CARTE BLANCHE
In South Africa, we’re best known for producing Carte Blanche, M-Net’s flagship actuality programme. Carte Blanche has developed a high degree of credibility in South African television journalism and has been awarded more than 200 local and international awards for quality stories that have made a difference. In August 2008, to commemorate 20 years on air, Carte Blanche launched the Making a Difference Campaign.
As the name suggests, Carte Blanche covers a variety of subjects and prides itself on the diversity and depth of its stories. Stories range from investigations into abuse of the vulnerable, to the inspiring determination of South African sports personalities, both abled and disabled. Carte Blanche is also known to go undercover in tracking and arresting high-profile criminals or taking the time to explore the edges of existence.
OSCAR PISTORIUS TRIAL
In March 2014 we launched the Oscar Pistorius Trial – A Carte Blanche Channel. The coverage was a watershed moment in the advancement of open justice in South Africa. Led by esteemed channel Executive Director George Mazarakis, the Oscar Pistorius Trial – A Carte Blanche Channel combined state-of-the-art technology and vastly qualified experts to deliver, not just to its audiences but to the global media fraternity, an unprecedented view of the courtroom proceedings. The channel featured round-the-clock coverage of the trial as well as hours of exclusive documentaries, profiles, and in-depth expert analysis.
strangers you know
Strangers You Know is a hard-hitting crime documentary mini-series. Each episode takes you to the heart of a brutal incident that gripped the nation. This docuseries brings insight on various headline-grabbing crimes committed in South Africa – from the people involved in investigating the case to the families left behind.
DESMOND TUTU TRIBUTE CHANNEL
MultiChoice and M-Net celebrated the extraordinary life and legacy of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu with a special Carte Blanche pop-up channel on DStv. Called A Carte Blanche Special: Tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the tribute was available on channel 199 on all DStv packages across sub-Saharan Africa from Sunday 26 December 2021 until the Archbishop’s burial on 1 January 2022.
FIFA WORLD CUP SA FINAL DRAW SHOW
During 2010, Combined Artists produced the FIFA World Cup South Africa Final Draw Show for an estimated audience of 200 million. We also did the Preliminary Draw and the Confederation Cup Draw.
Millennium Broadcast with Nelson Mandela
Transmitted live to a global audience of four billion viewers from Robben Island, Cape Town in 1999, the late former president Mandela delivered a live address to the world to welcome the new millennium.
Miss SA Beauty Pageants and Miss World
The company has tackled difficult and strategically challenging projects, notably shows launching M-Net into countries like Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Nigeria and Egypt. An earlier travel programme series, Bon Voyage, also saw our crews working in more than 30 countries on locations as diverse as China, Bom Bom Island and Nepal.
The company has been tasked with creating new formats in current affairs and reality TV to meet our clients’ needs. Projects include Carte Blanche Extra, M-Net’s Show Me The Mommy, Estee Lauder’s Looks 2 Live By and Revlon’s Face to Face.
Not just a television production company, Combined Artists has also been involved in online productions and social media projects. Notably, in a world-first, Carte Blanche made use of a brand new format for its 22nd birthday show that allowed the audience to determine the flow, content and narrative of the show live via Facebook and Twitter.