Updates:
02-03-07: March Premiere Dates Announced
03-03-07: Official 'CSI' Premiere Date Added
08-03-07: Review and Recap Links Added
08-03-07: Weeds Airdate Changed
08-03-07: Formatting Modification
Upon browsing the M-Net website I managed to come across what's coming up on M-Net for the next 6 months! (Note: SABC and eTV try something similar). Anyways I thought I'd review what's coming up on the channel in the next 6 months. Seems like there's a host of some new and exciting shows as well as returning favourites coming back for another amazing season! Here's what we can expect for months to come.
February:
New Series: Culture Shock (Sundays 5:00PM)
Premieres: Sunday 18 February 5:00PM
In this bran new exciting South African reality series, "Culture Shock" takes South Africans out of their comfort zone and show them how ‘the other half' live. The show will change participant's perceptions of their lives, and the lives of the rest of South Africa, by helping them experience each others' cultures - from the inside. Families from two different cultures swap homes and lives for two weeks. One parent and one child from each family will trade places for the two-week period, experiencing each other's cultures and realities. The show not only follows the drama from a third party perspective, but also has constant in-depth and personal interviews with the participants about their thoughts and feelings. The families may not see the other members of their family for the duration of the two week period, and cell phones are banned. Swapped participants may only use facilities, shops, transport, money, help, modes of communication that their hosts would use.
Carl Fischer, Head of M-Net Original Productions, says that the show will not be seeking to pit stereotypes against each other, but rather to illustrate the diversity of cultures in South Africa. “Culture Shock is not about winning, it's not about prize money and it's not about fame, but rather about the participants having fun. It is about understanding themselves and their fellow South Africans better, and providing some answers to all those urban and rural cultural legends,” he says. “For viewers and contestants alike, Culture Shock could change how you see people, how you understand people and provide some insight into the South African psyche.”
Smallville VI (Tuesdays 7:30PM)
Premieres: 13 February 7:30PM
Now in it's sixth season, "Smallville" promises an exciting season, at least an exciting season premiere. Having the opportunity to have previewed the season premiere from a friend, I must admit it's quite good and will please and satisfy even the die hard of Smallville fans.
In the season premiere, which picks up from where last season's finale left off, a powerless Clark is trapped in the "Phantom Zone" surrounded by the criminals his father imprisoned there. However, an unexpected ally comes to his aid. Meanwhile, Zod in Lex's body advances his plan to transform Earth into a new Krypton, while using Lana to produce an heir.
Special: Smallville VI Season Premiere Review
Four Kings (Rebroadcast) (Tuesday 5:30PM)
Premiered: 6 February 5:30PM
From the Emmy-winning creators of "Will & Grace" (which airs thier Series Finale Tonight and Next Week on SABC 3), are creating "Four Kings," centers on a quartet of guys, childhood best friends, who live in New York. Sadly the show didn't perform strongly and NBC Network pulled the show off the air after 7 episodes. This is M-Net's second broadcast cylcle of the show.
Modern Men (Rebroadcast) (Wednesday 5:30PM)
Premiered: 7 February 5:30PM
Modern Men is a show which revolves around three single guys -- friends since childhood -- who hire a life coach to help them with women. The comedy series aried as a mid-season series on the former The WB Network. It didn't fare to strong for US audiences and recieved a 7 episode run on the network. This is M-Net's second broadcast cycle of the show.
March:
CSI VI (Thursday 9:30PM)
Premieres: Thursday 15 March, 9:30PM
The sixth season of the best crime show on TV finally arrives on local soil. Thanks to the Prison Break pre-emption back in the beginning of 2006, we’re now year and a half behind. In fact this premiere aired in the US in September 2005. In the season premiere the two forensic teams come back together under the leadership of Grissom and Catherine just in time to tackle three separate investigations: a murdered couple found in bed in a suspicious trailer explosion; a beautiful stripper discovered dead and dumped in the worst part of town; and two bodies found baked and decomposed after spending five days in the trunk of a car exposed to the hot Vegas sun, forcing the CSIs to "wrap" up the evidence and bring it back to the lab for further analysis.
Desperate Housewives III (Thursday 8:30PM)
Premieres: Thursday 15 March, 8:30PM
Those crazy (yes more of an understatement) Housewives are back and having previewed most of this season already, I can bravely say, "its back, Desperate Housewives is back on track" and after its season 2 slight mishap Marc Cherry’s managed to turn the show around with some Season 1 reminicence. Well, let you decide. The third season opens up with an exciting murder mystery, and flash forwards six months into the future. Bree’s evidently moved on with a relationship with Orson (remember the guy from the Psychiatric clinic? Susan’s friend and the guy who knocked Mike?) yes him- why does this women attract trouble?! And be sure not to miss the wedding bells from Hell in Episode 2! Mike is in a coma for 6 months and Susan remains at his side, but meets a hunky Englishman Ian in similar position, having his wife remain in a tragic coma for years, however the two become really friendly and we talking romance here. Lynette finally meets Tom’s love child from another mother and wants to kill the mother- Nora, and trust me you’d want to do so after seeing her. Then there’s Gabby, might I say Eva Longoria’s not really sporting the best hairstyle wither her blonder approach, and her clothing has taken a dip this season, but Gabby must deal with her husband’s affair with her surrogate maid Xoi Mei and still look after this 8.5month pregnant women and deal with divorce lawyers. None the less you have all things hectic and spicy this season with new love interest, a new mystery, and loads of dramedy from these Housewives. Oh and even Edie gets a storyline. Be sure not to miss the third season.
NEW SERIES: Help Me Help You (Thursday 7:00PM)
"Help Me Help You" take a bunch of people who are all really messed up in different ways and put them in a room together to try and help each other out. he group leader, Dr. Bill Hoffman, is probably the craziest and most self-obsessed of all, but his patients would never know it because he hides behind his very respectable celebrity image as a bestselling author of phenomenally successful self-help books. The series explores the comical side of group therapy as members of the group apply the good doctor's advice to the real world with enthusiastic effort, until they begin to realize maybe Dr. Bill should be doing the heavy lifting along with them
Lost III (Wednesday 8:00PM)
Premieres: Thursday 14 March, 8:00PM
Once 'lost' on M-Net schedule, it is now found, "Lost" is back and finally! After originally being planned to air from January, M-Net moved the premiere of the anticipated third season to March and it’s finally here. In the premiere episode, Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are prisoners of the mysterious "Others." After their captors drug them and take blood samples, they are held in separate areas. The camp leaders--Ben (Henry Gale), Mr. Friendly and a new woman, Juliet--try to make the castaways adjust to their new circumstances. Flashbacks reveal more about Jack's past with his father and his wife Sarah.
Prison Break II (Tuesday 8:30PM)
Premiere: Tuesday 06 March, 8:30PM
After getting himself incarcerated in Fox River State Penitentiary to free his wrongly accused brother, Lincoln Burrows, Michael Scofield is now on the loose–along with his brother and six other convicts. Set to uncover the $5 million hidden by D.B. Cooper, the escapees attempt to evade capture–being tailed by both Captain Brad Bellick and FBI Special Agent Alexander Mahone. In the season premiere, As eight hours has passed since the escape, Michael, Lincoln, Sucre, C-Note and Abruzzi attempt to evade their seekers. Bellick is forced to relinquish the command of the search party to FBI Special Agent Alexander Mahone whose ingenious approach makes Michael's life as a fugitive harder. As a result from her overdose, Dr. Tancredi is in critical condition. A short-handed T-Bag faces the ultimate challenge.
Special: Prison Break Season 2 Premiere Review and RecapWeeds II (Tuesday 10:30PM)
Premiere: Tuesday 03 April, 10:30PM
Note: That due to the double Nip/Tuck episode airing, 'Weeds' premiere is moved back a week into April.
This is the second season of this a single-camera comedy about a single mother who makes ends meet by selling marijuana in the fictional suburb of Agrestic, California. "Weeds" exposes the dirty little secrets that lie behind the pristine lawns and shiny closed doors of homes in the of this gated community. Mary Louise Parker stars as the suburban mom who resorts to selling weed to support her family after her husband unexpectedly dies. Jenji Kohan will executive produces and writes the series. In it's premiere, after repeatedly having her suggestions ignored by the likes of Doug Wilson and having a eye-opening car accident Celia decides to run for city council. Nancy tries to break things off with Peter because her life is currently too illegal to be dating the DEA. Things gets even more hectic when Sanjay screws up at the bakery. Andy is still trying to get into a Rabbinical school so that he doesn't get shipped off to Iraq.
April: Note: Open Time Ends in April so 'Everwood' will not be avaliable during Open Time hours.
Note: M-Net does not provide official premeire dates for Series Premieres from April.Everwood IV (Sundays 5:00PM)
In its upcoming fourth season and final season, "Everwood" will continue telling stories to provoke the mind while stirring the heart. Over the past months, both Dr. Andy Brown and his son, Ephram felt the constraints of small-town life. Ephram's restlessness and resentment toward his father saw him flee to Europe. Meanwhile, Dr. Brown's best friend Nina moved in with Jake, the town's young hotshot doctor turned entrepreneur. With so much unsettling change, Andy now wonders if his grand experiment of moving to this simple Colorado town has finally run its course. In the year ahead, both father and son will face tough decisions about their future. Ephram's choice is the hardest: forge ahead to new ground, or return to his old life and Amy , the girl he loves. For Andy, it's a matter of trying to begin anew, perhaps in a place far from "Everwood".
My Name is Earl II (Wednesdays 7:30PM)
The comedy continues for a second season; Earl’s life has been full of poor choices and mistakes, but after winning a small lottery jackpot he has an epiphany and vows to change his ways. Upon discovering that he is the holder of a winning ticket, Earl is hit by a car and the ticket blows out of his limp hand as he lies unconscious in the street. While recovering in the hospital and watching television, Earl has a karmic epiphany, thanks to Carson Daly, who attributes his success to doing good for others. A light bulb goes off in Earl’s dim head and he sets out to right every wrong he has done starting with a grade school geek.
Rome II (Sundays After The Movie)
"Rome" is the saga of two ordinary Roman soldiers and their families. An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, it chronicles epic times that saw the fall of a republic and the creation of an empire. The series begins in 52 BC, as Gaius Julius Caesar has completed his masterful conquest of Gaul after eight years of war, and is preparing to return to Rome. He heads home with thousands of loyal battle-hardened men, huge amounts of loot in gold and slaves, and a populist agenda for radical social change. Terrified, the aristocracy threatens to prosecute Caesar for war crimes as soon as he sets foot in Rome. Caesar's old friend and mentor, Pompey Magnus, attempts to foment mutiny in order to maintain the balance of power. Two of Caesar's soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, thwart Pompey's plan and in the process, win the eternal gratitude of Caesar and the Julian clan, affording the two plebian officers an intimate view of the ruling class. The fates of Pullo and Vorenus become entwined with those of Caesar, Mark Antony, Cleopatra and the boy Octavian, a strange and awkward child who, by political guile and bloody force, will become the first emperor of Rome.
NEW SERIES: The Class (Monday 7:00PM) 
In this bran-new comedy from the writers who brought us hits such as "Friends" and "Mad About You," "The Class" tells a story about a group of twenty-somethings who were third-grade classmates are reunited at a surprise party 20 years later. What will happen when they find out what each other's lives are like now? The cast includes Jason Ritter (recently seen on "Joan of Arcadia") as Ethan Haas, a man who planned the reunion of his fellow classmates, and who is crazy about his fiancée, but his life will turn around when his fiancée leaves him. Heather Goldenhersh plays Lina Warbler, a woman who truly believes in love, although she doesn't have that much luck in it; Lizzy Caplan is Kat Warbler, Lina's twin-sister, a cynical and sarcastical person; Jon Bernthal is Duncan Carmello, a man who still lives with his mother (Julie Halston); Sean Maguire is Kyle Lendo, a man that every girl had a crush during high school, but now he is living with his boyfriend, yes, boyfriend, Aaron. Jesse Tyler Ferguson portraits Richie, a unhappy man who's life hasn't treated him well since high school. Lucy Punch plays Holly Ellenbogen, a married woman who wants to have her revenge on Kyle. She's married to Perry Pearl (Sam Harris), who is also gay, although Holly doesn't realize. Andrea Anders plays Nicole Allen, Yonk Allen's (David keith) trophy wife, who was once in a long relationship with Duncan.
Now that they finally met again, the relationships will bring back "The Class," and lots of fun is guaranteed.
The War at Home II (Wednesday 7:00PM)
"The War at Home" some how received the green light and M-Net picked up the series for a second season. Well in case you like half of SA missed what its about, The War At Home is a half hour comedy on about two parents Dave and Vicky and their daily battles against their teenage children to keep their home, their children, and themselves in order.
Without a Trace V (Saturday 7:00PM)
"Without a Trace" is a fast-paced procedural drama about the Missing Persons Squad of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The sole responsibility of the special task force is to find missing persons by applying advanced psychological profiling techniques to peel back the layers of the victims' lives and trace their whereabouts in an effort to discover whether they have been abducted, been murdered, committed suicide or simply run away. The team reconstructs a "Day of Disappearance" timeline that details every minute of the 24 hours prior to the disappearance, following one simple rule: learn who the victim is in order to learn where the victim is. Senior agent Jack Malone heads the dedicated team that knows too well that every second counts when someone vanishes. His squad includes Samantha Spade , an agent who doesn't let her good looks get in the way of being tough; Vivian Johnson, a no-nonsense investigator; Danny Taylor , an intense and private agent; and Martin Fitzgerald , the newest member of the team, considered a lightweight by the squad because his only experience involves fighting white-collar crime.
May:
24 VI (Tuesdays 9:30PM)
One of the most innovative, thrilling and acclaimed drama series on television, 24, created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, will retain its unique and pioneering format in the sixth season. Each episode will cover one hour of real time, and the season’s entire story will take place in one day. Once again, viewers will be able to follow several key characters through a day that none of them will ever forget.
June:
NEW SERIES: 30 Rock (Tuesday 7:00PM)
30 Rock tells the story of Liz Lemon, played by "Saturday Night Live's" Tina Fey, is the head writer of the fictional TV show, 'The Girlie Show.' When her old boss dies and a new boss comes in, Liz must try to run a successful TV show without losing her mind.
Grey’s Anatomy III (Monday 7:30PM)
Meet Meredith Grey. She's a woman trying to lead a real life while doing a job that makes having a real life impossible and this still continues as the show reaches it's third award winning season! The show is still going strong in the US and dominating the Top 5 ratings and batteling CSI and occasionally coming out first. However the show as been critised by some for being too much of a sex soap, however that seems to be working for the show.
Meredith is on the job at Seattle Grace as a first year intern with at least 20 others. Each year the interns are split into groups are assigned to residents which often results in them getting to have a support system or just a possible chance to get to know the competition. Meredith has been assigned to senior resident Miranda Bailey, infamously known as "The Nazi" for her work ethic and her attitude. Bailey gets things done and she doesn't take any bull. In Meredith's group are 4 other first-year interns: Cristina Yang, Isobel "Izzie" Stevens, George O'Malley and Alex Karev. Yesterday they were students but today they are doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital. They are participating in the toughest surgical residency program west of Harvard. But their new jobs aren't the only things they have to keep them busy. There are always their personal lives. That is, If they get a chance to have them...
NEW SERIES: Love Spring International (Tuesday 10:30PM)
Lovespring International is a half-hour improvisational comedy about a matchmaking agency that markets themselves as an “elite Beverly Hills” company, even though they are located in Tarzana, CA. This dysfunctional group of “relationship counselors” are the last people you would want helping you find true love!
NEW SERIES: The Nine (Fridays 7:30PM)
In this gripping new drama, nine people learn they share a common bond that was forged when they lived through a 52-hour hostage standoff during a bank robbery that changed their lives forever. Each episode will begin with a flashback that reveals another 10 minutes of the robbery that uncovers why and how these nine strangers remains linked to each others. The show performed poorly on ABC network and battled to retain most of it's "Lost" audience. The network then canned the show after it battled its weekly declining viewers. The reason majorly contributing to this was because the show was criticised for being too serial and difficult for new viewers to follow. However the show has an interesting plot line and could fare well for South Afrifcan viewers.
Two and a Half Men IV (Thursdays 7:00PM)
Now in it's fourth season, "Two and a Half Men" tells the story about Charlie is a well-to-do bachelor with a house at the beach, a Jaguar in front of the house and an easy way with women. His casual Malibu lifestyle is interrupted when his tightly wound brother, Alan who's facing a divorce, and Alan's son, Jake come to stay with him. Together, these two and a half men confront the challenges of growing up; finally. Complicating matters are the brothers' self-obsessed, controlling mother, Evelyn, Alan's estranged wife, Judith and Charlie's crazy neighbour Rose. who wants to be a part of his life and is willing to do anything to be around.
July: NEW SERIES: Sleeper Cell (Sundays after the movie)
In this new drama series, Sleeper Cell unveils the war on terrorism to reveal a riveting and unfiltered view. ‘Sleeper Cell’ stars Michael Ealy as an African-American undercover F.B.I. agent who is seduced into joining an Islamic sleeper terrorist cell in the United States by the cell’s ruthless leader played by Oded Fehr who would be recognised for his recent role as Zankou on "Charmed" in Season 7.
NEW SERIES: Ugly Betty (Tuesdays 7:30PM)
Betty Suarez is a sweet and intelligent girl who desperately wants to work in magazines. She gets a dream job as an assistant to Daniel Meade, the Editor in Chief of Mode Magazine when his father, publishing mogul Bradford Meade, is sick of him sleeping with his sexy assistants. Fashionista Wilhelmina Slater is upset that Bradford promoted Daniel to Editor in Chief over her after the mysterious death of Mode's legendary editress, Fey Sommers. While Wilhelmina's assistant Marc, receptionist Amanda, and Daniel try to sabotage Betty, Betty finds a friend in in-house seamstress Christina. Meanwhile, Betty's family worries about her well-being and her boyfriend breaks up with her.
We can see the next 6 months on M-Net will provide us with great viewing pleasure. Stay tuned for individual new show Previews and Existing Series Recaps and Reviews!
Enjoyed this article, be sure not to miss what M-Net Series offeres viewers in upcoming months. View the Upcoming
New Series/Season for M-Net Series (March - May)