ITV

Category: English Entertainment

  • A+E Networks joins hands with Vice to launch Viceland

    A+E Networks joins hands with Vice to launch Viceland

    MUMBAI: A+E Networks and Vice Media have inked a joint venture – Viceland that will offer Vice as a new 24-hour channel programmed and produced exclusively by Vice.

     

    A+E Networks’ channel H2 will be transitioned to Viceland. H2 is an international channel brand in over 68 territories, which will continue to operate outside the US.

     

    Launching in early 2016, Viceland will be distributed in approximately 70 million homes, and will feature hundreds of hours of new programming developed and produced entirely in-house by the  creative minds of Vice.

     

     A+E Networks president & CEO Nancy Dubuc said, “Vice has a bold voice and a distinctive model in the marketplace. This channel represents a strategic fit and a new direction for the future of our portfolio of media assets. Shane Smith has led Vice from a fledgling magazine into a global media brand and all of us at A+E are excited to work with him and his passionate and innovative team.”

     

    Oscar-winning writer & director Spike Jonze, a long-time Vice partner and creative director for the company, has been overseeing the development of the new channel, from show creation, to production, to brand identity.

     

    “It feels like most channels are just a collection of shows,” said Jonze. “We wanted Viceland to be different, to feel like everything on there has a reason to exist and a strong point of view. Our mission with the channel is not that different from what our mission is as a company: it’s us trying to understand the world we live in by producing pieces about things we’re curious about, or confused about, or that we think are funny. And if it doesn’t have a strong point of view then it shouldn’t be on this channel.”

     

    Viceland will launch with a full slate of prime-time shows, including Gaycation (with Ellen Page and Ian Daniel), Huang’s World (with Eddie Huang), Noisey (with Zach Goldbaum), Vice World Of Sports (with Sal Masekela), Black Market (with Michael K. Williams), Flophouse, Party Legends, Weediquette (with Krishna Andavolu), and more.

     

    The launch of Viceland coincides with Vice’s growth across online and mobile. There’s a growing white space in the realm of Gen-Y programming, and to fill that void Viceland will offer engaging, original content covering fashion, food, music, sports, and more. The new network represents a critical build-out for the company: Vice will now be producing gold-standard content for all three screens.

     

    “This network is the next step in the evolution of our brand and the first step in our global roll-out of networks around the world,” said Vice co-founder and CEO Shane Smith. 

     

    “First: It allows us to be truly platform agnostic and enable our audience to view our content wherever they want. Second: It represents a continued growth in our content quality and raises the ceiling even higher for our brilliant teams to attack stories from long form features to multi-episode series and even short form interstitials that will challenge the accepted norms of current TV viewing. Third: We will test new and innovative monetization strategies placing VICELAND at the pointy tip of the spear of the rapidly changing terrain of TV advertising,” informed Smith.

     

    He further added,  “All in all, this new network allows us to continue our innovation in storytelling and content creation and take it to the next level. We couldn’t be happier working with Nancy and her team at A+E and we couldn’t be more excited to offer this opportunity to our Vice family of partners, producers, shooters, editors, and staff, to go out and make our indelible imprint on the cultural fabric of this modern age.”

    Drawing on Vice’s history as an innovator in branded content online, Viceland plans to work with brand partners to re-imagine the nature of the television commercial too—making the commercial time a valuable extension of the entertainment programming itself, and keeping viewers engaged, even as they follow Vice content across screens and formats.

     

    A+E Networks will oversee technical operations and distribution and will work with Vice on ad sales and sponsorships. Vice will also handle all marketing across all platforms, utilizing its various relationships with partners across mobile and digital.

  • Star Movies & Star Movies Select HD plan high octane TV premiers this Diwali

    Star Movies & Star Movies Select HD plan high octane TV premiers this Diwali

    MUMBAI: Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD have some major fireworks lined up this Diwali as they gear up to premiere two blockbuster movies namely Guardians of the Galaxy and Big Hero 6.

     

    While Big Hero 6 on Star Movies Select HD will be premiered on 7 November at 9 pm, Star Movies will premiere Guardians of the Galaxy on 8 November at 1 pm and 9 pm.

     

    To promote the movies, Star Movies is ensuring that the audience does not miss the high-octane blockbuster premieres by launching an integrated high impact marketing plan that spans across mediums, radio bursts and a high impact outdoor plan to be executed.

     

    Further on premier day, social media pages of Star Movies will buzz with conversations about the premiere and exclusive merchandise will be up for grabs for all the #GuardiansOfStarMovies.

     

    Guardians of the Galaxy will be presented by Samsung Galaxy Note 5, powered by Dell & Olx.in, partnered by Cartrade with associate sponsors Sony Bravia, LG, Park Avenue and Nikon.

     

    From Walt Disney Animation Studios, Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy-adventure about the special bond that develops between Baymax, a plus-sized inflatable robot, and prodigy Hiro Hamada. When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo and catapults Hiro into the midst of danger, he turns to Baymax and his close friend’s adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro transforms his friends into a band of high-tech heroes called Big Hero 6.

     

    Guardians of the Galaxy features a ragtag group of unlikely galactic heroes. With stars like Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel (the voice of Groot) and Bradley Cooper (the voice of Rocket Racoon) – this movie garnered a lot of fan following and popularity across age groups around the globe.

  • HBO to premiere ‘Interstellar,’ launches contest

    HBO to premiere ‘Interstellar,’ launches contest

    MUMBAI: HBO will be premiering Interstellar this Diwali on 8 November, 2015.

     

    The channel will telecast the movie at 1 pm with a repeat at 8 pm.

     

    HBO is also giving viewers a chance to externalise their memories in space by participating in the #MemoriesFromEarth contest. Fans have to upload their most memorable photos and videos on the www.memoriesfromearth.com micro-site. HBO will gift one lucky winner a motorbike as the grand prize and 10 other winners Google cardboards along with a video that shows their pictures against the vastness of space. Fans can also win merchandise by participating in the #InterstellarOnHBO contest being conducted across social platforms.

     

    Interstellar shows the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage. With the time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human history; travelling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.

  • FX & FX HD to premiere ‘Lilyhammer’

    FX & FX HD to premiere ‘Lilyhammer’

    MUMBAI: FX and FX HD will premiere the crime comedy series Lilyhammer on 14 and 15 November with Season 1 and 2 airing back to back on both days as part of the channel’s exclusive property – FX Top Rated.

     

    Incidentally, Lilyhammer was Netflix’s first exclusive content, which paved the way for many more cult shows like House of Cards andOrange is the New Black, etc. What’s more, Lilyhammer also became the biggest television series ever produced in Norway and a batch of episodes in Season 3 boasted of a budget bigger than Norway’s GDP.

     

    Steven Van Zandt is cast as the lead role in the show. With edge-of-the-seat entertainment, a bold and bloody plot quotient and its incredible comic quotient, the show displays some unforgettable characters, endearing performances and some of the best snowscapes on television.

  • Discovery Turbo Presents Stunning Cars In ‘CHASING CLASSIC CARS’

    Discovery Turbo Presents Stunning Cars In ‘CHASING CLASSIC CARS’

    MUMBAI: Discovery Turbo presents an all new series CHASING CLASSIC CARS that will feature some of the most striking and extraordinary vehicles with Wayne Carini, master car restorer with a lifetime of experience in automobile restoration under his belt. Wayne’s sensibility and passion for everything on wheels makes this series a must-see for automobile lovers.Chasing classic cars will air every Tuesday at 10pm on Discovery Turbo.

     

    Wayne Carnini, a Connecticut-based Ferrari expert and master restorer, scours the countryside in search of some of the world’s most rare and exotic classic cars that have been hidden away in barns and shacks for decades.

     

    The series will see Wayne participating in the Brighton Veteran Car Run in London and meeting 1903 Ford Wayne. In another episode, a perfect million dollar 275 GTB/4 Ferrari goes up in smoke the moment it is taken to the race track, leaving Wayne aghast. Also watch how Wayne manages to set a record for a pair of mint Jaguars, a blue 1958 XK 150S and a 1961 XKE roadster with his name written on it. All this and much more is packed in the new season of chasing classic cars.

     

    Follow the irrepressible Carnini as he embarks on a personal mission of unearthing these rare finds and taking them to the auction block.  The show gives you an insider’s perspective of the exclusive culture of car restorers and collectors who buy and sell vintage rides.

  • Discovery Science to unravel universe’s mysteries with ‘Space Month’ in November

    Discovery Science to unravel universe’s mysteries with ‘Space Month’ in November

    MUMBAI: Discovery Science will be exploring the space and uncover the mysteries of the universe via a special programming block called Space Month.

    The show will premiere on 2 November and will be aired every Monday – Friday at 9 pm.

    Space Month will take viewers on a voyage to rediscover the universe and its attractions, the Earth’s orbit and will offer a deeper understanding of the cosmos.

    Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific EVP and GM-South Asia Rahul Johri voiced, “Discovery Science challenges viewers to look beyond the known and intrigues them to question everything. Space month will give viewers a dynamic and immersive tour of the most extreme forces the universe has to offer. The programming special is bound to leave the viewers mesmerised.”

    The journey will chart into the unknown with What on Earth? With explicit and enchanting photographs of our planet from million miles away, it will force the question, what on Earth is that? The series will use state of the art technology satellites to find structures and cities lost for thousands of years.

    The other programmes in this space month are In Space: 50 Years of Space Exploration,which will offer an in-depth analysis chronicling 50 years of unique achievements in space and exciting developments for the future.

    Next in the line is, Unraveling The Cosmos, which will take an immersive 3D tour of the vast scale and extreme distances in our universe.

    On the other hand, the show called Space Voyages will bring to light projects including Explorer, Ranger, Mariner and Surveyor that have been the unsung heroes in the story of space.

    The next show in line One Giant Leap will be based on interviews with the surviving astronauts, families, and other key players, along with stunning high-definition NASA films and never-before-seen home movie collections, transport viewers back in time to discover a fascinating, untold story of the man’s journey to the moon.

  • Colors Infinity to launch 5 new shows in November

    Colors Infinity to launch 5 new shows in November

    MUMBAI: Colors infinity is gearing up for power packed November with the launch of as many as five new shows.

    The new shows that are slated to go on air are So You Think You Can Dance, Bates Motel, 12 Monkeys, Atlantis and Mad Dogs.

    The first show to go on air on the channel is the 12th season of So You Think You Can Dance. This season will kick-start in India with Paula Abdul and Jason Derulo as new judges of the show with the existing judge Nigel Lythgoe. The new season will yet again see Cat Deeley’s 11 hosting the show.  The dance reality will premiere on 2 November at 8 pm.

    Next in line is a contemporary prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1965 psycho-thriller, Bates Motel. It is a series of drama-thriller depicting the lives of Norman Bates and his mother Norma after buying a motel in White Pine Bay. The show will premiere on 6 November at 9 pm.

    12 Monkeys, a sci-fi thriller highlights the theme of time-travel where a time traveller from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will nearly destroy the human race. The series debuts on 11 November at 9 pm.

    Following it will be Mad Dogs, a dark comedy that portrays the spirit of friendship, but with a twist. The series opens on 16 November at 9 pm.

    Atlantis is a British-Fantasy show inspired by Greek Mythology and will premiere on 17 November at 9 pm with three back-to-back episodes.

  • India-born American filmmaker bags two awards at Manhattan Filmfest

    India-born American filmmaker bags two awards at Manhattan Filmfest

    NEW DELHI: Emmy-nominated America-based filmmaker Tirlok Malik has been honoured with the special Outstanding Achievement in Multicultural Arts in acting, filmmaking, and immigrant advocacy at the International Film Festival in Manhattan.

     

    The Festival held recently showed films dealing with social issues. The festival has the most diverse selection of world class films and a focus on social issues and advocacy as part of the programming and goals.

     

    Malik has made many films starting from Lonely In America, Khushiyaan, On Golden Years, and many more. They all deal with the effects of migration in America.

     

    Malik, who has given a break to many new faces in his films in front or behind the camera, said, “I am happy to be a part of this festival and I feel honored for this awards.”

     

    Malik also received an award for best film award for On Golden Years.

     

     Luis Pedron, co-founder of the festival, said the film On Golden Years deals with social issues of retirement that millions of first generation immigrants face in their lives.

     

    Films from many countries, including Israel, Australia, Philippines, Sweden, Singapore, and the United States were shown at IFFM.

     

    Malik accepted the award on the behalf of the team of On Golden Years and said, “It was team work making this film.”

     

    The film is produced by Golden Movies. The idea of the story is inspired by the book Seeking Roots by Iggy Ignatius who is also the co-director of the film. The film stars among others Ranjit Chowdhry, Jyoti Singh, Reeves Lehmann, Shetal Shah, Noor Naghmi, Tirlok Malik, among others.

     

    The film has been shot at the Indian retirement community Shantiniketan in Florida.

     

    Meanwhile, Malik recently launched a website for streaming Indian-American movies www.nritvfilmclub.com. The website seeks to promote new talents as Malik wants to create what he calls ‘NRI-wood’ just like Hollywood and Bollywood. 

  • Grass Valley honoured with Philo T. Farnsworth Award by Television Academy

    Grass Valley honoured with Philo T. Farnsworth Award by Television Academy

    MUMBAI: Grass Valley USA, LLC was presented with the Philo T. Farnsworth Award by the Television Academy at its 67th Engineering Emmy Awards.

     

    The company was honored for its five-decade history of providing the tools to create signal infrastructure as the television industry grew; for its years of leadership in video routing, switching and manipulation; and for its industry-changing, pioneering strides in digital-image processing and effects.

     

    The award was presented on 28 October.

     

    In receiving the award, Grass Valley senior vice president, marketing Mike Cronk said, “It was an honor to receive on behalf of all Grass Valley employees through the years the Philo T. Farnsworth Award from the Television Academy at its 67th Engineering Emmy Awards ceremony. Grass Valley was founded in 1959 by Dr. Hare in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and has not stopped innovating ever since. Whether it was contributing to the first color broadcast of the Olympics in 1968, the first live color broadcast from outer space with Apollo 10 in 1970, transforming live production with the 300 production switcher in 1979, or creating the first commercially viable video server in 1995 (Profile), 21 Emmy awards later Grass Valley’s drive and passion for telling stories with pictures has remained constant.”

     

    “With the proliferation of digital media, UHD, and IP today there are more opportunities than ever to carry that drive and passion for better storytelling into the future. Thanks to all the employees of Grass Valley who have contributed to its success over the years and thanks to all the customers over the years whose confidence in and collaboration with Grass Valley have continued to make the company strong,” he added.

  • Fox renews ‘The Real’ through 2018

    Fox renews ‘The Real’ through 2018

    MUMBAI: The Fox Television Stations have renewed the talk series The Real for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons on stations in a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

     

    The series is posting ratings growth in its second season – a modern-day rarity in first-run syndication. The Real is up +14 per cent with W25-54 nationally. The series is also one of only two talk shows seeing national rating gains year-over-year. Looking at the past 10 years, The Real is one of only four talk shows that have posted national ratings gains in their second season. 

     

    Additionally, The Real is building in its recruitment in the advertiser-coveted Women 18-49 and 25-54 demos.

     

    On the Fox Television Stations, The Real continues to post strong numbers. This season to date, the series (0.9 W25-54 rating) has maintained its solid ratings, matching the prior year rating levels (0.9 rtg – Nov/Feb/May avg). Paired with Wendy Williams in 16 of the top 25 LPM markets, The Real is proving to be the perfect fit with Wendy Williams, retaining 100 per cent of its Wendy Williams lead-in share this season to date with all key Women demos.

     

    Fox Television Stations senior vice president, programming Frank Cicha said, “The Real has been an important piece in building our growing daytime lineup. In fact, in our universe, it often beats or tiesThe View. That alone is worth two more years in my book.”

     

    “The Real in its second season has expanded on its promise of connecting with the diverse daytime television viewers and is delivering substantial ratings growth in the process. The series did not invent this genre of television program, nor are they the only talk panel on television, but what ‘The Real’ has done is differentiate itself from the others, quickly becoming an original, distinct and entertaining hour that has given viewers a reason to make an appointment each and every day,” said Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution president Ken Werner.