The X Factor SA judges will be Arno Carstens, Zonke and Oskido when the show starts on SABC1 on 6 September.

The X Factor South Africa's judges will be Arno Carstens, Zonke and Oskido it has been announced.

They will join The X Factor SA's presenter Andile Ncube who was announced at the beginning of last month.

The X Factor South Africa will start on SABC1 on Saturday 6 September at 18:00 on SABC1. 

It remains to be see whether South African viewers will be able to keep up and have as big an appetite for multiple TV talent shows running concurrently on South African television and which of these shows will be able to not only grab viewers' interest but manage to maintain it.

Besides the first season of The X Factor SA on Saturdays on SABC1, there will be Idols X on M-Net and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on Sundays at 17:30, and SA's Got Talent's 5th season on e.tv and those judges making their "X'es" also starting in September - a lot of homework for viewers, and TV critics.

The X Factor SA, produced by Rapid Blue, will unspool over the course of 15 weeks on SABC1, starting on 6 September and ending with a live finale in Durban on 13 December.

The winner receives a Sony Music Entertainment contract and R300 000 as a cash prize.

"This is a launch pad for somebody with talent but you also have to have the ambition, the work ethic and everything else," says Maijang Mpherwane, SABC1 channel head.

"SABC1 is delighted that Zonke, Arno Carstens and Oskido have joined The X Factor South Africa judging panel. They have years of experience both here and abroad," says Maijang Mpherwane.

"They are driven and hard-working and bring their extensive know-how and knowledge to the show".

Zonke is a multi-award winning singer, songwriter and producer and a multiple South African Music Awards winner. Her father was Vuyisile Dikana, the drummer of Black Slave and the Flamingo, and her late stepmother, Anneline Malebo, sang for Joy.

Arno Carstens is the lead singer of the Springbok Nude Girls, also won multiple South African Music Awards, and has toured South Africa, Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Oskido is an award-winning producer, performer, radio presenter and record producer who started Kalawa Records, and is a member of Brothers of Peace (B.o.P.)

Psych, The X Factor USA, The Michael J. Fox Show all cancelled in America.

Psych seen in South Africa on Universal Channel (DStv 117), and The X Factor and The Michael J. Fox Show both shown on M-Net in South Africa have all cancelled in America.

Psych will end after its current 8th season.

"Psych has made an indelible imprint on the television landscape, with a unique brand of comedy," says Chris McCumber, the president of USA Network, the TV channels the show is broadcast on in America, in a statement announcing Psych's cancellation.

"The final season celebrates the iconic characters that have made this show so beloved, and will be an exclamation point on the series' incredible run. And while the series will wrap in March somehow I don't believe we've heard the last of Shawn and Gus."

The American version of The X Factor, known as The X Factor USA, is also done after three seasons with Simon Cowell returning to the United Kingdom.

"To all of us at Fox, Simon Cowell is more than one of the most prolific TV personalities of our time – he's part of our family," says Kevin Reilly, the chairman of FOX in a statement announcing the cancellation of The X Factor after dismal viewership figures for the reality show in America.

"Unfortunately, there is no The X Factor USA without Simon Cowell, but we understand and support his decision to focus on the international formats and on the next phase of his personal life."

There is no official cancellation of The Michael J. Fox Show on M-Net and no statement, but the show has immediately been pulled off the schedule from the NBC TV channel in the United States in a clear sign that it won't be back, Variety reported.

BREAKING. Paula Abdul, Steven Jones and Nicole Scherzinger all dumped from The X Factor by Simon Cowell.

In a zinger South African reality television viewers haven't seen since M-Net parted ways with presenter Liezel van der Westhuizen and judge Mara Louw in Idols, The X Factor is dumping presenter Steve Jones, as well as judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, none of whom will be back for the second season, Deadline reports - quoting insider sources.

Although Steve Jones and Nicole Scherzinger's departure from the reality show was rumoured, the dumping of Paula Abdul from The X Factor comes as a shock, given her close friendship with judge and executive producer Simon Cowell.

While the show had so-so viewership in America and fell short of expectations, The X Factor performed admirably for M-Net in South Africa. According to Deadline, noe of the 3 left by their choice.

''I won't be hosting next seasons X Factor which is a shame but I cant complain as I've had a great time,'' Steve Jones wrote on Twitter.

CONFIRMED. The popular reality show The X Factor US with Simon Cowell starting in September, coming to M-Net from October.

M-Net has just officially confirmed what TV with Thinus readers would have known for months now: That the broadcaster tried to get, and has just secured the broadcasting rights to the new American version of Simon Cowell's reality show, The X Factor US. It will start on M-Net in early October after its September debut in America.

ALSO READ: November 2010: M-Net confirms its trying to get The X Factor for M-Net in 2011.
ALSO READ: February 2011: A local South African version of The X Factor on M-Net ''a very strong possibility''.
ALSO READ: July 2011: M-Net definitely planning on showing The X Factor US shortly after it starts in America; doing MasterChef South Africa since The X Factor SA format rights too expensive for now.

Simon Cowell that left American Idol is back on television from September in America and he's producing and will be a judge in an American version of Britain's extremely popular reality show. M-Net has finally acquired the rights and will have The X Factor US on the schedule from early October. Last month Simon Cowell that he believes that The X Factor will be bigger than American Idol in the ratings – currently America's most watched TV show. He's reteamed with his slightly cooky former American Idol judge Paula Abdul who's also a judge on The X Factor US.

''The X Factor US will be joining the list of M-Net super-weight titles on the magic mantle,'' M-Net confirms in a press release. ''Bringing The X Factor US to M-Net viewers once again proves that the channel has become the home of blockbuster reality shows,'' says Pierre Cloete, M-Net and M-Net HD channel head in the statement. ''Following the success of American Idol we can't wait to see the entertainment that The X Factor US has in store.''

''The X Factor US is an exclusive for M-Net in South Africa,'' says Tracey Gilchrist, head of acquisitions at M-Net. ''The X Factor US will follow a similar broadcast pattern to the American broadcasting dates, reducing the turnaround time between programming in America and here in South Africa.''

BREAKING. A local version of the hit reality talent show The X Factor on M-Net is now ''a very, very strong possibility''.

You're reading it here first.

In November last year I asked and M-Net told me the pay broadcaster is looking at trying to get The X Factor. Now I'm told that a local version of this hit reality show that started to overshadow and replace Pop Idol in Britain and will start this year in America is now ''a very, very strong possibility'' on M-Net.

Another titbit - and this one is difficult since. Because of the tense and the way the sentence was said, I have no way of knowing whether it refers to something that happened and is not considered anymore, or something considered and actually still being considered. Here goes:

''M-Net considered Wipeout for South Africa as a local reality production. We have to make business decisions based on what we think will work, what we think will get audiences. We absolutely keep our fingers on the pulse of the latest TV trends in shows.''

That's exactly how I heard it and unfortunately I can't tell whether a local Wipeout would still be on the cards, or whether it was considered but the idea discarded. Often TV execs talk in the past tense but mean present. So I can't give more context as a journalist than just accurately conveying what I was told.

BREAKING. M-Net confirms that the pay broadcaster is trying to get The X Factor for 2011.

You're reading it here first.

M-Net has officially confirmed to me when I asked, that the pay broadcaster is looking to get the new reality show The X Factor for 2011 but is still negotiating and trying to secure the broadcasting rights to the format for a local South African version of the popular talent search reality show.

''M-Net is possibly doing The X Factor, Pierre Cloete, head of M-Net told me when I asked him.  ''We cannot confirm it at this stage yet but a big channel like M-Net will certainly, and is certainly looking at The X Factor,'' he told me.

So will M-Net have both a new seventh season of Idols as well as The X Factor on at the same time? ''Idols is a fantastic show for us and Idols was rejuvenated this year thanks to in large part a fantastic crew and that is why we're commencing a season seven and we're very excited,'' says Pierre Cloete. ''We believe there's still a lot of undiscovered talent in South Africa.''

ALSO READ: M-Net announces that the pay broadcaster is doing a seventh season of Idols in 2011, starting with auditions in February.