M-Net Essentials, branded on-air as Me, was a South African

pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...

channel originally launched by

M-Net M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

on 9 July 2013 as M-Net Series Zone, one of three channels from the parent

M-Net Series M-Net Series is a defunct group of television channels broadcast by South African pay TV satellite network M-Net across Sub-Saharran Africa on DStv. Most of the programmes broadcast are repeats of episodes previously shown on M-Net. History ...

channel. It rebranded as M-Net City in 2015 and as Me in 2021, the latter from a merger with Vuzu. It currently broadcasts on

satellite television Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...

service DStv on channel 115.

History

The channel began on 1 April 1998 as The Series Channel, eventually rebranded as

to align with the parent M-Net channel in 2005. On 9 July 2013, the channel broke into a three-channel network consisting of M-Net Series Showcase, M-Net Series Reality and M-Net Series Zone. M-Net Series Showcase was touted by M-Net as "its main network for the launch of current serial programming, M-Net Series Reality airing

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

programming and M-Net Series Zone (this channel's adopted name) airing delayed programming from M-Net. However, within a year of launch, the channel formats of M-Net Series Showcase and M-Net Series Reality failed and got respectively rebranded as Vuzu Amp and M-Net Edge on 13 and 20 October 2014.

As "M-Net City" (2015–2021)

On 6 April 2015, M-Net Series Zone was rebranded as M-Net City #115, the channel number suffix getting dropped the following year. Typically, M-Net City featured reruns of international television serial programming previously aired on parent channel

along with some homegrown shows, the former M-Net Edge, and sister channel 1Magic (rebranded from Vuzu Amp on 1 March 2018) and Mzansi Magic.

As "Me" (2021–2024)

On 1 October 2021, M-Net announced that Vuzu would be merged into M-Net City and be rebranded as Me effective from 1 November.. M-Net City signed off the air after 29 October for a 2-day channel reel promoting the premiere of its successor, along with Vuzu, with the successor assuming its channel run 3 days later at 16:00 CAT. As of 23 June 2023, the channel's official website designates the channel as M-Net Essentials whiles still maintaining its Me on-air branding. The channel ceased operations on 31 March 2024, along with 1Magic.

References

{{Greater Johannesburg, media Defunct television channels in South Africa Television stations in South Africa English-language television stations in South Africa Mass media in Johannesburg M-Net Television channels and stations established in 1998 Television channels and stations disestablished in 2024