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Category: Factual

  • Discover the top five must-see science shows on National Science Day with discovery+

    Discover the top five must-see science shows on National Science Day with discovery+

    Mumbai: National Science Day is celebrated in India on 28 February each year to commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect by the Indian physicist Sir C.V. Raman in 1928. This discovery earned Raman the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, making him the first Asian to receive this prestigious honour. This National Science Day, seize the opportunity to enrich your mind and explore the wonders of the universe by tuning in to the captivating shows on discovery+. As we commemorate the groundbreaking discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the world, there’s no better way to celebrate than by immersing yourself in the realm of science, technology, and exploration. Whether you’re intrigued by the mysteries of space in “India’s Space Odyssey” or captivated by the future in “India 2050,” discovery+ offers an unparalleled lineup of shows to satisfy your curiosity and ignite your sense of wonder. So, gather your family and friends, embrace the spirit of discovery, and embark on a journey of knowledge and enlightenment this National Science Day with discovery+

    Here are five shows for you to watch on discovery+ on National Science Day

    Space / Adventure

    1   Gaganyaan: Bharat Ki Antariksh Udaan

    The series follows India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission through compelling storytelling and real-life footage, the show documents India’s quest to send astronauts into space, marking a significant milestone in the country’s space exploration journey. From the rigorous training of astronauts to the intricacies of spacecraft development, “Gaganyaan: Bharat Ki Antariksh Udaan” provides a fascinating glimpse into the scientific and technological advancements driving India’s space program forward.

    2   Indian Space Odyssey

    Narrated by R. Madhavan, “India’s Space Odyssey” (available on Discovery+) takes viewers on a captivating journey through India’s six-decade-long space exploration program. From its humble beginnings under Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr Homi Bhabha to groundbreaking missions like Mangalyaan (Mars) and Chandrayaan (Moon), the documentary celebrates India’s achievements while showcasing the dedication and ingenuity that propelled the nation to become a leader in space exploration.

    Big Science

    3   Covid-19 India’s war against the virus

    “COVID-19: India’s War Against the Virus,” available on Discovery+, dives into the documentary realm, exploring India’s fight against the pandemic through the eyes of frontline workers and everyday citizens. It captures their challenges, resilience, and personal stories, offering a unique perspective on this unprecedented event.

    Climate Change

    4   India 2050

    “India 2050,” paints a stark picture of India’s potential future shaped by unaddressed climate change. It uses fact-based predictions to depict a world ravaged by rising temperatures, water scarcity, and ecological devastation, urging viewers to consider the consequences of inaction and inspire change.

    Adventure / Military

    5   Breaking Point: Indian Submarine

    Breaking Point: Indian Submariners (TV Series 2018) – IMDb

    “Breaking Point: Indian Submarines” is an enthralling documentary series that delves into the world of India’s submarine forces. Through gripping narratives and exclusive access, the show unveils the challenges, triumphs, and strategic importance of Indian submarines. From covert missions to technological innovations, “Breaking Point: Indian Submarines” offers a rare insight into the high-stakes world beneath the waves, highlighting the critical role submarines play in India’s national security and defence strategy.

  • National Geographic’s brand-new series ‘India’s Mega Festivals’ explores the grandeur of India’s biggest celebrations with chef Gary Mehigan

    National Geographic’s brand-new series ‘India’s Mega Festivals’ explores the grandeur of India’s biggest celebrations with chef Gary Mehigan

    Mumbai: India is a country known for its opulent traditions, vibrant culture, and striking festivals! It embraces a tapestry of over a thousand festivals, creating a symphony of boundless joy and everlasting festivities throughout the year. To witness some of the grandest festivals of India, National Geographic India along with celebrity chefs Gary Mehigan & Pablo Naranjo Agular are all set to take viewers on a mesmerizing journey through a brand-new series titled ‘India’s Mega Festivals’. Premiering on September 6, at 8pm, the hosts will immerse themselves in the country’s rich heritage, traditions and revel in flavours and fervour of the Indian festivals in the six-part series.

    Each 44-minute episode will feature a host unraveling unique celebrations: from the spirited Pulikali dance to serving a mega meal in the iconic Thrikkakara Temple during Onam; learning to play rhythmic beats on dhol to visiting mega pandals during Ganpati celebrations; pandal hopping to relishing Sandesh during Durga Puja and learning the war dance with the Sumi tribe to cooking with the famous Tetseo Sisters during the Hornbill Festival. Gary will also be seen experiencing the playfulness of Ras Leela, Lath-maar and Phoolon ki Holi, and discovering the essence of fasting, feasting, giving and forgiving on Eid-al-Fitr.

    “I was truly left speechless by the stunning display of devotion and the way it reflects the rich culture of India. National Geographic is a brand that has always inspired me through its unique, powerful, and thought-provoking style of storytelling. I am so happy that with National Geographic, I got an opportunity to explore, learn and experience some of the country’s biggest festivals. With this show, not only did I witness diverse cultures & traditions, but also immersed myself in regional cuisines and cooking techniques. I hope that viewers will also enjoy the show as much as I did,” said Mehigan.  

    “At National Geographic, we harness the power of storytelling and exploration to tell stories that can change the way we see the world while establishing a profound connection with our audiences. With India’s Mega Festivals, we are committed to bringing our viewers closer to the mesmerizing diversity of India’s rich heritage and offering a compelling and unforgettable journey through its vibrant festivities. Moreover, Gary Mehigan, with his unique charm and humor, adds an extra layer of delight to the narrative, ensuring a riveting viewing experience for our audience,” said Disney Star head – content and Disney+ Hotstar & HSM entertainment network Gaurav Banerjee.

  • National Geographic’s impact driven campaign profiles inspiring stories of young changemakers this Earth Day

    Mumbai: Love for our planet transcends all ages. All it takes is for one person, irrespective of their age, to take that one step that can have a magnifying impact on the planet. Defying the perception that only adults can bring about change, National Geographic’s One for Change is now celebrating the inspirational stories of six young changemakers and their love for our planet. Sparked by a formidable sense of passion and the tenacity to make a difference, these young champions aged 9-17 years, are debunking the myth that kids are too young to drive a change and have been consciously working towards planet conservation. Their inspiring stories will be amplified across the Disney Star network as a special Earth Day initiative urging millions of viewers to prioritize sustainability in their daily lives.

    Over the last one year, One for Change brought alive the powerful narratives of 30 changemakers and struck a chord with the campaign reaching out to 256 million audiences* across the country. Continuing this endeavor; the baton will now be passed to their younger counterparts, spotlighting six young talented changemakers, who with their ever curious and imaginative minds have created ingenious solutions and adopted innovative methods to planet conservation. Each film will bring to life the vision, efforts and enterprising techniques that most of these resilient changemakers have embraced, with an aim to inspire and encourage planet conscious viewers to take that one step and ‘be the one for change’

    “National Geographic is committed to illuminating and furthering the knowledge of our planet for our viewers to better understand and care about our world. We launched One for Change last year as an initiative to empower individuals to bring about a small change by showcasing remarkable stories of incredible individuals. This year, we are taking it a step further by spotlighting young heroes who are passionate, determined and are harnessing their creative young minds to build a better home. We are happy to advocate these eco conscious stories across the country on the Disney Star network and encourage many others to walk the path of change,” said Disney Star head network entertainment channels Kevin Vaz.

    The six young inspirational changemakers who are making a tremendous difference are:

    1.    Bodhisatva Khanderao – 15-year-old Bodhisatva and his mother visit schools, colleges, self-help groups, gram panchayats and spread awareness about deforestation and tree plantation

    2.    Prasiddhi Singh – Ten year-old Prasiddhi, an awardee of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021, founded the ‘Prasiddhi Forest’ and aided plantation of over one lakh trees across the country

    3.    Haaziq Kazi – A dreamer who dreams of reducing plastic waste in oceans, designed an intelligent prototype ship which could suck the plastic waste and clean the oceans

    4.    Thaaragai Aarathana – Aiming to spread awareness and to protect marine life from plastic waste, eight year-old Thaaragai is on a mission to clean the ocean bed of plastic waste by doing cleanliness drive

    5.    Ridhima Pandey – The 14-year-old young activist believes in the power of complaints made to world leaders to influence climate action and raise voice against any phenomenon that threatens the climate

    6.    Ankith Suhas Rao – Ankith believes that small questions lead to big changes, if the right questions are addressed to the right people and on the right platform

    Premiering on the television platforms of National Geographic and the entertainment channels across Disney Star network, the films will also be released on National Geographic India’s social media handles that have a combined following of over ten million.

  • ‘OMG! Yeh Mera India’ returns to HistoryTV18 with season 7

    ‘OMG! Yeh Mera India’ returns to HistoryTV18 with season 7

    MUMBAI: This Holi, viewers of HistoryTV18 are in for a colourful treat. India’s longest-running hit factual entertainment series, OMG! Yeh Mera India marks its return to TV screens with a vibrant new season starting Monday, 29 March at 8 pm.

    In its fifth year and seventh season, the series has gone from strength to strength, reaching millions of viewers on television and digital platforms. Its biggest win, though, lies in its impact beyond the screen and on the lives of people featured in various episodes. Not only have they been widely recognised and celebrated for their talent or record-setting feats, but some have also been honoured with the prestigious Padma Awards, including Pankajakshi Amma and Meenakshi Amma from Kerala and Teejan Bai from Chhattisgarh.  Some stories from the series have even inspired cinematic works by filmmakers. Stories such as those of conservationist Dr Prakash Amte or octogenarian sharp-shooter Chandro Tomar have become the subject of popular films. On social media, stories from the show have been viewed, liked, loved, and shared by millions, including actors, sports stars, public figures, influencers, and thought leaders.

    OMG! Yeh Mera India S7 builds on the wonder and magic of earlier seasons, celebrating an India where ordinary people make history every day, doing extraordinary things. The new season of the show serves up fascinating curiosities, exceptional talent, and modern-day wonders, with a dash of the strange and unusual. Season seven also presents inspiring stories about individuals and their creations driven by a mission to make a positive impact on lives and the world at large. For instance, viewers will be able to see a unique energy-saving ‘solar boat’ and also find out how a ‘nano jeep’ could prove life-changing for people with special needs. This season also features an impressive range of stories, people and places bound within the show’s original promise – to showcase and celebrate India in all its vitality, ingenuity, and diversity. Now, perhaps more than ever, as India emerges from a global crisis, the likes of which has not been encountered in over a century, there is a need to shine the light on the great and the good. To move forward with renewed optimism. For no matter the odds, we are made of sterner stuff. It’s a time to celebrate the triumphant human spirit. A spirit that is evident in India every day, defining our resilience as a nation. To borrow from the show’s fun title track: “ye desh ajab hai, yahaan log gazab hain!” Famous playback singer Benny Dayal has lent his voice to OMG! Yeh Mera India’s new, foot-tapping title song.

    As each season breaks fresh ground and sets new benchmarks, the one constant has been actor and TV presenter Krushna Abhishek as the show’s host. With the seventh season of OMG! Yeh Mera India premiering on HistoryTV18 on 29  March, an excited Krushna shares, “A new season of OMG is like returning home for me! I feel thrilled and blessed that I’ve been a part of this hugely successful series. I’m constantly amazed by our incredible country and the amazing talent its people possess. I can tell you that season seven will entertain you like never before!”

    Network18 A+E Networks | TV18 MD broadcast CEO Avinash Kaul expects the show will continue to set new standards and build a loyal fan base. He says, “When we launched OMG! Yeh Mera India, we were sure it would be an instant hit. Not only is it extremely well-produced and compelling content, but it also showcases the most fascinating and often untold, unseen stories from across the country. People have told me that just watching the show makes them feel proud of being Indian. Season after season, the show has performed beyond our expectations. This season, production continued through the turmoil of the pandemic, and I’m confident that it will win over audiences. I would like to thank the entire team and the viewers for making the franchise such an incredible success story.”

    Link for Show Promo- 

  • HISTORY TV18 is back with a new season of OMG! Yeh Mera India to wow viewers with more mind-boggling stories

    HISTORY TV18 is back with a new season of OMG! Yeh Mera India to wow viewers with more mind-boggling stories

    MUMBAI: 'New-age' and ‘Techno-talent’ will take center stage in the latest season of OMG!  Yeh Mera India, slated to launch on 3rd December, 2018; every Monday at 8PM. The show, now in its fifth season,promises an enthralling experience for its audiences across platforms. Popular actor and standup comedian, Krushna Abhishek, returns as the show’s host, bringing his own known brand of witty humor, taking the show to the next level.This season has a mix of unique &new-age inspiring human stories from a group of students who’ve developed a robot to clean sewers to a young conservationist who saves snakes out of passion to an armless cricketer from Kashmir, the new season has it all!

    Krushna Abhishek Anchor and Actor said“OMG!  YehMera India is one of the shows closest to my heart. India is a beautiful country with endless number of stories that will make you say “OMG!  YehMera India” with pride. Even after four seasons, every shoot surprises me teaching me something new about our great nation. I am thankful to HISTORY TV18 for this opportunity, it’s truly an honor to be presenting such amazing stories.”

    Avinash Kaul, MD A+E Networks |TV18 and COO Network18 said“We’re happy that OMG!  Yeh Mera India is now in its fifth season and thus one of the most successful factual entertainment franchises in the country. I really believe it wouldn’t have been possible without the love and support of millions of our audiences. True to our brand ethos, we will continue to innovate and create many more great franchises for our viewers.”

    OMG!  Yeh Mera India is not only the longest running, but also the most successful factual series in India. It has evolved over the years to become the only show in the genre with a franchise of five seasons. This year also the focus will be to wow the audience by presenting the unexpected. The previous seasons of OMG! Yeh Mera India have been a huge success reaching an estimated audience of over 100 million viewers every year. The show is a success not just on TV but has also gone viral on social platforms. So far the OMG stories have clocked more than 400 million+ video views, drawing over 2 Billion impressions across social media. Its stories have been shared by numerous influencers: politicians, bureaucrats, technocrats and thought leaders.

    Catch this exciting series of OMG!  Yeh Mera India only on HISTORY TV18 starting from 3rd December, every Monday at 8:00PM

  • Sony BBC Earth dominates factual entertainment space within a year

    Sony BBC Earth dominates factual entertainment space within a year

    MUMBAI: People thought that the infotainment genre was saturated with enough players competing for a niche viewership. That was until Sony BBC Earth took up the challenge and launched in an already cluttered segment. Proving naysayers wrong, the channel scaled up its market share from 22 per cent to 26 per cent in the metro cities during the first quarter of FY18-19 itself.

    A year down the line, Indiantelevision.com caught up with Sony Pictures Network English cluster business head Tushar Shah. He said that the genre had fallen into the trap of pandering to viewership by giving content without the basic requirements expected namely information and entertainment.

    “We figured out through our research and discussions with our consumers that actually the main slot that was information and entertainment was needed and people were moving towards entertainment. So the main premise of the category itself was missing and that was the premise which we planned to fill and bring back the days of infotainment on TV,” he says.

    From the initial 14-15 minutes of viewership, it now gets 27 minutes. Shah says that it was a challenge to dethrone a channel that was already ruling the market and jump from the eighth to the first position within a year.

    “It is difficult to change the habit of what you are watching for 15-20 years and to break that is the biggest challenge that anyone could have. Our target is not just the viewers, it is also our trade partners, our distributors, our advertisers, we have to take them all along so that we are able to tell the story that we want to convey to the consumers,” he says.

    The channel is not giving it a rest anytime soon. The goal is to create a bond with audiences that will last long. Shah is pretty confident about the growth of the whole infotainment genre in general. “If you look at the infotainment space, it is just as big as the English movie space, perhaps a little bigger also, depending on the week on week numbers. It is even bigger than the English general entertainment channels but the revenue is not commensurate with the size of the category and that is something I want to see growing,” he reveals.

    The channel has been trying to overcome the various challenges. “One is to take it as the face value and the other is to put everything together and see what comes out of it. So mobilisation is your challenge and the second is, decoding the consumer and third is, once you have identified the positioning of the channel, meeting that promise is a big challenge,” says Shah.

    Launched in March 2017, along with Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English audio feeds being the primary language for the channel, the channel concentrated on three strong pillars that the channel religiously followed – visual effects, never seen before and positive insights to stories and staying true to its tagline ‘feel alive’ along with creating the emotional bond with the viewers that will make them remember it for lifelong.

    Spy in the Wild, The Hunt, Attenborough’s Big Birds and Rick Stein’s India are some of the shows that are helping the channel to garner more eyeballs. If the channel can create ripples within just a year, it surely has more milestones to record in the coming years.

  • Sony BBC Earth shakes up factual entertainment space

    Sony BBC Earth shakes up factual entertainment space

    MUMBAI: Within a year of its launch, factual entertainment channel Sony BBC Earth has emerged as the leader in the metros as per the latest week 11 of BARC ratings.

    From the sixth position to the top, the ride has been quick for the channel. Sony BBC Earth stood at 5 per cent market share a year ago and now takes up 22 per cent backed by a strong distribution network, strategic content line-up and strong marketing innovations.

    Sony Pictures Networks India EVP and business head English cluster Tushar Shah said that this one year has been a period full of learning. “It is gratifying that in a span of one year, despite the channel having been launched as the eighth channel, we are on top today. All our efforts have paid off,” he exults.

    Shah adds that the infotainment genre has a slight entertainment edge which created a better opportunity. Research told them that people wanted pure, factual and full of life content. “The kind of content that Sony BBC Earth provides is real, factual and with grand visual effect. We are not driven by what competitors show, we believe in what we have and we are very confident that in the long run it will pay us rich dividends,” he says.

    Commenting on the same, BBC Worldwide south and south-east Asia SVP and GM Myleeta Aga said that Sony BBC Earth team’s consistent work on building reach and fine-tuning the programming and marketing mix has paid off. She further adds that series like Spy in the Wild and Fishing Impossible have performed well for the channel.

    The channel is celebrating its achievement with British TV presenter and medical journalist Michael Mosley. He conducts experiments on himself to give definitive answers to health-related questions and has busted many myths related to food, fitness and health. Trust me I’m a Doctor, Meet the Humans, The Truth About Exercise are some of the shows aired exclusively in India on Sony BBC Earth.

    Earlier in February 2018, to bridge the gap between urban lifestyle and the natural world, Sony BBC Earth had taken its brand proposition of ‘Feel Alive’ on-ground by introducing an annual property called feel-alive hours.

    The channel started with schools so that students can feel alive and refreshed ahead of their annual exams in March. The activity covered 300 schools, 2 lakh students across four cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata

    Also Read :

    Sony BBC Earth makes children ‘Feel Alive’ with its exclusive school contact program

    Sony BBC Earth reveals Republic Day programming plans

  • TLC to target Tamil, Telugu markets

    TLC to target Tamil, Telugu markets

    MUMBAI: The groundswell of serving Indian audiences with regional content has now proved to be a battlefield. Broadcasters are realising the potential in the southern areas of India. Days after Living Foodz decided to add southern language feeds, Discovery Networks-owned TLC is all set to target the Tamil and Telugu markets.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific VP premium and digital networks Zulfia Waris said, “We are particularly keen on the Tamil and Telugu languages.” She adds that the languages are in the pipeline and no specific launch date has yet been decided.

    She says that TLC has a strong line-up of international shows and other franchises that will be launching one by one. “We have kept our focus on what we are good at and we ensure that we telecast the best programming that our audience may like,” she added.

    Highlighting on today’s marketing strategies, she says that they have taken a very different form and the traditional marketing roots are not completely relevant in the case of TLC.

    The channel has lately been inclusive of Indian faces and local content. Last year, it launched a comedy series titled Queens of Comedy, dedicating it entirely to the female comedians who will compete and be judged. At the time of launch, Waris had said that this was one of the several shows the company has in mind to reach out to Indian female millennials.

    Broadcast Audience Research Council’s historical data shows that lifestyle channels have equal male and female viewership. The top six cities witness highest numbers coming from the age group of 41 to 50 followed by 2-14 years.

    Giving an update on Discovery’s recently launched digital channels that focus on categories like military, girlist, automotive and food, Waris said that the first two genres on the channel Veer had done well. For now, all of Discovery’s digital channels focus on Hindi language unlike the TV channels.

    Waris claimed that when they kick-started the first digital channel—Veer, it had crossed 10 million views within a month. Marketing and promotion were entirely dependent on digital.

    Veer will now be available on Jio, Airtel Wynk and YouTube along with its four-episodic new show named Breaking Point: The Indian Submariners that will premiere on Discovery Channel starting 19 March at 9 pm.  The series has attracted marquee advertisers including Byju’s The Learning App, Skybags, Too Yumm, BigBasket, Woodland, Toyota Kirloskar Motors and Abu Dhabi Tourism to its fold.

    Also Read :

    Living Foodz to add Tamil feed in FY 18-19

    GST fails to spoil Food Food’s party

  • Discovery World HD adds Hindi, Tamil, Telugu feeds

    Discovery World HD adds Hindi, Tamil, Telugu feeds

    MUMBAI: Discovery World HD is leaving no stone unturned to tap into India’s growing regional phenomenon. It has started Hindi, Tamil and Telugu language feeds for specific markets. Discovery seems to be targeting the mass audience with the three largely spoken languages in the country.

    Discovery Communications India vice-president and head premium and digital networks Zulfia Waris told Indiantelevision.com, “We are delighted to add three new feeds. The introduction of local languages is an attempt to further solidify our leadership position in key markets across the country.”

    The service has started on Intelsat20 @68.5 degree East satellite. The language feed will be available on all the cable and DTH platforms that have Discovery HD World in their bouquet of channels. The user the language feeds through the audio option button.

    At present, Discovery operates several factual entertainment channels in India, including Discovery HD World, Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Kids and Dsport. The network’s recently launched GEC, Discovery Jeet, has feeds in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu as well.

    There are over 270 regional channels out of 500 channels overall in BARC. The regional viewership is higher than the Hindi viewership and has a market share of 47 per cent.

    Also Read :

    Dsport not in the running for BCCI’s media rights

    Discovery Communications completes Scripps acquisition

    Discovery Communications gets US govt nod for Scripps Networks merger

  • Living Foodz to add Tamil feed in FY 18-19

    Living Foodz to add Tamil feed in FY 18-19

    MUMBAI: The flavours of regional India have not failed to touch food channels. In a bid to tap this market, Living Foodz plans to launch a Tamil feed in financial year 2018-19.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Living Foodz COO Shaurya Mehta said that the network, Living Network, was exploring feeds in southern languages. “There is strong potential for having a feed in Tamil. It will be around the coming financial year.”

    The channel was launched in September 2015 and garnered great traction in its opening week, topping the charts in the food and lifestyle space according to Broadcast Audience Research Council data. Even in the latest week 9 of 2018, Living Foodz has maintained its leadership with 1206 (000) impressions.

    When asked whether lifestyle channels should market themselves more in order to create a buzz around their programming, Mehta said that the question was about effectiveness. Speaking in relation to the network, he pointed out that the network undertook adequate representation. “What we do is adequate representation in terms of new content created and the show that is being launched. We do market the shows a lot. By and large, we have seen a great response in term of marketing efforts,” he added.

    Mehta said that GST and demonetisation did not heavily impact the network’s operations, adding that the channel was just growing. “We may have been affected but we didn’t really deviate from our plans,” he clarified.

    Talking about the upcoming shows, Mehta said that Femme Foodies season 2 was round the corner. Quarter is another show lined up for May 2019 with a unique concept of exploring the station master’s tiffin. The show will be hosted by chef Ranveer Brar and will explore a variety of food on a train journey.

    Living Foodz will be launched on UK’s Sky platform and a date will be announced soon. It is expected to be added to the Sky line-up towards the end of March or beginning of April. The broadcaster has already firmed up its programming output and is expected to add a number of local shows to localise the feed of the channel. Living Foodz has also finalised its electronic programme guide (EPG) slot.

    Also Read :

    GST fails to spoil Food Food’s party

    Food content dominates viewership on lifestyle channels