ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • Hindi news channels on high growth rollercoaster

    What’s on the news tonight? Well, pretty much the full spectrum – from ghouls to goons, politics, drama, comedy, tragedy, tragi-comedy… and everything in between. We’ve even had our own version of “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” LIVE as it happened beamed into millions of homes. Remember 5-year-old Prince from Haryana and his 50-hour ordeal down a pit that played out over all the television news networks. Some pundits have decried the carpet bombing coverage as indicative of the pits to which news reportage has descended but ask your average media planner / buyer and he’ll more likely tell you (off the record of course): “Bring it on.”

    Rescuers carrying 5-year-old Prince who fell into a 60-foot hole in Kurukshetra, Rajasthan. Zee News, which first broke this story, went all-out on its coverage of what became a national event.

    Because it is this smorgasbord of subjects of coverage, which offers something for everyone, that is driving up not just the ratings, but also revenues for Hindi news channels. And while there are those who wonder when the Hindi news engine will start to lose its steam, most are in agreement that it is not going to be any time soon.

    Just how much Hindi news channels clocked this year varies (depending on who you speak to) from a low of Rs 3 billion to over Rs 4.5 billion. What most seem to agree on though, is that growth is chugging at a fast clip with the expectations for this year being between 20-30 per cent.

    According to Meenakshi Madhvani, head of media audit firm Spatial Access Solutions, “From Rs 350 crores (Rs 3.5 billion) in the last fiscal, I think it (ad revenues) would go up to Rs 450 crores in this fiscal, an increase of 28.5 per cent in the genre. Hence a rate of growth significantly higher than the overall TV business.”

    Jan-06
    Jun-06
    Channel
    Share %
    Share %
    Aaj Tak    24.5    27.0
    Star News    21.3    18.5
    Zee News    14.8    16.4
    NDTV India    19.1    13.5
    Channel 7    6.9    10.0
    India TV    7.2    8.5
    Sahara Samay National    6.1    6.0
    TG CS15+ Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM) Source TAM Peoplemeter
    Giving his reasoning, MindShare managing director West and South R Gowthaman says, “The Hindi news genre is growing as there is still a significant appetite. However, I am not sure whether there is space for more channels now. 2006 over 2005/4 grew on the back of new channels coming on board, in the sense this was an organic growth. Not a reflection of ratings, but a reflection of supply. I would say, the category (Hindi news cluster) “heat” is just right with 10 channels… 

    “Overall share of Hindi News channel as a cluster can grow from now on only on the back of quality content, viz more local segments etc., which could help garner more share. Only garnering more share can provide fillip to increasing revenues…”

    OMS regional director Madan Mohapatra offers his view on the key aspects that are underpinning this phenomenal revenue and ratings growth.

    Based on Card Costs
    Rank    Top Advertisers
    1    Emami Limited
    2    Hindustan Lever Ltd
    3    Coca Cola India Ltd
    4    Tata Motors Ltd
    5    Biswanath Hosiery Mills Ltd
    6    Paras Pharmaceuticals Ltd
    7    Bhawani Textiles
    8    Surya Food And Agro Pvt Ltd
    9    Mahashiya Di Hatti Limited
    10    Action Shoes
    Source: AdEx India, A Division of TAM Media Research Period: Jan-June ’06
    Medium: Hindi News Channels
    Says Mohapatra: “Four years ago, advertisers looking to build reach turned to general entertainment channels. Three years ago, Hindi movies channels got added to the reach build proposition. Hindi news is currently in the phase where this genre is transiting from niche to reach build. And it was Aaj Tak which showed the way for the rest to follow. If the pace at which this genre is moving currently is maintained, one year down the line, live Hindi news will complete that transition (from niche to reach build).

    “Once this happens, the perception factor in determining rates will go down. This is already happening actually. For example, earlier, the faces on the channels made for a great built-in value add. Today, nobody is sure anymore which face will pop up on which channel. Thanks to this, channel perceptions are going to get evermore fragmented.”

    This could well sound a warning bell for channels like NDTV and CNBC, which enjoy a good mark-up on rates because of the “personalities” they carry. As Madhvani points out, “A channel like Aaj Tak is seen as delivering reach in the North, but when it comes to channel decisions, it is driven by personal choices. Because of which there is a lot of dichotomy. I have seen so many instances of people putting fairly large sums of ad money on CNBC, which doesn’t deliver anything in terms of numbers but is seen as a channel which decision makers watch and the channel that delivers corporate India to you. 
    There are these popular perceptions that some channels have very smartly exploited.

    “NDTV for instance, which has a fantastic marketing and sales team, is able to leverage these perceptions to get more than their fair share of advertising. That’s marketing!”

    No Softening of Rates
    The big question that flows out of all this of course is whether fragmentation will lead to effective rates going down in the near to mid-term? The answer is an emphatic NO!

    Jai Jawan: NDTV India trumpets its patriotic credentials.
    Why? Says Madhvani, “This is on account of rates being upped, more advertisers/ad categories being targeted and a greater level of effort being put in by the sales teams and less due to the launch of new channels!

    Mohapatra opines, “This is because the choice of clientele is proportionately growing. This year, I see sectors like property, infrastructure, education, retail, IPOs all contributing to this growth. There will be many first time advertisers as well. Add to that, now, because of the reach deliveries, even FMCGs are looking at news channels.

    Estimated Revenues Hindi channels achieved in FY2006
    Aaj Tak    Rs 1.4 billion
    NDTV India    Rs 900 million
    Star News    Rs 750 million
    Zee News    Rs 600 million
    DD News    Rs 400 million
    Channel7 / India TV / Sahara Samay    Rs 300 million
    “What will happen is that channels at the bottom of the spectrum will be able to up their rates. I see a flattening of rates across news channels happening. And those that can’t raise rates will simply increase the number of spots they carry. What we are also seeing across news channels is an increase in ad secondage per hour. If the average earlier was 10-12, today it is 14 and even higher in some cases.”

    Targeted Advertising
    Media planner Rahul Panchal says, “Today all channels in their own way, indulge in customized ads through lifestyle shows. Major brands like ICICI and Tata Motors spend approximately Rs 60 million to Rs 80 milllion on news channels through this avenue. Adds Panchal, “Customized shows provide mileage to the brands and the show without tampering with the core content.”

    Clients also target their ads. Aaj Tak primarily targets the middle class, servicing the north-east region. (Brands such as vest / undergarments are glaring on the Aaj Tak screen). Research indicates that Aaj Tak primarily brings in and engages male viewers, Panchal says.

    Crime Scene Investigation – Star News style.
    According to Panchal, Star News has a strong hold in Mumbai, while Zee News is strong in Delhi. When looking at Hindi news channels, clients pitch in their money according to frequency plan, besides perception and ratings, he avers. 

    “When a new ad campaign is unleashed on Aaj Tak, it has a high reach in the initial week. While in the following weeks it will witness a low incremental reach. On the other hand NDTV India, where the loyalty is less and it is more of a co-viewing, the incremental reach is high in the following weeks and not in the initial week.” 

    Meanwhile, when it comes to the gore factor, it is the crimes shows on Star News Zee News and Aaj Tak that advertisers flock to.

    Hindi News TG definition Blurring

    One function of the increasing spread of coverage that news channels are attempting is the blurring of distinctions as to what TG defines a Hindi news consumer. Points out Madhvani, “News channels always have the option of the mass route and the class route. The Hindi channels appear to have exploited this better than anyone else. Taking the Aaj Tak example, if Aaj Tak caters to mass markets (including a significant chunk of the class), Tez is specifically targeted at the upper end.

    Aaj Tak – Still leading after all these years.
    “I would say that Hindi news channels are the ‘male mass channels’ that compete with the Star Plus’ of the world. The genre is still evolving and putting a demographic TG to it (to possibly differentiate it from the English news genre) will not do justice to it.”

    Avers Gowthaman, “Currently the content seems to be targeted towards, self employed professionals, traders and to some extent broadly to the chief wage earner of the house. However, I still believe there is no clear cut focus on content that could clearly distinguish the target. All the channels look the same and they cover pretty much the same topics.”

    Distribution Issues Will Drag Down Revenues
    The biggest issue that all news channels are confronting is the ever rising costs of distribution. And with more and more players coming in, there is just no respite from that.

    This is inevitably going to result in the flattening of the growth curve over the next two years. Particularly on the distribution side, revenues coming in look unlikely except on addressable platforms like DTH, digital cable, IPTV, mobile TV, etc.

    An industry observer sums up the situation aptly when he says, “Earlier channels paid carriage fees. Then it became carriage + placement fees. Today, even displacement fees (of rival channels) have come into the picture.” 

    Says Madhvani, “Those who get the distribution game right will rule. Geographic expansion (whether urban, rural, national or international) is dependent on it. And with CAS/DTH in the offing in India, penetration will become a key issue for all players, in urban as well as rural markets.

    “Primary drivers of viewership for a news channel could include variety of coverage, relevance and immediacy (and of course distribution); however it is credibility that sustains viewership and will drive growth in the long run.

    “Channels that have the right mix of all elements and can still differentiate from the rest in terms of content and presentation will thrive.”

    The right mix. That is easier said than done. To quote McCann Erickson India president Santosh Desai from his column – The Last Word – in the 30 July edition of The Week: “Market forces seem to push channels away from balance and not towards it. The moment the success of news channels gets evaluated in terms of its viewership, and not the credibility and impact of its coverage, news becomes a spectacle and channels strain every fibre to keep people hooked.”

    In the near term at least it could well be that spectacle will rule. The billion rupee question is really – will credibility take centrestage in the long run? The road the news channels are taking currently offers no credible assertion that it will.

  • Luxury cars, warriors on The History Channel’s plate

    Luxury cars, warriors on The History Channel’s plate

    MUMBAI: It was a few months ago that The History Channel (THC) underwent a brand repositioning from an infotainment channel to an entertainment one.

    With its strenght in historical programming, this allowed the channel to offer a better repertoire of shows. And, in the coming months it will boost the variety on offer.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com The History Channel VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, “The History Channel (THC) has planned an interesting mix of content for the next couple of months. Our endeavour has always been to feature movies, mini-series and serials that have never been shown in India before.

    “September will see THC air programmes such as Luxury Cars, Kane Abel, Warriors and many more.”

    Luxury Cars is a 13 episode show about famous cars. They include Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis etc. Warriors on the other hand, is a four part series featuring the most famous warriors in the history of the world. This series will highlight their weapons, architecture, famous battles and their eventual downfall.

    In terms of of movies and mini series, the channel plans to air titles like Attila the Hun, Helen of Troy, Rocky Marciano, Archangel (featuring Daniel Craig, the new James bond), First Olympics and Kennedy. Gerard Butler who played the title role in Phantom of The Opera stars as Attila The Hun. During the waning days of Roman Empire, the barbarian Huns are making their way toward Europe. A warrior named Attila violently assumes Hun leadership and unites the warring clans under his banner.

    But this is not enough for him, Attila seeks to form an empire, and he sees Rome, bristling under the leadership of the incompetent Caesar Valentian, ripe for the picking. In an attempt to quell a Hun invasion, ambitious Roman general Flavius Aetius attempts to form an alliance against Attila against their mutual enemy, Visigoth King Theodoric. But this plan backfires, and it soon becomes clear that a violent showdown between all three armies awaits.

    Jon Favreau stars as Rocky Marciano about the only undefeated world heavyweight champion in the history of boxing. Some of the biographies being featured are Henry VIII, Pope John Paul II, Ariel Sharon and Mother Teresa. “We are also in the process of procuring relevant and exciting new titles like The Bronte Sisters, Al Qaeda, Mary Magdalene, Oskar Schindler, Hercules, Charles Dickens, Casanova and Rudyard Kipling.

    “Our films and mini-series are bound together by the fact that they are fun, compelling and entertaining while being set in a historically relevant setting or deal with personalities who have become historical icons such as Helen of Troy or Cleopatra or Spartacus” adds Sheshadri.

    A shift in approach towards clients: Asked about the relationship the channel has with the advertising fraternity, Sheshdari says that the approach has been changed keeping in mind a long term plan. “The revamped History Channel brings with it, its own unique set of challenges. The whole philosophy behind the new content like Jumbo Movies and Double F had to be communicated to our clients. We accomplished this by focussing heavily on content, conveying that this is not a short term shift but a long term strategic investment for the channel.”

    When asked whether advertisers now see THC as an entertainment channel or as an infotainment channel, Sheshadri points out that mass and niche are in the minds of marketers and not consumers. Consumers, he points out, don’t consume brands based on whether they are mass or niche.

    They consume brands based on the connect they form with the brand. “The History Channel is a theme-based channel and no one delivers the theme of History better than us”. The strategy is to bring historically significant events irrespective of the format and that is the core message that THC executives try to convey in all their presentations to clients.

    Sheshadri goes on to clarify that the core idea of the brand repositioning was to consolidate the positioning of the brand and not to increase numbers for numbers sake. The overall approach therefore, has taken into consideration the connect that THC has with its consumers and what THC can do to strengthen it.

    “Hence, we think that going forward THC will continue to cement and own a distinct position in the minds of the consumer and this distinct positioning is what will also give it additional numbers. We are already seeing signs of that and are sure that it will get better going forward. Advertisers follow consumers.”

    As far as the viewer perception of the channel is concerned, Sheshadri notes that viewers have taken note of the change. “New formats like Jumbo Movies and Double F have widely appreciated and followed. They still see us as being an authority on the subject of history. The difference is that now they know that we have a broader spectrum both in terms of the type of shows and type of formats.”

  • Shemaroo celebrates the comic Hungama of Paresh Rawal

    Shemaroo celebrates the comic Hungama of Paresh Rawal

    MUMBAI: Continuing its efforts to offer value for money packs to its consumers, home video firm Shemaroo has launched its latest VCD pack containing three hits of Paresh Rawal- Hera Pheri, Awara Paagal Deewana and Hulchul.

    The company says that at a time when the sequel to Hera Pheri is topping the box office collection charts, this pack will definitely become popular among Paresh Rawal fans.

    The company says that the pack costs Rs 349 against the regular price of Rs 447.

    Shemaroo has also released two other comedy packs in the past namely Non Stop Comedy Vol. 1 and 2. The first volume contains Golmaal, Chupke Chupke and Chasme Budoor and the second volume contains Masti, Style and Awara Paagal Deewana. Shemaroo plans to release many such value for money packs in future also.

  • ‘Lost’ interactive game gathering steam

    ‘Lost’ interactive game gathering steam

    MUMBAI: In a bid to enhance the brand of the action adventure television show Lost US broadcaster ABC had launched an interactive web-based game Lost Experience in May in the US, UK and Australia.

    Currently in phase three of five of the interactive challenge, the meaning behind the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42, which play a significant role on the television series, will be revealed.

    So far, the Lost Experience has unveiled information regarding the Black Rock. The Lost Experience will continue to the premiere of the third season revealing secrets behind the mysterious Alvar Hanso and the Hanso Foundation.

    Those wishing to participate can do so by viewing a synopsis at blogs.abc.com/inside_the_experience/ which allows new participants the chance to enter into the Experience with ease.

    For the uninitiated, the Lost Experience follows a parallel storyline not featured in the television broadcast and is designed so that both fans of the series and those unfamiliar with the show can participate. The Experience provides insight to unlock some of the island’s secrets for those savvy enough to collect the clues, make the connections and find the answers.

    Although the Lost Experience is internet-based, participants should not assume that clues and story content will be limited to the online world. Any and every platform has the potential to contain hidden secrets. Given the different broadcast windows around the world, this challenge is designed in a manner that is not dependent on information specific to either Season One or Season Two, allowing those who have not yet seen either season of Lost to participate.

    Indian fans might be interested to know that the second season will see new characters coming in. Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), joins the cast as a resident of the island whose story is one of the mysteries that will be explored as the season progresses. In addition, one will discover that there are more previously unknown survivors of the crash of the ill fated flight 815 who all crashed in the tail section of the plane – Ana Lucia playde by Michelle Rodriguez who starred in the films Girlfight, The Fast and the Furious — the mysterious woman Jack met at the Sydney airport bar, Rose’s husband Bernard (Sam Anderson), Libby (Cynthia Watros)

    The most mysterious, and perhaps most important of all the new characters is Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), who begins the second season inside the hatch, explaining the importance of the button before taking off into the woods.

    The Lost Experience is a collaboration between the executive producers from Lost, ABC, Channel 4 in the UK and Channel 7 in Australia. Lost deals with the travails and experiences of a group of survivors from a plane crash.

    Talking about the online extension in the US, UK and Australia ABC senior VP marketing Mike Benson says, “The reward we’ve always promised from the Lost Experience is information, which is currency to anyone who is a fan of the show or a participant in this game.

    “This additional form of storytelling allows us to engage current and new fans in a genuinely innovative way while delivering the same extraordinary content that ‘Lost’ provides as a television series.”

    In India, the second season of Lost will air on Star Movies from 3 August at 9 pm.

  • Ric Bailey is the BBC’s new political adviser

    Ric Bailey is the BBC’s new political adviser

    MUMBAI: Ric Bailey has been appointed as the UK pubcaster BBC’s chief political adviser. He will leave his post as deputy head of political programmes to take over the role from David Jordan, who became BBC controller of editorial policy in December 2005.

    Bailey has been the executive editor for Question Time for the past six years, overseeing programmes such as the leaders’ election special and editions from China, Russia, the Middle East, the United States and across the UK.

    He also developed and led the Schools Question Time Challenge project, a citizenship initiative which saw the first member of the public on the panel of Question Time earlier this month.

  • 2929 Entertainment CEO Wagner in Mipcom’s keynote lineup

    2929 Entertainment CEO Wagner in Mipcom’s keynote lineup

    MUMBAI: The television event Mipcom, which takes place in Cannes, France in October has added 2929 Entertainment founder and CEO Todd Wagner to its roster of speakers.

    He will present the digital media distribution keynote Rethinking Hollywood on 10 October. 30 sessions presenting 100 speakers over four days will cover the key issues for TV and content industry professionals, from the Future of TV Commissioning to the Impact of User-Generated Content on the TV business.

    Wagner will share his vision of the future of the Hollywood film industry and discuss how his companies – which include 2929 Productions, Magnolia Pictures/Home Entertainment, Landmark Theatres, HDNet, HDNet Films and HDNet Movies – operate within and outside of the Hollywood system. Wagner’s work includes the collapsing of release windows, a leadership role in the development and roll-out of digital cinema, as well as a slate of critically lauded films such as Good Night and Good Luck and Akeelah and the Bee.

    The companies pioneering ‘day-and-date’ release strategy was successfully launched with the release of the Oscar nominated documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room in theatres and on TV on the same day last year and then again with the acclaimed Steven Soderbergh film Bubble earlier this year.

    Mipcom’s digital media distribution day will explore these new developments through a series of conferences that will kick off with Todd Wagner’s keynote and will be followed by a Superpanel exploring emerging opportunities for digital distribution business for film and television.

    Afternoon sessions will highlight the intricacies of internet movie distribution including business models and presentations from internet TV delivery market leaders.

    Mipcom’s Reshaping Media conferences will focus on four key areas of changing TV landscapes, namely Advertising and Programming, Digital Media Distribution, Mobile TV and User-Generated Content and the Impact of Social Networks.

    The week will feature 6 top keynotes, including Disney’s Anne Sweeney, MGM’s Harry Sloan, Orange’s Sanjiv Ahuja, NBC Universal’s Beth Comstock, and ESPN’s George Bodenheimer in addition to Todd Wagner.

  • Zee Marathi asserts good show by prime time soap ‘Wadalvaat’

    MUMBAI: Zee Marathi’s prime time soap Wadalvaat has recorded an impressive performance during the telecast of its 700th episode. According to the Tam data offered by the channel, the episode telecast on 7 April, registered a TRP of 15 in 1 million+ towns in Maharashtra and 9.27 in Maharashtra market in Fem 15+ABC category.

    In the CS4+ category, the ratings achieved by the particular episode in various markets in TVRs: Mumbai (4), Maharashtra 1 mn+ (3.3), Maharashtra .1 mn to 1 mn (1.4) and All Maharashtra (3.4).

    According to Zee Marathi business head Nitin Vaidya, Wadalvaat has been giving a good performance since a long time and it didn’t require any extra efforts to push its 700th episode. “Wadalvaat is our channel driver and it didn’t require any special efforts for us to promote its 700th episode. We were mainly banking the On Air Promos,” says Vaidya.

    Zee Marathi has also unveiled a couple of new properties. It is exploring the cricket game genre with the new show Cricket Club. The show is slotted for 10 pm on Fridays and 11:30 am on Sundays. Another show the channel has launched recently is Book Club for Sundays.

  • E! Entertainment TV debut popular shows on iTunes

    E! Entertainment TV debut popular shows on iTunes

    MUMBAI: E! Entertainment and Apple have announced that hit programs from E! Entertainment Television are now available for purchase and download on the iTunes Music Store.

    New weekly episodes of the second season of hit series The Girls Next Door, which debuts 30 July on E!, The Soup, E!’s irreverent look at the week’s biggest, best and most bizarre moments and events in the world of pop culture, the new season of Dr. 90210, as well as all new episodes of The Simple Life: ‘Til Death Do Us Part starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will be available the day after broadcast for customers to purchase and download for just $1.99 per episode.

    “This new partnership underscores our commitment to our E! Everywhere initiative, making E! content available to viewers on multiple platforms and on demand,” says president and CEO of E! Entertainment Ted Harbert. “We’re delighted to pursue this new programming opportunity with iTunes, allowing us to further expand the E! brand and reach even more entertainment fans.”

    “We’re thrilled to expand our growing video catalog with this original content from E! Entertainment Television,” says Apple’s vice president of iTunes Eddy Cue. “With over 35 million videos sold, iTunes provides the best way for fans to discover, purchase and download video online.”

    Season two of The Girls Next Door debuts on E! on 30 July, taking viewers beyond the gates and behind closed doors to reveal the world of Hugh Hefner and his three girlfriends Holly, Bridget and Kendra. The premiere episode will also be available to purchase and download on iTunes on July 31. The Simple Life: Til Death Do Us Part follows the lives of Paris and Nicole as they undergo a crash course in marriage and motherhood, while Dr. 90210 takes viewers inside the offices and homes of high profile Beverly Hills plastic surgeons.

    Past season episodes of The Simple Life, The Girls Next Door and Dr. 90210 are also immediately available for purchase and download, states an official release.

    With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated video and podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Macand PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and videos online. The iTunes Music Store features a selection of over 9,000 music videos, Pixar and Disney short films, a variety of hit TV shows, and more than three million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent labels, the release adds.

  • Keep watching Miilee on Star Plus and answer some simple questions to win exciting prizes in the big contest

    Mumbai, Wednesday, April 12, 2006 – This April, television viewing becomes more exciting as viewer’s get a chance to win while they watch! Starting Monday, April 17, STAR PLUS’ 9.00 p.m. show – Miilee, will have one & all glued to the tele-screen as they get to participate & win in a simple contest which brings them goodies like 5 Sony handycam’s worth Rs. 16000 each and 10 Goody bags each day.

    The contest questions will appear at the end of each episode of Miilee around 9.30 p.m. from April 17-21. All the viewers have to do is type ‘MIILEE’ followed by the correct option (01 or 02 or 03) and SMS this to 7827 or dial 1904 424 3333 followed by the correct option (01 or 02 or 03) for Televoting or just log on to www.indya.com. The answers should reach in latest by 3 p.m. the next day. The Maximum number of correct answers will win you a Sony Handycam.

  • Star World ramps up programming next month

    Star World ramps up programming next month

    MUMBAI: English general entertainment channel Star World has announced a slew of shows that it hopes will keep viewers tuning in for more.

    They run the gamut from a hit sitcom to a family drama.

    Kicking things off on 3 August 2006 is The Office. This is the US broadcaster NBC’s version of BBC’s show im the UK. For the uninitiated, the show looks at the humdrum everyday goings-on in a typical nine-to-five workplace, straight out of the ‘Dilbert’ school of work ethics. The Office is a mockumentary of the office Dunder-Mifflin, a paper product company.

    The show has won praise form the characters and the many mini-plots. As the camera follows the Dunder-Mifflin staff around, viewers are treated to a plethora of stories and character backgrounds. There’s Michael Scott, the manager/dense buffoon who may not be diabolical, but is certainly oblivious to what’s going on around him. There’s Pam, the permanently-engaged sweetheart receptionist who’s with a habitual jerk who is constantly putting off their wedding date.

    There’s also Jim, the witty and charming nice guy who harbors a secret crush for Pam despite her engagement. Dwight meanwhile is somewhat nerdy, Lord of the Rings obsessed, and comically abrasive/intrusive to the point that no one takes him seriously. Steve Carrell won a Golden Globe Award this year for his portrayal of Scott.

    Those in the mood for family drama can check out Sons and Daughters from 24 August. The zany and slightly troubled members of a family try to make it through life as comedy ensues. In the center of the mess is Cameron (Fred Goss), who is happily married to second wife Liz (Gillian Vigman), with three children.

    Cameron’s teenage son from his first marriage has officially moved in-and has a little-well, a lot-of trouble becoming comfortable in the new environment. Cameron’s sister Sharon (Alison Quinn) seems to have the perfect life-although her husband, Don (Jerry Lambert), are both in denial about their sex-less marriage. Then there’s Jenna (Amanda Walsh), the gorgeous little half-sister who had her life upturned when she became a single mother. Jenna doesn’t really know what’s good for her.

    She always goes for the bad boys like Tommy White (Greg Pitts), while the nice guys like Wylie Blake (Desmond Harrington) love her. Equally problem-filled Colleen (Dee Wallace Stone) and Wendal (Max Gail), the parents of the siblings, try to keep their family in order somehow. Colleen, though, is admittedly uptight and impulsively judgmental. Even though they’re all a little nuts, the Halbert family hangs in there and keeps it all together.

    The supernatural thriller Ghost Whisperer kicks off on 29 August. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays newlywed Melinda Gordon. She communicates with earthbound spirits – ghosts who cling to the living because they have unfinished business which prevents them from moving beyond the familiar plane of existence we call life. Inspired in part by the work of famed medium James Van Praagh and Mary Ann Winkowski, a real life communicator to spirits, Ghost Whisperer explores the spiritual side of life and death.

    Actor Charlie Sheen saw his acting career being revived with the comedy Two And A Half Men. This kicks off on 31 August. Sheen and Jon Cryer star along with young Angus T. Jones as three males from two generations, each learning what it really means to be a man. Charlie’s casual Malibu lifestyle is interrupted when his tightly wound brother, Alan, who’s facing a divorce, and Alan’s son, Jake, come to stay with him. Together, these two and a half men confront the challenges of growing up-finally.