few metres just offshore completely in the water.

The show's colours pop, there's no cameraman shadows visible in close-ups when contestants gossip and scheme, the underwater camerawork and music are top notch, a confident Nico Panagio intones his lines like a self-assured thesp stepping back in a comfortable encore after years, and the contestants seem well-chosen for their capacity to stir and their apparent lack of self-awareness.

Ironically the island time spent foraging for food, shelter building and conniving (called "filming reality" in production terms) make the beautiful Philippines look almost too good and even better than what it is in real life.

The real reality of this reality is that taking part in Survivor SA - even set in the tropi-terrific Philippines - is not a pleasant experience.

This season of Survivor SA on M-Net feels, viewing wise during the actual broadcast on a Thursday night, more richer and much more "immersive" than ever before - is it because the show has finally also come of age in the social media era of second screen viewing where viewers instantly give feedback on what they see, as they follow along with the antics, one-liners and plotting shown on the first screen?

Survivor SA finally has not just one but two stories playing out simultaneously - the one on TV screens and the one under the official social media hashtag of #SurvivorSA that creates a richer viewing experience for the island ouster competition show than ever before.

The 6th season of Survivor SA feels self-confident and running full-cylinders as a mature localised franchise for M-Net that comes across as knowing exactly what it's doing and what it needs to do.

Camerawork and angles, grading, sound, contestant and challenge exposition, and editing and pacing are all almost too pristine - like a scrapbook making aficionado or stickers collector pouring hours upon hours into making every single page just perfect - not because it must be but because it belies a personal labour of love.

The massive reality island machine that's Survivor SA with its many different moving parts, came together beautifully for a premium new TV adventure.

M-NET UPFRONT 2018: M-Net's 'local content safari' to showcase its upcoming new TV shows at the Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo in 28 photos.

This past week M-Net (DStv 101) held a press-wow "local content safari" where the pay-TV broadcaster pulled out all the stops to dazzle selected press and South African TV critics with a jam-packed content upfront for its upcoming new TV shows.

Over the 3-day event that took place at the sprawling Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo, M-Net unveiled the second season of The Wedding Bashers that returns first with 4 special episodes, the new season of Survivor South Africa set in the Philippines, a new natural history series, The Wild Ones, and the second season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa.

M-Net not only flew in stars, on-air talent, journalists and advertising executives from across South Africa, but also screened episodes of its new shows to the press in advance before broadcast, and did comprehensive and wide-ranging Q&A talent sessions with the stars and producers of the various shows - besides a game drive, a visit to an rhino orphan rehabilitation sanctuary, as well as breakfast, lunches and dinners.

M-Net lux-de-lux local content upfront was the biggest ever held by a TV channel in the history of South Africa's 40-year television industry.

The upfront was more encompassing and immersive than any others held by other TV channels in the past, in the way that it allowed journalists covering TV, access to producers and talent, and screened full episodes followed by Q&A panels.

With its "local content safari" M-Net raised and set a new benchmark for top notch content upfronts in South Africa.

M-Net surpassed the level of content upfront information and press session media engagements that have been done by premium TV content and channel providers like Discovery Networks International EMEA, BBC Africa's BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide Africa), Viacom International Media Networks Africa, FOX Networks Group Africa and some others in South Africa until now, and who all run channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service.

M-Net wanted to emphasise that the pay-TV broadcaster places a high value on its premium content and that it also places a high priority on showcasing it to TV critics and the press. 

Here's 28 photos that capture just some of M-Net's terrific 3-day local content upfront that it held for the media:

M-NET UPFRONT 2018: M-Net going on a 'local content safari' as the pay-TV broadcaster gets set to unveil more details about the new seasons of Survivor SA: Philippines, The Wedding Bashers, My Kitchen Rules SA and yet another new local production.

Today M-Net (DStv 101) kicks off a 3-day local content upfront, billed as a "local content safari" that will see the South Africa and African pay-TV broadcaster unveil more details about its upcoming new programming, ranging from the new seasons of Survivor SA: Philippines, The Wedding Bashers and My Kitchen Rules SA to taking the wraps off and announcing at least one other new local production.

TV critics and the media covering television in South Africa are being whisked away to one of South Africa's most luxurious destinations, the Legend Golf and Safari Resort situated inside the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in Limpopo, for the 3-day content upfront.

The 3-day jaunt, packed with various M-Net presentations that will keep the Press Covering Television busy over the next 3 days, comes on the back of the just concluded and hugely successful Dancing with the Stars South Africa on Sunday night that saw Connell Cruise win.

The BBC glitter floor format show, produced by Rapid Blue, was taken over by M-Net after airing as Strictly Come Dancing SA on the SABC for 8 seasons and revived for a 9th season under the new Dancing with the Stars SA glitter ball banner.

TVwithThinus asked M-Net on Sunday night if of when there will be a second season but M-Net said it's too early to tell although ratings, viewer engagement and voting statistics were all phenomenal. 

On Monday and Tuesday at the Legend Golf and Safari Resort M-Net plans to put on the razzle-dazzle with several sessions, presentations and a lot more detail about its new local programming slate that will be rolling out on the channel over the course of the next few months.

M-Net says the media will "have the opportunity to experience and view some of the brand new shows that we have lined up on our local content slate".

M-Net will be launching 5 new shows - Survivor South Africa: Philippines, the series of The Wedding Bashers specials, the second season of The Wedding Bashers, the second season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa, as well as a surprise new show announcement.

BREAKING. SABC3 sets next Survivor season, Survivor Cambodia, to start on 7 May - 4 days after the debut of M-Net's Survivor SA: Philippines on 3 May, as viewers again will have to watch two seasons of the show at once.

SABC3 has just set the starting date of the next season of the American reality series, Survivor, to start on Monday 7 May at 19:30 - just 4 days after the start of Survivor South Africa: Philippines on M-Net (DStv 101) on Thursday 3 May at 19:00.

Fingers crossed that Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance will actually start on 7 May on SABC3, since the channel has had problems, payment issues, delays and postponements, tapes not arriving in time, as well as technical playout issues with basically every season of Survivor the past three years.

With Survivor Cambodia penciled in on SABC3's preliminary May schedule, spare a thought for TV critics (like Tashi Tagg over at TVSA who does this utterly amazing, soul-deadening work with reviews, write-ups and sharing episode insights for every single Survivor season) and viewers who will have to try and follow two Survivors at the same time.

Survivor Cambodia is the 31st season of Survivor and has 20 contestants - all people who have been on the show before - hence the "second chance" subtitle. It was filmed at Koh Rong in Cambodia with host Jeff Probst and was broadcast in America in late-2015.

Filming of M-Net's latest season of Survivor SA by production company Afrokaans, Survivor SA: Philippines, took place earlier this year on islands in the Philippines with host Nico Panagio and will have more episodes and surprises than before - as well as something incredibly unbelievable.

(Psst! TVwithThinus did a visit there and has lot of coverage, interviews and photos coming your way once the season starts on 3 May.)

M-Net reveals the Asia Pacific archipelago of the Philippines as the exotic setting for 6th season of Survivor South Africa; will start on 3 May as longest season yet, lasting 39 days.

The 6th season of Survivor South Africa starting on 3 May on M-Net (DStv 101) will be set in the Asia Pacific paradise of the Philippines archipelago and will be known as Survivor SA: Philippines as tribes of ordinary South Africans from all walks of life battle it out to outwit, outplay and outlast each other in the azure blue seas of this exotic locale in the longest season yet.

Filming started in January on Survivor South Africa: Philippines, with the latest season of the popular format reality show, this time produced by Afrokaans, that will be making its debut on M-Net from Thursday 3 May at 19:00.

Once the show starts, TVwithThinus that had the chance to be on location and visit behind the scenes during the filming of the show's new season, will bring readers more of not just the daunting challenges that faces the contestants, but also the production - with an amazing array of twists and turns awaiting viewers in the new season.

American, French and Israeli versions of Survivor have already been filmed in and around islands of the Philippines before with the beautiful and far-flung archipelago that boats some of the world's top-ranking beaches and is known for being a tropical paradise - home to exotic creepy crawlies living in its dense forests, as well as incredible marine life inhabiting its azure oceans.

The South African Survivor SA castaways will be exposed to the beauty of thousands of islands connected by Pacific waters, each one home to these distinct forests and bays which are teeming with indigenous wildlife, both beautiful and dangerous.

"The location of every Survivor series is a crucial part of the show," says Lani Lombard, M-Net’s head of publicity. 

"It stands alongside the castaways as a silent character in its own right – providing the stunning and punishing backdrop against which all of the triumphs and betrayals of this strategically gruelling game play out."

TVwithThinus can exclusively reveal that filming on Survivor SA started at the beginning of January and will finish towards the end of February with contestants who once again had to secretly slip out of South Africa - not knowing how long they might stay in the game and for how long they will be away for.

TVwithThinus can reveal that all of the sound equipment were brought in from America, all of the camera gear was air-freighted in from South Africa to the Philippines in December 2017 and that the show's art department who build all of the challenges and the tribal council area have been in the Philippines since November 2017, preparing all of the builds required for the show.

TVwithThinus can also reveal that Survivor SA: Phillipines will be the longest season yet - stretching a full 39 days.

"The show is longer in duration than any previous Survivor SA season," says Afrokaans. 

"This time filming is taking place over 39 days as opposed to the 27 from the previous seasons. We have crew members who have worked on all 6 seasons of Survivor SA as well as crew members - South African and Philippino - who have worked on numerous seasons of the American Survivor series."

"We have assembled some of the best in the industry to create this show to the highest production value."