Primedia brings more localised format shows to South African television with Denim Richards' Opulent Entertainment

Thinus Ferreira

Primedia Studios that has proven success with bringing and placing localised and adapted global format shows on South African television will bring new seasons of Project Runway, The Voice, Idols and Dancing with the Stars to South African TV.

A misfired, extremely inept and badly done Project Runway SA was attempted by Khanyi Dhlomo's imploded Ndalo Pictures in 2018 for M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and was never seen again, while M-Net (DStv 101) had more success with several seasons of The Voice SA, Idols and Dancing with the Stars.

Primedia Studios is teaming with the American Yellowstone-star Denim Richards and his Opulent Entertainment Group to localise these format reality shows for South African television.

While no platforms have been announced, it's unlikely that Project Runway SA, The Voice SA, Idols or Dancing with the Stars SA will be on any of M-Net's packaged TV channels on DStv, or the financially struggling South African public broadcaster's SABC channels, although it remains a faint possibility.

There is a much greater chance for these localised versions to be allocated airtime on streamers like MultiChoice's Showmax or Netflix SA, eMedia's e.tv, or a number of other third-party supplied DStv channels like NBCUniversal International Networks' Bravo!.

Denim Richards' Opulent Entertainment Group which he co-founded with South African director Mandla Dube, has had success with producing the South African film Heart of the Hunter done for Netflix.

"We are honoured and incredibly excited to join forces with Denim and his Opulent Entertainment Group on a venture that will unearth new stars and infuse these four top-tier ‘shiny-floor’ shows with the spirit of Africa,” says Jan du Plessis, Primedia Studios president, in a statement.

"We share the same vision for the future of African storytelling, and Denim’s extensive experience oscillating between Hollywood and our home ground is part of what will take Primedia Studios’ content slate to the next level."

Denim Richards says "The key to the future and sustainability of entertainment in Africa lies in collaboration and opportunities".

"This collaboration with Primedia Studios is a multi-faceted, significant step forward. Shows like The Voice, Project Runway, Idols and Dancing with the Stars are a powerful platform for undiscovered talent from Africa – not only in front of the camera, but also behind the scenes."

Denim Richards says "Meeting Primedia Group CEO Jonathan Procter and his team has inspired us at Opulent Entertainment Group, since our dreams and vision are aligned."

Jonathan Procter says "Denim Richards is a force of nature. He will fundamentally change the future of creators and the industry in Africa and the way the world understands the creative soul of Africa."

Primedia Studios and Opulent Entertainment's collaboration follows after Primedia's work on revived localised formats for the South African market like Deal or No Deal SA, Deal or No Deal Celebrity, as well as MasterChef SA across various SABC channels of the South African public broadcaster.

ANN7: Christina Aguilera dumped its South African Of the Year Awards 2015 because she's judging The Voice.

ANN7 (DStv 405) in a statement now says Christina Aguilera dumped the South African 24-hour TV news channel's upcoming South African of the Year Awards because she is judging The Voice.

The problem is that someone appears to be lying. The judges for the upcoming 9th season of The Voice on NBC starting on 21 September in the United States were announced back in July already and Christina Aguilera was replaced by Gwen Stefani who will be judging for her second season.


UPDATE 27 September: Christina Aguilera is a judge on the 10th season of The Voice which will be broadcast in 2016 and although the 9th season just started on TV in America, the "blind auditions" for the 10th season is now being filmed with filming dates that were moved.


And if it was true that Christina Aguilera is judging The Voice, why did ANN7 and Infinity Media choose her initially and not do due diligence beforehand which would have revealed that Christina Aguilera is not signable for a live performance in South Africa because she will be a judge?

It's all incredibly embarrassing for ANN7, the South African of the Year Awards and for Christina Aguilera.

The reputation of a media outlet like ANN7 which is in the news business is heavily based on values like honesty, transparency and above all credibility.

This latest sudden about-turn and having to backtrack on announcements and making a mockery of what the South African of the Year Awards 2015 was announced as initially, once again dents and inflicts damage on whatever credibility ANN7 has.

"Christina Aguilera has had to withdrawn due to a change in scheduling of the top-rated show The Voice on which she is one of the judges," says ANN7 in a statement released on Friday morning.

ANN7 goes on: "The schedule change requires her to be in the United States on the day of the South African of the Year Awards show."

NBC in America has not made any schedule changes whatsoever to its schedule for the upcoming 9th season of The Voice - on which Christina Aguilera is not a judge.

ANN7 will now be refunding all tickets to those who've already bought tickets for the South African of the Year Awards 2015 set for 17 October at the Ticketpro Dome in Randburg, Johannesburg.

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 will continue but will now suddenly become a private event.

ANN7 says "anyone who has not heard from Ticketpro should call their call centre to ensure prompt refunding takes place"

Moegsien Williams, editor-in-chief for ANN7 and SATY2015 organiser says in a statement ANN7 is "deeply disappointed" that it will suddenly no longer be able to bring Christina Aguilera to South Africa but that ANN7 "understands that she has contractual obligations that she must meet".

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 will still be a live broadcast on the channel on 17 October.

TOLDJA! The Voice South Africa coming to M-Net: Local version will start in early 2016; already called M-Net's new 'Game of Thrones'.

TV critics and advertisers are already calling it "M-Net's new Game of Thrones": The local version of the singing reality show The Voice South Africa that will start on M-Net (DStv 101) early in 2016 and which the pay-TV broadcaster announced yesterday.

TV with Thinus was first to spill that The Voice SA is on its way after the pay-TV broadcaster finally crossed the t's and dotted the i's to make a first local season of the show. South Africa is now the 60th country in the world to make a local version of The Voice.

It doesn't mean the end of Idols though, currently in its 11th season on M-Net and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) - the pay-TV broadcaster announced that Idols has been renewed for a 12th season for 2016 which will again be a co-production between both those channels in the M-Net stable.

The announcement of The Voice SA was made at M-Net and DStv Media Sales' content showcase for advertisers held in Johannesburg onWednesday afternoon.

"As we approach our 30th anniversary, I'm thrilled to share with you of a major new series we will bring to M-Net in 2016, The Voice SA, exclusive to channel 101," Yolisa Phahle, M-Net South Africa CEO told the packed crowd of TV critics and ad buyers.

"It's the most successful talent reality show in the world and I think it's the perfect show to take M-Net into its next 30 years," said Yolisa Phahle. "Sunday nights are going to be a whole lot more magical from next year."

Behind her a black curtain parted to the sides to reveal one of the iconic red swivel chairs used in the show with Kahn Morbee of The Parlotones who sat in the chair, got up and belted out a song for the audience in a magical moment.

"With its impeccable international track record and blend of undiscovered talent, star power and spectacular sets, it's the perfect fit for a channel that puts a high premium on great family entertainment," said Yolisa Phahle.

"A show of this magnitude is also a fantastic platform for some of our biggest local recording artists. Apart from the panel of four coaches, several guest coaches will also make guest appearances to hone our talent."

The names of the four South African coaches who will dedicate themselves to developing the singers in their team mentally, musically and technically, will be announced later this year.

After the announcement, advertising executives were quick to storm the stage to take selfies sitting in the seat, as well as a pic from a professional photographer in another red swivel chair in M-Net and DStv Media Sales' circus tent outside.

Ad executives and the media were quick to call The Voice SA "M-Net's new Game of Thrones" - alluding to the popular American fantasy drama from HBO which M-Net has the rights to and is showing on M-Net Edge (DStv 102).

"The Voice South Africa will be looking for a class act singer with a unique sound - the kind that will make you stop to listen closely or create awe-inspiring moments," says Harrie Linders, the managing director of AMPN, the production company which will be creating the show for M-Net in conjunction with international format right holders TALPA International.

"Instead of judging someone on his of her looks personally, it's all about the voice and it doesn't matter what your musical background is. The Voice encompasses a wide variety of music genres," says Harrie Linders.

Entries for The Voice SA is open for any South African older than 18, and there's no upper age cut-off. Open auditions will be held in South Africa's biggest cities. Singers will also be able to submit a song online for a possible "fast track" to the front of the audition queues.

M-Net will announce the prize package, the audition dates and venues in early September and on www.mnet.tv/thevoice

M-Net? Mzansi Magic Music? M-Net Series Reality? Where is South Africa's version of The Voice after even Angola produces its own version?

Where is South Africa's version of The Voice?

As country after country around the world adapt the format show with local versions of the hit show, South African broadcasters are left in the lurch as even poor countries like Angola and Mozambique have joined the buzz and zeitgeist by producing The Voice versions of their own.

In South Africa SABC3 showed the American version of The Voice until M-Net took over the rights and started showing newer seasons of The Voice on M-Net (DStv 101) and M-Net Series Showcase (DStv 113).

But there's been no local season yet of The Voice, like The Voice SA, while the show has raced past lamer, clearly tired formats like Idols and Got Talent.

Now Angola's Banda TV picked up Talpa Media's format for a Portuguese version of the show which is watched by 500 million viewers globally.

A local version of The Voice would surely reinvigorate M-Net's programming line-up in South Africa which has had Idols as its sole locally produced singing reality format competition, done in conjunction with Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

A local South African version of The Voice could even be done for M-Net Series Reality (DStv 114) to put that DStv channel on the map and give it a tentpole, signature show of its own - or Mzansi Magic Music (DStv 321).

SABC3 won't do The Voice - the channel couldn't even keep up with just the buying of the rights to the American version.

e.tv won't take a duelling format while it is still doing SA's Got Talent which will roll around for another season in 2014.

On Digital Media's (ODM) constantly restructuring local content team which failed to do any mid to large budget local content programming roll-outs in the past three years is definitely not capable of doing The Voice for Star One (StarSat 110).

It leaves M-Net as currently the sole hope for a local version of The Voice.

EXCLUSIVE. The Voice coming to SABC3 after broadcaster secures the rights; popular singing reality show will start 5 October at 20:00.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively break the news that SABC3 has acquired the broadcasting rights to the new popular reality show The Voice with judges Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and cccc, and exclusively reveal that the The Voice will start on SABC3 on Wednesday 5 October at 20:00. There will be 18 episodes for the season for South Africa.

What sets The Voice apart - which turned into a surprise viewership success in America where it started in April - is the blind audition process. Contestants sing in front (or actually behind the backs of their robo-chairs) of the judges, and the contestants are then put through solely based on their voice.

''This is a very big get for the broadcaster,'' says an insider of The Voice. ''It will be the big show SABC3 is planning for October.''

''It's a great show and hopefully viewers will love it,'' says another source. ''SABC3 already has the best reality shows like the American Survivor and The Amazing Race and viewers will likewise hopefully fall in love with the The Voice as well.''