ITV

Category: TV Shows

  • Jodha Akbar: Ekta Kapoor’s & Zee TV’s historical romance

    Jodha Akbar: Ekta Kapoor’s & Zee TV’s historical romance

    They have become the in-thing and they seem to be working just like their cousins – mythological series – are. We are referring to historical shows on television. Following closely on the heels of Sony Entertainment‘s Maharana Pratap which was launched on 27 May 2013, is Zee TV which is set to premiere the old time romantic tale of Jodhaa Akbar on 18 June at 8.00 pm. The story was interpreted on the big screen under the crafty hands of helmer Ashutosh Gowariker, and most lovers of cinema are familiar with that.

    Rajat Tokas as Akbar and Paridhi Sharma as Jodha strike a pose

    But TV czarina Ekta Kapoor says that “the beauty of Indian history remains open to perception and interpretation.” And it was this that encouraged her to take up the challenge of producing the show under the banner of Balaji Telefilms. 

    The magnum opus historical will capture the intriguing journey of love that, in fact, began with intense hatred.

    How Jodha’s love softened the hard edges of Akbar’s personality and made him a kinder, more compassionate soul forms the crux of Zee TV’s Jodha Akbar which is set to replace Rab Se Sona Ishq.

    Balaji Telefilms has churned out shows in all genres such as drama, romance, thriller, horror and even kitchen politics. Jodha Akbarmarks Kapoor‘s maiden encounter with history (if you exclude the disaster that was Mahabharat on NDTV Imagine) and she says she is ready to take any sort of criticism that comes her way.”It‘s a huge risk I am taking,” says Kapoor. “But I love taking on challenges. Balaji is the premier TV production house in the country and this will be shown through Jodha Akbar.“

    Santram Verma who has previously directed a thriller drama show titled Kaahin Kissii Roz on Star Plus and has also helmed the movieKrishna Cottage (2004) to his credit will be occupying the director’s chair for Jodha Akbar.

    Says Verma: “Viewers will get to see a very strong love story for the first time in a historical show. A similar period drama Jhansi Ki Rani on Zee was a huge success and we expect a similar response for Jodha Akbar as it has a very innovative storyline that will touch the hearts of many.”

    The brains behind the creative‘s – Sujata Rao

    Scriptwriter Rajesh Joshi is penning the epic series, following eight months of research, courtesy Bodhisattva, who is the man behind scores of historicals and mythologicals. Prakash Kapadia, who has written for films likeDevdas (2002), Black (2005) andSaawariya (2007), is writing the dialogues.

    Sujata Rao, a master of her art, and of known for her work for Jhansi Ki Rani and Veer Shivaj has been hired to creatively direct Jodha Akbar.

    Says Rao: “We are going to be a lot more different and innovative when it comes to creativity of the show. We are penetrating equally into the characters, scenes and inter-personal relationships be in terms of father who is a king and his daughter. How they behave behind the doors, how the father talks to his daughter not being a king, these things are not going to be typical. We have gone into the depth of the history. am sure the show is going to be unique in its own way. With the help of Bodhisattva, we have managed to make a good historical set for Jodha Akbar.”

    Ekta Kapoor talks about her comeback on Zee with Jodha Akbar

    Says Kapoor: “Zee is my lucky mascot. I started my career withHum Paanch on Zee. I followed withKasamh Se a huge success. The story of Jodha and Akbar is an intriguing chapter from India’s history. It speaks of love in the time of hate. It is relevant and relatable to present times as well. In India, history books are more incident-based. But we are looking at human stories, characterisations that focus on inter-personal relationships, politics, how they think and communicate.”

    Nearly 11 episodes have been filmed in scenic locations of Jaipur at Sawai Madhopur‘s Nahargarh Haveli (the schedules ran for almost a week) followed by another stint at Kolhapur and finally at the grand ND Studios in, Karjat.

    Heavy investments have been put into the sets, with lots of detailing to rightly depict Akbar’s grand ‘Diwaan-e-khaas‘, ‘Diwaan-e-aam palace‘s and ‘Jodha Mahal‘.

    Kapoor further reveals that history gives a roadmap, incidents, experiences, various dates, and a broad structure of what happened in the past. To add on further, Ekta says, the creative team has been her strength for it is they who are adding colors to the characters and relationships.

    The cast of Jodha Akbar is all set to ‘recreate‘ history

    Prithviraj Chauhan fame Rajat Tokas will be playing Akbar, while Ruk Jaana Nahin second lead fame Paridhi Sharma being his Jodha. Ekta travelled across the country and attended every audition personally to hand-pick the right actors for the roles of Jodha and Akbar.

    In the young and handsome Tokas, Ekta has found the ideal blend of boyish innocence and rugged manliness required for Akabr, says she. She adds: “He is quite mature as an actor. He is an expert in martial arts and horse riding, so he was the perfect choice for her.”

    Ekta went through as many as 7,000 auditions during the course of a nationwide hunt before she gave her final nod to the beautiful Paridhi. Other in the ensemble o the show include prominent actors such as Ashwini Kalsekar playing Mahamanga, a pivotal mother figure in Akbar’s life who saved him from the clutches of death on many an occasion. Chetan Hansraj has been chosen to portray Adham Khan, the mighty son of Mahamanga who has an eye on the Mughal throne.

    Zeel Head Content – Ajay Bhalwankar

    Zeel head content Ajay Bhalwankar states: “Our experience with Jhansi ki Rani gives us the conviction that viewers in India are curious to know more about prominent historical figures. It was a story that was received extremely well because it was told interestingly. The key objective is to highlight to our audiences the power of love and its significant role in making someone a better human being. And on top of that we have a wonderful team consisting between 800 – 1000 who have been working thick and thin for the show. So it will work very well with the audiences at large.”

    He further reveals to indiantelevision.com that the show is going to be the most expensive ever produced for Indian television right from the sets at different locations, costumes, jewellery, weapons and so on.

    Zee TV is leaving no stone unturned in terms of marketing and digital activities. The channel plans to create a virtual historical monument on Facebook giving online users a chance to immortalise their love by inscribing their and their lover’s names on the monument.

    Moreover, Zee intends to create Pinterest boards, familiarising viewers with the architecture, monuments, artefacts, clothes and jewellery from the Mughal era. To top it all, it will also organise edutainment excursions for school children where they will watch the shoot of the show and be taken on a guided tour of the Jodha Akbar sets that resemble Jodha and Akbar palaces, showcasing replicas of the same.

    The channel has tied up with the local Delhi authorities and plans to make the toll booth on the DND Flyover toll-free on 18 June in remembrance of the fact that Emperor Akbar had waived off a pilgrimage tax for all countrymen in his time. Plans are to have stalls serving sherbet outside prominent dargahs in Uttar Pradesh as a goodwill gesture on the launch day.

    Jodha Akbar is going to come up against other long-running fiction series like Balika Vadhu on Colors (2.8 TVR) and newers ones such as Anamika on Sony (0.8 TVR) and the upcoming show Meri Bhabhislated to debut on 17 June on Star Plus.

  • Clash of the Titan

    Clash of the Titan

    The battle ground is set, the weapons are drawn and the leading Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are all set for intense combat and to emerge victorious in the weekend mega prime time war. Come 1 June, Colors is all set to attack with season six of its popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Ja (JDJ). Sony on the other hand will be unveiling its long talked about and all new Indian Idol Junior (IIJ). Zee TV on its part is counting down the minutes to unleashing DID Super Moms on its viewers. All three are slated to air during the crucial 9.00 pm – 10.00 pm slot every Saturday and Sunday.

    With so many reality shows, which show are the advertisers placing their bets on? Dentsu Media India CEO Divya Gupta answers: “All three have potential. With the new formats, anchors, all have something to offer. It remains to be seen, however, how the initial hype will pan out in terms of quality and content. From an advertiser’s point of view, the program that is able to pull eyeballs early and keep them is the best bet.”

    She further says that depending on the number of associates on board currently, and spot buy sales on first episode, the three upcoming shows have anywhere between Rs Five crore to 6.5 crore riding on them this Saturday.

    What is it about the weekend prime time slot that has turned GECs into a war zone? Madison Media senior VP head of Pinnacle Mumbai Shekhar Banerjee gives a different perspective. Says he: “Weekend slots over the years have been hosting reality shows across GECs, not that it has better potential and generates higher TVR but because channels don’t want to disturb their already running staple fiction shows. Taking off a weekday fiction for a 13 week reality show means breaking a viewer’s habit and there is high likelihood that the person may not come back to the fiction show after 13 weeks are over.”

    For want of a better option or not, the weekend slot has become the hub of reality shows and has ensured cut-throat competition among GECs and an attractive platform for advertisers. “Total inventory based on total number of episodes, not counting repeats, would be in the range of 24,000 to 30,000 seconds totally. The value of a weekend prime slot would depend on product and target prospects. By and large, prime time is coveted by all due to its quick, high reach viewership,” says Gupta.

    Colors’ JDJ’s starry judging tri -Karan, Madhuri and Remo : It’s all about the madness of dance

    Colors has placed high hopes on JDJ which had a successful run last season with an average TVR of 3 and will leave no stone unturned to make this season a thrilling rage over a span of 15 weeks. The show has roped in six associate sponsors including Ultratech, Dove, Sony Experia, Ever Ready battery, Amul Macho and Metro Tyres while Cadbury Bournvita returns as title sponsor and Vaseline is the powered by sponsor.

    Talking about the show’s USP, Colors marketing head Rajesh Iyer says: “JDJ is a strong property itself and has its niche audience. The format of the show is very different as compared to any other reality show. Here, we have 12 celebrities from different walks of life as contestants and a very strong jury force including Karan, Madhuri and Remo who are masters of their craft.”

    What is new about season six which sets it apart from the previous seasons is the level of dancing. This season it’s the ultimate dance off between the contestants as the jury has raised the bar. Contestants will be seen using unconventional props, graphics and animation for showing the audiences what they have never seen before.

    Banerjee, who has placed his bets on JDJ for Madison Media’s client Cadbury, says: “When we buy a reality show the key criteria is fitment and the show’s potential to deliver on brand’s key performer indicators (KPIs). JDJ has been one of the best performing talent shows on Indian television, and even this year we are working with the Colors team to create bigger and better integration that can deliver the desired return on investment (ROI) on the brand scores of Cadbury Bournvita.”

    Colors’ Rajesh Iyer is going into hyperdrive marketing Jhalak Dikhhla Ja

    The battle for primetime is not going to take place on screens. The three players are pulling out all the stops on the marketing front to connect with their audiences through every medium. 
    The channel has launched an aggressive 360 degree marketing campaign to place JDJ at the top of the game. Iyer says: “Our extensive marketing plan includes home channel promotion with over 2,000 spots and network and cross channel promotion with 40 channels wherein we have bought over 5,000 spots across genres – English news, Hindi news, regional, infotainment, music, Hindi entertainment, Hindi movies and kids.”

    Apart from TV, Colors has also planned a 10-day campaign with 1,500 plus radio spots across its Hindi speaking markets. Print is also not left unexplored with over 100 ads to be placed across 100 plus cities across the country. In the out of home (OOH) space, the channel has planned a 10 day activity and targeted over 500 sites in the Hindi speaking markets.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Sony, on the other hand, is all geared up to strike a chord with family viewers through Indian Idol Junior (IIJ), which will be running for 14 weeks. Title sponsor being Nissan Micra and powered by Horlicks, this new kids singing reality show has Real Fruit, 99acres.com, Kellog’s Oats and Alpenliebe as other associate sponsors. According to the channel, over 6,000 promos spots have been played for IIJ.

    “IIJ has one thing going for it,” says a media observer. “It is commencing at 8:30 pm, half an hour before the rest. This could well work in its favour in terms of it getting viewers tuning into it Whether it will manage to make them sticky will depend on the show’s content.”

    Indian Idol Junior judges Shekhar, Shreya & Vishal will be innovating while dealing with kids on the show

    That is a legacy story, says Sony Entertainment Television (SET) marketing head Gaurav Seth. But what sets IIJ apart from the rest is its brand positioning, he adds. He further elaborates: “It is a brand extension of the very popular Indian Idol format on SET. We believe children have a lot of potential and talent on offer and hence, we wanted to explore this segment and showcase it to pan Indian audiences. We conducted a massive nationwide hunt to search for these kids through our eminent judges and we believe our viewers are going to be stunned with the talent on display through the rounds. Kids have a lot to offer in terms of their innocent, spontaneous and completely endearing actions which makes for compelling television viewing.”

    Sony’s Seth has marketing for Indian Idol Junior covered from all angles

    Launching an extensive campaign revolving around kids, Sony is comprehensively promoting the newest branch of its much loved franchise. Seth explains: “We have executed a huge national communication roll-out to inform TV viewers across India about the show and what to expect. This has been across all major media platforms and has succeeded in building immense recall for the show prior to launch. As it progresses, we believe that the talent on display will continue to attract loyal viewers interested in following the fortunes of their favourite contestants.”

    Sony plans to sustain viewer interest through city concerts, activation and celebrity episodes designed to keep highlighting the high-points in the show throughout the current season. Says Seth: “It has been one of the most popular talent shows on television and we hope to keep the success of its past editions alive with this new and fresher avatar. Indian Idol is a profit maker and the latest offering has received a favorable response from our advertising partners.”

    Zee TV is counting on its all new concept of DID Super Moms derived from one of its most successful properties – Dance India Dance (DID) to do the trick for it. For the first time, mothers, who always have been seen supporting their children in DID, take center-stage in this unique dance reality show focused on moms.

    DID Super Moms team are looking at replicating DID’s success

    Zeel marketing head Akash Chawla asserts: “With DID Super Moms we wanted to capture the emotions of the audiences where a mother is a very important part of our lives and she always played a crucial role in our success. Our communication revolved around the fact that now it’s time for mothers to be in the spot light and we should cheer them and support them helps them to fulfill her dreams.”

    Coming back to JDJ, one of the innovative strategies launched by Colors exclusively for the show is a promotional tie-up with YRF’s upcoming Ranbir Kapoor- Deppika Padukone starrer Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. “We will be running JDJ promos during YJHD. We have targeted 900+ screens in over 40 cities. While in terms of amplifying the campaign with the help of cable TV, we have planned a 10 Day activity in 130 cities and have bought over 1,000 spots,” adds Rajesh Iyer.

    Movie promotions are what IIJ will be banking on too to rope in celebrities and also heighten viewer engagement. Seth reveals: “There will be movie integrations at a later stage once gala rounds begin. We will also form strategic tie-ups with news channels to promote content and/or activation and concerts.”

    Season six of JDJ is being lauded for its aesthetically beautiful promos directed by Colors’ in-house team led by Monica Nair. JDJ is being heavily promoted on the channel with promos not only seen during the ad breaks but within shows as well. “In order to increase the recall value of the viewers, we’re trying this different mode of in-show promotion wherein we show a JDJ promo even before the advertisement break – between the show and the coming – up of the next segment,” asserts Iyer.

    Creatives

    • Colors- Marching Ants
    • Sony- Leo Burnett
    • Zee TV- Draft FCB Ulka

    Sony’s IIJ also has commendable creatives designed by Leo Burnett, with a strong positioning- Gaanon ka wohi jaadu ab bachchon ki awaaz mein. The promos, directed by the creative team at SET along with Fremantle Media, depicting young kids singing old classics have become quite popular. It has been an immensely clutter breaking campaign on all media especially TV with the spots getting high salience and recall,” says Seth.

     

     

    JDJ has targeted the space of ambient marketing as well, with over 500 hoardings across 12 cities. The creatives – both outdoor and print, are spearheaded by creative agency Marching Ants. Iyer says: “Last year we focused on the symbolic shining disco ball as a promotable. The idea this year was to take JDJ outside the environment of the studio to outdoors build scale. You will see that both in our launch promos as well as creatives.”

    Ambient Marketing:

    • Colors-500 horadings across 12 cities
    • Sony- 4000 horadings across 24 towns

    However, in terms of ambient marketing, Sony is way ahead as it claims to have stationed over 4,000 outdoor advertising units across 24 towns promoting IIJ.

    Seth elaborates: “We have targeted our viewers across their daily touch points from whenever they step out of their houses to when they return. This includes innovative branding and presence on major roads and arteries across 24 key towns of India through large and small format billboards. In addition, we have taken branding inside and outside major transport hubs and vehicles such as trains and buses both intercity and intra-city. We have also targeted malls and shopping centers and even cinemas to ensure all touch points are covered extensively.”

    Sony also has several out-of-box promotional campaigns planned for IIJ. “We will be carrying out an activation titled “Society Idol Junior” across 12 cities in which we will be conducting mini auditions and talent performances judged by local celebrities in various residential societies and colonies. We will then be crowning individual winners from this age group from each of these. In addition we will also be having mega Idol city concerts featuring our final contestants and of course our talented judges,” informs Seth.

    On the online, digital and mobile front, Colors has created a dedicated microsite, web chat and dance tutorials wherein it has tied-up with dancewithmadhuri.com, which is Madhuri Dixit’s online dance academy. There are also plans to create a mobile application for the show.

    “This year we are taking the brand JDJ and our promise to make non-dancer’s dancers to the next level by giving them a taste of true dance with Dance Tutorials & Dance with Madhuri contest,” says Iyer.

    He adds: “Throughout the season every day, we will release one dance tutorial for our viewers. This will be from different dance forms for example seven steps salsa in a week etc. These videos will be released every week on our website, JDJ app and Colors Facebook page for viewers to easily access while on the go. To make this more even more exciting we have tied up with dancewithmadhuri.com. Viewers can now learn practice and upload their videos. Madhuri Dixit will herself select one lucky winner who will get a chance to dance with the Diva herself.”

    Apart from all of the above, Colors has a lot in store for online viewers before the grand premiere- a Live Chat with Madhuri, the video of which will be uploaded on the channel’s official website. A web premiere is also on the lines, wherein 20 minutes of the grand premiere will be uploaded on the channel’s official YouTube channel at 3.00 pm on Saturday. All in all, the online buzz around #Jhalak (the official hash-tag) will be kept alive through live chats, web premiere, contests and the works!

    Sony has also launched several web/digital initiatives for its debutante property. Myindianidoljunior.com is the official website for all news, views and happenings from the show. Seth says: “Exclusive content regarding the contestants, engaging apps etc will only be available there. In addition we launched the IIJ audition app which allowed smartphone users to enter the selection process by auditioning through their mobile device. There are lots of other interesting features on our social media pages and handles as well.”

    Social Media

    • Colors– dancewithmadhuri.com
    • Sony-Myindianidoljunior.com
    • Zee TV: DID Super Moms’mobile App

    Zee TV has also launched several interesting social media initiatives for promoting DID Super Moms. Chawla states: “For Zee, the consumer has always been at the centre of business decisions. The channel has pioneered many digital and mobile initiatives with the intention of interacting with the consumers at every touch point. Committed to presenting out of the box ideas to market its shows, this time around some innovative features have been added in the DID Super Moms mobile app”.

    To amplify viewer engagement, a new feature called Tap on has been introduced. Here a user can hold the phone to capture the songs played during ‘DID Super Moms.’ Every time he does that, some exclusive content that is high on engagement would unlock on his phone giving him additional interesting information about the show. This content can be an exclusive live tutorial, images or some trivia from the show.

    Another feature is a chat room called Check In where everybody watching the show can check in and shares their viewpoints with each other. With the pattern of content consumption becoming more dynamic, the features introduced in the mobile app will keep the viewer engaged throughout the show via his/her mobile phone. This is a more personal way of interaction, engagement and entertainment.

    Talking about a recent online promotional activity, Chawla says: “The Masters of Zee TV’s DID Super Moms, Farah Khan and Marzi Pestonji along with skippers, Raghav, Prince, Jai and Siddhesh kicked off a virtual conversation on Google Hangout with 10 of their lucky fans on 24 May! These lucky winners were selected via a twitter contest where the ‘netizens’ were asked to use #dancingtome and write what dancing meant to them. In this online event, the masters and skippers not only shared interesting trivia’s and anecdotes but also showcased their signature moves to their admirers. For those who didn’t get a spot in the lucky 10, watched the hangout LIVE on Zee TV’s YouTube page.”

     

    what more?! DID Supermoms is going to have an impact on the digital space with a roadblock of two major portals in India – youtube.com and yahoo.com (YouTube mast head and Yahoo super take over). Its micro site has various engagement platforms for ‘netizens’ where all the super moms can upload their dancing video on the DID title track. A video wall with all these entries would be published during the sustenance of the show.

    Sony has had a successful integration with its network channel’s popular IPL show called Extraaa Innings T20 on Max. Besides, there is a countdown bug on the channel and a very high ratio of promo slots devoted to IIJ launch.

    The smartest move by Colors is that of the show’s Grand Premiere which is aimed at garnering maximum eye balls. The launch episode will be as big as the show itself.

    Kick starting the show will be dancing queen Madhuri who will team up with Ranbir for a stunning performance on their new item number- Ghaghra. Next to enthrall viewers will be an entertaining performance by Sushant Singh Rajput and actress Jacqueline Fernandez who will be introducing the 12 celebrity contestants.

    The launch episode week will also see the three Deols – Sunny, Bobby and Dharmendra shake a leg with the Jhalak contestants adding on to the commencement of the power packed journey of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

    To further heat up the competition, Star Plus is upping the ante on its dance reality show India’s Dancing Superstar (IDS) which has been on air since 27 April at 9.00 pm. It has planned a special maha episode. Explains Star India vice-president marketing Nikhil Madhok: “For 1 June, IDS will have a two and a half hour dance ka maha episode which will start at 8 pm. The episode has one of the legends of dance, Govinda, doing something he has never done before on Indian television. Viewers will see him play a double role in an extremely entertaining dance act. The episode will also see the beginning of the face-off round, which is a very unique concept for a dance show in India.”

    Star marketing head! Nikhil Madhok

    Sounds great, but what is the media view of all these intense content creation and marketing initiatives that the GECs have drawn up?

    Madison’s Banerjee proffers a perspective. Says he: “Such overcrowding of reality shows on weekends will lead to cannibalisation both in terms of viewership and also revenues. Channels need to understand that with such high investment they should look for a clean window or time-bands that assures them of the best return.”

    He further points outs: “These shows can coexist with smarter planning. Next season, even advertisers will get wary of investing if average ratings of these shows come down.”

    Now that’s a piece of advice, none of the GEC players should ignore!

     

  • India’s most popular crime news show ‘Crime Files’ returns to Zee News

    India’s most popular crime news show ‘Crime Files’ returns to Zee News

    NEW DELHI: Zee News is all set to re-launch one of its most popular shows- Crime Files, which was one of India’s first crime news shows that set the trend for crime shows to follow.

    Crime Files will now be showcased on Zee News starting today and will be telecast every Saturday at 10.30 pm. The show will also be telecast on its leading regional channels: Zee News Uttar Pradesh/ Uttarakhand and Zee Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh.

    This show is very pertinent in the current scenario where shocking crimes are an everyday affair. Zee News as a responsible media house feels it is not only their duty to inform Indian citizens of these heinous incidents but also foster an air of positivism amongst them. The show is conceptualised in such a manner so as to make people aware of these crimes, the inherent reasons and its consequences. The USP of the show is not only to keep viewers alert but also apprise them to take adequate advance measures to secure and safeguard themselves and their families.

    The crime show was first started in 2002 as ‘Crime File’ on Zee News and was an instant hit. The show was a pioneer in making investigative and crime reporting popular in the country and taking it to the masses. Crime Files will be anchored by Naveen Kumar, an investigative journalist.

    Zee News Ltd CEO Alok Agrawal says: “We feel that it is our duty to inform, engage and empower our viewers about what they should know about their environment and its whereabouts; including crime and how one can safeguard oneself from such incidents. Crime Files is a show which goes into each and every angle and details of the crime. The pioneer show was started a decade ago and was very popular. Reviving the show once again will definitely create the required awareness among its audience.”

  • MipTV: ITVS to launch two factual series

    MUMBAI: ITVS Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) will debut two new factual series from The Garden at next month‘s television trade event MipTV as part of their distribution agreement with the UK-based Indie.

    ‘Keeping Britain Alive‘ and ‘Baby Makers‘ will launch at the market as both finished shows and format.

    Keeping Britain Alive is a medical ob doc that tells the story of 24 Hours in the life of the world‘s biggest free health care system – the NHS. Using over a hundred camera crews to shoot across Britain in hospitals, doctor‘s surgeries, ambulances and helicopters – all captured at and connected by, a specific moment in time. With nothing off limits, it takes a fresh look at everything from life or death emergencies, to controversial topics like plastic surgery and weight loss.

    ITVS GE will launch this ob doc as a format titled ‘Keeping Your Nation Alive‘ at MipTV. ‘Keeping Britain Alive‘ is produced by The Garden for BBC TWO.

    ‘Baby Makers: The Fertility Clinic‘ is a look at the fertility frontline. With exclusive access to The Hewitt Centre – one of the largest IVF clinics in Britain, the patients are met. Through candid accounts from staff that deal with the endless sperm and egg collections, to patients facing low sperm counts and ticking biological clocks, this documentary reveals the moral minefield of IVF.Baby Makers: The Fertility Clinic is produced by The Garden for BBC FOUR.

    ITV Studios Global Entertainment director of global acquisitions and co-productions Ruth Clarke said, “Hot on the heels of The Audience, we are delighted to be unveiling two new shows from The Garden at MIPTV. Known for their ground-breaking and thought-provoking series, we look forward to continuing our partnership with them to represent both of these new factual offerings at the international marketplace.”

  • Delhi HC restrains Sony TV from telecasting crime show on Chautala

    Delhi HC restrains Sony TV from telecasting crime show on Chautala

    NEW DELHI: A crime show based on the teachers‘ recruitment scam involving former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and 54 others will not be telecast pending direction of the Delhi High Court.

    The show was to have been telecast on Sony TV‘s Crime Patrol tonight.

    Justice M L. Mehta‘s interim direction came on a plea of Chautala, his then officer on special duty Vidya Dhar and political advisor Sher Singh Badshami.

    Advocate Rajiv Nayyar, appearing for Chautala, asked the court to direct the channel to postpone the telecast till the pending petition seeking suspension of their sentence is decided by another bench, as the programme could adversely impact the appeal against the trial court verdict.

    He said that Chautala has also sought suspension of his 10 year imprisonment and till it is decided, the programme‘s telecast should be deferred.

    The trial court last month sentenced Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and eight others to 10 years in jail while one convict was sentenced to five years and 45 others were handed out four-year jail terms after convicting them of illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic trained teachers in Haryana in 2000.

  • Eight documentary makers to participate in ‘International Trailblazers’ at Mipdoc

    MUMBAI: Mipdoc, the international documentary market, which takes place in Cannes France in April 2007 has announced that eight visionary documentary-makers have been chosen for the second edition of the International Trailblazers.

    This is an initiative designed to recognise creativity and innovation in the documentary field.

    For the second consecutive year, the event is sponsored by the Sundance Channel and organised with the support of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). The International Trailblazers will take place at Mipdoc, which will be held on 14 and 15 April 2007 in the Intercontinental Carlton Hotel, Cannes.

    The eight selected works have been drawn from Europe,Asia /Pacific, the Americas and Africa and chosen by an international selection panel made up of well-known documentary associations and festivals. The selection panel is made up of: The International Documentary Association (IDA – USA), Hot Docs (Canada), The European Documentary Network (EDN – Denmark), Encounters (South Africa), EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF – South Korea) and the association of all Japan TV Programs (ATP – Japan).
    The eight candidates were selected according to:

    – Innovation and Creativity: the use of new techniques in filming and story-telling, setting trends, opening new pathways for others…

    – Originality: Content that provides a model, which is “different” or risk-taking.

    – Breakthrough: Where there is a significant difference made in the genre, such as increased audience for documentaries, press coverage, public reception…

    The 2007 ‘International Trailblazers’ are – Marshall Curry (USA, selected by IDA), Larry Weinstein (Canada, selected by Hot Docs), Paolo Trombetti (Italy, selected by EDN), Uldis Cekulis (Latvia, selected by EDN), Jean-Marie Teno (Cameroon, selected by Encounters), Vincent Moloi (South Africa, selected by Encounters), Gan Chao (China, selected by EIDF) and Nao Kubota (Japan, selected by ATP) – All eight Trailblazers will attend Mipdoc, where a special Mipdoc Opening Lunch will be given in their honour, bringing together the documentary professionals at Mipdoc and the ‘International Trailblazer’ organisers.

    Reed Midem director of the television division Paul Johnson said, “The second edition of the International Trailblazers will honour eight emerging and acknowledged filmmakers who through their creativity and desire to tell a story in their own way are pushing the documentary genre forward. Mipdoc delegates will have the opportunity to share the vision of some truly exceptional documentary producers.”

    Following the first edition of the International Trailblazers at Mipdoc 2006, two films have been acquired by the Sundance Channel, Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon directed by Khalo Matabane (South Africa) and the documentary Georgi & the Butterflies produced by Martichka Bozhilova (Bulgaria).

    Commenting on her selection as an International Trailblazer, Martichka Bozhilova said, “It is very encouraging to have been chosen as a Trailblazer and to have our work acknowledged by such key documentary specialists. Making documentaries is a passion and a challenge. I am delighted to receive this tribute for what I have always tried to achieve – to be creative and take risks in a documentary world that is becoming more and more standardised and commercially dependent.”

    Mipdoc 2006 saw a 13 per cent rise in participation with 432 companies from 57 countries. 385 acquisition executives attended and production and sales companies sent 1,189 programmes to the digital screening library of which 769 were appearing at the market for the first time. There were a total of 26,000 screenings over the two days.

  • Sunny, porn and big bad world of TV

    Sunny, porn and big bad world of TV

    It took a lot of frisking around in bed in the buff – with first, women,and then men – for the camera to transform an Indian Sikh girl Karenjit Kaur Vohra from Ontario into a global porn star who goes by the handle of Sunny Leone. From there she made her way back to India and into our homes with the fifth season of Bigg Boss where she has surprised all.

    Her face is finely structured, her smile bewitching the youth of India. She is comfortable in her skin as a sex goddess. Her laugh is gay, full of abandon. She comes across like a person who knows what she is all about, and she loves it. She has all the oomph and jiggles in the right places to make her stand out from the rest of the Bigg Boss 5 gang. She is Indian, and looks partly so, but sounds totally foreign. And yet she speaks Hindi with a charming accent and style. She is exotic. A mysterious enticement.

    Yes, she has that seductive figure, the seductive American/Canadian accent and a very seductive way of carrying herself.

    But she has done nothing – yet – to warrant her the porn star status that has made her the wet dream of millions of her fans the world over.

    Adult content can offer a release for many frustrated youth, who, in its absence, tend to vent their pent-up frustration out on girls as young as four or five as newspaper reports have revealed
    _____****_____

    The media has gone to town with Sunny. Reams and reams of pages of editorial have been written about her. Internet news sites, facebook communities and blogs have gushed about her porn star status in the hope of titillating readers to consume more of their pictures, and the accompanying puerile editorial. (This piece hopefully is not adding to the pulpy content). News channels too have spent thousands of minutes of on-air time examining Sunny Leone from every angle and even flashing pictures of her nearly undressed.

    Then some unknown organisations backed by shady characters have been grappling at straws to nail her and the show for crossing the boundaries of decency. And cash in on the Sunny phenomenon. And possible bask in the glare of the media by sending out dubious press releases about her being banned by some unknown associations of persons.

    But Sunny -the consummate professional that she is – she has not given them the chance; she has walked the thin line extremely well.

    Do you know Sunny Leone may have never made it to Bigg Boss 5? Well, she had been signed on earlier this year. But folks at the channel were balking at having her on-air as there were concerns whether cause-hunting groups would make a pornographic star’s appearance on the show as a cause celebtre.

    Finally, however, senior management decided to bite the bullet and go ahead, and ordered the channel’s standard and practices division to keep an even sharper watch on the content before it is pushed out on air.

    India which has given the Khajurhao, the Kama Sutra to the world has hypocritically been blocking out risqué content for years, nay decades.

    While most progressive countries allow adult content on air late night with some controls, India‘s lame policy makers and influencers have shut the door on it. Pseudo moralists in government and pseudo social activists have strangled and paralysed any movement on this score. India has millions of sex workers nationally servicing 10 times as many men daily. Parlours offer sex services from young masseuses under the guise of massage. There‘s a strong underground pornographic production network on anyway which disseminates clips through the net and through illegal channels in South East Asia and even India. These continue to flourish under the very noses of these same pseudo moralists. Some may also have the blessings of some of these very protesters in power.

    The Bhatt angle may have been just a ploy to attract eyeballs, deflect some heat the channel may have been getting-courtesy – Sunny, and also bring in Bollywood to make it look legit.
    _____****_____

    The fact is that adult content can offer a release for many frustrated youth who in its absence tend to vent their pent-up frustration out on girls as young as four or five, something which we tend to see in shocking newspaper reports day in day out. The government‘s Victorian approach is helping no one, apart from giving some ammo to the moral brigade to make noise from time to time and keep the information and broadcasting ministry busy. The government has set a digitization of Indian cable TV deadline. The technology that digital cable TV and DTH brings with it enables selective blocking of what can be termed objectionable content in the home by the viewer himself. The viewer will get to decide what he/she and his family members will be permitted to watch.

    So it’s about time that the powers-that-be drop their pseudo-moralism and take steps to rethink broadcast of adult content in the age of the internet where sex is the most searched term on google. And there are more visuals of the sexual act easily accessible to even underage kids at the click of a mouse then ever in mankind‘s history. Also, remember an extremely bold film like The Dirty Picture by the queen of family dramas Ekta Kapoor is getting rave reviews and attracting the so-called "conservative Indians" to cinema halls and multiplexes.

    Back to Sunny. She has tried to break out into Hollywood in the past, without much success. But Bollywood seems to be more accepting and welcoming than mainline or B-grade movie makers of the good old US of A. Earlier this week, she cast her spell on film maker Mahesh Bhatt who has been linked with the most beautiful of actresses and has had several relationships with the most desirable women. Bhatt fawned over her, showered lavish praise on her – behaving like an ageing, veteran film maker who has found his muse towards the sunset of his career.

    And he has offered her a part in Jism 2. Sunny, appears warm to the idea, and has left it to her agent in the US and Pooja Bhatt’s Fisheye Network to hammer out an agreement on her behalf for her Bollywood debut. If that is worked out, it will be a dream come true for Bhatt.

    A performer who has done it all, will be relatively easy to deal with.

    Dropping clothes will come naturally; smooching will not be a problem, she will possibly go the Full Monty; no body doubles will be needed. It will make for an interesting movie

    Sunny times are ahead. Yeah!!!

    Or at the end of it all nothing may emerge from it. The Bhatt angle may have been just a ploy by the channel‘s marketers and spin doctors to attract eyeballs, deflect some heat the its management may have been getting courtesy Sunny, and also bring in Bollywood to make it look like even India‘s most respected entertainment institution is wooing her and possibly get a veneer of legitimacy attached to what is going on on-air.

    If this is true then, our dear Sunny will head back to Los Angeles at the end of Bigg Boss 5, and remain a much remembered nymph. And she will be doing what she knows best: producing and marketing herself in the big lucrative world of porn.

  • Electric Sky to bring factual content to Mipcom

    MUMBAI: UK distributor Electric Sky returns to next month‘s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France with new factual titles.

    ‘Turtle Boy‘ by Sundog Pictures for Channel 4 and National Geographic traces the story of Didier, a six year old boy from Columbia with a rare condition – a huge 11-pound mole which covered his back. Resembling the shell of a turtle the mole was taking up 40 per cent of his body and its regular maintenance prevented him from going to school. This is a story of cutting-edge medicine, a mother‘s love, and a brave six-year-old‘s fight to be released from his burden.

    From Australian prodco Unboxed Media, Electric Sky has acquired ‘Tipping Points‘, an international coproduction exploring the tipping points of changing climate. The series will follow pre-eminent scientists as they go off the grid to explore the dangerous new tipping points making our weather systems more extreme and unpredictable and how these changes impact weather systems around the world. Networks on board include US network The Weather Channel, NHK in Japan, the ARD Group in Germany, Canvas in Belgium, VPRO in Holland and The Australia Network.

    Electric Sky has acquired ‘Hilary Lister – A Race Against Time‘ by Peter Williams Television Productions, which follows the remarkable journey of a record-breaking sailor with a difference. Despite suffering from a progressive condition which means she is paralyzed from the neck down, Hilary Lister embarks on an ambitious journey to sail around Britain. Relying on her own gumption and determination it‘s a story of courageous seamanship, a struggle for independence and purpose, and an astonishing achievement against all odds.

    From Irish production company, Rival Media, Electric Sky has taken on ‘Big Wave Bootcamp‘, which takes 8 surf-mad teens and unleashes them on the world‘s most extreme surf school in Hawaii. In ‘Mission Beach USA‘ a Rival Media Production for RTE eight teens tackle sun, sea and survival in Florida. In at the deep end, on the toughest lifeguard course in the world, our teens live, sleep, eat, breathe, relax and take all that the beach and their lifeguard instructors can throw at them. Will our eight hopefuls make it, or sink without a trace?

    Trouble in Paradise by 9 Films Production for Channel 9 Australia is a series that tells the stories of travellers and holidaymakers who have been subjected to terrifying experiences while on holidays in different parts of the world before escaping with their lives. These are ordinary people, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and what makes this series so enthralling is that their nightmares could happen to anyone.

    Finally, Electric Sky has picked up cooking series ‘Cookucina‘by Stephen Phelps Productions. Presented by two vivacious 40-something (and a bit!) women, Cookucina is a simple bi-lingual celebration of regional Italian food and the all-natural ingredients grown in the lush countryside in the foothills of the Sibillini Mountains.

  • British factual channel Eden commissions show with David Attenborough

    MUMBAI: British natural history channel Eden has commissioned a five part series with Sir David Attenborough called D‘avid Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities‘.

    The series will be produced by Humble Bee Films. It will show some of nature’s extraordinary evolutionary anomalies and how, even today, these curious animals continue to baffle and fascinate.s

    Each episode will feature two creatures with curiously distinctive adaptations that link together with a common theme. From the curious ‘hoax’ of the Platypus’s discovery to the Narwhal, the creature that inspired myth of the Unicorn, and the Mole Rat that defies the age limits of all other rodents and lives for 30 years, Sir David will discover how nature has found a way of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

    UKTV senior commissioning editor Catherine Catton said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Humble Bee Films to produce this exclusive series with Sir David for Eden. Sir David Attenborough is a national treasure and we can’t wait to see his passion and curiosity for all things unusual in nature come to life in this fantastic commission for the channel.”

    Humble Bee Films‘ Stephen Dunleavy, who is the executive producer for the series, said: “I am delighted to be working with Eden and Sir David on this fascinating series. David Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities will combine David‘s gift for storytelling with wonderful histories of discovery in the natural world. A mix of the curious and the downright baffling, it promises to be a treat for viewers of all ages.”

  • Zodiak Rights expands with 3 factual series ahead of MipTV

    MUMBAI: Zodiak Rights, the international division of Zodiak Media, has expanded its independent third party catalogue with very different three access-driven series.

    Repo Games is a hit reality series for Spike TV, produced by 495 Productions (the company behind MTV‘s Jersey Shore), and is available as a finished programme and a format. It takes the adrenalin-fuelled actuality of car re-possession and fuses it with an on-the-spot gameshow dynamic.

    In the series for Spike TV, ordinary Joe‘s who have defaulted on their car payments get the opportunity to clear their debts on the spot, or watch helplessly as their precious ‘wheels‘ are towed to the impound yard. Armed with five trivia questions, professional repo-men Josh Lewis and Tom DeTone literally doorstep unsuspecting debtors with the chance to win back their cars. Answer incorrectly however, and the vehicles are towed instantly.

    Zodiak Rights is working with Spike to expand the remit of the series, localising it as a format for international territories. This will entail extending the underlying premise to include more scenarios where members of the public face repossession for non-payment from bailiffs, car clampers or other ‘officials‘ armed with authority to re-possess.

    Zodiak Rights London MD Jane Millichip said, “The high-stakes that Spike brings to this reality gameshow make it must-see-TV, and we believe there will be significant demand for the finished programme. But the high concept nature of the format also allows us to adapt the notion of re-possession for local markets, giving the format flexibility in schedules and for different cultures”.

    ‘Desperate Scousewives‘ is the latest, and most extreme, access documentary series to lift the lid on the world of wannabees. In the world of footballers‘ wives and girlfriends, nightclubs and limos, it‘s all about having a ‘boss‘ night out on the town.

    ‘Scouse‘ is a term to describe people from Liverpool, but the notion of a Scousewife breathes a whole new lease of 21st Century life and lipstick into this traditional nickname. Looking good is a 24/7 job as the ladies dress to impress to bag themselves the man of their dreams, or at least a man with the bank-balance of their dreams.

    At the other end of the social spectrum, ‘Sandhurst‘ offers a look at the British Army‘s legendary officer training course. ‘Sandhurst‘ is a three part observational documentary shot at The Royal Military Academy over the course of a full year. The series charts the journey of one intake of cadets, – male and female – through the 200-year-old institution: three gruelling terms that turn them from civilians into officers, from followers to leaders fit for war in Afghanistan and beyond.

    Millichip added, “We are delighted to expand our third party strategy with three very different shows. 495 Productions, Splash Media and Icon Films could not have produced more varied series, yet all three series are based on excellent access, creative flair and high production values. For us, they really also highlight the level of invention in the factual community right now. Long may it continue.”