The Mo’Nique Show Picked Up in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON: Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has sold BET Networks’ late-night talk show The Mo’Nique Show to South African broadcaster SABC, marking the first time the series will air outside the U.S.

SABC has scheduled the show to launch April 2 for a 9 p.m. time slot. The Mo’Nique Show is filmed in front of a live studio audience in Atlanta, Georgia.

Michael D. Armstrong, the senior VP and general manager for BET International, said: “We are delighted that SABC audiences will be able to enjoy the unique warmth, humor and scope of The Mo’Nique Show and the queen of late night TV, Mo’Nique.”
 
Maria Rakhmatullina-Ufland, sales director for emerging markets at VIMN, commented: “We are thrilled to announce the very first international sale of The Mo’Nique Show and look forward to securing further distribution opportunities for this fun and dynamic property for mature audiences in other markets around the world.”
 
Pulane Tshabalala, acting general manager at SABC 2, added: “We are very excited to have acquired such an exciting property in Mo’Nique. Hosted by the Award-winning Mo’Nique and with her effervescent, straight-talking-self, coupled with her must-see guests, we believe that The Mo’Nique show will be the audience-puller in our Saturday night timeslot for the channel.”
 
SABC has also acquired the MTV reality strands The Hills, Cribs and Run’s House for SABC 3, and Nickelodeon teen sitcoms iCarly and True Jackson for SABC 2.
 
In a parallel move, VIMN has sold licensed animated programs SpongeBob SquarePants, Back at the Barnyard and Catdog to Atlantic Pictures, which will assume responsibility for sublicensing the properties in Francophone Africa.