ITV

Category: English Entertainment

  • Comedy Central enters April with interesting line-up

    MUMBAI: Comedy Central is all set to roll into the month of April with a new line-up that will entertain you more than the April Fool’s Day jokes! With premieres of shows and seasons, this month will also see a quirky celebration of April Fool’s Day.
    In addition to its existing line-up of hilarious day and date shows like Man With A Planand The Great Indoors, the channel will now premiere new seasons of shows such asThe Graham Norton Show. 
    The channel will also introduce new shows such as Suburgatory season 1-3, Sirensseason 1-2, Whitney season1-2, Wrecked season 1 and Impastor season 2 in its programming roster for this month.
    Viacom 18 head of programming English Entertainment Hashim D’Souza said, “We are already three months into the year and it has, so far, been an amazing one! New shows, new seasons, there’s so much happening on the channel. This month is going to be even better because it’s packed with Indian TV premieres. We are extremely thrilled about it and hope that the viewers like it just as much we loved planning it.”
    The all new line-up includes:
    Show: April Fool’s Day special

    Date: Saturday and Sunday, 1-2 April| Time: 12 pm 
    Synopsis:
    On a day which is all about jokes, hoaxes, tricks and pranks, Comedy Central is the best in the business! We’ve got your entire weekend covered with Penn Jillette, Raymond Joseph, Ashton Kutcher and Amir Blumenfeld, leading from the front to show you how it’s done!
    The channel will air Penn & Teller: Fool Us!, Pranked and Punk’d for six hours each on1st & 2nd April (Saturday & Sunday) from 12 Noon onwards.
    Further, the channel is also celebrating the day on social media, asking people to laugh off their tax worries and celebrate the day instead! This day is not just about pranking someone, it’s the funniest day of the year and Comedy Central wants to help its viewers to get out of the stress zone and laugh with them!
    Show: Impastor s2
    Date: Monday, 3 April| Time: 10 pm
    Synopsis: 
    The second season starts off with Buddy being cuffed and locked in a car by Lovello and Hyde only to be pursued by Damien. Lovello and Hyde narrowly escape leaving Buddy to convince the detectives that he is an undercover FBI agent who witnessed the suicides of Jonathan Barlow and his true self. The detectives place a tracking anklet on Buddy and give him 24 hours to find Damien. 

    Show: The Graham Norton Show s21
    Date: Saturday, 15 April | Time: 10 pm
    Synopsis:
    BAFTA Award-winning comedian Graham Norton hosts this long-running, eponymous talk show in which he discusses the people, trends and news stories that interest him the most. He performs a monologue and other comedy sketches, which include eccentric stories and characters while welcoming celebrity guests and musical performers. The hour-long program often includes madcap audience participation and the red chair.

    Show: Suburgatory season 1-3
    Date: Monday, 10 April | Time: 10:30 pm
    Synopsis:
    The series follows a single father who decides to relocate from New York City to the suburbs, so he can give his teenage daughter a better life. However, their move has them wondering if they just entered the world of the Stepford Wives.

    Show: Sirens season 1-2

    Date: Thursday, 13 April | Time: 9:30 pm
    Synopsis:

    A comedy that follows three Chicago Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who despite their narcissistic and self-destructive personalities are uniquely qualified to save lives.

    Show: Wrecked season 1

    Date: Monday, 17 April | Time: 10 pm

    Synopsis:

    A parody of “Lost”, the show follows the strange antics of a diverse group of survivors after a plane crashes on a remote island.
    Show: Whitney season 1-2

    Date: Tuesday, 18 April| Time: 9 pm
    Synopsis:
    The series follows Whitney, her very supportive live-in boyfriend Alex and their friends who are all twenty-somethings living in Chicago.

  • Star World Premiere HD to air ‘The Pacific’

    MUMBAI: Star World Premiere HD, one of India’s leading English Entertainment channel, has been a champion in introducing some of the biggest path-breaking stories ever told. These, coupled with memorable performances, award-winning characters and the biggest stars are sure to raise the entertainment quotient on the channel every month as part of its exclusive and one-of-its-kind property – Mini Series of the Month.

    This month, the property that has previously showcased some of the most revolutionary mini-series of all time brings to you the Emmy Award Winning war series, The Pacific. Witness the brilliance in the brutality of war with The Pacific that will air on 1 and 2 April starting from 12 pm.

    Produced and created by the makers of the trail blazing war series Band of Brothers, Hollywood big wigs Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman come together once again to create a radical, new 10 part miniseries that revolves around the intertwined stories of three Marines during America’s battle with the Japanese in the Pacific during World War II.

    Interestingly, The Pacific is the most expensive miniseries ever made by any network with vintage vehicles (both American and Japanese), weaponry and other equipment making this TV experience as realistic as possible for viewers. Not only that, the series is based on the stories shared in the real memoirs of U.S. Marines Eugene Sledge and Robert Leckie, both of whom are characters in the miniseries, played by Joseph Mazzello and James Badge Dale, respectively.

    With an IMDB rating of 8.3, this intriguing and intricate series set records worldwide, surprised veterans, was extremely well received by critics and has won several accolades including The Golden Globes as well as an EMMY for Outstanding Miniseries. An interesting fact mentioned by some of the war veterans was that The Pacific and its visually stunning scenes were enough to bring on flashbacks as the miniseries was extremely accurate and realistic in its depiction of the battles. Moreover, the series created an overwhelming rush of emotions among the veterans that they felt as though they were living those very moments during the premiere of the series!

  • ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ TV premiere on HBO & HBO HD

    MUMBAI: Home to the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, HBO India is all set to host the Indian television premiere of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movie will air on 2 April at 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO HD. The superhero movie is the first live-action film bringing Batman and Superman together.

    The channel has partnered with Oppo as the presenting sponsor for the premiere, co-powered by Nissan Terrano, with MapmyIndia.com as an associate sponsor.

    Amongst the top 10 grossers of 2016, the movie has Ben Affleck in and as Batman who fights Henry Cavill playing Superman, unfolding the epic drama. The movie also features other iconic DC characters such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg.

    HBO India, in a process to engage with the superhero fans and fanatics, hosted a movie marathon as a run up to celebrate the chartbuster hit movie named #MarchofSuperheros.

    A high-class premiere needs a larger than life campaign. Therefore, the channel has chalked out a 360-degree integrated approach to engage with its audience across multiple cities. HBO India has mapped out captivating content to engage the movie buffs on multiple social media platforms. The ultimate quiz for superhero lovers has been exclusively developed by HBO on FB – participating fans can get to know which superhero their personality resonates with best.

    On the day of the premiere, the channel will run a four-segment contest, during the airing of the film. Four questions will be asked to the viewers and one lucky winner who answers all four questions correctly, stands a chance to win an iMac. The DC comic enthusiasts can share their excitement on social media platforms with #MarchOfSuperheroes and #BatmanvSupermanonHBO.

  • GRB brings crime, paranormal programmes to Eastern Europe

    MUMBAI: GRB Entertainment has sold a slate of unscripted programmes in Eastern Europe spanning genres including real-life crime, natural disaster and paranormal.

    Hungary’s Origo Media Group picked up 3 seasons and specials of the long-running, real-life hospital drama series, Untold Stories of the E.R. which follows real doctors and the real cases that changed their lives!

    Ukraine’s Studio 7 took Anatomy of Disaster — an exhilarating journey into the frightening world of natural disasters where ordinary people tell their extraordinary stories of tragedy, survival and heroism.

    Kinosvet in the Czech Republic acquired four series: dramatic adventure series Expeditions to the Edge where explorers make life or death decisions in harrowing situations; Missing Link explores paranormal phenomena – divine manifestations, witchcraft, Satanism, UFOs and poltergeists – and asks questions that challenge current scientific principles; and Mysterious Worlds which takes viewers into dark underworlds to explore the unknown, the paranormal, and the bizarre subcultures. They also took the gripping true-crime series, FBI: Criminal Pursuit showcasing the most powerful cases of the .

    RTL-Hrvatska in Croatia picked up the entertaining real-life docu-series Auction Kings following Atlanta’s most successful auction house owner, Paul Brown who works with an eclectic mix of consignors who bring their varied treasures to sell to the highest bidders.

    “GRB spans the globe with our extensive factual portfolio – intriguing crime programs, gripping natural disaster and exploration programs as well as enlightening paranormal series and docu-series. All of our programs, including the GRB-produced Untold Stories of the E.R., have been performing extremely well around the world and we are confident they will be well-received in Eastern Europe as well,” said GRB Entertainment SVP – international distribution Michael Lolato.

    GRB Entertainment is a trendsetter of unscripted, and scripted, alternative programming with a proven track record of creating shows for networks worldwide. Intervention, GRB’s groundbreaking A&E series (200+ episodes), received two Emmy® Award nominations in 2016, a Critics’ Choice Award nomination in 2016 and an Emmy® Award nomination in 2015.

  • Oscar-winning ‘Danish Girl’ unsuitable for TV despite theatrical release, Sony expresses regret

    NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: The Oscar-winning Hollywood film The Danish Girl, which had been released in theatres in the country in January 2016 with an ‘Adults only’ certificate and no cut, has been denied its television premiere in India on Sony Le PLEX HD channel.

    A Central Bureau of Film Certification (CBFC) source said that TV channels are generally not permitted to screen films with ‘A’ certificate, but can apply for a fresh certificate whereby some scenes found offensive can be sliced and the film screened with a ‘U/A’ certificate.

    The internationally-acclaimed film’s theme is loosely based on the story of Lili Elbe, a 1920s painter who was born into a man’s body as Einar Wegener and underwent the first gender confirmation surgery in the world.

    The CBFC source said this theme was unsuitable for viewing by the Indian TV audience, particularly children. As to why the route of suggesting cuts was not recommended to the rights-holders or the TV channel, the source said that it was difficult to edit a film when the subject itself is so controversial and unsuitable for TV viewing.

    The film had been slated for telecast on Sunday evening, and the Sony Network channel Sony Le PLEX HD sent out a tweet apologising for being unable to telecast the film as the necessary certification had not been received. But, the channel promised to keep up efforts to get the certification and inform the viewers. Even as it regretted any inconvenience caused.

    The Danish Girl is a 2015 British-American biographical romantic drama film directed by Tom Hooper, based on the 2000 fictional novel of the same name by David Ebershoff and loosely inspired by the lives of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener.

    The film stars Eddie Redmayne as Elbe, one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery. Others in the film are Alicia Vikander, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, Amber Heard, and Matthias Schoenaerts.

    On its Twitter handle, Sony stated:

    Sony Le PLEX HD‏ @SonyLePLEXHD  Mar 24

    We know how much you wished to watch The Danish Girl this Sunday & regret the inconvenience caused. We thank you for your constant support.

    Also Read:

    CBFC won’t ‘chill’; Pan Bahar ‘Bond’ ad banned

    No plans to regulate TV content through CBFC: MIB

     

  • ‘Shots Fired’ starring Hunt to debut on Star World Premiere HD

    MUMBAI: Star World Premiere HD turns up the drama this month with the gripping limited TV series ‘ Shots Fired’ that will exclusively air on the channel every Saturday, 10pm starting 25 March.

    Set in a North Carolina town, Shots Fired is not just another police drama series! After decades of turning away from some of America’s most pressing racial problems, world television has finally started looking eye to eye in times of adversity as it takes on the courageous topic of conversation of police violence in America with the upcoming series.

    With the ‘Black Lives Matter Vs Blue Lives Matter’ debate at its very helm and multiple investigations at its heart, the series centers on the shootings of an unarmed white college student on one hand and a young black boy on the other that sparks what will eventually be an uproar.

    After a black sheriff’s deputy shoots an unarmed white college student, the small, racially and economically divided town of North Carolina city of Gates Station is on edge. This is when ambitious Special Prosecutor Preston Terry (played by Stephan James) and cop-turned-investigator Ashe Akino (played by Sanaa Lathan) are appointed by the Department of Justice to sift through the evidence and prevent any perception of impropriety in the case. Although they receive support from the governor (played by Helen Hunt) and the local sheriff (played by Will Patton) initially, the town reckons a force that will tear North Carolina apart as the case begins to point toward departmental corruption and a largely ignored, police shooting of an unarmed African-American youngster.

    Produced by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood of Before I Fall fame, the series draws inspiration from a spate of real-life murders of young black men by white cops in several American cities and towns but reverses the roles by posing the most important question – ‘What If It Was You?’

    Reggie Rock Bythewood, co-producer and the man behind the show shares his thoughts on the kind of content that he wants to deliver to audiences worldwide: “Sure, Shots Fired is a very entertaining show with a mystery that we hope the audience leans into, but we aren’t shying away from the fact that this is a relevant social subject matter that we feel as artists and as African Americans has to be dealt with,”

    The series that premiered back in January 2017 at the Sundance Film Festival and received a pool of stellar reviews, stars a powerhouse of talent – actors Sanaa Lathan (The Perfect Guy, Now You See Me 2, Alien vs. Predator, Blade fame) and Stephan James (Race, Across The Line, Selma fame) in lead roles alongside Oscar winners Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, The Goodbye Girl fame) and Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets, Mad About You, Cast Away, The Sessions, What Women Want fame) who play powerful figureheads pulled into the controversy.

  • Barbie reaffirms ‘You can be anything’ with MasterChef on Star World

    MUMBAI: Barbie’s message of You Can Be Anything is going to spread far and wide, reaching out to moms and kids, with Barbie’s latest association as the presenting sponsor for popular TV series – MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 that will air every Sunday at 9pm on Star World and Star World HD.

    Mattel India head of marketing Lokesh Kataria said, “Over the last year, Barbie has enabled young girls to unleash their imagination and unlock their aspirations to believe that they can be anything – from a doctor to a storyteller, a princess, a sportsperson or even a chef. We believe that our partnership with MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 is an extension of this effort and philosophy. At Mattel, we believe that play is an important aspect of a child’s life, not only helping them build skillsets but also inspiring imagination and creation. We will continue our efforts in India to engage with consumers to bring alive the power of play.”

    The integrated campaign will drive communication based on the concept of ‘Dads who play with Barbie’, showcasing what happens when real dads play Barbie with their daughters. The communication, which will air during MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 on Star World and Star World HD, will promote play as well highlight that “Time Spent in Her Imaginary World Is an Investment in Her Real World,” emphasizing that a dad’s involvement in his daughter’s imaginary play contributes to her social, intellectual and emotional development in real life.

    Under the guidance of world renowned chefs and judges, Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi, MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 selects young kids between ages of 8 to 13 and aims at honing their culinary aptitude. The contestants will have a platform to showcase their talent and create stunning dishes far beyond their age to win the coveted title of Junior MasterChef and the grand prize of $100,000.

    In Season 5, the kids will face exciting challenges, including one from former First Lady Michelle Obama; a first-ever vegan challenge from guest judge Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory); and cooking for other VIPs including Modern Family‘s Julie Bowen and The Muppets’ Miss Piggy and Swedish Chef.

    The ‘You Can Be Anything’ campaign has been launched in line with Mattel’s vision to bring parents and children together on the thought that play comes with learning and purpose.

  • Nielsen and Fox television stations renew local television ratings agreement

    New York, NY – March 22, 2017 – Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) has announced today that it has signed a long-term renewal agreement with FOX Television Stations (FTS) for audience measurement services. As part of the agreement, FTS licenses Nielsen’s Local Television ratings across all of the group’s 28 stations, in 17 designated market areas (DMA), including the Charlotte FOX O&O WJZY/WMYT, which was not in the previous agreement. FOX Station Sales, their national sales representative group, is also part of the renewal agreement.

    By extending its relationship with Nielsen, FOX’s owned-and-operated stations and national sales representative group can demonstrate their advertising and market value to marketers by leveraging currency measurement that provide breadth and depth into local audiences. The agreement includes Nielsen’s announced plans to enrich its Local TV panels with data from its Portable People MeterTM technology and set-top-boxes, delivering significantly larger sample sizes and driving increased ratings fidelity. Out-of-home audience will also be included for the first time in local measurement.

    The investments that Nielsen is making to Local TV are part of its overall strategy to deliver all-electronic measurement across all 210 DMA. This effort combines Nielsen’s gold-standard panels with the strength of big data sources to provide Local TV clients like FTS with stable and accurate data that help them better compete in the marketplace.

    “FOX continues to be at the forefront of delivering valuable local content to its viewers,” said Jeff Wender, Managing Director for Nielsen Local Media. “This strategic agreement builds on the long-term relationship and mutual respect that exist between FOX Television Stations Group and Nielsen. We are excited to deliver an enhanced local measurement portfolio for more strategic decision making and increased ROI to advertisers.”

    About Nielsen

    Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers watch and buy. Nielsen’s Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Nielsen Total Audience measurement services for all devices on which content—video, audio and text—is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry’s only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen also provides its clients with analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

    About Fox Television Stations

    FOX Television Stations is one of the nation’s largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprising 28 stations in 17 markets and covering over 37% of U.S. television homes. This includes seven duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Charlotte.

  • MasterChef US Junior to premiere on Star World from 26 Mar

    MUMBAI: Star World and Star World HD will start airing the fifth season of MasterChef U.S. Junior starting 26 March at the prime time 9pm slot. The fifth season of the show, to be aired every Sunday, premiered in the US on 9 February this year with chefs — Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi acting as the series’ judges, along with various guest judges.

    MasterChef U.S. is based on the format of the U.K. series Junior MasterChef in which nine-to twelve-year-olds compete. MasterChef USA aims at selecting young kids between ages of 8 and 13 and honing their culinary aptitude. The contestants will have a platform to showcase their talent and create stunning dishes far beyond their age to win the coveted title of Junior MasterChef and the grand prize of $100,000.

    A Star India release stated that, this summer, it’s time for kids in India to hone some cooking skills by drawing inspiration from the junior chefs on MasterChef U.S. Junior Season 5.

    In Season 5, the kids will face exciting challenges, including one from former First Lady Michelle Obama; a first-ever vegan challenge from guest judge Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory); and cooking for other VIPs including Modern Family‘s Julie Bowen and The Muppets’ Miss Piggy and Swedish Chef.

  • ‘This Is Us’ nears fruition on Star World Premiere HD

    MUMBAI: If the season, right since its inception has been any indication, viewers must start emotionally preparing for what is about to be a heartwarming yet tear-jerking finale on audience favorite and critically acclaimed TV show -This Is Us. The show will air on Star World Premiere HD on 18 March at 10 pm.

    The family drama, starring a stellar ensemble cast comprising of Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Justin Hartley, Sterling K Brown, Chrissy Metz among othersis one of the biggest hits of 2016 and has managed to captivate a huge fan basein a very short period of time from the show’s very first episode.

    Having started off in a pleasant place where a pregnant Rebecca is seducing her husband before her water breaks and rapidly progressing to a place where Rebecca is in pain for losing one of her newborn triplets, audiences understood the bittersweet dynamics of the show that would continue to haunt them long after the episode is over. Now, so close to its grand ending, viewers are expecting the episode to close some of the most important questions that they have rattled their minds over all season long! How did Jack die? How did Miguel and Rebecca come about to be? Why does Kate hold herself responsible for her father’s death? Will Kevin and Sophie finally get back together?

    During last week’s penultimate episode, the timeline moved back and forth with the Pearson family celebrating William’s life in the present and Rebecca leaving home to go to Cleveland on-tour with her band, in the past. The official synopsis, now, for the finale episode states: In the first-season finale, Jack heads to Cleveland to make things right with Rebecca on the night of her first big gig with the band. Then, Randall, Kate and Kevin make big decisions about their futures.

    “We’re going to destroy America by the end of the season,” Moore divulged in a statement last week around the finale, “As if they don’t have enough to be upset about at this point in time, anyway,” she added.

    With Jack taking the command over the steering wheel, very drunk, in the last episode and the synopsis revealing that he in fact heads to Cleveland; will this be the end for Jack?

    Ventimiglia, the man who plays Jack, wants the fans to at least brace for the possibility that this maybe the defining moment of the season, “People want to know what happens with Jack. This may be the time when they find out.”

    The series has already been renewed for the second and third season, so will the loose ends be taken forward to the next seasons? Or will we gain closure this season and wait for another heavy weight season, filled with other reveals from the Pearson family?