HBO's Cinemax has joined the Cape Town filmed co-production of Deon Meyer's Trackers drama series done by M-Net and Germany's ZDF.

HBO's Cinemax TV channel has also joined South Africa's M-Net and Germany's ZDF in their co-production of the Cape Town filmed drama series based on Deon Meyer's crime-and-spy book Trackers.

M-Net announced Trackers in February 2018, based on Deon Meyer's 7th book.

While M-Net will show Trackers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan African on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, ZDF will show it in Germany while Cinemax gets the remaining worldwide rights for the United States and areas beyond Africa and Germany.

The 6-episode Trackers, produced by Three River Studios in the United Kingdom and Studio 23, will start on M-Net (DStv 101) in October 2019 and will also be available on MultiChoice's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, Showmax.

Trackers as an action-thriller revolves around an international terrorist plot in Cape Town, South Africa and an extended conspiracy involving organized crime, smuggled diamonds, state security, Black Rhinos, and the CIA.

The British writer Robert Thorogood is the showrunner with Deon Meyer as supervising screenwriter and co-producer. Jyri Kähönen is the director of all Trackers episodes with Ivan Strasburg as director of photography.

The team of South African writers on Trackers includes the screenwriter and director Amy Jephta as well as writer-directors Kelsey Egen and Jozua Malherbe.

The Trackers cast includes Ed Stoppard, Rolanda Marais, James Alexander, Thapelo Mokoena and James Gracie, among others.

James Alexander plays the character of Lemmer, a man seeking revenge while rebuilding his life in a small town after his career was destroyed during an operation for the Presidential Bureau of Intelligence (PBI).

Rolanda Marais is the "unlikely heroine" Milla Strachan, an abused Cape Town housewife who becomes a data analyst for the PBI and finds herself at the centre of the conspiracy.

Ed Stoppard is Lukas Becker, an alleged CIA operative.

"The trailblazing and massively exciting co-production of Trackers illustrates M–Net's vision and commitment to shine the spotlight on the African film and television industry and provide fresh, proudly African narratives to our viewers as well as global audiences," says Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO of general entertainment.

"It is also taking our longstanding relationship with Cinemax to the next level, allowing local and international talent to combine their world-class story-telling and production skills."

"Trackers is an unprecedented scripted television venture and MultiChoice and M-Net are proud to chart out new territory with all the game-changing players involved in this co-production."

Len Amato, president of HBO films, miniseries and Cinemax, says "Cinemax is delighted to partner with M-Net and ZDF in bringing Deon Meyer's unforgettable characters and storytelling - all so richly rooted in the people and spectacular geography of South Africa - to screens around the world".

Besides Cape Town, M-Net says filming for Trackers has already started in "exotic locations" across South Africa and that M-Net, ZDF and Cinemax have been working together on all aspects of production – from developing and casting, to assembling the crew and approving the final content.

12 DStv subscribers acting out their favourite movie scene can snag a week trip to Los Angeles and a walk-on role in M-Net Movies film, Greatest Movie Ever Made.

"I'll be back": Acting out and recording just a few seconds of a scene from any of the Terminator films, Top Gun, Toy Story, Batman, Rambo - literally any movie currently showing on any of the M-Net Movies channels on DStv could win 12 viewers the prize of flying to Los Angeles and starring in the short M-Net Movies film Greatest Movie Ever Made that will be filmed in South Africa.

If you have chest hair you can have ripped off shouting "Aaaah, Kelly Clarkson!" like in the funny chest waxing scene from The 40 Year Old Virgin, to Shrek, Jurassic Park, Star Trek or Julia Roberts conniving in My Best Friend's Wedding, 12 South African DStv subscribers can snag a week long trip to LA with a partner, as well as a walk-on role in a South African film.

Any scene from any film on any of the M-Net Movies channels on DStv, ranging from M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104), M-Net Movies Smile (DStv 105), M-Net Movies Action (DStv 106), M-Net Movies Showcase (DStv 107), M-Net Movies Action (DStv 110) to M-Net Movies All Stars (DStv 111) and M-Net Movies Zone (DStv 139) can be used to act out and record for the competition.

The closing date is Saturday 20 August at midnight.

Contestants older than 18 need to upload their short video to social media using the hashtag #MMGreatest on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and then fill out an entry form at www.mnet.tv to validate the entry within the first week of posting the video on social media.

A panel will pick the 24 best entries, with the public who will then vote from 23 August. The 12 contestants with the most votes will go to Los Angeles for a week and will be able to take a partner along.

In South Africa, the 12 will be included in Greatest Movie Ever Made filmed during the week of 26 September.

"You may just be acting opposite one of your favourite local stars and experience what it's really like behind-the-scenes on a movie shoot - even more reason to take part in the competition," says Lani Lombard, M-Net's head of publicity.

BREAKING. Revealed! Strictly Come Dancing's 10 South African stars who will strut their stuff in the 6th season on SABC3 from 10 July.

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Connie Ferguson, Graeme Richards, Kuli Roberts, Lalla, Jay Anstey, Zakeeya Patel, Damon Kalvari, Mpho Popps Modikoane, L'Vovo and Thapelo Mokoena are the 10 South African celebrities who will be dancing in the 6th season of the floor format dance reality show Strictly Come Dancing starting in less than three weeks on SABC3 on 10 July at 20:00 TV with Thinus can be first to reveal.

The biggest battle for the ballroom floor awaits as the dance reality show shifts from SABC2 to SABC3 for the 6th season.

There's been no response from the broadcaster as to why Strictly Come Dancing is shifting channels. The 6th season of the popular live entertainment reality show was originally planned for the latter part of last year but was then shifted to 2013.

Strictly Come Dancing's 6th season will run for 10 weeks from the SABC's Renaissance Centre in Auckland Park on Wednesday nights between 20:00 to 22:00 as the dance couples compete against each other trying to impress a panel of judges and viewers who get to vote for who they want to help keep in the show.

Dance pairs will start to be cut from Strictly Come Dancing from the third episode.

Strictly Come Dancing is once again produced for the SABC by the format show powerhouse Rapid Blue, the production company behind reality entertainment shows which has already seen multiple seasons on South African television ranging from SA's Got Talent on e.tv and Come Dine with SA on BBC Entertainment, to The Bar-One Manhunt on SABC1.

The South African celebrities who will be stepping into their dancing shoes range from the darling TV soap queen Connie Ferguson currently on the Mzansi Magic channel in her own TV drama series and the socialite Kuli Roberts, to SABC3's fit morning breakfast show presenter Graeme Richards who can be seen on Expresso.

Lalla Hirayama, the Vuzu TV channel presenter who has a dance history, actress and reality star Jay Anstey, the Indian actress Zakeeya Patel seen in the SABC3 drama High Rollers and the comedian Mpho Popps Modikoane are also onboard the 6th season of Strictly Come Dancing.

The radioman Damon Kalvari from 5FM, musician L'Vovo Derrango and the actor and presenter Thapelo Mokoena round out the top 10 stars who are all paired with dance professionals and who will be dancing live in front of a studio audience as viewers watch at home.

With less than three weeks to go before Strictly Come Dancing starts on SABC3, the channel and its PR company has so far declined to release any names or photos.

While news about the upcoming season and the show's return to SABC3 has been known for quite a while now, SABC3's PR company only officially confirmed the show's return to the schedule late yesterday afternoon with an official announcement which including no celebrity contestants' names.

SABC3 said that the channel is in no doubt that the 6th season of Strictly Come Dancing will become the programme of choice on Wednesday evenings.

"Full of warmth, joy and the 'wow'-factor, we are thrilled to be bringing back Strictly Come Dancing, the most glamorous entertainment show in the world, for its 6th season," said Kee-Leen Irvine, the managing director of Rapid Blue and the executive producer of the show in the issued statement. "It's war on the dance floor and we can't wait to see this year's celebrities in action."