ITV

Category: Factual

  • Sony BBC Earth launches trailer of ‘Blue Planet II – One Ocean and The Deep’

    Sony BBC Earth launches trailer of ‘Blue Planet II – One Ocean and The Deep’

    MUMBAI: Brace yourselves for a sneak-peek into the biggest cinematic experience that will hit the theatres this summer. Sony BBC Earth, in association with PVR Cinemas, launches the trailer of ‘Blue Planet II: One Ocean and The Deep’, a story that will release in cinemas on May 18.  

    The official trailer gives a glimpse into the greatest yet the most mysterious part of our planet – The Oceans, and the never-seen-before stories of the creatures that live there. For instance, New Zealand’s killer whales form relationships with bottlenose dolphins purely for socializing or Giant Trevally fish jumps out of the water to catch its prey mid-air!

    First time in India, and in the infotainment category, a tale of this caliber will release across 22 cities exclusively in PVR cinemas, preceded by a select blue carpet screening. Shot over 1406 days with 125 expeditions across 39 countries, Blue Planet II accounts for more than 6,000 hours and 8 km deep of underwater dive footage to bring unique, untold stories that will take your breath away.

    Narrated by the godfather of natural history Sir David Attenborough, and music by legendary composer Hans Zimmer, this grand adventure is a must-watch for everyone this summer.

  • Travelxp trains focus on production

    Travelxp trains focus on production

    MUMBAI: Travelxp has made its first big international landing. Come 30 April, it will launch in the UK through the popular Freeview platform. This will be driven by Travelxp Europe MD Sumant Bahl who also leads Travelxp UK from its Greater London office. The network plans to strengthen its content capability by setting up its production houses first in the UK and subsequently in Eastern Europe and thereafter in the Americas. Travelxp CEO Prashant Chotani said that the UK production house would serve as the hub for western, central and eastern Europe within the next four to five months.

    The channel has gone free-to-air in the UK while in every other territory, including India, Travelxp is a pay-TV channel. The company claims to have sold 100 per cent of its ad inventory for its UK channel.

    Travelxp is relayed in local languages in countries such as the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria. The channel also has Hindi, Tamil and Bengali feeds in India. It will get into more Indian languages, including Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, soon. France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary and Austria are also in the pipeline for launch.

    The channel has made aggressive marketing plans targeting the large mainstream audience in the UK with TV campaigns on mainstream television and digital billboard screens across the UK on buses, the underground, and on social media, amongst other initiatives.

    The network, which owns the IP for its content, has a digital platform in the works and details will be out by the year end.

    “We are confident that our popular, premium travel-related entertainment and infotainment-driven content will connect with close to 16 million Freeview subscribers all over the UK. Every television manufactured in the UK after 2008 includes an inbuilt Freeview tuner that enables it to receive channels from Freeview, which is operated by DTV Services Ltd, a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and transmitter operator Arqiva,” Chotani said.

    With end-to-end in-house infrastructure of the latest technology and equipment, Travelxp’s lean crew teams produce programming in line with global standards. Only last week, it announced the launch of two new shows, Thali–The Great Indian Meal and City Breaks’ Uzbekistan series in seven global and three Indian languages.

    The UK content will include the channel’s six main categories of destination, lifestyle, food, culture, nature and heritage.

    Also Read :

    History TV18 focuses on relatable local content

    Cartoon Network HD+ adds Tamil, Telugu feeds

    Sony Yay banks on originals with a slew of fresh content

  • Travelxp launches new shows Thali-The Great Indian Meal, and City Breaks’ Uzbekistan series in 3 Indian, 7 global languages

    Travelxp launches new shows Thali-The Great Indian Meal, and City Breaks’ Uzbekistan series in 3 Indian, 7 global languages

    MUMBAI: Travelxp, the world’s leading travel channel reaching over 75 million homes and renowned for mainstream travel shows shot on 4K, has launched a new food-driven show and added three enticing destinations to its globally popular ongoing series.

    City Breaks Nisha Chothani, Director – Travelxp, said, “I am delighted to announce the launch of a unique new show, Thali – The Great Indian Meal, celebrating different, unusual but locally very popular culinary treats from all over India. We have also added three beautiful destinations from Uzbekistan to our globally popular series City Breaks. These shows have been created in the best Travelxp traditions of worldclass mainstream travel content shot in exquisite 4k and HD with multicultural hosts for immersive engagement, and will be launched on Sunday the 22nd of April in seven global and three Indian languages.”

    Thali – The Great Indian Meal:  Presented by celebrity Travelxp anchor Rohan Patoley, known most for his work in the non-fiction lifestyle-based series Strictly Street, Food Highway and Foodicted on Travelxp, this weekly half-hour series will air at 8:00 pm  every Saturday and Sunday, starting Sunday the 22nd of April 2018.

    Rohan will take food and travel aficionados on a quest to explore the flavors and assortments of one of the most traditional fares of India; the Thali. Viewers will explore various aspects of food ranging from street food to lost recipes and luxury cuisines in what will be a great window to understand the culture of every region through the local and unique delicacies it has to offer.

    Global and Indian audiences will get to savour the different, unusual, locally popular but globally not so well known  Thalis from India and the insightful stories behind different culinary flavors. The show will allow people who love travelling and exploring food of different countries, regions and communities to see India all over again through the culinary journey of the Thali.

    City Breaks to feature three exotic cities from Uzbekistan: Travelxp has added three beautiful, rugged, historic cities of Uzbekistan to its tentpole series City Breaks, which airs on weekends at 9:30  pm, and focuses on world cities that are great travel destinations. The series helps viewers see, know and become one with the history, culture and people of each city while savouring its sights, food and traditions. Starting Sunday the 22nd of April at 9.30 pm, City Breaks will feature these beautiful aspects in City Breaks Samarkand, City Breaks Bukhara and City Breaks Tashkent, presented by the celebrated, popular and glamorous Travelxp host, Alex Outhwaite.

    Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent are like a string of pearls on a timeline, each having a unique story to tell, and City Breaks’ Uzbekistan series will see the glamorous Alex  travel on a journey, shot in 4K, to Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, visiting markets and madrasas; indulging in local cuisines and exploring buildings ranging from the modern to historical monuments that were built during the times of Genghis Khan and Amir Timur.

    City Breaks is yet another example of the mainstream travel content Travelxp produces for discerning travel aficionados across the world. The cities from Uzbekistan are ancient and historical. Once part of the  erstwhile Silk Route, they are today progressing towards a modern outlook. Their rich history, elegant and magnificent architecture and pristine and rugged natural beauty are bound to appeal to lovers of great travel content worldwide.

    City Breaks has featured several beautiful cities so far, including  Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Prague, Sofia, Brussels, Budapest, Belfast and Dubai.

    With its new launches, Travelxp has opened a window to the world for the viewers to watch the evolution of thalis ‘from kitchen flame to worldwide fame’, and lesser explored destinations through 100% originally-produced content in High Definition and 4K.

    “Through these new shows, we wanted to bring our audiences great food and immersive travel destinations,” said Chothani. “Thali – The Great Indian Meal, will help audiences savour the delicious and unique culinary delights that vary across virtually every 50 to 100 kilometers in India, and City Breaks will present the aura and beauty of intriguing, architecturally brilliant yet simple cities of Uzbekistan – Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent,” she said. “These are a little offbeat, yet need to be on every avid traveler’s list. That is a part of Travelxp’s ongoing mission, and we hope to achieve it this time round too,” Chothani concluded.

  • History TV18 focuses on relatable local content

    History TV18 focuses on relatable local content

    MUMBAI: History TV18 has plans to woo the Indian audience with more local content. After the success of Special Operations India: Surgical Strikes, the channel launched Special Operations India: Myanmar late last month in a bid to beef up its Indian content library. A new mini series Firepower:Defending India launches next month, promos for the show are already on air.

    According to History TV18 EVP and head of content Arun Thapar, the channel is not just looking at notching up the number of hours of local content but is creating content that is relatable to its audience. “[The content] is differentiated in terms of storytelling, production values and scale. We are also experimenting with durations.” 

    The channel is investing in what audiences like and admire in the factual entertainment space. Thapar said that the channel wants to celebrate the good and great about India. “Our efforts have gained momentum over the last year and a half. The objective has been to offer differentiated content for the audience and increase our market share by creating and putting out shows that are best-in-class, from the perspective of storytelling, creative excellence and an immersive viewing experience. We want the audience to  relive the stories from the past that shape our present,” he added.

    Although hundreds of hours of content are from overseas, by targeting existing audiences and building the brand, the network believes it can keep viewers glued to the TV sets and rule the infotainment genre. 

    Special Operations India: Myanmar, which premiered on 28 March 2018, is the second instalment in the Special Operations India mini-series, the first one being the path-breaking documentary about India’s Surgical Strikes in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The story is told through the experiences of the men leading the operation and the decision makers in India’s military establishment at the time.

    Thapar believes that content in this genre should not be restricted to just Indian audiences but has to be made for global citizens. Going forward, History TV18 will keep refreshing its content with foreign shows as well as locally produced and curated series.

    History TV18 garnered second position in week 14 of Broadcast Audience Research Council’s (BARC) list with 3407 impressions (000s). When BARC increased its rural India measurement in 2017, the genre took a hit because urban viewership is its bastion.

    Competition has been sprucing up its offering as well. Recently, Sony BBC Earth, which was launched less than a year ago, snatched away the genre’s top spot from week 11 to week 14. The channel has lined up activities to connect with school kids and new show launches are also on the anvil.

    In its genre, History TV18 competes with Discovery, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, Sony BBC Earth and Nat Geo Wild. With only limited audiences to attract and plenty of players, the fight for eyeballs is likely to get intense in the genre.

    Also Read :

    ‘Barbarians Rising’, Roman & Barbarian battle on History TV18

    HistoryTV18: #BossWomen to tell stories of Indian women

  • Discovery Channel to premiere Wild Frank-Black Mamba Frank Cuesta returns to Africa to confront the most lethal snake on the planet

    Discovery Channel to premiere Wild Frank-Black Mamba Frank Cuesta returns to Africa to confront the most lethal snake on the planet

    MUMBAI: The popular Spanish TV presenter, tennis coach, adventurer and wildlife expert Frank Cuesta returns to the African continent this season on Discovery channel to face one of the biggest challenges he has faced in the history of ‘Wild Frank’: face to face the black mamba, the most lethal snake on the planet, whose bite has earned the nickname “kiss of death”. Starting April 18, Wild Frank Mamba will be showcased every Wednesday at 9:00 pm.

    Premium & Digital Networks, Discovery Communications India, Vice-President & Head, Zulfia Waris said, “Our strategy of establishing Discovery channel as the home of Mavericks with focus on domains like Auto, Wildlife, Adventure, Military, Science and Technology et al has paid us huge dividends. Wild Frank has a huge following amongst male millennials especially wild life enthusiasts and we are confident that his adventure in search of planet’s most lethal snake will keep the audiences engaged.”

    Frank Cuesta has traveled to territories as diverse as Brazil, Africa, India, Mexico, Nepal, Thailand, Australia and California, with the objective of discovering their wild life; and in the process, has exposed himself to situations of great danger. The herpetologist returns to Discovery channel willing to risk his life and face the “kiss of death”. This is how the deadly bite of the Black Mamba is known in Africa, the deadliest snake on the planet and most feared by the inhabitants of that continent, who are aware of the consequences of the bite of this species whose attacks have increased considerably in the last few years.

    Frank’s passion for snakes has led him to cross the boundaries on more than one occasion. And now, Frank wants to go further: find a black mamba, hold it in his hands and look at it face to face. Throughout three hour-long episodes, we will accompany Frank in this reckless quest that will be for Frank “the most dangerous and exciting adventure” of his life. And, as the herpetologist explains, “she is the ninja of the snakes” towards whom he feels “a fatal attraction”. That’s why Frank is willing to live a life-and-death encounter with one goal: to get out alive.

    On his journey through the grassland of Southern Africa, Frank and his team will face multiple challenges including a fight for survival between a rhinoceros defending his space and a male lion. The adventure does not end until Frank achieves his goal and comes face to face with the black mamba. What will happen? Will he suffer the attack of the “ninja” of the Black Mamba or will he manage to dominate it?

    THE “OTHER BLACK MAMBA”: WOMEN IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS

    Black Mamba is also the name of a group of 26 South African women who uniformed in camouflage attire; dedicate themselves to protect poachers from animals that inhabit a 400 km radius in the middle of the African grassland. They are disarmed and patrol their territory to defend the rhinos and other wild animals that are the favorite target of poachers.

    During his search for the snake, Frank will accompany these women who every day dismantle traps and fight to preserve the wild fauna intact by exercising an educating role: they are experts in wildlife and environmental education and go through schools to teach children to respect and protect nature and animal life. The Black Mamba have been awarded by the United Nations Environmental Program for their work.

  • Take a walk down memory lane with Chef Gautam Mehrishi this Summer

    Take a walk down memory lane with Chef Gautam Mehrishi this Summer

    MUMBAI: As summer is set to sizzle this year, get ready to chill out and beat the heat with Chef Gautam Mehrishi’s upcoming show ‘Hello Summer’ on Living Foodz. Starting April 16, the show reignites the nostalgia of summer vacations when exams would end and everyone would gear up for a two-month summer break.

    Summer holidays were quintessentially the best time of the year and the memory still puts a smile on our faces! ‘Hello Summer’ is interspersed with Chef Gautam’s anecdotes and childhood memories. He recreates some closely-guarded family recipes, which he relished during his summer holidays.

    The 13 episode series will explore varied themes such as birthdays, kitty parties, family picnics, pool parties, travel and summer weddings, etc. in each episode. Chef Gautam will showcase a range of refreshing snacks and drinks such as Mango and Chia pudding, Sugarcane smoked tofu, Banana Bread French Toast, Green Chai Latte, Jackfruit Mousse and Daab Malai Khichdi . Each episode features a segment dedicated to children, which will include recipes that can be enjoyed during holidays such as popsicles, ice cream jello, rose veggie tart, etc. Viewers can also learn how to whip-up dishes using the ultimate summer fruit- mangoes!

    Sharing his experience as a host, Chef Gautam Mehrishi says, “‘Hello Summer’ captures the beautiful nostalgia of summer vacations and those magical childhood days! The show allows viewers to experiment with a variety of recipes ranging from quick-fix snacks for kids, dishes for a leisurely Sunday brunch and energizing summer coolers. I am excited to collaborate with Living Foodz after the success of 100% Veg Season 2 and look forward to the launch of the show.”

    Living Foodz, Business Head, Mr. Amit Nair says, “Hello Summer’ will resonate with our viewers as it rekindles memories from childhood summer breaks- a time everyone looked forward to while growing up. Chef Gautam gives a unique twist to the classic summer recipes and shares simple, yet efficient tips that come in handy during this season. He has a wide following and his shows have received great appreciation from our viewers. We look forward to the launch.”

    Tune in to Living Foodz every Monday and Tuesday at 1:30 PM, starting April 16th, 2018. Repeat telecast of the episodes will air every Monday and Tuesday at 3:30PM and 6:30PM . The show is Co-powered  by Airtel and Lotus herbal .

  • Sony Pictures Networks Productions announces T for Taj Mahal

    Sony Pictures Networks Productions announces T for Taj Mahal

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks Productions (SPN Productions), the film production arm of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has announced its next release for the year ‘T for Taj Mahal’. Directed by six-time president’s national award winner Kireet Khurana, the feature film portrays a fascinating journey of social entrepreneurship through a thought provoking narrative.

    The cast includes acclaimed names such as Subrat Dutta, Ali Faulkner (Twilight Saga-Breaking Dawn), Bidita Bag (Babumoshai Bandookbaaz) Manoj Pahwa (Hey Ram) and Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm) in pivotal roles.

    Rooted in the heartland of India, the film is a relevant and timely story exploring a subject that is a big challenge in the country – the lack of education. After Piku, Azhar, Mubarakan, Poster Boys, the studio is backing yet another content driven film staying true to its aim of presenting stories that engage, evoke and entertain.

    SPNP is all set for 2 releases this year, ‘Soorma’ and ‘T for Taj Mahal’ amongst others to be announced.

    ‘T for Taj Mahal’ is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Abis Rizvi.

  • Travelxp launches on T-2 platform in Slovenia

    Travelxp launches on T-2 platform in Slovenia

    MUMBAI: Travelxp, the travel genre channel has launched in yet another international market. With its latest launch in Slovenia, Travelxp has opened a window to the world for the viewers of Slovenia through the T-2 platform. Travelxp HD will be available with 100 per cent localisation in Slovenian language and brings premium travel and lifestyle programming filmed in over 50 countries across the globe to Slovenian homes.

    The T-2 platform is among the first ISPs to offer VDSL and over own FTTH network triple play services in Slovenia. With the launch, Travelxp is now present in 75 million TV homes through multiple leading platforms across the world.

    Travelxp CEO Prashant Chothani said, “Travelxp now reaches 75 million TV homes across the world through leading platforms. It is a matter of immense satisfaction that withinseven short years of its launch, Travelxp has become the leading travel channel brand across the world, dedicated to producing top class, contemporary travel content that forges memorable experiences for viewers and travellers globally.”

    Travelxp offers 100 per cent originally-produced premium travel and lifestyle programming with a classic mix of path-breaking travel and lifestyle content in high definition and 4K. With travel content filmed in more than 50 countries across the world with multicultural hosts from all over, Travelxp brings to the audiences a never seen before experience of traveling from their homes. It brings the world closer than ever to viewers, who love the extraordinary images, in-depth research and the captivating narration that together create the world’s most loved premium travel content created and broadcast on Travelxp channels worldwide.

    T-2 content acquisition manager Svetlana Manojlovic said, “We are the first Slovenian operator who offered to our users Travelxp channel, which is very welcomed by users who are excited about traveling around the world and like to fill their leisure time to see unexplored destinations around the world.

    Not only, they will be able to enjoy many documentary content in HD resolution, we are proud that this month, as the first in Slovenia, we will also offer this program in 4K technology to our users. It provides a user-friendly viewing experience with flawless resolution and full color. Namely, we are the first Slovenian operator to announce the introduction of 4K TVs and TV programs in 4K resolution. This confirms our long-term commitment, to ensure the quality and popular content of various genres and upgrade the user experience of our users. At T-2, we will continue our efforts to maintain the reputation of the operator with the most satisfied users with the help of partners such as Travelxp and develop into a market leader with the best quality products and services.”

    “Travelxp is already a loved and prominent channel in the Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian and Czech languages,” Chothani said, adding, “Slovenian is the fifth language of the CEE Region that Travelxp is now available in. We are the single largest producers of travel content in the world with unmatched quality and experience and will continue to take our premium travel content filmed in HD and UHD to delight travel aficionados in more and more countries and regions worldwide. Our aim is to leave a mark on the world with first-rate and unparalleled programming that will resonate with travelers all around the globe.”

  • Sony BBC Earth intensifies India-centric content, Acquires new shows

    Sony BBC Earth intensifies India-centric content, Acquires new shows

    MUMBAI: Sony BBC Earth, India’s premium factual entertainment channel, has emerged as the No. 1 channel in Metros. With a steady increase in viewership and market share within a year of launch, the channel has created a strong foothold in the market backed by positive and insightful content. Adding to the audience’s viewing experience, Sony BBC Earth has now acquired two new India specific shows, which will be a part of the ‘India Special Line-up’ starting April 2, Monday to Friday at 9PM.

    The two new shows are Tuning 2 U: The Lost Musicians of India and Stairway to Heaven coupled with India specific episodes from other popular shows. In Tuning 2 U: The Lost Musicians of India, Soumik Datta takes you on a musical journey as a host where he travels to various cities in India narrating stories and journeys of rural musicians. Stairway to Heaven shows Shaun Micallef embarking on a mission to priesthood, immersing himself in the Hindu world of Gods, Gurus and the Ganges, embarking on a quest to find the meaning of life.

    Additionally, there are India specific shows such as Hidden India, Joanna Lumely’s India, India’s Deadliest Snakes and Kolkata with Sue Perkins which will cover the diverse landscapes, wildlife and beauty of India like never before. There’s also India specific episodes from popular series such as Monumental Challenge featuring The Taj Mahal, World’s Busiest Cities featuring Delhi, Planet Earth II featuring Jodhpur and Tiger: Spy in the Jungle which will showcase the diversity, culture and people of India in a different light making you fall in love with this country over again!

  • Africa Channel to Present Zanzibar TV Series Festival 2018

    Africa Channel to Present Zanzibar TV Series Festival 2018

    MUMBAI: The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) and DISCOP Zanzibar are proud to announce The Africa Channel, the largest broadcaster of Africa-themed content in North America, as the official sponsor of the inaugural TV Series Festival 2018.

    ZIFF Festival Director Fabrizio Colombo said: “As the lines between TV, film and digital content blur, it is becoming more and more essential to recognize and promote the amazing work being done by TV producers and directors across Africa.  Broadcast TV in Africa is still a rapidly expanding environment, and with the rest of the world eagerly looking to Africa for fresh and original content, platforms like The Africa Channel are ideally poised to share this content globally.”

    With some of Africa and the world’s best known content producers and distributors on hand for ZIFF, taking place from the 7th – 15th July, and DISCOP Zanzibar, from the 11th – 13th, The ZANZIBAR TV SERIES FESTIVAL presented by The Africa Channel will be the official showcase for TV shows selected in competition for ZIFF.

    Two days of competition screenings selected by the ZIFF Festival will screen from the 12th and 13th of July, and will be followed by a showcase day of screenings on the 14th where platforms such as The Africa Channel will highlight some of the their newest and most exciting content.

    Open to the public as well as industry guests, The ZANZIBAR TV SERIES FESTIVAL presented by The Africa Channel will celebrate excellence. The event strives to create a stage on which the foremost creators in the world of TV series come together, where tomorrow’s talents are showcased and a prestigious international competition for a wide range of genres and for series of all shapes and forms is presented.

    ZIFF’s Colombo has spearheaded this vision of celebrating the TV content genre within the traditional film festival format. “Across the world TV content is now acknowledged for its quality production and importance for the industry,” he said. “Here in Africa especially, many producers and directors get their start in TV production and it is a critical growth driver for the next generation of filmmakers. ZIFF is always innovating and looking to find ways to support the growth of the industry in Africa, and we are excited to partner with DISCOP and The Africa Channel in the important TV space.”

    Executive Vice President & General Manager of The Africa Channel, Narendra Reddy said, “We are so proud to be the official sponsor of the inaugural Zanzibar TV Series Festival at this year’s ZIFF event. The Africa Channel has been privileged to present content from and about Africa to North American audiences for over 10 years.  Through our production arm TAC Studios, we have worked with amazing producers and talent from across Africa to help them create globally accessible content. This festival calls the world’s attention to the incredible film and TV content coming out of Africa and is a fabulous opportunity for content creators from the continent to showcase their fine work and be recognized for their efforts.”

    DISCOP Market’s General Manager Patrick Zuchowicki explains the rationale for this partnership: “We are proud to welcome The Africa Channel as the sponsor of the inaugural edition of The Zanzibar TV Series Festival. The Africa Channel is a veteran DISCOP delegate and and a great supporter of the world’s foremost creators of TV series”.

    During this year’s ZIFF, the category for Best African TV Series will be open to any African produced or co-produced and broadcast within the last two years. Three episodes would need to be submitted for consideration via the on-line application process as below.

    Deadline for submission has been EXTENDED to 18th April  2018.

    Submission Procedures:
    All submission must be done through ZIFF platform on www.festhome.com
    (link is can be found on the website of the festival)
    A signed and fully completed application submitted by e-mail at filmdept@ziff.or.tz
    To be eligible for programming, the entire application MUST be completed and signed.  
    The submission deadline is 18th April 2018.
    Freight costs of any film will be borne by the producer.
    Selection results will be available from May 15, 2018 on our Website: www.ziff.or.tz
    No DVDs will be returned. They will be kept at ZIFF for archival purposes.
    ZIFF is committed to preserve the copy of film from any act of piracy and illicit business.