ITV

Category: Press Release

  • Romedy Now to air back to back seasons of ‘Gilmore Girls’

    Romedy Now to air back to back seasons of ‘Gilmore Girls’

    MUMBAI: Are you the apple of your mother’s eye? Are you her reflection in the truest sense? Do you think she’s above all in your life? If you share a unique bond with your mother, Romedy Now will showcase a story of a mother and her daughter that will hold you captive for not one but seven back to back seasons.

     

    The channel yet again promises love and laughter as it presents to you one of the most popular American comedy-drama shows, ‘Gilmore Girls’. The show centers around the relationship between a thirty something single mother Lorelai Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham) and her teenage daughter Rory Gilmore (played by Alexis Bledel) living in a fictional town Star Hollow, Connecticut. It is all about friendship, family and the ties that bind.

     

    Once the super-successful season of ‘Jane The Virgin’ culminates on September 3, Romedy Now will engage the television audiences with this new offering from the next day i.e. September 4. The show will continue to occupy the evening 7 pm slot from Monday to Friday.

     

    Talking about the show, Sonal Khanduja, Vice President – Programming, English Entertainment Cluster said, “Gilmore Girls is a free-spirited series and one of the most endearing, engaging shows of recent times. It is a humorous multigenerational series about friendship, family and the ties that bind. The premise of the show, a tight, friend like bond between a mother and daughter, is an important representation of a changing times. We are extremely excited to recreate the magic and capture the hearts of our viewers with all 7 seasons back to back on ROMEDY NOW starting 4th Sept 7 pm Monday-Friday.” –Gilmore Girls is known for its fast-paced dialogues with lot of pop-culture references.

     

    Revolving around Lorelai, the show is about the protective mother who doesn’t want her daughter Rory to follow her footsteps and make mistakes she herself made. That may be easier said than done, considering that the two share the same interests, the same intellect, the same coffee addiction!

     

    The show begins with sharing story of Lorelai, who was a teenager when she became pregnant and made the tough decision to raise the child alone. The defiant move caused a rift between her and her aristocratic parents Emily (Bishop) and Richard (Herrmann). However, the destiny had other plans. Lorelai, who later found herself in desperate need of money for her daughter Rory’s education, was forced to reconcile with her parents.

     

    Going forward, the comedy drama unfolds as audiences realize that the tendencies of the mother and daughter, especially in case of love, prove that Rory is her mother’s daughter. To know what happens next, tune in to Romedy Now on 4 September.

     

    Gilmore Girls was bestowed with the Viewers for Quality Television Award and was named ‘New Program of the Year’ by the Television Critics Association. Lauren Graham, the main star of the series, was nominated for ‘Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series’ and received two consecutive nominations for ‘Outstanding Performance’ by a Female Actor in a drama series from the Screen Actors Guild.

     

    Meanwhile, another star of the series Alexis Bledel has won a Young Artist Award and a Family Television Award for the show. 

  • Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to show her ‘Jazbaa’ at Zee’s Ganesh celebrations in America

    Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to show her ‘Jazbaa’ at Zee’s Ganesh celebrations in America

    MUMBAI: Zee TV, along with 1947 media is bringing the biggest Ganesh celebration in America, spanning for 5 days, with over 150,000 people in attendance from all over North America.

     

    The celebration this year will begin on 17 September, which is the day of Ganesh Chaturthi (Sthapana), and will take place until September 21st, which will be the visarjan. This is North America’s very first and biggest Sarvajanik (Community) Ganesh Utsav.

     

    The idea is for people to experience the same celebrations, as they would in India. A few highlights in store for Ganesh Utsav will include; all day performances by contestants from DID North America, DID Super Moms, SRGMP winners, and appearances by some of the biggest TV stars.

     

    To top it all, we are proud to welcome the lead star cast of one of the most anticipated Bollywood films, Jazbaa, with the one and only Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in attendance! Not only will she be present at the event to interact with fans, but to also seek blessings!

     

    Sameer Targe, GM of Asia TV USA says, “When we decided to enter the events space, we saw an obvious need to fill gaps towards events that are fun, and have something in store for everyone. Ganesh Utsav is a celebration that connects our community. Most importantly, we want for all Indians, especially 2nd and 3rd generation Indian Americans to experience what a Lal Bagh ka Raja feels like. We want them to experience how the Ganpati festival is celebrated in India, which is what we are bringing here, right in America!”

     

    Piraan Erachshaw, President of 1947 Production and Entertainment says, “In partnership with ZEE TV, we are proud to successfully bring one of India’s favorite festivals to life for the very first time in the USA. The entire South Asian community will be able to experience the event in person instead of just viewing it digitally or on TV.”

     

    This will be the second year for the spectacular festival. In its first year, the event was a huge success, attracting nearly 97,000 people. Held on 10 acres of open ground in Edison, New Jersey, also known as Little India, last year’s event attracted one of the most diverse crowds, with 25% Gujarati, 25% Telugu, 25% Punjabi, 10% Marathi, 5% Tamil, 5% Bengali, and 5% of various other backgrounds. Apart from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, attendees travelled all the way from Canada, Washington D.C., Virginia, Illinois, and even New England States.

  • ESPNCricinfo & Twitter tie up to take #CricIQ social for #SLvInd

    ESPNCricinfo & Twitter tie up to take #CricIQ social for #SLvInd

    MUMBAI:   ESPNCricinfo and Twitter have walked out to the middle together to take #CricIQ social for the series deciding third test between Sri Lanka and India.

     

    Cricket fans around the world can now play CricIQ, which is ESPNCricinfo’s flagship cricket trivia game, by simply Tweeting their answers to @ESPNCricinfo.

     

    They will then get an auto-reply as an acknowledgment of their answer and fans who Tweet the right answers the fastest climb up a leaderboard which is announced on every day of the test match. Three daily winners and the Top 3 fans at the end of the test match win exciting prizes.

     

    Twitter India  head of sports partnerships Aneesh Madani said, “Twitter is the mobile microphone for sports fans around the world when they have something to say. We have consistently worked to bring more for the cricket fan and our partnership with ESPNCricinfo, who have built one of the largest audiences in the world for cricket on the platform, is another step in that direction . With this innovation to bring #CricIQ to Twitter, we’re delighted that ESPNCricinfo is giving cricket fans another fun reason to Tweet.”

    ESPNCricinfo director – business development Gaurav Thakur added, “ESPNcricinfo CricIQ has evolved to become one of the finest cricketing quiz destinations for ardent cricket fans and quizzers across the country. With the on-going India v SriLanka Test series, we decided to take the quiz social. This partnership with Twitter for #CricIQ gives fans a chance to play the quiz, and have fun with the uniquely real-time and interactive nature of the experience.”

  • It feels good to ring the bell, says HDFC’s Keki Mistry

    It feels good to ring the bell, says HDFC’s Keki Mistry

    MUMBAI: HDFC vice chairman and CEO Keki Mistry rang the opening bell on the BSE day, this morning. He was present at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on the invitation of ET Now to celebrate the BSE day.

     

    On how it felt to ring the bell at the BSE, KeKi Mistry said in a jest, “Very Very nice. I was at the board of BSE for many years but never had the opportunity to ring the bell. So this is a great experience.”

     

    However, while talking about the market with ET Now’s Nikunj Dalmia, Chief Editor, Financial Markets, he added, “The mood is a little nervous about emerging markets presently, which got reflected in the last week’s results. But, I think that India stands out and investors also realize the same. Our fundamentals are so much better, the foreign exchange position is good and the reduction in oil and commodity prices is great news. “

     

    The event and the interview was LIVE telecast by ET Now today. Besides, the viewers could catch all the updates and special coverage from the BSE headquarters all through the day.

     

    HDFC is a pioneer of housing mortgage in India. The leader has turned the concept of selling mortgages into a profitable, professionally managed and world-class enterprise. HDFC is how over 5 million families in India spell the word home. 

  • Alfred Haber Television crisscrosses globe with numerous sales for its two series

    Alfred Haber Television crisscrosses globe with numerous sales for its two series

    MUMBAI: Having announced the acquisition of the two new series Dead Again (9 x 60’) and You Can’t Like Your Elbow (6 x 30’) earlier this year, Alfred Haber, President of Alfred Haber Television, Inc. (AHTI), today unveiled a number of key sales for both titles.  The sales cover every corner of the world from the UK to Africa, and from Latin America to Thailand.

     

    For Dead Again, the addictive, nine-episode series produced by Wolf Reality and Left/Right (Mob Wives) for A&E, sales include A&E (United Kingdom), NBC Universal (Germany), Planete Thalassa (France) and Foxtel (Australia). The series, which aired in primetime on A&E in the U.S., follows an elite team of detectives as they re-examine controversial and mysterious murder cases in which unresolved questions still linger…long after the verdict was reached

     

    You Can’t Lick Your Elbow, the remarkable, family-friendly series from producer Authentic Entertainment (Ace Of Cakes, Toddlers & Tiaras), has seen sales success with Discovery (CEEMEA), Rogers (Canada), Discovery (Latin America), NGC Network (India), and BEC World (Thailand). You Can’t Lick Your Elbow uses familiar, ordinary examples, brought to life with cutting-edge CGI and easy-to-understand explanations, to show viewers the amazing, uncnny and often extraordinary things of which the human body is capable. Segments reveal mind-boggling techniques and cool bodytricks people can employ to help them maneuver through their day-to-day lives. 

     

    “These are two very different, yet very successful shows as evidenced by our recent sales,” commented Haber. “Between the thrilling detective stories of Dead Again and the fascinating knowledge collected in You Can’t Lick Your Elbow, these programs are truly international in their appeal and our sales from around the globe certainly support that.”

  • Nippon TV heading to Mipcom with new drama series, new entertainment series, and new format

    Nippon TV heading to Mipcom with new drama series, new entertainment series, and new format

    MUMBAI:  Marking the 10th Anniversary of its popular format Dragons’ Den (Shark Tank in the US), Nippon Television Network Corporation (NipponTV), the leading commercial broadcaster and network in Japan offering entertainment, anime, documentaries and news, announced today that the company will be heading to MIPCOM with a new drama series, Death Note (11 x 60’), a new entertainment series, MATSUKO-ROID (13 x 30’), and its newest format, the observational reality/game show The Kindergarten (13 x 30’). The announcement was made today by Yukiko Kimishima, Divisional President of International Business Development.

     

    “One of our key mottos at Nippon TV is ‘viewers come first’ and we are confident that these three news projects will be well received by our Japanese audiences, as well as viewers around the world for our format The Kindergarten,” commented Kimishima.  “We are also delighted to be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of our international format hit Dragon’s Den which continues to soar in both popularity and ratings in over 25 countries and regions.”

     

    The first title up for Nippon TV is Death Note which is based on the world-renowned comic book serialized between 2003 and 2006 that currently boasts over 30 million copies printed in Japan. This live-action drama series follows Light Yagami’s quest to kill off all criminals and create a world without bad people while using a notebook.

     

    Nippon TV – MIPCOM 2015 – New Titles2-2-2-2-2 known as Death Note.  The animation remake of this series has been broadcast and/or streamed in over 150 countries and regions and remains highly popular. In addition, two live-action movies and a musical have been produced, making it a truly multi-platform content. 

     

    Next up is the new entertainment series MATSUKO-ROID that marks the world’s first TV show where one of the hosts is an android.  The series features Japan’s most famous cross-dressing commentator Matsuko Deluxe and his life-size android Matsuko-Roid, made by cutting edge technology that was developed with the supervision of Professor Ishiguro of Osaka University. The android travels to various places, sometimes to rural areas far from Tokyo, and talks with local people. The real host in Tokyo is connected by Internet and shares his good advice with the locals. This program discusses what television and the world will be like when androids become mainstream.

     

    Rounding out the slate for Nippon TV is The Kindergarten, an observational reality/game show series.  The Kindergarten has been successful for over 17 years in primetime Japanese TV and is now being offered as a format for the first time. Utilizing fun tactics, including mysterious monsters, a quiz game, and on-camera confessions, this show captures the adorable moments of kids when cameras are placed in kindergarten classes revealing the sweet charms of children’s daily life through engaging games.

  • History TV18 to premiere ‘Appalachian Outlaws’

    History TV18 to premiere ‘Appalachian Outlaws’

    MUMBAI: American reality television series ‘Appalachian Outlaws’ premieres on History TV18, 5 September onwards, every Sat-Sun at 11pm. The show draws attention to the trade revolving around ginseng, a scarce yet valuable herb native to the Appalachian Mountains. With global demand skyrocketing, dealers are eager to get in on the game, and with prices hovering around $1,000 per pound, diggers are in a frenzy to harvest the mountain gold. Some even believe its gnarled roots have special healing powers.

     

    Sweeping some 1,500 miles from New York to Georgia, the Appalachian Mountains are a historic time capsule – a place where a way of life built around hunting, trapping and trading hasn’t changed since the early 1700’s. Furs, ginseng and moonshine still provide the basis of the economy as they did from earliest frontier days. These mountains have just the right elevation, rainfall and mineral-rich soil to produce the best wild ginseng in the world. But now, a war is brewing over this valuable commodity. Whoever controls the ginseng, controls the mountains.

     

    To prevent over-harvesting in the U.S., a few states have started regulating where it’s legal to pull ginseng, which has made territorial lines even blurrier than before.The plot of this epic new series, set in a land which is famous for its feuds, follows five to eight clans fighting to claim their share of mountain riches during one of the most important seasons of their year: “the fat months” of late summer through harvest time.

  • India News felicitates police officials across UP with ‘Shaurya Samman’

    India News felicitates police officials across UP with ‘Shaurya Samman’

    MUMBAI: In a glittering ceremony held at the Vivanta by Taj, the police force of Uttar Pradesh was felicitated by India News with Shaurya Samman, presented by Su-Kam,co–presented by Rajesh Masale and powered by Dreamz Infra Ventures with health partner Rama Medical College Hospital and Research Centre. Under this unique initiative, the brave police officials of the Uttar Pradesh Police force were recognized for their contribution to the society.

    The bravehearts who have contributed to the betterment of our society were felicitated across different categories by Akhilesh Yadav, Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, who graced the occasion as Chief Guest along with several other dignitaries, leaders and celebrities from Uttar Pradesh region.

    The winners’ selection was made through a stringent selection process and were further adjudged by an eminent jury panel of Jagmohan Yadav, DGP, Uttar Pradesh; Justice Vishnu Sahai,   Retired Judge of Allahabad High Court; Sandeep Pandey, Social Activist and Winner of Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership; Arvind Kumar Goel, Social Worker & Philanthropist and Deepak Chaurasia, Editor-in-Chief, India News.

    The winners in different categories are:

    . Outstanding Act of Bravery: Kapil Kumar, Constable, Moradabad

    . Award for Bravery (posthumous):  Martyr Bhudev Singh, Constable, Gautam Budh Nagar

    . Outstanding Contribution in Solving Case: Rakesh Kumar Jaiswal, Sub-Inspector, Mau

    .Outstanding Effort to Save Human Lives: Shiv Daras Prasad, FSO, Kanpur

    . Outstanding Effort in Traffic Management: Madhusudan Singh, Constable, Ghaziabad

    . Outstanding Effort in Community Building: Harish Vardhan, Sub-Inspector, Mathura

    . Outstanding Effort in Training & Research:  Ram Das Yadav, Major Hawaldar, Gorakhpur

    . Outstanding Expert of Cyber-Crime Solutions: Sanjay Kumar Singh, Inspector, STF

    . Lifetime Achievement Award: Avinash Chandra Mishra, Inspector, ATS

    Speaking on this initiative, Kartikeya Sharma, Managing Director, iTV Network said, “On behalf of India News, I extend my gratitude to all the winners of Shaurya Samman. It’s a moment of pride to honour the police officials for their remarkable duty towards ensuring peace and prosperity in society.” He further adds, “Shaurya Samman recognizes the officials of the police force who have exhibited exceptional bravery and valour while carrying out their duties. It is a privilege for us to felicitate awardees who have rendered distinguished service to the society.”

    Adding to that, Deepak Chaurasia, Editor-in-Chief, India News said, “Through Shaurya Samman awards we express our gratitude to the police force and share their exemplary acts of courage with millions of our viewers.”

  • Star World and Star World HD to air ‘MasterChef Australia season 7’

    Star World and Star World HD to air ‘MasterChef Australia season 7’

    MUMBAI: Star World, India’s leading English General Entertainment channel, is all set to bring the latest season of the biggest and most watched culinary show on Indian television – Amazon.in presents MasterChef Australia S7 powered by India Gate Basmati Rice. Starting 3 September, the seventh season of the globally popular series will air every Monday to Friday, 9pm only on Star World and Star World HD.

    MasterChef Australia has been a tent pole property for Star World and has inspired millions of Indians year on year changing the way food is perceived in India. The last season further cemented the show’s massive fan following, becoming one of the most-watched shows in the 9 PM slot in 3 years across the category.

    Commenting on the show’s launch Star World official spokesperson said “MasterChef Australia has been a flagship show on Star World that has transformed the culinary landscape in India. Star World has always been a pioneer in exposing India to global lifestyles and creating that urban premium consumer segment who today we call as the Global Indian consumers; they demand nothing but the very best in English Entertainment”

    A mega 360 degree promotional campaign has been put in place which will pan across various mediums to include On-Air, Digital, On-Ground, Trade and Public Relations. For the launch of the show, Star World will be putting up a massive promotional TV campaign not only across the Star network but outside network TV channels as well. Digital is key driver and the lead medium for the show and the channel has a robust visibility and consumer engagement campaign planned to reach out to its target audience via an extensive paid and earned media marketing campaign. 

    Star World will further amplify the show with unique targeted digital and on-ground tie ups. Food Talk India, one of India’s largest digital food communities has come on board as a digital partner and will be creating fun and engaging content on social media platforms for the show along with co-curating promotional events in Mumbai & Delhi to give viewers a MasterChef Australia worthy experience. Food Talk India, along with Star World, and Olive Bar and Kitchen will be hosting on-ground concepts with in New Delhi and Mumbai.

    MasterChef Australia follows the journey of ordinary home-cooks as they showcase their extraordinary cooking ability. From different backgrounds, and with different experiences, skills and cultural influences, there is one thing that unites the home cooks – their passion for food. With the culinary bar set high in 2014, the heat will be on and this year we will see some of the most talented and passionate home cooks eagerly tackle challenges and put up dishes which will leave everyone spellbound.
     

    Judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston will seek out the most passionate and talented amateur cooks from across the country to unearth the Top 24 to join them in the MasterChef Australia kitchen. This September, judges will once again become mentors, encouraging and challenging the contestants to push the boundaries further and unearth their passion for food. Speaking on the launch of the show in India, Gary Mehigan said “MasterChef Australia is very special to me. I am aware of the fan following the show has in India and its evident from all my visits to this fabulous country. This season will be truly awesome as the contestants on the show are cooking & plating food better than ever before. Don’t forget to tune in” 

  • Aishwarya Rai, Irrfan Khan on a reality show for the first time ever

    Aishwarya Rai, Irrfan Khan on a reality show for the first time ever

    MUMBAI: For the very first time in the history of television, superstars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan will be seen on a reality show! The actors will be gracing the stage of India’s biggest dance reality show – Dance India Dance Season 5 as guest judges on a special episodethis Sunday, 30th August at 9PM on Zee TV. 

     

    Ash and Irrfan were on the show to promote their upcoming thriller Jazbaa and the contestants and masters did not leave any stone unturned to floor the stars with their dancing prowess and fun spirit. While master Mudassar came prepared with some sher-o-shayari and showered Ash with compliments, the contestants decided to display their biggest strength, their dancing ability to woo the special guests. 

     

    Pankaj and Ashish from Punit Ke Panthers performed a contemporary act depicting deceit in friendship. The two swiftly and gracefully moved to the song ‘Kaminey’ and brought out with conviction the love between two best friends, seamlessly flowing into emotions of  being cheated on by one. Ashish and Pankaj who are known for their flawless contemporary performances, created magic with this act and moved Aishwarya to tears. Even before the dancers could get up and take a bow after the final pose, a teary-eyed Ash gave them a standing ovation. She shared how this soulful performance touched her and she could see the honesty and dedication of the contestants. Ash even congratulated Master Punit for the tremendous execution of a simple concept. The other act which left the mega stars Irrfan and Ash completely spellbound was the aerial act by contestants Anuradha and Kaushik from Mudassar Ki Mandli on the popular track ‘Ranjha Ranjha’.  Gaiti ke Gangsters weren’t far behind and the two pillars from the team, Sahil and Nirmal dedicated their act to the beauty queen.  They paid her tribute by depicting her journey from a super model to a superstar and performed to some of her most iconic songs, recreating her signature moves. They ended their act by showering flowers on Ash and this clearly had the gorgeous actor blushing a beet root red.

     

    But the show wasn’t complete without the masters exhibiting their dancing skills! The three came up on stage and requested Ash to shake a leg with them to her popular dance number ‘Kajra re’. Ecstatic on seeing their dream girl dance LIVE in front of them, the contestants jumped at this opportunity and joined her on stage. 

     

    Both Ash and Irrfan were seen having a ball and did not shy away from showering praises on the talented contestants for the exceptional acts they put up!