ITV

Category: English Entertainment

  • Jimmy Fallon & Taylor Swift among first winners for 67th Emmy Awards

    Jimmy Fallon & Taylor Swift among first winners for 67th Emmy Awards

    MUMBAI: The Television Academy has ousted the juried award winners for the 67th Emmy Awards in the categories of Animation, Costumes for a Variety Program or Special, Motion Design and Interactive Media.

     

    Winning big this year are Jimmy Falon, Taylor Swift and Chris Hardwick amongst others.

     

    The juried awards will be presented during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony on 12 September. 

     

    This year’s juried winners include:

     

    Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation

     

    Adventure Time Walnuts & Rain • Cartoon Network • Cartoon Network Studios

    Tom Herpich (storyboard artist)

     

    Gravity Falls Not What He Seems • Disney XD • Disney Television Animation

    Alonso Ramirez Ramos (storyboard artist)

     

    King Star King Fat Frank’s Fantasy Lounge • Adult Swim • Titmouse, Inc.

    JJ Villard (character design)

     

    Over The Garden Wall • Cartoon Network • Cartoon Network Studios

    Nick Cross (production design)

     

    Robot Chicken’s Bitch Pudding Special • Adult Swim • A Stoopid Buddy Stoodios Production in association with Stoopid Monkey and Williams Street

    Bradley Schaffer (character animation)

     

    Tome of the Unknown • CartoonNetwork.com • Cartoon Network Studios

    Nick Cross (background painter)

     

    Tome of the Unknown • CartoonNetwork.com • Cartoon Network Studios

    Chris Tsirgiotis (background layout designer)

     

    Outstanding Costumes For A Variety Program Or A Special

     

    Drunk History Hollywood • Comedy Central • Gary Sanchez Productions

    Christina Mongini (costume designer) and Cassandra Conners (costume supervisor)

     

    Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show Starring Katy Perry • NBC • NFL Network 

    Marina Toybina (costume designer) and Courtney Webster (assistant costume designer)

     

    Outstanding Motion Design

     

    How We Got To Now With Steven Johnson • PBS • Nutopia, BBC Worldwide Productions

    Miles Presland Donovan (creative producer), Luke Best (art director/illustrator), Peter Mellor (animation director) and Chris Sayer (animator)

     

    Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media

     

    Multiplatform Storytelling

     

    Archer Scavenger Hunt • FX Networks • FX Productions

    Tim Farrell (Transmedia director) and Mark Paterson (Transmedia lead)

     

    The Singles Project • Bravo Digital in association with all3media, Goodbye Pictures and Lime Pictures • Bravo

    Bravo Digital, Bravo Production, all3media, Goodbye Pictures, Lime Pictures

     

    Original Interactive Program

     

    Emma Approved • YouTube.com/Pemberley Digital • Pemberley Digital, Kin Community

    Bernie Su (executive producer), Tamara Krinsky (story editor), Alexandra Edwards (Transmedia producer & writer), Tracy Bitterolf (producer) and Kate Rorick (co-executive producer).

     

    AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience • americanexpress.com/unstagedapp • RadicalMedia, American Express

    Taylor Swift (artist and executive producer), American Express, RadicalMedia

     

    Social TV Experience

     

    @midnight With Chris Hardwick • Comedy Central • Comedy Central, Funny or Die, Nerdist Industries, Serious Business, Aloha Productions, Garant Lennon Productions, Brillstein Entertainment Partners

    Chris Hardwick (host/executive producer), Jack Martin (executive producer), Joe Farrell (executive producer), Jason U. Nadler (executive producer) and Myke Furhman (Multiplatform producer).

     

    The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon • Universal Television and Broadway Video • NBC

    Gavin Purcell (producer), Marina Cockenberg (director of social media), Jimmy Fallon (host), Christine Friar (social producer) and Felicia Daniels (NBC.com)

     

    User Experience And Visual Design

     

    Sleepy Hollow Virtual Reality Experience • FOX • A FOX Broadcasting Company production in association with Secret Location

    Robin Benty (executive producer), Secret Location, Noam Dromi (producer), Jay Williams (executive producer) and Fox Broadcasting Company

     

    The 2015 Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be executive-produced by Bob Bain, and an edited version will be broadcast on 19 September. They also will be streamed in their entirety on Emmys.com, Yahoo.com and FOX.com on 20 September.

  • Comedy Central revamps; positions as ‘Your Happy Place’

    Comedy Central revamps; positions as ‘Your Happy Place’

    MUMBAI: Taking a cue from the age of cut-throat competition, which demands constant innovation, Comedy Central India has revamped itself with a new look and tagline. What’s more, the channel has also lined up a slew of new shows.

     

    Moving away from the tagline of ‘Laugh it off,’ the channel has now adopted ‘Your Happy Place’ as its new ethos. 

     

    Three and a half year since its launch, Viacom 18’s Comedy Central is now poised for a new beginning with ‘Your Happy Place,’ which will reflect on the channel from 10 September, 2015.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Viacom 18 executive vice president – English entertainment Ferzad Palia said, “We had launched with ‘Laugh it off’ three and half years back and now after serving the country with comedy and laughter, we think it’s time for us to call it ‘Your Happy Place.’ The fact is established now that Comedy Central is a place that will make you happy and hence the new tagline.”

     

    Comedy Central aims to bring a fresh take on its brand elements and content with this change. The new look showcases this positioning by using a rich and vibrant color palette, slick animation and an overall design package that is very easy on the eyes. Using the circle to signify locations and happy zones, these elements also help to highlight each show. The use of innovative stickers helps qualify these shows as well. The entire creative aspect was taken care of by the in-house team.

     

    Understanding the pulse of its viewers, Comedy Central India has repositioned itself aiming to increase the engagement with viewers through a new line-up of diverse shows in September including the likes of Younger, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, Your Family or Mine and The Mindy Project Season 3.

     

    “This is just the beginning. We will have more new shows coming in and it will be a new Comedy Central with ‘Your Happy Place,’” informed Palia.

     

    While content acquisition costs have been increasing at a brisk pace, the question is whether the English entertainment genre in India has a strong enough revenue model. To this, Palia said, “The English entertainment space has spread enormously over the last few years. So the demand has increased and subsequently the cost has gone up. When it comes to Viacom 18, we have our business model and we are doing good. Comedy Central has performed beyond expectations both from consumer point of view as well as business point of view.”

     

    Apart from high cost of content, piracy is another menace that the English entertainment genre has been grappling with. However, now with the US simulcast and instant premieres, that aspect is partly taken care of. That aside, will the emerging OTT platforms and Netflix’s impending arrival, pose a threat to the channels having English shows? Palia replied, “I don’t think there will be an either – or situation in India. Both platforms will compliment each other. By paying Rs 250 per month, one gets a huge number of channels. It will be difficult for an OTT model to come in and cause disruption. I think the emergence of OTT will be good for consumers but it will co-exist with television.”

     

    Palia is of the opinion that English entertainment viewers are not only limited to Phase I and II areas of digitisation, but phase III and IV areas will also play vital role in ensuring growth of the English entertainment genre. “If we see the social media insights, a huge number of impressions are registered from the phase III and IV areas. Those areas are important and English content consumers are very much there. So I think time ahead will be hugely positive.”

  • Romedy Now to premiere ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ with its US telecast

    Romedy Now to premiere ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ with its US telecast

    MUMBAI: The 13th season of the Emmy Award winning ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ will air for the first time in India on the unique destination of love and laughter, Romedy Now!

     

    “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” will premiere in India today, along with its US telecast. The super successful series will air every Monday to Friday at 6 pm on Romedy Now. The series was licensed to Romedy Now by Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.

     

    With an engaging personality and unique take on everyday life, Ellen sets the tone for a relaxed and candid environment that puts her guests at ease and allows them to engage in entertaining and thoughtful discussions on topical subjects.

     

    Speaking about the show, Vivek Srivastava, Sr. Vice President & Head, English Entertainment Cluster, Times Network said, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show is one of the most popular shows featuring the world famous celebrities from different walks of life & we are extremely glad to launch it concurrent to its US telecast.”

     

    Ellen’s show has seen the most renowned celebrities in the past from U.S. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama to Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Madonna, Clint Eastwood, Reese Witherspoon, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Drew Barrymore, to name a few.

     

    Entering its 13th season, ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ continues to be the destination for laughter and fun, highlighting Ellen’s one-of-a-kind observational humor, warmth and insight, and featuring the biggest stars from television, film, music and more. This year, ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ will feature personalities including Hillary Clinton, Caitlyn Jenner, Malala Yousafzai, Pink, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Noah Ritter, Jimmy Fallon and many more.

     

    Embraced by audiences and critics alike, the global entertainer, Ellen has won 55 Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards, including nine for Outstanding Talk Show and four for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

  • FX launches TV show ‘The Affair: A concoction of emotions’ on 4 September

    FX launches TV show ‘The Affair: A concoction of emotions’ on 4 September

    MUMBAI: FX is the only exclusive destination in India that brings to its viewers a gamut of genres with the latest of the cult and award winning shows. This year, keeping true to its word, the channel is all set to captivate its viewers with the #AllNewFX. The channel offers a fresh, cutting edge look and will now showcase over 50 of the most edgy, new and acclaimed shows across genres.

     

    The Affair (Season 1) is just one of the many shows in the brilliant line-up that FX has in store for all their viewers. The show has garnered much appreciation and won more than just viewers’ hearts. An IMDB rating of 8, 95% positive response on Rotten Tomatoes, Winner of 2 golden globe awards – Best Actress and Best Television series and Nominated for Emmy, 2015 – Best Actress (Ruth Wilson) are just a few things the show has to boast about.

     

    It depicts an emotional journey of a marriage and an extramarital relationship and a struggle to strike a balance between life and life’s responsibilities, emotions, expectations, memories and more. Between realm and dreams, what’s right and what’s not- join us to view the journey of a couple, Alison and Noah, who is striving to make things work and make ends meet while they are caught up in a roller coaster of their sentiments.

     

    The show stars Dominic West in the role of Noah Solloway – A writer and a schoolteacher; Ruth Wilson in the award winning role of Alison Lockhart – A waitress at a local diner. The story progresses to show how the two give in to an extra-marital distraction battle their moral dualities and stand at the brink of losing everything they have.

     

    Not only that, FX is all set to make the weekends even more exciting by bringing the latest seasons of new and exciting shows, right after the international telecast. Season 2 of Affair has already made it to the list and is set to air after an ecstatic season 1.

     

    Catch the captivating romantic drama of the two couples living on the edge every Mon- Fri, 10pm only on FX!

  • Fox International Channels confirms season 4 of ‘Asia’s Next Top Model’

    Fox International Channels confirms season 4 of ‘Asia’s Next Top Model’

    MUMBAI: Fox International Channels (FIC) has confirmed season 4 of the reality competition series Asia’s Next Top Model (AsNTM), once again for its female-targeted entertainment channel, Star World, set to air in 2016.

     

    Season 3 of the show achieved phenomenal success on Star World as the highest-rated season to date in Singapore and the Philippines. The season 3 finale also garnered the highest ratings in the show’s history on StarWorld, and pushed the channel into the top ranking spot amongst all western general entertainment cable channels.

     

    An original production by FIC, AsNTM is based on Tyra Banks’ popular ‘Top Model’ franchise, where aspiring models are mentored by industry professionals as they compete to become the next big thing in fashion. The series will once again be presented by Subaru and Zalora in this new season.

     

    FIC has commissioned FremantleMedia Asia to helm the production of this upcoming season. FIC’s partnership with FremantleMedia Asia is set to deliver even more compelling characters and chic style this season, as the young women on the show grow into world-class modelling professionals ready to take the global fashion industry by storm.

     

    Fox International Channels EVP and head of content and communications for Hong Kong & Southeast Asia Keertan Adyanthaya said, “We’re excited to be launching the fourth season of this successful franchise, especially on the heels of a well-received season 3. We strive to produce shows that are highly entertaining and build fan bases, but also offer creative and effective promotional opportunities for brand partners, which in turn allow us to invest further into production and marketing. AsNTM is a great example of this successful model.”

     

    “We could not have created this hit without our committed partners Subaru and Zalora. They share our creative vision for quality content and have each very smartly used the show successfully as a platform for their own marketing and promotion, making these win-win partnerships. Together with FremantleMedia, we can’t wait to bring to AsNTM fans the best season yet,” he added.

  • Zee Studio to air blockbuster movies back to back in September

    Zee Studio to air blockbuster movies back to back in September

    MUMBAI: Zee Studio presents a compelling set of movies this September, all month long to enthrall its audiences.  Your hunt for entertainment comes to an end as Zee Studio brings to you some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters on properties like ‘Prime Time Players’, ‘The Terrific Weekend’, ‘Super Size Saturdays’ and  ‘Lethal Women’.

     

    The one movie that is a must watch for September is the channel premiere of World War Z on 13 September at 9:00pm. Catch the Brad Pitt blockbuster only on Zee Studio.

     

    Watch the most Lethal Women in Hollywood at their ass kicking best starting 10th September, every Thursday at 11:00pm. Catch movies like Bounty Hunter, Lara Croft: Cradle of Life, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and Aeonflux all month long.

     

    Zee Studio will continue to thrill you with The Terrific Weekend, the channel’s newest programming innovation, which will showcase Indian television premieres of Four 2 and Four 3 on 26th & 27th September at 9:00 pm.

     

    Also watch blockbuster movies back to back all through the day on Super Size Saturdays airing movies every Saturday 8:00am to 9:00pm only on Zee Studio.

     

    Don’t miss out on the blockbuster movies starring top Hollywood actors like Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo Di Caprio, Benedict Cumberbatch and many more. Best of the few best movies like Italian Job, Catch Me If You Can, Eagle Eye, GI: Retaliation and Star Trek Into Darkness will be aired in the 7:00pm slot. This property will feature every Monday-Friday at 7:00pm, starting 7th September.

  • Star India to launch FX HD in mid September; spruce up content line-up

    Star India to launch FX HD in mid September; spruce up content line-up

    MUMBAI: As competition heats up in the English Entertainment space with the launch of Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD along with the recent revamp of Comedy Central, existing players are now upping their game with compelling content and HD launches.

     
    In a bid to stay ahead in the game, Star India’s English entertainment channel FX is all set to change the way Indian viewers consume content. The channel, which is undergoing a brand refresh by adding new content, will also be launching its high definition (HD) version, FX HD within the next two weeks.

     

    This year, the channel is all set to captivate viewers with the #AllNewFX by showcasing over 50 of the most edgy, new and acclaimed shows across genres.

     

    Speaking about FX, Star India English cluster business head Kevin Vaz said, “English speaking people in India are increasing at a substantial rate and therefore more and more channels are coming in. FX will be for audiences who are following English entertainment since a long time. We now have Star World, which is for family viewing, Star World Premiere – the ad free channel – will cater to premium category and with FX, we want to reach out to the top brass.”

     

    The network pulled Fox Crime off air recently. Vaz cites lack of content and not poor response as the reason for taking the channel down. “We didn’t want to mix it with other content, hence when we saw there were not enough offerings, we decided to pull the curtains down on it,” informed Vaz.

     

    Piracy often eats up a major pie of English entertainment viewership as consumers are accustomed to downloading pirated content and watching marathon episodes on their desktops and laptops. Vaz is of the opinion that accessibility can change that behaviour. “The world is now connected unlike ever before. People talk to friends in the US and want to see content with them and talk the same trend. That was not happening earlier so people resorted to downloading. Now shows will be available at the same time as the US, so I don’t see that factor being a huge obstacle,” he adds.

     

    Post the KBC and Kyunki era, Indian viewers want to consume content everyday and are not used to the concept of waiting for a week, which is a challenge, as per Vaz. Shows in the US are aired once a week and at times while there is Christmas or any other occasional break, they are not even aired every week. “People in India don’t expect something like this. There 22 episodes are run over 32 weeks,” he says.

     

    Keeping Indian viewers at par with the world on English entertainment, FX is all set to make weekends more exciting with day and date shows on the soon to be launched HD version. This will enable viewers to watch the latest episodes of shows like Homeland (Season 5),Affair (Season 2), Empire (Season 2) and Doctor Who (Season 9) right after the international telecast.

     

    What’s more, the action doesn’t stop there. Psychological thrillers like Luther and Bosch, reality comedy like Last Comic Standing and Last Man on Earth will all be showcased in the month of September on FX.

     

    Weekends have also been spruced up with FX Top Rated – where viewers can watch the highest rated and loved shows back to back. With 80 per cent premieres and only shows that pass the 7+ rating on Imdb, FX Top Rated is slated to bring curated quality content across the year.

     

    The all new look and packaging of the channel is specially designed to bring out its strong brand promise of ‘Edge of Entertainment,’ which aptly resonates not just the channel philosophy but also that of curated content.

     

    Content price is constantly escalating and India is yet to figure out which revenue model will work and which won’t. “I think we need to have all the options available for consumers at this stage,” said Vaz.

     

    The English entertainment space on Indian television is definitely getting a facelift at a brisk pace with channels putting their best foot forward as far as programming goes.

  • Atlanta based Gray Television to acquire ABC affiliate for $100 million

    Atlanta based Gray Television to acquire ABC affiliate for $100 million

    MUMBAI: Gray Television, Inc has reached an agreement with The Gazette Company to acquire KCRG-TV, the ABC affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, DMA for approximately $100 million in cash. This acquisition marks Gray’s first purchase of a television station located in the State of Iowa.

     

    Consistent with Gray’s other recently acquired television stations, KCRG-TV is the number-one ranked television station in its DMA and dominates its local market in terms of community service, viewership, innovation, and revenue.

     

    “The Gazette Company has honored Gray Television by entrusting us with the future stewardship of KCRG-TV, which it has built into a true powerhouse. With this very strong foundation and a great staff, we are confident that Gray’s backing will propel KCRG-TV to even greater success in the future,” said Gray president and CEO Hilton H. Howell, Jr.

     

    The Gazette Company president and CEO Chuck Peters added, “The Gazette Company, owned by a trust for the benefit of its employees, is focused on growing businesses and growing people. We realised that we have done all we can do as a single television station with the business and for the people of KCRG TV9. We look forward to seeing what the very talented KCRG TV9 team can do with the scale and connections of Gray Television.”

     

    Since The Gazette Company, which also owns The Cedar Rapids Gazette, first placed KCRG-TV on the air in 1953, the newspaper and television station have worked together to bring quality journalism, economic development, community service, and business solutions to Eastern Iowa.

     

    The Gazette Company and Gray will continue the long-standing partnership between The Gazette and KCRG-TV. Meanwhile, this transaction will allow both companies to continue positioning these leading media institutions for continued growth over the next several decades.

     

    Gray today closed on its purchase of most of KCRG-TV’s non-license assets and began operating the television station subject to the licensee’s ultimate control. The company anticipates closing on the station’s remaining assets in the fourth quarter of 2015 following receipt of FCC and other approvals. 

     

    Including expected synergies, the transaction purchase price represents a multiple of approximately 6.9 times a blended average of the station’s 2015-2016 pro forma broadcast cash flow. As such, the acquisition of KCRG-TV will be immediately free cash flow accretive to Gray. We financed the transaction with cash on hand.

  • 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. 

  • Movies Now launches ‘High Rollers’ quiz for media & ad fraternity

    Movies Now launches ‘High Rollers’ quiz for media & ad fraternity

    MUMBAI: Movies Now has launched a first-of-its kind quiz for the fraternity with an aim attract media agencies and advertising clients for its new property called High Rollers.

     

    To participate in the Hollywood quiz, media agencies and advertising clients can log on to the specially created micro-website and answer a few simple questions about stars, movies, and Hollywood trivia.

     

    Movies Now has brought on board Urban Ladder as the presenting sponsor for High Rollers. Movies, which will be aired include Taken 2, Dark Knight Rises, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Wolf of Wall Street, What Happens in Vegas, Men in Black, Wolverine, Knight & Day, Mr & Mrs Smith, Transporter, Salt, Fast & Furious 6 and Ocean’s 11.

     

    The channel has been airing 24 Hollywood flicks that star megastars like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise, Jason Statham, Christian Bale and Leonardo Di Caprio in the six-week property. High Rollers will be aired from Monday to Thursday at 11 pm.

     

    Ten weekly winners will be awarded prizes like 1TB hard drive, Sony headphones and JBL speakers. What’s more, the mega prize includes an iPhone 6, which will be given to three lucky winners. There will be a leader board and whoever has the highest points in a week wins. The ultimate winner will be the person with the maximum right answers.

     

    The four-week-long engagement activity will not just reward individuals but also the agencies. The individual scores will be added to the agency scores. The Lifetime agency point leaders will win two PS4s.