ITV

Category: Press Release

  • Star World Premiere HD to bring the latest season of “Mad Men” to India

    Star World Premiere HD to bring the latest season of “Mad Men” to India

    MUMBAI: Committed to bringing the latest American shows to India, STAR World Premiere HD has announced that it will be bringing the final, seventh season of the award-winning series “Mad Men” to its Indian viewers.  The highly acclaimed drama series is known to have garnered a huge following in India and will air on 14th April, 2014.

     

    An American television period drama set in the 1960s, “Mad Men” has received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its historical authenticity, visual style, costume design, acting, writing, and directing, and has been the recipient of many awards, including fifteen Emmy Awards and four Golden Globes. It was the first basic cable series to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning in the category for the first four seasons in succession. It was recently ranked seventh in the list of the 101 best-written TV series of all time by the Writers Guild of America.

     

    The protagonist of the series is the inimitable Madison Avenue advertising executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm). The series revolves around him and also focuses on the people in his life, both in and out of the office. Season Six ended with Draper in a deteriorated state, forced to take a leave of absence from his work.

     

    Slated to premiere on 14th April in India, the show will enter its final season, which will consist of 14 episodes airing in two parts. The second half of the season is scheduled to air in the US in 2015.

     

    Of the final season, creator and Executive Producer Matthew Weiner said, “We plan to take advantage of this chance to have a more elaborate story told in two parts, which can resonate a little bit longer in the minds of our audience. The writers, cast and other artists welcome this unique manner of ending this unique experience.”

     

    Created and executive produced by Matthew Weiner, Mad Men stars Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Jessica Paré, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, Robert Morse, Kiernan Shipka, Jay Ferguson and Christopher Stanley. Scott Hornbacher and Janet Leahy also serve as Executive Producers and Semi Chellas is Co-Executive Producer.

     

    The season opener is written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Scott Hornbacher. The series is produced by Lionsgate.

     

    Catch the excitement only on Star World Premiere HD on 14th April at 10pm.

  • FremantleMedia to bring ‘Benefits Street’ to MipTV

    FremantleMedia to bring ‘Benefits Street’ to MipTV

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia and Love Productions todayannouncedan acquisition deal that sees FremantleMedia take the worldwide rights (excluding UK and North America) to Benefits Street, the most talked about and opinion-dividing show in the UK.Givinga no holds barredaccount of the reality of life on state welfare,the controversial social reality showrecently aired on Channel 4in the UK, and became the highest ratingseries for the channel in three years.

    Benefits Streetdivided the country and sparked a national debate in every home,office and even in parliament. Highlighting social issues, the show reveals the reality of life on benefits as the residents of one of Britain’s most welfare-dependent streets invite cameras into their tight-knit community. The series follows the residents as they navigate their way through life enduring economic hardships, raising children in poverty, low levels of education and training, and crime. Despite the challenges, the street has a strong sense of community. This is a place where people look out for one another and where small acts of kindness can go a long way.

    The UK version of the show launched in January and achieved a peak audience of 6.5 million viewers. Over the course of the series20.7 million viewers sampled the show, a massive 35% of the UK’s TV population.Throughout the series, Benefits Street continuously ranked as the number one show in its time slot amongst young adults (16-34). The show created such a strong reaction, including a social media storm,that an additional live debate show,Benefits Street: The Last Word, was commissioned.A second series of Benefits Street is in the pipeline.

    Rob Clark, Director of Global Entertainment Development, FremantleMedia said: “I’m a huge fan of this show. It is a noisy, gloves-off, groundbreaking reality series that at times is touching and heartwarming. It covers a social issue that affects us all and cannot be ignored. I watched it on Channel 4 and am proud to launch it internationally at MIPTV.”

    Richard McKerrow, Chief Executive of Love Productions said: “Benefits Street caused a huge stir when it was broadcast in the UK, engaging record-breaking audiences in serious social issues. We are delighted to be working with FremantleMedia and very excited to be bringing this show to the international market”.

     

  • Shotformats, today unveils Kaanchi Music APP

    Shotformats, today unveils Kaanchi Music APP

    MUMBAI: Shotformats, one of the top 2 New-Age Digital Distribution Company in India, launched The Digital Music album in an offline app format for the most awaited movie Kaanchi –The Unbreakable. The music app was unveiled by the hands of the noted film-maker Subhash Ghai whose romantic flick – Kaanchi, set against the backdrop of breath-taking rural locales and her fight against the power, is set for a National release next month.

    The launch witnessed live performances of Kaanchi songs by Anwesha, Ankit Tiwari and Salim-Sulaiman composed by Ismail Darbar and Salim-Sulaiman. They captivated the audience with the breath-taking numbers in presence of the Mishti, the lead actress, Kartik, the lead actor of the film, Salim – Sulaiman, Ismail Darbar, Irshal Kamil and Jackie Shroff.

    On the occasion the Showman – Subhash Ghai said, “I am glad to unveil this First-ever in India, the Digital Cassette from Shotformats. I love to be upbeat with the latest technological advancements. Not only this, I have also used Auro 11.1 sound technology in the film. The music in Kaanchi is majorely drum based and with Auro 11.1, it will enable the powerful sound impact while you watch the film.”

    Commenting at the event, Niyati Shah – MD & CEO of Shotformats says “I am glad to be a part of this event. I have worked very closely with Subhash Ghai ji since my Tips music days and today sharing a stage with him and he unveiling the very first Digital Cassette in India for Shotformats is a huge honor for all us”
     

    With the evolving App Era, Shotformats has been revolutionizing the concept of the applications by going the offline way. It has various offline applications under the brand name – Biscoot; a desi version which has several movie apps, movie gaming apps and various utility applications. Shotformats caters across the sectors and age-groups. They also have several awards to their credits for bringing in the innovation in the digital distribution sector.

     

  • Tips Music crosses 5 million fans on Facebook!

    Tips Music crosses 5 million fans on Facebook!

    MUMBAI: Tips Music created a landmark of sorts earlier this week when the company’s Facebook community hit the 5 million fan mark, making it one of the largest and most active entertainment brands on Facebook.

     Mr. Sahas Malhotra, (VP – Business Head) of Tips Industries said “This is a very important milestone for us and we would like to thank all our fans and supporters. We regard this as a testament to all the consumer oriented engagements that Tips has undertaken in the digital space. The number of fans on the page has been growing in leaps and bounds and this is a clear indication of our ever increasing popularity on Facebook. Our unique social media initiatives with which we have been engaging fans, has garnered a lot of attention.”

    In less than a year, the company has seen an increase of 50 percent in its fan base from 2 million in 2013, to the current 5 million. Tips Music is one of the few Indian entertainment companies with rich industry experience of over 25 years to realize the potential of social media and the digital platform with which they have been using to engage and build their fan community. With a single handed focus on the popularity of Facebook, Tips brings to its fans an exciting and interactive way of engaging with films and allowing music buffs the opportunity of extensive information about various artists, labels, and movies.

    Today, Tips is at the forefront of the digital music industry in India and this is just the beginning.

  • Welcome the summer with Liquid Lounge

    Welcome the summer with Liquid Lounge

    MUMBAI: Having guests over is a pleasant thought. Stressing over what to feed them is not – every party thrower’s worst nightmare come true! While you may have your food decided and under control, you might want to impress them with more than just a cold drink or a regular, plain Jane alcoholic drink. Serving those cool and exotic cocktails is no longer a dream. Zee Khana Khazana, India’s premiere 24 hour food channel, presents an exciting, new show – Liquid Lounge premiering on Monday 24th March 2014 and will air every day at 9.50pm with repeats at 10:20am and 4.30pm – to ensure you are not left floundering when it comes to putting together that attractive beverage.

    The latest offering – “Liquid Lounge” is creatively designed and conceptualized for you to learn everything you wanted to know about your drinks. You will not only learn the finer nuances of mixing and creating some of the signature beverages, but also discover what goes into the making of that ‘perfect’ beverage.

    With Liquid Lounge, Zee Khana Khazana ventures into a programme dedicated to beverages. The show will be hosted by Chahatt Khanna Mirza who is an avid writer, an actor and a passionate cook. Apart from being an enthusiast cook, she also likes to travel and try new cuisines. From TV ads to shows to films, she has done it all.

    Chahatt will feature the art of making non-alcoholic beverages like Mocktails, Shakes and Smoothies, traditional Indian drinks, Coffees, Exotic teas, probiotic drinks etc. using basic as well as advanced techniques along with garnishing ideas and presentation tips.

     

    Tune in to “Liquid Lounge” and make the perfect beverage starting 24th March, Every night at 9.50pm only on Zee Khana Khazana

     

  • MISO film heralds new Swedish production office with two new commissions

    MISO film heralds new Swedish production office with two new commissions

    MUMBAI: Danish production company, Miso Film, is to expand its Scandinavian footprint by opening a new office in Sweden to produce both feature films and TV-series for the Scandinavian and international market. Headed up by Sandra Harms, Miso Film Sweden already has a TV commission and feature film in the works.

     

    The company’s first TV-series is supported by Sweden’s TV4. Based on the novels of Norwegian thriller writer Anne Holt, VIK/STUBÖ will be a 8 x 45’ series, adapted for TV by three-times Emmy award-winning writers Peter Thorsboe and Mai Brostrom (Unit One, The Eagle, The Protectors). Shooting is expected to begin in Stockholm at the beginning of 2015.

     

    Miso Film Sweden has also optioned the rights for the book 438 DAYS by Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye, centred around the time the two journalists spent in an Ethiopian prison. The book was nominated for an August last year and is already a bestseller with over 100,000 copies sold in less than six months. Development of the project has already begun with the screenplay written by Peter Birro (Monica Z, How Soon Is Now?).

     

    Peter Bose, co-founder of Miso Film says: ”With a number of highly successful films and TV series in the Norwegian and Danish market, it was an obvious next step for us to move into Sweden. The move allows us to expand our footprint in Scandinavia and build on our experience of working in Sweden through titles like on BECK and WALLANDER.”

     

    Jonas Allen, co-founder Miso Film added: ”It’s really important to us for Miso Film Sweden to become a strong independent company in its own right and not just a Swedish mailbox for our Danish company. That’s why we’re delighted to have someone of Sandra Harms’ calibre on board. Over time, we’ll be looking to expand the production team and the home-grown talent further.”

     

    Sandra Harms joins the new company from Sonet Film/SF, with a string of feature films to her name, including Princess (Teresa Fabik), Bekas (Karzan Kader) and Us (Mani Maserrat). She adds: ”I’m delighted to be joining a company like Miso Film, which enjoys a reputation for quality at home and abroad. I’m very proud to be part of Peter and Jonas’ new venture and look forward to growing and developing the business in Sweden and maintaining the quality and calibre of the content that audiences come to expect of us.” 

     

    Founded in 2004 by Jonas Allen and Peter Bose, Miso Film has produced a number of successful TV-series including DICTE, THOSE WHO KILL, VEUM, which have been sold to over 40 international markets. This includes an American remake by Fox 21 & Imagine Television of THOSE WHO KILL, starring ChloëSevigny. Miso Film’s next major series, 1864, about the Schleswig War, will premiere in Autumn 2014 on DR in Denmark, followed by TV4 in Sweden.

     

    In 2013, FremantleMedia acquired a majority stake in the company, providing Miso Film with a strong international base from which to distribute its content, while also giving FremantleMedia an important foothold in Scandinavian scripted drama.

  • ‘Awkward’ and ‘Complete Savages’ add to the LOL moments on Comedy Central

    ‘Awkward’ and ‘Complete Savages’ add to the LOL moments on Comedy Central

    MUMBAI: India’s only 24/7 comedy channel – Comedy Central is giving viewers two brand new reasons to laugh louder this March! As the festivities of the year begin, Comedy Central brings cheer & laughter with brand new episodes of Season 3 of Awkward that premiers onMarch 17, 2014 from Monday to Wednesday at 10 pm and an all new comedy show called Complete Savages airing March 24, 2014 – Monday to Wednesday at 10:30pm.

    Here’s a peek into the new shows hitting the screens this March from the house of Comedy Central India!

     

    Awkward Season 3:This popular teen show follows the life of Jenna, an unpopular 15 year old who gains immediate, yet unwanted, popularity at high school when the student body mistakes an accident she has for a suicide attempt. Season 3 will see Jenna and her friends take a trip to Europe while a lot more complications add to Jenna’s love life. It’s a show that focuses on entirely recognizable teenage pains, as endured by a teenager; the youth can immediately connect with. Winner of Favorite Cable TV Comedy at People’s Choice Awards, USA 2013 – Awkward is the perfect combination of fun, hilarity and sentiments. Tune in at 10 pm every Monday to Wednesday starting March 17, 2014 to catch up with Jenna in Awkward -Season 3!

    Complete Savages:The series focuses on single dad Nick Savage struggling to raise his unruly sons, Jack, Chris, Sam, Kyle and T.J. alone, following the abandonment of their mother ten years ago. His five sons are constantly stirring up trouble and creating unpredictable circumstances for the entire family to resolve in one way or another. With comic twists and turns, watch a single father learn a new lesson every day as he brings up his children on Complete Savages – premiering March 24, 2014 – every Monday to Wednesday at 10.30 pm.

    Get ready to ROFL this March with Comedy Central’s two latest offerings – Awkward season 3 and Complete Savages!

     

  • TO THE NEW partners with Sokrati to enhance and expand digital advertising services

    TO THE NEW partners with Sokrati to enhance and expand digital advertising services

    MUMBAI: TO THE NEW, Asia’s leading integrated digital services network, today announced a strategic partnership with Sokrati, a popular ad technology and analytics company. The strategic partnership will allow TO THE NEW to expand its service capabilities in the digital advertising space and enhance offerings in social media marketing and mobile advertising.

     

    Using the Sokrati platform, TO THE NEW will be able to integrate best in class ad solutions across search, social, display & real-time bidding into service delivery for clients. The partnership will also enable Sokrati to leverage TO THE NEW’s network in India, Middle East & South East Asian markets.

     

    According to the IAMAI and IMRB Report 2013, in FY 2012-13, out of the total online ad spend which contributes to 2,260 crore, majority of the ad spends went to search (38%) followed by display (29%) and social media (17%). The report further states that the Indian online advertising market is projected to reach INR 2,938 crore by March 2014.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Puneet Johar, Managing Director, TO THE NEW said, “As brands increasingly rely on online media to acquire social and mobile first consumers, our association with Sokrati will broaden our multi-channel performance marketing capabilities. This along with our own analytics, content and technology platforms will enable us to deliver an integrated digital solution to clients.”

     

    TO THE NEW will leverage Sokrati’s expertise in the field of performance driven marketing which plays a crucial role in the sustenance of any organization. With its proprietary technology and solutions, Sokrati will help expand the network’s footprint on paid search, provide contextual and audience targeting on display advertising, drive loyal app-installs with mobile marketing and also help increase conversions and branding with personalized remarketing.

     

    “We are extremely excited to partner with TO THE NEW and their pan-Asia network. Every day, more advertisers across Asia are embracing digital as an integral part of their marketing strategy. We are confident that Sokrati’s customer-centric marketing solutions will help these advertisers expand their brand reach across all digital channels while keeping profitability and end users squarely in focus,” said Mr Ashish Mehta; Co-Founder & CEO, Sokrati.

     

    Through its business units – Ignitee Digital, IntelliGrape Software, Tangerine Digital, Techsailor and ThoughtBuzz, TO THE NEW offers expertise in digital marketing, content, technology, analytics and social media analytics. TO THE NEW collectively manages the mandate for more than 120 clients across Asia, in diverse sectors like BFSI, Automobiles, E-commerce, FMCG, Retail, Sports, Hospitality and Media & Entertainment.

  • GROHE India co-sponsors NDTV Design and Architecture of the year Awards 2014

    GROHE India co-sponsors NDTV Design and Architecture of the year Awards 2014

    MUMBAI: GROHE, the leading international sanitary fittings brand in India, is one of the proud sponsors of the NDTV Design and Architecture Awards, to be held on March 21, 2014. The sponsorship of this event ties up seamlessly with GROHE’s brand proposition of creating homes and home spaces that are timeless epitomes of aesthetics and sustainability.

    NDTV Awards have been acknowledging out-of-the-box work in various segments over the years. The brand is now taking a step forward to present its first ever awards programme in the design and architecture segment. Architectural excellence in India has never been acknowledged officially before. With this NDTV awards programme, an opportunity has been proposed for architects and interior designers in the country to reveal their talent and stand out in the crowd. The awards are also meant to offer consumers a wide list of professionals whom they can turn to when looking at remodelling and refurbishing their homes.  

    GROHE India Managing Director Renu Misra, “We are happy to present the NDTV Design and Architecture Awards, the first of their kind in India. As a premium player in this segment, we have observed a lot of activity and innovation in the Indian market. It is truly commendable that there is now an official platform that will reward and encourage the best of talent in design, architecture and construction in both the residential and commercial spheres.”

    Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV said, “NDTV has over the years acknowledged many talented men and women for out-of-box work in their respective industries. Taking a step forward we now present the first ever awards programme in the Design and Architecture categories. With the Grohe India-NDTV Design and Architecture Awards we aim to provide an opportunity to every architect and interior designer to be duly recognized and reveal their talent.”

    NDTV has put forward an extensive award list recognizing the best work done in 18 categories with room for each and every sector of structural design, style and construction. Innovation coupled with a focus on sustainable aspects and local contexts of the project are crucial to winning the awards.

  • Mindshare sets up GEMS, promotes Deepika Nikhilender as CEO

    Mindshare sets up GEMS, promotes Deepika Nikhilender as CEO

    MUMBAI: Mindshare has launched a new full service media unit in Singapore called Growth and Emerging Market Solutions or GEMS, with Deepika Nikhilender as its CEO.

    GEMS will serve the needs of a number of companies who use Singapore and other Asian cities as their central marketing hubs for managing their emerging and developing growth markets across Asia, Middle East, Africa and others. GEMS will provide marketers who have responsibility for these regions with a broad spectrum of services including emerging class consumer activation, mobile marketing, category communications planning, ROMI, digital analytics, consulting, content development and management of quick data for insights. As specific sub-regional needs from clients grow, Mindshare will look to support the GEMS Singapore hub with talent based in China, India, Middle East, Africa and other developing markets.

    GEMS provides a simplified single-window access to clients looking for specialist planning skills and implementation partners in all the areas of marketing communications described above. It will house a team of client leaders along with specialists in these service areas who will help develop solutions for clients. GEMS is designed to be an open-source partner to its clients. It will bring in bespoke planning platforms and a real-time campaign data-tracking centre, which will facilitate open-source collaboration with various marketing communications partners to develop integrated marketing solutions. These partner companies will focus on word-of-mouth, activation, insights, data analytics and technology, and digital media – like Kantar, Geometry Global, Advocacy, VML and several others. In addition, GEMS will harness global partnerships with digital and mobile companies that Mindshare already has in place.

    Deepika Nikhilender previously led Mindshare Business Planning across Asia Pacific where she led and developed Mindshare’s offering in analytics, insights, strategy and data and technology solutions. She brings extensive experience on multiple product categories across Asia. In 2010 she was chosen Regional Client Leader for Mindshare APAC as recognition of her contribution to clients. In this role, Deepika will report to R Gowthman, recently appointed COO for Mindshare APAC. Deepika has been with Mindshare for 15 years.

    Deepika said, “At Mindshare, we have always kept our clients’ business at the centre of all that we do. Their expectations from Mindshare have also changed significantly in response to the changing marketing and media opportunities. We continue to evolve ourselves to stay ahead of market, while ensuring we stay relevant and competitive. Thanks to our clients who keep pushing us to raise the bar, inspiring us to open up new streams and encouraging us in all our new initiatives.”

    Ashutosh Srivastava, Chairman & CEO for APAC & Growth Markets at Mindshare, said “GEMS is part of an exciting new approach, using technology to create centres of excellence at a few hubs, look at data centrally and share precious talent across more markets when developing solutions. Hopefully this model will enable clients to use all their partners more collaboratively – to create more impactful solutions and drive growth, in markets where lack of experienced talent is currently a huge handicap. We are going to run GEMS like a start up – data and tech driven, fast and flexible, provocative and founded on collaboration, with ability to dial up and down for clients without tying up massive resource for clients.”

    Mindshare Asia Pacific’s GEMS unit and Deepika’s role are effective immediately.