McDonald & Dodds

Season 1 BBC Brit (*120) 20:00 Action

Episode 2 McDonald and Dodds report to a local and very exclusive rehab facility where one of the patients has died under mysterious circumstances and their family and the rehab want it kept quiet.

NB! There’s no news of a renewal as yet.

Season 12 M-Net Sat (*101) 17:40/Dec 17:50 Reality

Reality renovation show The Block Australia (2003-now) isn’t just about who can revamp an apartment and make it look pretty and functional, says host Scott Cam. “We’ve nicked elements from other reality shows that work, like Survivor (2000-now) in terms of the backstabbing between couples,

The Amazing Race (2001-now) for its running around and making deals to get ahead (with the renovations). Our show is a mash-up. It all gels.” There is more to The Block than you know…

It only aired in 2003 and 2004 before going on a six-year break. The reason, according to owner Nine Network? Not enough abandoned buildings to renovate in the original host city Sydney.

From season 4 (2011), it’s been set in Melbourne and the contestants’ revamp budget went from Aus $40 000 (R470 000) to $100 000 (R1.2 million) as the city is more expensive to live in.

The apartments are auctioned off to find the winner and the teams keep any profit over the basic reserve price (a bid value they need to get). The biggest profit so far is from season 15 (2019): the winners took home $630 000 (R7.5 million) in profit.

It had a spin-off show called Reno Rumble (2015-2016) and The Block teams were pitted against crews from rival series House Rules (2013-now). There have been five international versions – Belgium, Israel, the UK, the Netherlands – but only The Block New Zealand (2012-now) still airs.

Not even COVID-19 could stop The Block – it took a March-May break and is back filming again.