MUMBAI: Back in 1989, Hollywood flick Look Who’s Talking made ‘baby talk’ fashionable. Two-and-a-half decades later, Disney UTV’s tent-pole channel, Disney, which is known for its differentiated content is taking it a step ahead.
Starting 2 March, the channel will premiere a one-of-its-kind talk show called Captain Tiao to be aired every Sunday at 10:00 am.
Nine-year-old Sadhil Kapoor, who won hearts with his turn in Devon Ke Dev Mahadev, will host the show as ‘Captain Tiao’. He will interact with celebrities from all walks of life, cornering them with funny, intriguing questions about their childhood fears, guilty secrets, favourite snacks et al. The Q&A will be followed by ‘Captain Tiao’ challenging the guests to perform entertaining tasks, beating him at the game.
Discussions are still underway but some of the celebrities who have confirmed their appearance on the show are Mahesh Bhupathi, Jaaved Jaffrey, Kapil Sharma and Navjot Singh Sidhu. Apparently, such celebrities have been selected who inspire children and whom, they can look up to, whether in sports, entertainment or politics.
Explaining the rationale behind the new show, Disney UTV Media networks content head Indrajit Ray says: “Disney Channel is always exploring different formats and content that kids as well as their families can enjoy together. It is important to keep a conversation going and surprise them with new shows that bring alive the Disney Channel promise of Express Yourself, Believe in Yourself and Follow your Dreams.”
On roping in Kapoor as ‘Captain Tiao’, he says: “What we also love about Sadhil is the fact that he is a natural – curious, energetic and uninhibited… a personification of what a child at that age should be. We sincerely believe that a child’s curiosity should not be curbed in any way and it is that environment that will eventually allow him/her to blossom and follow his/her dreams. Sadhil possesses these qualities and hence we thought it best to give him a platform to do just that.”
According to Ray, brands have responded well to the show. “Our partners, having worked with us, recognise this strength that Disney brings to the table and have collaborated with us in creating many successful partnerships,” he says.
Asked about the Sunday slot, he says: “At Disney Channel, we believe in creating shows that appeal to both kids and their families. We have historically seen Sunday mornings as a band where the entire family can come to enjoy shows on TV together as a unit.”
This isn’t the first time Disney has tried its hand at differentiated content; earlier too, it has aired shows such as Best of Luck Nikki, The Suite Life of Karan and Kabir, and Disney Q.
However, ‘Captain Tiao’ is not only being seen as continuing the tradition but also as an experiment in short-format shows in live action.
