TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK: Has Mzansi Magic gotten tired of Idols? With no pre- nor post-publicity for the first time for Theatre Week during its 14th season, the media wonder to what level the show still matters to M-Net.

Neither before the 95 hopefuls arrived at the Wild Coast Sun, nor after they were cut down to the 16 who remained during the so-called Theatre Week, did Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) bother to reach out to do any pre- or post-publicity for this part of the 14th season of Idols.

This has left the Press Covering Television wondering whether the channel is itself still interested in the show.

In a very noticeable break from previous seasons of the [SIC] Entertainment produced show currently in its 14th season on Sundays on Mzansi Magic, the M-Net packaged channel has for the first time deviated from past practice in terms of communicating with the media when it comes to Theatre Week.

In past seasons, first when the show was on M-Net, and later when it moved to sister channel Mzansi Magic, publicists would always notify the press and TV critics when it would be taking place and filmed, and also invite and give some media access during the filming to observe and do interviews and bank stories for later.

Secondly, before the actual broadcast date, and again afterwards, there would be press releases issued about Idols' Theatre Week - before the time to alert the media (and thereby viewers) that the first Theatre Week episode is going to be shown, and afterwards about who made it through.

This year Mzansi Magic is treating Idols quite differently, without explanation to the press, having done neither.

While publicists attended the 14th season Idols Theatre Week at the Wild Coast Sun that took place during March this year, there was no engagement with the media about it either before or afterwards.

The media covering Idols were ignored and kept away from the Port Edward phase in southern KwaZulu-Natal.

Cue the broadcasting date of the Theatre Week episodes - and again nothing from Mzansi Magic either before or during the broadcast of Theatre Week episodes.

Further keep in mind that there was no advisory this year about the Idols Extra channel running on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform. Mzansi Magic had to be asked about it, instead of volunteering the additional information without being asked as in the past.

Eaxctly a year ago on 6 August 2017, Mzansi Magic still gushed with numerous Idols press releases, especially and including before the broadcast of Theatre Week like "Idols S13 Episode 5: Theatre Week gets off on a high and a low".

Mzansi Magic and Idols would take the time to carefully explain what's new, what will change, quotes from the judges and some of what viewers can look forward to see during Theatre Week.

Not this year.

So, if Mzansi Magic doesn't seem to care about Idols anymore, should the media tracking, covering and reporting about it, care?

It could very well be that the Idols ratings are so great that Mzansi Magic and Idols don't feel the need to do anything else; viewers are watching anyway.

It could very well be that Idols is no longer, or less of, a priority show for Mzansi Magic, resulting in less attention and publicity efforts devoted to it.

It could also be several other things. Who knows?

The end result is that there's likely less coverage of Idols this season so far in the media, and very likely less coverage of Theatre Week.

Theatre Week is the front-end "big moment" of the show before the weekly live performances and eliminations during the middle, and then the big fanfare live finale "big moment" at the end.

If the first big event of Idols' 14th season doesn't matter or warranted any attention from Mzansi Magic as something important enough to involve the media in, will the middle, or even the end?

M-Net oddly keeps the media covering Idols on Mzansi Magic at bay and away from the 14th season's Theatre Week in Port Edward.

South Africa's press covering television has apparently been kept away at more than arms' length this weekend during the last part of the filming of the Theatre Week of the 14th season of Idols on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

As in previous years, 90 Idols finalists from across South Africa were whisked away this week to the Wild Coast Sun in Port Edward in southern KwaZulu-Natal.

Unlike previous years however there wasn't any communication from M-Net about it to journalists covering the show at all, nor media invitations to members of the press like in the past to come and sit in and cover this usually infamous part of the reality singing competition series.

In previous seasons journalists sat in and watched contestants perform and get critiqued while the remaining contestants got whittled down in dramatic fashion.

The 14th season of Idols will kick off on Mzansi Magic in July.

Previously M-Net would invite journalists along to bank stories and do interviews - under embargo - for when the show, produced by [SIC] Entertainment, would reach Theatre Week's on-air broadcasting date on Mzansi Magic. But apparently not this year.

This week the top 90 Idols finalists and the production again descended on the Wild Coast Sun in Port Edward with judges Randall Abrahams, Somizi Mhlongo, Unathi Msengana and presenter and co-executive producer ProVerb (Tebogo Thekisho).

It follows the various regional auditions in several South African cities since the beginning of this year after the 13th season finale in which Paxton Fielies was crowned the winner and the Idols runner-up Mthokozisi Ndaba fled the stage after being unable to cope with his defeat.

It's not clear why M-Net didn't reach out to the usual group of press consistently covering the show to once again take a red theatre seat in the Wild Coast Sun auditorium where they get to see some of the show, and get some insight into what's happening during Theatre Week in Port Edward. The result will be less exposure for this part of Idols when it airs on Mzansi Magic.

In America the broadcast of the 16th season of American Idol kicked off last week.