This reality television news is something of a shock–Nelson Mandela’s three granddaughters are going to star in a reality show that will be pitched to U.S. networks starting Monday, reports Deadline. The show is also being disseminated internationally.

The article states the show is slated for next year and the U.S. producing partner for the series is the former president of Wind Dancer Production Group, Rick Leed. Another producing partner is Kweku Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson.

Already, the show, “Being Mandela,” which is scheduled to start shooting in December and debut in the early part of 2012, is supposedly gaining a large amount of interest from TLC, USA, A&E, Lifetime, E!, Oxygen, TNT, TBS and Bravo, according to Leed. Leed also said the show has sold throughout Africa but hasn’t been bought yet for European stations.

The show will not be another form of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” according to Leed. Instead, it’s going be a show that blends “real-life and lightheartedness” while telling the story of the three granddaughters–27-year-old, Dorothy Adjoa Amuah, her first cousin Swati Diamini, 32 and Zaziwe Diamini-Manaway (“Z”), 34–who are attempting to break away from the Mandela legacy to find where they stand in the world. Leed also stated the Mandela ladies have very philanthropic interests and hope their success on the show will help their African education and AIDS prevention causes through the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

This seems like it will be a very interesting television experience, so I hope this works out for the best. Though, I wonder what it must feel like to be a Kardashian now, since their show is being used as an insult to the bar reality television is set.

You can read more about the show here at Deadline, and if you’ve got some opinions, make sure to write them in the comments section below.