ITV

Tag: America

  • India-OZ likely to play 3-match ODI series in America in ’07

    India-OZ likely to play 3-match ODI series in America in ’07

    MUMBAI: After Abu Dhabi (DLF Cup) and Malaysia (tri-series), the next offshore cricket venue for the Indian cricket team will likely be in North America.

    Indian cricket board vice-president Lalit Modi told Indiantelevision.com that an in-principle agreement had been reached for a three-match series between India and Australia to be held in North America in June 2007, just ahead of India’s tour of England in July.

    Modi offered no other details except to say that he would be flying out to the US next week to finalise things.

    If a report filed by Cricket World proves correct, the three matches will be held in Brooklyn, New York.

    The report cites the Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, the first municipal airport in the US, as the venue for the three New York games, which has recently undergone a $38 million renovation to house a new sports and entertainment complex.

    Zee Sports acquired the global media rights for all matches that India will play in non-ICC member countries with a huge $ 219.15 million bid. As part of the deal 25 matches will be played over a period of 5 years with an average of 5 matches per year. The global media rights comprise television, radio and Internet rights. The rights are for a period of five years from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2011.

    The way the deal breaks up is that for the second year, Zee’s payout commitment to the BCCI is $ 6.03 million per match, which means that Zee Sports would have to generate a little over $ 18 million from the event all told, just to break even on it.

    From the North American market at least, Zee would be expecting to extract a significant proportion of its investment from pay-per-view.

  • America’s first female President takes centrestage on Star World next month

    America’s first female President takes centrestage on Star World next month

    MUMBAI: English general entertainment channel Star World’s strategy is simple! get more viewers to sample it by launching new shows almost every month.

    The latest addition is Commander In Chief. Starring Geena Davis as America’s first female president, the show kicks off on 7 November and airs on Tuesdays at 10 pm with repeats on Wednesdays at 10 am and on Sundays at 6 pm.
    Mackenzie Allen, played by Davis (who won an Oscar for The Accidental Tourist) has a lot on her plate – three kids, an ambitious husband, and she is about to become the first female President of the US. Following the death of the President, Vice President Mackenzie accepted the job against everyone’s wishes including Speaker of the House, Nathan Templeton.

    Now, Mackenzie has to contend with Nathan’s hostility, foreign leaders unaccustomed to dealing with a woman in power, and her husband who’s less than thrilled with the pink décor of his First Husband’s office. Mackenzie will have to break out of traditional roles to prove herself to her family, staff and the entire world.

    In the first episode Mackenzie Allen, who serves as Vice President of the US, has a tough decision to make, whether or not to go against the wishes of the dying current President. He has asked her to step down and let someone a little more appropriate take his place in the Oval Office. However, it’s not only the President that is calling for her resignation, it’s her entire party which elected her as the Vice President to start with.

    Star World will also set a Table For Three. The show kicks off on 6 November at 11 pm and airs from Tuesday – Saturday at 5 pm. The show chronicles the tragic destruction of a family and the bonds of brotherhood when two brothers on the run from the mafia find themselves in a heated battle of passion, betrayal, deceit and murder over the woman they both love.

    This one-hour drama stars Michelle Belegrin as Andrea Zavatti, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy restaurateur who quickly becomes the object of affection for the Thomas brothers Alex and Louis. Alex, played by Zack Silva, is the unpretentious, handsome chef who loves Andrea with a pure heart. Louis, portrayed by Nate Haden, is the charming and ambitious older brother who also falls in love with Andrea and wages a bitter war with Alex when he realises he is already after her heart.

    Vivian Gray portrays Andrea’s best friend Suzy Edwards, who quickly turns villainous when she seduces Andrea’s scheming boyfriend George played by Tomy Dunster. Along with the help of his equally manipulative half-sister Victoria, played by Sofia Milos, George works to take control of the Zavatti fortune.

    Eliana Alexander plays Rita Thomas, Alex and Louis’ mother who was left to raise her two sons alone after her husband Peter, portrayed by Al Bandiero, abandoned her many years ago. Chris DeRose is mob boss Joey Gamarra, who seeks retribution after catching Louis in bed with his daughter Cara, played by Kelly Albanese.

    The channel will also air the reality show The Scholar from 9 November evry Thursday at 10 pm with repeats on Fridays and Mondays at 11 am.
    The opportunity of a lifetime is about to come true for one of America’s best and brightest high school students in a one-hour unscripted series that will give the winner a college education from a top-rated school of their choice.

    Filmed on location at the University of Southern California, The Scholar positions itself as being the first show ever to celebrate higher education as the ultimate American prize. For the chance at a full ride to the college of their choice, ten qualified high school seniors from economically disadvantaged backgrounds — who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend one of America’s top universities — will compete for a full scholarship, a prize that could be worth as much as $240,000. They will have to demonstrate excellence in the areas of academics, leadership, creativity and community service, while facing sudden-death oral exams defending themselves to an Ivy League scholarship committee.

  • Animal Planet travels around the world to explore fauna and flaura

    Animal Planet travels around the world to explore fauna and flaura

    MUMBAI: Animal Planet will take viewers on a wild voyage around the world through its series Around The World In 14 Weeks. Viewers will experience the widest variety of flaura and fauna across continents as they travel from Indian subcontinent to Sahara, Europe, Africa, and America.

    The 14 episode show airs every Tuesday at 9 pm with a repeat every Saturday at 8 pm.

    One episode is called Fighting Bears Of The Punjab Airing. Bear baiting is big business in rural Pakistan, despite being illegal for over a century, but changes are now afoot by the World Society for the Protection of Animals to confiscate all bears used in baiting events. But this is no easy task, as the major promoters of these events are rich rural landowners who wield enormous power in Pakistan. This programme traces the history of the Qalandars and the Black Bears, as well as the dramatic events as WSPA workers, aided by the Pakistani Army, attempt to rescue bears and relocate them to a safety.

    Dream Team: Prince Of Camels provides a behind-the-scenes look at the magical world of a young Bedouin in love with camel racing. Sixteen years old Rahma grew up in a large family who, not so long ago regularly traveled hundreds of miles on camel-back. Although all-terrain vehicles have replaced the traditional mount, the camel remains a sacred beast for Rahma.

    In Ireland – Sculpted Isle the channel reveals Ireland’s dramatic nature through iconic landmarks and natural history. From the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway to the rugged beauty of the Blarney stone, from the polished limestone of the Burren to the lush, green pastures of County Kildare, each place has a story and resonance through history. Different landscape, different wildlife, different cultural past and a different face of modern life, come together to tell a single story – Ireland’s story.

    In Lost Crocodiles Of The Pharaohs viewers can join the search for the elusive crocodiles of the ancient River Nile. Despite their revered status in ancient Egypt, the crocodiles of the upper Nile were hunted into extinction by the 1800’s and the Pharaoh’s crocodiles were lost forever. Or so it was thought, until reports emerged of sightings of crocodiles in unexpected locations on the fringe of the Sahara desert, a small lake in Mali and a cave in Chad. Animal Planet explores if these are the direct descendents of the Pharaoh’s crocodiles? How could they survive in the desert?

    Lost Elephants Of Timbuktu goes into the heart of the Sahara Desert. A herd of elephants emerge from behind a wind-swept sand dune. They are completely isolated from other African elephants and trudge 700 miles each year to find food and water. This progamme tracks them to uncharted lands and reveals their relationship with the Tuareg, a nomadic people who have shared the elephants’ migration route for centuries.

    In Search Of The Giant Anaconda looks at the Green anaconda. It is the heaviest bodied snake in the world. It can grow six times longer than the average man, weigh eight times as much, and stay underwater for up to ten minutes at a time. Austin Steven, South African photographer and adventurer, travels to Amazon in search of the wild anaconda in the water and attempts to bring it to land. It is Steve’s most perilous photographic assignment so far.

  • Nat Geo Intl commissions two hour global special on ‘Bin Laden’s Spy’

    Nat Geo Intl commissions two hour global special on ‘Bin Laden’s Spy’

    MUMBAI: Following the success of the documentary special Inside 9/11, National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) and National Geographic Channel have commissioned Towers Productions for a two-hour special Bin Laden’s Spy in America.

    Bin Laden’s Spy in America, details the secret case of an Islamic fundamentalist who joins the US Army while playing a key role in terrorism plots on the road to 9/11. The two-hour documentary will premiere in the US on 28 August and internationally on 10 September 2006.

    NGCI executive VP content Sydney Suissa says, “This is an unknown and astounding story of the deception that allowed 9/11 to happen. It’s far more riveting than any spy novel could ever be”.

    The film tells the story of an ex-Egyptian Special Forces major who infiltrated the US intelligence community while working for terrorist organisations like Egyptian Islamic Jihad and al Qaeda. He successfully enlisted in the US Army despite having been listed as a suspected terrorist on a State Department’s watch list.

    While serving in the US Army, he provided training to several of the terrorists who took part in the 1993 World Trade Center attack. He also compiled an al Qaeda terror manual using information from documents taken during his stay at Fort Bragg; and coordinated bin Laden’s relocation from Afghanistan to the Sudan. He later became an FBI informant at around the same time that he was training terrorists in al Qaeda camps in the Middle East.

    The documentary is in part based on the upcoming investigative book Triple Cross by Peter Lance. Following its premiere, Bin Laden’s Spy in America will be available for international distribution at the television event Mipcom, which takes place in Cannes in October.

  • VH1 US, Sundance Channel team up for documentary series on illicit drug use in America

    VH1 US, Sundance Channel team up for documentary series on illicit drug use in America

    MUMBAI: Prior to the 1960’s, very few Americans had ever tried drugs. Today, more than 110 million (nearly half of the U.S. adult population) admit to having used an illicit substance at least once in their lifetime.

    Now VH1, in association with Sundance Channel, have produced the original documentary series The Drug Years. This is a four-part look at the rise of illicit drug use and its cultural impact in the second half of the twentieth century.Based on the book Can’t Find My Way Home: America in the Great Stoned Age, by Martin Torgoff, the series premieres on VH1 in the US tonight 12 June 2006.

    Spanning the 1950’s to the present, The Drug Years explores the development of a commercial drug culture in America, using archival footage and interviews to illustrate how popular culture — including music, movies, comedy, and television – have shaped and reflected public perceptions of illicit drugs. The Drug Years also looks at how drugs became part of the nation’s political landscape, from the youth rebellions of the 1960’s to the War on Drugs and beyond.

    This epic recounting of American drug culture is told through dozens of interviews with actors, musicians, journalists, policy advocates, former drug smugglers, and a retired DEA agent.

    Celebrities who will be interviewed include actor Peter Coyote, singer Jackson Browne, rap star Ice-T and rock star John Mellencamp

  • ABC puts viewers through ‘The Con Test’

    ABC puts viewers through ‘The Con Test’

    MUMBAI: The UK game show The Con Test is coming to the US in a production deal between FremantleMedia North America and ABC.
    The Con Test is a game show where one person could walk away with over one million dollars without ever having to answer a single question right.

    The Con Test is a game for those who have the wit, nerves and guile to bluff their way to an exorbitant amount of cash. Dont understand the questions? Fake it. Dont know the answers? Lie. All that matters is that the opponent thinks you do.
    Each episode wil be in a question-and-answer format, with the contestants unaware of how they are faring against their opponents. This allows those who are trailing to advantageously bluff their way to victory.

    ABC says that the show is a unique and fresh game show concept and sees this series as a fun outlet for viewers who want to sit back, be entertained and scream at the TV set as if the contestants can hear them.

    FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz says, “We’ve seen tremendous success with a variety of game shows that have come over from the UK to America. We believe that The Con Test has all the elements of a hit and are extremely enthusiastic about introducing it to the US audience.”

  • America crowns Taylor Hicks its 5th ‘Idol’; viewership hits 35.4 million

    America crowns Taylor Hicks its 5th ‘Idol’; viewership hits 35.4 million

    MUMBAI: Twenty-nine-year old Taylor Hicks from Alabama beat LA gal Katharine McPhee to be crowned the American Idol in the finale of the fifth season. A whopping 63.4 million votes were cast and America made its choice. According to host Ryan Seacrest, Hicks took the majority of the fan votes, though he did not reveal how close McPhee came.

    Taylor Hicks — The winner takes it all!

    Hicks now joins the likes of Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino, who have been previous season winners. However, the result of fifth season of American Idol doesn’t come as a surprise as Hicks had wooed TV audiences with his raw singing style and boisterous personality.

    Hicks foisted the ubiquitous catchphrase “Soul Patrol!” on an unsuspecting audience and turned it into a national movement. What Hicks has won is an RCA recording contract and his first single will be Do I Make You Proud.

    Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks on judgement day
    As for the network that airs the show in the US – Fox, the two weekly Idol episodes remain the top-rated shows in the US, raking in tens of millions of dollars for the network.

    The American Idol seasons have been a ratings goldmine for Fox. The show has continued to rate high even in its fifth season and has given the network the biggest hit in prime time, propelling the broadcaster to first place this season in the ratings race for viewers aged 18 to 49.

    ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ FINALE DRAWS 35.4 MN VIEWERS

    It was not only Taylor Hicks that emerged winner on American Idol’s fifth season finale. Fox, too emerged as a major winner in terms of the ratings it clocked. According to Nielsen Media Research, the finale of Fox’s two-hour American Idol special was a big hit among viewers, drawing an audience of 35.4 million people.

    Idol opened at 8 pm with 27.4 million viewers, climbing steadily to a peak of 42.9 million in its final half-hour as Hicks edged past Katharine McPhee to take the crown.

    This makes it the second most-watched Idol finale ever behind 2003’s competition, which was watched by 38.1 million viewers. Last year’s contest won by Carrie Underwood was seen by 30.3 million.

    In Canada, CTV said the American Idol season finale peaked at 5.2 million viewers when Hicks was announced as winner.

    The American Idol TV audience was only about two million viewers shy of the Oscars for being the most-watched television event of the year after the Super Bowl.

    What has also added to the popularity and interest levels in American Idol through the seasons is the incessant coverage by the print, internet and television media.

    Shows like Entertainment Tonight and Saturday Night Live give constant updates on every twist and turn on Idol. Dedicated websites and blogs have also kept the interest levels high. On the other hand, producers of the show claim that the success of season five came from the fact that they had a particularly good batch of talent.

    The finale of the fifth season had plenty of star power with the likes of Ben Stiller, Heather Locklear, Mary J. Blige and David Hasselhoff. What’s more, the Baywatch star got all teary eyed when Hicks was announced the winner. Prince too made a surprise appearance on the show and performed.

    After the winner was announced, runner-up McPhee was reportedly quoted as saying that she hadn’t expected to win and didn’t have any regrets.

    McPhee said she planned to take a week’s break before heading for the American Idol tour with Hicks and the other finalists.

  • Imaginasian TV acquires anime series ‘Hikarun No Go’ from Viz Media

    Imaginasian TV acquires anime series ‘Hikarun No Go’ from Viz Media

    MUMBAI: ImaginAsian TV, America’s 24-hour Asian American network, has acquired the hit anime series Shonen Jump’s Hikarun No Go from animation, publishing and licensing, company Viz Media, LLC.

    Based on the best-selling manga written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, Hikarun No Go is scheduled to premiere on iaTV on 2 May, 2006 at 8 pm.

    “With its unique storyline and fantastic animation, Hikarun No Go is possibly one of the most compelling anime ever produced,” said ImaginAsian TV SVP of production and programming David Chu . “We couldn’t be more excited about adding this series to our line-up.”

    In Japan, Hikarun No Go has enjoyed tremendous success as a manga and anime series since its debut in 1998 in the weekly Shonen Jump comic anthology magazine. Twenty-three volumes of the manga were published, and the creation of the 75-episode animated series later followed.

    The popularity of Hikarun No Go spurred a massive interest in the ancient strategy Go game among the youth in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. North America has also seen a similar resurgence in the game’s popularity since Viz Media began publishing the manga series in its monthly Shonen Jump magazine in 2004, states an official release.

    Hikarun No Go tells the story of Hikaru Shindo, a young student who stumbles across a dusty old Go board while exploring his grandfather’s attic. Trapped inside is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master that enters Hikaru’s consciousness, allowing him to communicate with the spirit. Sai, newly awakened, wishes for nothing more than to play Go again. Urged on by Sai, Hikaru reluctantly begins playing Go. As he begins to appreciate the complexities of the game, Hikaru makes it his quest to become the ultimate Go champion, the release adds.

    Both subtitled and dubbed airings of Hikarun No Go on ImaginAsian TV will also feature a live-action “How to Play Go” segment, originally aired on Japanese television.

  • The History Channel US looks at 10 days that changed America

    The History Channel US looks at 10 days that changed America

    MUMBAI: The History Channel in the US will present a special event, 10 Days That Uunexpectedly Changed America. This will air from next month.

    The series is comprised of 10 films, each created by a different documentary filmmaker or filmmaking team, spotlighting 10 historic events that triggered seismic shifts in America’s political, cultural or social landscape. Using a range of storytelling techniques including re-creations, animation, interviews, archival footage and historical artifacts, the series offers viewers a fresh perspective on well-known historical incidents while also shining a light on the impact of less frequently cited events.

    Antietam which has been directed by Michael Epstein (The Battle over Citizen Kane) and narrated by actor Jeffrey Wright (Syriana) focusses on the bloodiest battle in American history and its momentous military and political implications, including Lincoln’s issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

    Massacre at Mystic which took place on 26 May 1637 tells the story of the Pequot War, the first significant clash between the English and Native Americans.

    Einstein’s Letter is narrated by actor Campbell Scott The Secret lives Of Dentists. It explores the events that led to the great scientist and ardent pacifist’s decision to urge Franklin Roosevelt to develop an atomic bomb, a decision that propelled America into the nuclear age and which Einstein later came to regret.

    When America Was Rocked examines the cultural fallout of Elvis Presley’s groundbreaking appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Gold Rush which took place on 24 January 1848 looks its impact on the explosive development of California and America’s westward expansion.

  • Globecast delivers ESPN Classic to the UK via satellite

    Globecast delivers ESPN Classic to the UK via satellite

    MUMBAI: US sports broadcaster ESPN has struck a deal with GlobeCast, a global content management and delivery company, to deliver ESPN Classic, the company’s first UK-dedicated sports channel, to the Sky Digital platform.

    Launched this week using Globecast’s capacity on the Eurobird satellite, ESPN Classic is devoted entirely to the greatest moments and legends of sport with a mix of all-time classic highlights, matches, movies, interviews, profiles and documentaries.

    GlobeCast’s solution for ESPN includes connectivity from the broadcaster’s playout facility in West London to GlobeCast, where the feed is encoded, multiplexed then sent to GlobeCast’s Brookmans Park teleport for uplink to the Sky Digital platform using GlobeCast’s Eurobird capacity. ESPN Classic is available 24 hours a day on Sky’s EPG channel 442.

    GlobeCast has an established relationship with ESPN Classic, providing a content and delivery services for the channel’s existing French, Italian and European feeds via Astra at 19.2ºE, Hotbird at 13ºE and Sirius 2 4.8ºE respectively.

    Globecast is a subsidiary of France Telecom. It is a global content management and delivery company. Via its worldwide satellite and fibre network, the company manages and transports 10 million hours of video and other rich media yearly for its core customer base of broadcasters, as well as corporate, government and retail clients.

    Globecast is network agnostic and ingests once to deliver content to any network via multiple platforms, including direct-to-home satellite, cable, video-to-mobile, IPTV/video-over-ADSL, desktop broadband, and more. The company’s global presence includes 15 teleports and technical operations centres throughout Europe, America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.