Coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 30 March 2025 at 19:00

Pigs in Pants
On the slopes of Table Mountain, groundbreaking forensic research unfolds… with the help of pigs. When police recover severely decomposed remains, knowing how bodies decay can establish time and place of death. And in the Western Cape – the province with the highest rise in murders last year – this information could mean the difference between solving a murder and seeing a case go cold. But in South Africa, it’s illegal to experiment on human bodies. So, these scientists have turned to pigs: similarities in anatomy make them perfect substitutes – especially when the carcasses are dressed in human clothes and left in Cape Town’s known murder hotspots. Carte Blanche explores a South African first providing new insights set to improve the accuracy and success rates of criminal investigations.

Producer: Annalise Lubbe
Presenter: Erin Bates
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A Tale of Two Species
In the chilly waters off the Cape West Coast, a dramatic scene unfolds: a pod of orcas attacks a humpback, working together to drown the young whale. It’s a rare and chilling sight. But the orcas are at the centre of a scientific controversy as great white sharks are disappearing from South African waters at a frightening rate. Are the orcas to blame, or are overfishing and shark nets eliminating these apex predators? We take to the waves to ask what’s happening to the great whites and what their loss means for our delicate marine ecosystem.

Producer: Liz Fish
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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Jamming at Roller Derby
Fast, full-contact and sometimes brutal: roller derby is not a sport for the faint-hearted. All-female teams take to the track in knee pads and gum guards to jam, block and do battle – all with a touch of theatre. Teachers, actuaries and moms by day, by night they don warpaint, fishnets and alter egos with names to match. We meet Sam-I-Slam, the Katalyst, and I-maul: the women taking South African roller derby to the World Champs.

Producer: Nicky Troll
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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Venice’s Tourist Overload
Ancient, unique and breathtakingly beautiful, for many decades it has been one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations. But Venice and her residents are taking strain from the sheer number of tourists swarming the narrow streets and canals. And while authorities seek solutions to the overcrowding that will keep the tourist dollars flowing, some locals are fighting back, protesting the tourism they say is destroying the city they love and the very character that’s made it a bucket list destination for millions of tourists.

Producer: SBS Dateline
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Carte Blanche: The Podcast
Unique stories. Unique perspectives. Carte Blanche: The Podcast delves beneath the headlines into South African and global issues, bringing you the stories that matter. Like what you hear? Drop us a rating or review.

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Please note Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change.