BREAKING. The Event faces an uncertain future on M-Net in 2011 when the show returns from its sudden midseason hiatus.

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The Event faces an uncertain future on M-Net in 2011 when the serialized science fiction show - sold to more than 200 countries around the world - returns to the pay broadcaster next year. In fact, The Event could even disappear entirely from the pay broadcaster who could presumably drop the show after just one new episode that will definitely be broadcast on M-Net next year, and then ship the show off to one of its M-Net sister channels on DStv.

Yesterday, RIGHT HERE I speculated about The Event's suddenly precarious future on M-Net, and the pay broadcaster just weighed in, admitting that's there isn't clarity yet on The Event uncertain future. ''Unfortunately we are yet to confirm when we will be continuing with episode 14 [of The Event],'' M-Net tells me, but can definitely confirm that ''The Event will return with episode 11 on January 26, 2011.''

According to M-Net The Event - broadcast in South Africa a mere day and a bit on the pay broadcaster - ''will go on hiatus from episode 10 on December 1, 2010'', following the same sudden hiatus of The Event in America on the NBC network. With viewership plunging there, and The Event in South Africa not making the top ten list on M-Net, the show could possibly be moved to M-Net Action (DStv 106) or M-Net Series (DStv 110) in 2010, similar to what happened to Lost, but not (yet) Fringe.

UPDATE Wednesday, November 17, 10:30 - The Event will definitely stay put on M-Net for definitely the complete first season of the show, the pay broadcaster tells me. The only thing that's uncertain is when later episodes will resume in 2011. ''The series will continue through episode 22 [on M-Net],'' says the channel.

BREAKING. How will M-Net be handling The Event, going on hiatus and only coming back with new episodes in March 2011?

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It's going to be interesting to watch how M-Net handles (and what the pay broadcaster does scheduling and channel wise) with The Event, the high concept new drama show that's struggling in America on NBC and also not cracking the top ten list of shows on M-Net.

NBC just placed The Event on hiatus with the show that will now suddenly stop with new episodes at the end of November (29). M-Net broadcasts episodes mere days later in South Africa, which means The Event will come to a sudden halt on M-Net at this time as well. Will M-Net first of all keep The Event by the time the show resumes again with episode 14 which would only happen on March 7 in America - four months later? Also, if The Event is kept on M-Net and not moved to M-Net Action (DStv 106) or possibly even shipped off to M-Net Series (DStv 110), will it still run two days after episodes are broadcast in America?

The Event will return with a clip show in March 2011 in America to clue viewers in as to the events in The Event's previous 13 episodes. The Event could be gone by May. It was picked up for a full first season but viewership keeps going down. Also on M-Net The Event is not a weekly top ten show. I have asked M-Net about its proposed plans for The Event and whether the pay broadcaster plans to stick with the show, and if so, whether South African viewers will continue to see new episodes close to the America broadcast date, and I'm still awaiting an answer.

UPDATE - Tuesday, November 16, 23:30: M-Net just told me that The Event will indeed go on hiatus on South Africa on the pay broadcaster, but that the show will definitely remain on M-Net (DStv 101) for at least one new episode in 2011. ''The Event will go on hiatus on M-Net from episode 10 on December 1, 2010,'' M-Net tells me. ''The Event will return with episode 11 on January 26, 2011,'' says the pay broadcaster. ''Unfortunately we are yet to confirm when we will be continuing with episode 14.''

BREAKING. M-Net to broadcast new drama The Event a mere 36 hours after episodes air in America.

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M-Net viewers are already complaining bitterly to me since yesterday and today about M-Net's The Event countdown clock counter buzzing in the corner of their TV screens. But the pay broadcaster is shaking up the status quo by further closing the broadcasting window between America and South Africa and is making sure viewers know about it.

Early in September I broke the news RIGHT HERE that M-Net has secured the broadcasting rights to The Event that kicked off in America last week with the first episode and will be starting this week on M-Net. (''Today its two days because yesterday the irritating buzz block said three days,'' a reader told me this morning - so M-Net's buzz-o-countdown-clock is having the desired effect.)

To help combat piracy in a digital world, cash in on global buzz and just do it because they can, M-Net will be showing The Event a mere 36 hours later in South Africa after episodes air in America. Currently South Africa will be a few days behind (9) America, but will catch up dramatically when the American Superbowl causes The Event to skip a week.

The Event grabbed 12,2 million viewers last week in America and is off to a great start. Even better - because even American viewers don't know what the event of The Event is yet by the end of the first episode (MASSIVE shocking final scene!). So in a wonderful the mystery remains for M-Net viewers as well, since the channel is showing it while the narrative of the show is playing out in au courant popular culture. 

The Event has been snapped up by 200 countries Variety was first to report last week which includes M-Net. ''It's a great achievement for us to be able to broadcast The Event as part of NBC's worldwide release. It has been made possible by the latest broadcast technology which allows us to acquire HD files through a state-of-the-art new file delivery service,'' says Pierre Cloete, M-Net's channel head.