ITV

Category: Television

  • BCCI calls for tenders for ‘neutral venue’ media rights

    BCCI calls for tenders for ‘neutral venue’ media rights

    MUMBAI: And so the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) continues along its merry road of extracting “maximum value” for its properties.

    The latest money-mopping plan the BCCI has pulled out of its cupboard, which will only add to an already seriously overloaded cricket itinerary, are for matches played by India at neutral venues (non-ICC member countries) over the next five years. The media rights for this latest piece of the India cricket pie will be inaugurated with the two-match Indo-Pakistan limited over series that will be held in Abu Dhabi next month.

    According to a media release issued by the cricket board today, the last date for submission of tenders for global media rights for India matches at these neutral venues would be 5 April, at noon at Nirlon House in Mumbai. The tenders would be scrutinised the same day.

    The financial bids would be opened in Delhi the following day between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Oberoi Hotel, the release adds.

    “The global media rights tender is intended to streamline the process of match telecasting wherever the Indian team is playing. With the number and quality of matches growing, this streamlining becomes increasingly important,” said BCCI vice-president and chairman of its marketing sub-committee Lalit Modi.

    The minimum bid varies with the region/ country being bid for. However bidders have the option to bid for rights in more than one country/ region.

    Some countries tentatively included in the list of venues are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Holland, Toronto, New York and Tristate Area, Houston, Chicago, Palo Alto and bay area, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

    The Indo-Pak Friendship Series to be played at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Stadium on 18 and 19 April is being organised as a fundraiser for the October 2005 earthquake victims in Pakistan and India. These matches are recognised by the ICC and will be counted as official one-day internationals (ODI).

    It was yesterday that the board invited tenders for the stadium ground rights that include all in-stadium branding and on air promotions. The eligibility criteria that the board laid down for this was that interested companies and agencies would need to have a net worth of $5 million. The minimum bid for the ground rights tender package is $3 million.

    “The ground rights sponsorship entails an exclusive sponsorship package, offering logos on all tickets, entry gates, ground logos, stumps etc.,” Modi was quoted as saying yesterday.
    Sealed bid entries will be accepted at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai till 4:30 p.m. 31 March. The bids will be opened at 5 p.m. the same day.

    “This is a unique opportunity for brands to not only reach out to the Indian communities overseas but also promote their brand in a unique manner where, for the first time, all rights are being offered to a single company,” Modiwas quoted in media reports as saying.

  • Endemol rolls out comedy format in Germany

    Endemol rolls out comedy format in Germany

    MUMBAI: Endemol International has signed deals on its 8 Out of 10 Cats comedy format in Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

    The show is also being piloted in other markets and further deals are expected to be announced soon.

    In Germany, the series will launch later this year on Sat 1. It launched last month on TV4 in Sweden and TV2 in Denmark. The Swedish version is called 100% and is presented by Adam Alsing, who previously hosted Big Brother.

    Created by Endemol U.K.’s Zeppotron,,the series first aired in the U.K., where it recently completed a second season run on Channel 4 in a prime time Friday-night slot.

  • Blooming Kids Software releases 29 new educational programs for kids with special needs

    Blooming Kids Software releases 29 new educational programs for kids with special needs

    MUMBAI: Blooming Kids Software (BloomingKids), which creates computer programs designed to teach children who have special needs, has created 29 new educational programs. Educational experts and parents of children with special needs have combined their knowledge to develop Blooming Kids Software.

    BloomingKids has also released the home edition of its interactive computer software to therapists, parents and caregivers for online purchase. The company hopes to release its multi-user program in September 2006.

    “BloomingKids may specialise in creating software for children with special needs, but any child can benefit from learning the skills our new programs teach. The programs demonstrate many different skills, including memory enhancement and generalization of objects. Many of them also offer testing and reporting capabilities so parents can monitor the children’s success,” said Blooming Kids Software spokesperson Pat Pathmakumar.

    The programs target developmentally challenged children with Autism, PDD (Pervasive Developmental Delay) and others who require early intervention. The programs include instructions for children who need help with listening, identifying, matching and auditory processing skills. Additionally, the software provides innovative techniques in the instruction of skills, such as memory enhancement, computer usage (mouse and keyboard training), fine motor development and increasing attention span.

    BloomingKids’ programmers can incorporate any personal pictures, voices or music into all 29 programs. BloomingKids will use them to construct a learning tool customized to meet any child or student’s needs.

    Many of the programs offer internal testing and reporting capabilities. All of the programs use colorful animations, pictures and music to help children to learn with enthusiasm and attention. Each exercise in the program rewards and encourages and every correct answer earns positive reinforcement.

    “Compared to similar products, the software at BloomingKids is more effective and costs less. Parents and teachers who purchase our software can expect that these children will develop many different types of lifelong skills,” added Pathmakumar.

  • ‘The spring of Hong Kong’s film industry is in Mainland China’ : Wong Kar Wai – Hong Kong film director ( published in ‘Yazhou Zhoukan’ )

    ‘The spring of Hong Kong’s film industry is in Mainland China’ : Wong Kar Wai – Hong Kong film director ( published in ‘Yazhou Zhoukan’ )

    Wong Kar-wai believes that the culture and language of films in Hong Kong and mainland China share much in common. With the opportunities made possible by CEPA, there is plenty of room for the development of Hong Kong films in mainland China. The trick lies in how to capitalise on Hong Kong films’ uniqueness and strengths to plant seeds for their growth in the mainland.

    In Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai is the film director who has won the most awards in international film festivals, yet he finds that the spring of Hong Kong’s film industry is in mainland China, since “the biggest market for Hong Kong films now is mainland China”. Wong is currently in New York preparing for his new film. He will act as the president of the jury in the Cannes Film Festival in May.

    In an exclusive interview with Yazhou Zhoukan, Wong shared his views on the development of Hong Kong’s film industry.

    Excerpts:

    You have recently become the first Chinese to be the president of the jury in the Cannes Film Festival. You seem to be closely associated with France, and a number of French people said they could easily relate to your films without any cultural barriers. What do you think are the reasons?
    The success of a film depends not only on the film’s quality, but good publicity and good film guides are also crucial. In this regard, my French distributor has been doing a superb job. The popularity of “In the Mood for Love” is mainly due to its relatively simple plot and characters. The film’s story and background as well as the characters’ relationships can be found in almost any city. For this universality, the film has been able to touch audiences in many different regions.

    All your films, from “As Tears Go By” to “Days of Being Wild”, “Happy Together” and “2046”, feature stories happening in Hong Kong, yet they can arouse empathy from audiences in different communities and races. They have an international audience. Can you share with us some tips and insights?
    The stories in my films happen mostly in Hong Kong, as Hong Kong is the place where I grew up. I have strong feelings for this city. Over the years, my creative experiences have been intertwined with happenings in this city. In filming “As Tears Go By” and “Days of Being Wild”, most of the shots were taken on Hong Kong streets. For “Happy Together”, although the film was shot in Argentina, the theme is also about Hong Kong. The city in “2046” is also a simulated Hong Kong created out of my subjective impressions from images taken in Thailand, Shanghai and Macau. Like most modern cities, Hong Kong has its own charm and all the characteristics of a cosmopolitan city. Stories happening here may very well happen in any other city. As I’ve said just now, because of this universality, my films can touch audiences outside of Hong Kong.

    The film industry in Asia including mainland China, Korea and Thailand have enjoyed increased box office sales and won wide acclaim. On the contrary, although Hong Kong films dominated the Chinese film market in the 80s and 90s, the industry’s development has not seen any major breakthroughs in recent years. What do think about the present Hong Kong film industry?
    Hong Kong films are now in a stage of transformation. Looking back, the boom in Hong Kong’s film industry had its historical reasons. Hong Kong’s film industry began to develop rapidly in the 40s in the last century. It catered not only to the local market then, but also met the needs of the numerous Chinese residing overseas. By the 70s, 80s and 90s, Hong Kong films basically dominated the Asian market. Backed by such a vast market, the Hong Kong film industry had grown to be so prosperous that not only did mainstream action films and comedies have a market, but other film genres could also exist.

    Take myself as an example, when I first joined the film industry, opportunities abounded for newcomers. But in the past several years, strong competitors have surfaced and eroded Hong Kong’s share in the film markets. Today, the future for Hong Kong’s film industry lies very much in mainland China where there is a population of 1.3 billion who speak Putonghua or Mandarin. Following the opening up of mainland China’s film industry to Hong Kong under CEPA (Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement), coupled with the gradual easing of restrictions in the market, the mainland China is a good way out for Hong Kong’s film industry. We definitely have competitive advantages over Thai and Korean films, but have to think hard to identify our niche and strengths in the mainland market. We should revitalise the Hong Kong film industry with the backing of the mainland market on the one hand and have our eyes set on the world market on the other.

    So how do you think Hong Kong films should be positioned in the mainland China market?
    In the past two decades, Hong Kong has made significant contributions towards the development of mainland China’s film industry. Apart from investment in capital, Hong Kong film workers have also influenced their mainland counterparts in areas such as film techniques, creative thinking and marketing concepts. We should seize the opportunities made available by the current expansion of the China film market. Our greatest difficulty now is how to modify our films to meet with the needs of this enormous market, as moviegoers’ tastes in Hong Kong and the mainland differ a lot. We may easily find ourselves ending up in a situation where we pay too much attention to one and lose sight of the other. If we cater only to the needs of the mainland Chinese audience, we may lose our Hong Kong audience and perhaps also the essence of Hong Kong films.

    To address this “indigestion” problem, we have to be familiar with our own strengths and maximise our creative freedom to produce more film genres so that we can tap into more markets.

    What are Hong Kong’s competitive advantages in the mainland China market?
    In the mainland China market, Hong Kong has at least three competitive advantages. Firstly, in terms of culture, for historical reasons, Hong Kong is the point where east meets the west. In dealing with cross-culture themes in films or in partnering with western filmmakers, we definitely have a competitive edge. Secondly, in terms of themes, we have more freedom to create. All along, we have had a rather lenient censorship regime, giving us great flexibility in the choice of themes. Thirdly, in terms of financing, Hong Kong has a healthy and stable economic and finance systems, providing a favourable environment for film financing. This is also one of the strengths of our film industry.
    ‘Restrictions on films gradually easing in the Mainland China market‘

    The Korean film industry has been flourishing in recent years. What are its lessons for Hong Kong?
    Some people think that the boom in the Korean film industry in recent years is related to the Korean government’s protectionist measures, whereas in fact such measures have been in place for a long time. The prime reason for the boom in Korean films is that the Korean government has lifted restrictions on themes allowed in films in response to the major changes taking place in Korean society. As a result, themes banned in the past are now all of a sudden put on cinema screens. These films have made people sit up and attracted more moviegoers. The success of Korean films therefore lies in filmmakers’ ability to grasp the changes in Korean society and launch a facelift for their films.

    On the other hand, the Hong Kong film industry is very conservative. Perhaps because of the shrinking market, filmmakers are unwilling to take risks and tend to stick to old thinking and work patterns. Hong Kong film workers should widen their horizons and keep a close watch on our fast-changing world. They should not just reminisce on the glory of the past.

    For instance, when Hong Kong film workers complain about the lack of talents, have they ever considered where our talents have gone? If we can export our first-rate action choreographers to other countries, why can’t we borrow talents from other places? I believe that with the solid foundation of Hong Kong films and an open attitude, the prospects of Hong Kong’s film industry are still very promising.

    What are the areas for improvement in Hong Kong’s film industry?
    There are at least three areas where improvements can be made. Firstly, we need to strengthen our communication with banks. Although Hong Kong has a relatively stable finance system, banks are rather passive when it comes to talking about film financing. Secondly, the Hong Kong film industry lacks new blood. Although the government and community bodies have been organising filmmaking training programmes, the problem is that trainees do not have many career prospects when they have completed the training. This has put people off.

    Let’s take a look at the Directors Guild of America. They also organise training programmes in which trainees are put on every process in film production so that they can try out what they have learned. Hong Kong’s operating conditions are less favourable, and we do not have in place a mechanism to find jobs for trainees before the programmes are organised. This is a predicament of Hong Kong’s film industry. Thirdly, Hong Kong lacks professional film producers.

    The creative head and the producer are often the same person. Therefore, it may be difficult for them take a more macro perspective on the mainland China market or the international market.

    What do you think should be the division of work between a film’s creative head and its producer?
    A good analogy will be to liken the creative head to a seed and the producer to a gardener. A good seed needs the gardener to put it in good soil and water it. A good gardener with good soil but without a good seed cannot do much. Hence, the two should complement each other in their roles. For example, the theme of Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain was originally catered for a small audience. The director’s role is to film it to the best of his ability, while the producer should provide an environment, under limited costs, where the director can deliver his best, and bring the film to the right market. When a film has the ability to touch people, it can produce a good harvest given the right soil. If we say that a director is the soul in the creative process, the producer is then the guide of the film.

    Being part of the Hong Kong film industry, how do you wish the government can help and support the industry?
    The more urgent and short-term assistance needed is to clamp down on the piracy of films and BT, and the government is working hard on it now. In the long term, the film industry should sit together and discuss the issues that should be brought to the government’s attention. In fact, officials in the related government departments do not come from the film industry and will have difficulty in understanding our needs. It is best that we think about and express our needs to them.
  • No final solution on CAS rollout; call for channel MRP

    No final solution on CAS rollout; call for channel MRP

    NEW DELHI: CAS or conditional access system is near and still so far.

    While multi system operators (MSOs) and a section of independent cable operators today demanded that broadcasters come out with subscription rates for individual channels, instead of for a bouquet of channels, for smooth implementation of CAS in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, pay broadcasters said they would consider the option.

    At a time when a demand was also made that the government try put a maximum retail price (MRP) on pay channels, the information and broadcasting ministry said that it would wait for detailed feedback before making such a move.

    A day-long interaction to sort out various issues involved with implementation of CAS (as mandated by a Delhi court) saw stakeholders, including MSOs, cable operators, broadcasters, sector regulator Trai and consumer organisations present their stand to the government.

    According to a representative of a stakeholder present during the meeting, which lasted over eight hours, the discussions were “positive”, but marred by “contradictory opinions from the cable industry”.

    Even as a demand from a section of the cable industry that pay broadcasters come out with a la carte prices for smooth rollout of CAS was made, certain last mile cable operators from Mumbai sounded skeptical on addressability.

    Some of the broadcasters raised objections to the demand on a la carte pricing saying TV channels, if priced on individually, would be expensive compared to the bouquet cost.

    And, while most participants in the meeting, called by the government, felt that CAS is inevitability and should be rolled out, some consumer organizations felt that addressability could be introduced as long as it didn’t put additional burden on the consumers.

    Rather, the consumer organisations went to the extent of saying that introduction of CAS should not result in increase of price of cable services from the present, which range anywhere between Rs 100 to Rs 500, depending on the type of deals that have been struck with the local cable operators.

    According to some people who attended the meeting, at one point of time the government representative — I&B secretary SK Arora — chastised the cable industry for indulging in double-speak on introduction of CAS vis-à-vis carriage fee.

    However, the government has convened a meeting on Friday again to take stock of the feedback from the industry stakeholders when the sequence of the rollout of CAS is likely to be given a final shape. Provided the government doesn’t go in for an appeal against the Delhi High Court order that is.

    Those who attended the meeting included Trai’s broadcast in-charge Rakesh Kacker, Zee’s Jawahar Goel, Roop Sharma from Cable Operators Federation of India, independent cable ops from Delhi and Mumbai like Vikki Chowdhry and MSO Alliance’s Ashok Mansukhani, apart from representatives from the IBF, Star, Sony and consumer organisations.

    “We also informed the government that CAS was being implemented in the notified areas and we were giving attractive schemes to the consumers for possession of set-top boxes (STBs),” Press Trust of India quoted Roop Sharma as saying. Chowdhry went to the extent of saying that the pay broadcasters were “clearly on the back foot” in the meeting.

  • Sahara One Television changes logo, on-air identity

    Sahara One Television changes logo, on-air identity

    MUMBAI: They’ve done it yet again! Sahara One Television has once again changed its on-air channel identity and logo.

    In order to reflect the dreams and aspirations of the new age Indian woman, the channel will don a new logo from 28 March. Inspired from the blooms of a lotus, the colours and form speak for themselves.

    Sahara One Television’s prime time programming revolves around contemporary Indian women minus the saas-bahu sagas in shows like Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, Haare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan and Kituu Sabb Jantii Hai.

    The channel had last changed its logo in October 2004.

    Sahara One Television’s various phases of transition
    Sahara One Television’s new logo retains the company’s distinctive saffron and green stripes next to the company name Sahara.

    The Singapore based Bruce Dunlop Associates has designed the new on-air look for the channel, with Bollywood music director Shantanu Moitra designing the sound for the new packaging.

    “The new logo is designed by Yellow Frog a design outfit of Percept H, part of Percept Holdings Company and gives Sahara One Television the crucial singular visual identity along with colour palettes that give continuity and a never-ending promise. Though the new logo is soft in appeal, it has an inner strength that is exuded via the bloom and the colours. It is interesting to notice that the form that is created for O is inspired from a lotus petal,” said Sahara One Television COO Purnendu Bose.

    Speaking on the reason behind changing the logo, Bose said, “The old logo with the diamonds around it was too restrictive and was not flexible. It wasn’t a reflection of the true Indian woman and we wanted a logo that reflected our target audience.”
    The channel has also launched an advertising campaing with the protagonists of its prime time shows. The taglines of these campanigs are — ‘Pati Parmeshwar ka time khatam’ and ‘Kit-pit saas ka time khatam.’

    “The campaing hits the current stereotype saas-bahu sagas head-on, which have been running on Indian television for the last two years. It reflects our programming strategy that focuses on women of today,” added Bose.

    What’s more… since the channel’s key focus audience are women, it has launched a contest exclusively targeted at women viewers called ‘Naya Rang-Cricketers Ke Sang.’

    The contest began on 27 March and will run till 8 April. Under the contest one question will be asked between 8 – 10 pm everyday. The viewers have to send their replies by SMS to 9090 or call 1904-424-9090 by 12 noon next day to leave their answers.

    The winners stand a chance to win a fully paid trip for the for the last five matches One-Day Internationals to be held from 3 – 15 April with Indian cricketers on a chartered plane.

    The winners of Naya Rang-Cricketers Ke Sang contest will be announced on the channel six days prior each match. The winners not only gets to travel, dine and wine with these cricketers but shall also have the privilege to watch the match in exclusive seats.

  • Pogo lines up rib-tickling fare this April

    Pogo lines up rib-tickling fare this April

    MUMBAI: Pogo has lined up a treat of hilarious programmes in its slot called Pogo Funny Side Up on Prime Pogo from 2 April.

    The special line-up includes weekend side-splitters – Chuppa Rustam, new episodes of Takeshi’s Castle, Mr Bean, Just for Laughs Gags – and a slew of weekend movies.

    The channel has also launched a ‘Spot the Bug’ contest wherein kids can win iPods and Pogo goodies every week.

    “Pogo has always been at the forefront to ensure that kids have a good time, be it through exciting programming or innovative ground events. Pogo Funny Side Up will give kids the much needed wind-down after a month of examinations. What better way to greet the summer vacations than with a treat of humorous shows and movies that are sure to appeal to kids and their parents alike,” says Turner International India Pvt. Ltd managing director Anshuman Misra.

    To kick off Pogo’s repertoire of weekday bone-ticklers, the popular candid comedy series will catch India off guard in Chuppa Rustam. Be it out on the streets, in shops, offices, restaurants or even at the doorsteps of homes, the world falls unaware for the most hilarious pranks on Chuppa Rustam every weekday at 7 pm.

    Plus, Pogo presents a lethal combination of the wackiest game show on earth with the funniest guys in India. Brand new episodes of Takeshi’s Castle, voiced by stand-up comedians – Ehsaan Qureshi, Naveen Prabhakar, Raju Srivastav and Sunil Pal – of the Great Indian Laughter Challenge fame will be aired on weekdays at 7:30 pm.

    Mr. Bean – the man with a child-like nature – will be aired Mondays through Fridays at 8 pm.

    Some clever jokes, a hidden camera and a few unsuspecting victims make Just for Laughs Gags, which will be back with all-new episodes, every weekday at 8:30 pm.

    The laughter marathon continues into the weekend with a two hour special of Takeshi’s Castle Jaaved Jaffery – Mini Marathon back to back from 7 to 9 pm every Saturday and Sunday.

    Among the movies that are lined up are Dr. Dolittle (2 April), Wallace & Gromit (9 April), Getting Even With Dad (16 April), Baby’s Day Out (23 April) and Home Alone (30 April). These movies will be aired every Sunday at 2 pm on Lights, Camera, Pogo! Funny Side Up.

    In the ‘Spot the Bug’ contest, kids can win exciting prizes like iPods and Pogo goodies every week while viewing side-splitters on Pogo Funny Side Up by instantly SMS-ing ‘Funny’ to 8558 upon spotting a bug on their television screen.

  • Discovery’s revenue grows by 13 per cent

    Discovery’s revenue grows by 13 per cent

    MUMBAI: Global media firm Discovery Communications has announced its results for 2005. DCI’s revenue for the fourth quarter increased by 11 per cent to $772 million and 13 per cent in 2005 to $2.7 billion. DCI’s operating cash flow increased by one per cent in the quarter to $184 million and four per cent in 2005 to $687 million.

    In the US, its revenue increased by eight per cent in the quarter to $444 million and nine per cent in 2005 to $1.7 billion. Operating cash flow increased by six per cent in the quarter to $148 million and eight per cent in the year to $643 million. The growth in revenue was due to increases in distribution revenue for both periods combined with a five per cent decrease in ad revenue in the quarter and flat ad revenue for the year.

    Net distribution revenue increased by 24 per cent in the quarter and 22 per cent for 2005 as the US networks had a 10 per cent increase in paying subscribers in 2005 combined with contractual rate increases. Operating expenses increased by eight per cent in the quarter and 10 per cent in the year due to an increase in programming expense as the company continued its investment across all US networks in original productions and series and specials.

    Internationally, its revenue increased by 25 per cent in the quarter to $214 million and by 24 per cent in the year to $731 million. Operating cash flow increased by 27 per cent in the quarter to $33 million and 10 per cent for the year to $109 million. The increases in revenue were due to growth in distribution and advertising revenue. Net advertising revenue increased by 26 per cent in the quarter and 28 per cent in the year primarily due to higher viewership in the UK and an increased subscriber base in the UK and Europe.

    Net distribution revenue increased by 29 per cent in the quarter and 25 per cent in the year due to increases in paying subscription units in Europe and Asia combined with contractual rate increases in certain markets. Operating expenses increased by 25 per cent in the quarter and 27 per cent for 2005 due to an investment in the lifestyles category designed to develop and grow that market opportunity combined with an expected increase in headcount as the business expands.

  • Prabhat gets a new lease of life: to launch Kannada channel

    Prabhat gets a new lease of life: to launch Kannada channel

    Prabhat, the Marathi channel, will be launching another regional channel on 4 April 2000. The channel called Suprabhat will have 4 hours of original programming which will be repeated throughout the day. It is being beamed off a Thaicom-3 transponder, the same one off which Prabhat is being beamed off.

    The channel was on the brink of a shut down and had not been able to make payments to producers who were providing them with software. But since then an angel has stepped in and is said to be willing to back the group that has set up the channel to the hilt. A film director and producer has additionally been brought in on the company’s board following the angel’s entry.

    With cash in hand, Deepak Agarwala, Anand Rangaswamy, Anil Shetty, Ajinkya Deo – the promoters of the channel – have been pouring it all into the Kannada service. A programming head has been hired in Banglaore and the gameplan is to launch Suprabhat by 4 April. The only thing that is to be seen is that if the channel is geared up to compete with the well established Kannada channel, Udaya, from the Sun stable.

  • The History Channel US looks at 10 days that changed America

    The History Channel US looks at 10 days that changed America

    MUMBAI: The History Channel in the US will present a special event, 10 Days That Uunexpectedly Changed America. This will air from next month.

    The series is comprised of 10 films, each created by a different documentary filmmaker or filmmaking team, spotlighting 10 historic events that triggered seismic shifts in America’s political, cultural or social landscape. Using a range of storytelling techniques including re-creations, animation, interviews, archival footage and historical artifacts, the series offers viewers a fresh perspective on well-known historical incidents while also shining a light on the impact of less frequently cited events.

    Antietam which has been directed by Michael Epstein (The Battle over Citizen Kane) and narrated by actor Jeffrey Wright (Syriana) focusses on the bloodiest battle in American history and its momentous military and political implications, including Lincoln’s issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

    Massacre at Mystic which took place on 26 May 1637 tells the story of the Pequot War, the first significant clash between the English and Native Americans.

    Einstein’s Letter is narrated by actor Campbell Scott The Secret lives Of Dentists. It explores the events that led to the great scientist and ardent pacifist’s decision to urge Franklin Roosevelt to develop an atomic bomb, a decision that propelled America into the nuclear age and which Einstein later came to regret.

    When America Was Rocked examines the cultural fallout of Elvis Presley’s groundbreaking appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Gold Rush which took place on 24 January 1848 looks its impact on the explosive development of California and America’s westward expansion.