ITV

Tag: Bigg Boss

  • Bigg Boss rides high on negative publicity

    Bigg Boss rides high on negative publicity

    MUMBAI: Not that Bigg Boss, or for that matter even the original format Big Brother, has ever been in news for good things, but the seventh season of the celebrity reality show seems to be riding high on negative publicity.  While in the earlier seasons, it was just the in-house fights, some of the most popular ones involving Dolly Bindra, Raja Chaudhary, Kamal R Khan, Pooja Misra etc, which made headlines, this time the happenings inside the house is also coming out and reaching the police station.

     

    The recent news is about a case against actor Ajaz Khan. Apparently, on 28 December, a case was filed against him for calling BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi a “chor”. The BJP political wing in North Mumbai lodged a police complaint against Ajaz and the show for apparent defamatory statement.

     

    The number of legal cases this season has just been on a rise. The first case was against Armaan Kohli filed by Sofia Hayat for sexual assault. The actor was taken to Lonavala police station from the Bigg Boss house but however he got and re-entered the house.

     

    If that wasn’t enough, another case was filed in Hyderabad against the host Salman Khan and the producers of the show for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments. According to the complainant, certain expressions used by the actor for describing elimination and promotion of participants were offensive.

     

    Surprisingly, there was not much use of abusive language in this season of the show. However, other factors like celebrity tantrums, physical proximity among contestants all have kept the show in the spotlight since the beginning. From Kushal Tandon jumping off the wall and contestants flouting the rules of the house to two contestants getting intimate in the house, everything has kept the show in the limelight.

     

    Recently, there was also a strong buzz that actor and producer Sachiin Joshi was also going to take strong legal action against Kushal Tandon. The actor was in the show to promote his film Jackpot and was called ‘dedh footiya’ by the TV actor.

     

    With only two days to go for the show’s finale, one can only hope that the season ends without anymore controversies.

  • TV’s Diwali Dhamaka

    TV’s Diwali Dhamaka

    This Diwali, there’s enough and more to keep audiences entertained, with television channels set for a firecracker of a weekend.

    At Star TV, the celebrations started on 27 October and will reach a crescendo on 3 November; kicking off with a repeat of Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning film Life of Pi at 1pm, followed by a repeat of Star Diwali at 5pm, and Indian Television Awards 2013 from 9pm.

    Not to be left behind, Zee TV will telecast Diwali Dhamaka on 2 November, 7pm onward.

    The highlights of the show include: the Ram Leela act presented by child participants – Praneet, Zenith, Chinamay, Nihar, Aditya, Tejaswini and Honey – of the reality show India’s best Dramebaaz and DID Lil Masters – Jeet, Om, Shreya, Shalini and Rohan performing on numbers like Lungi Dance from Chennai Express, among others.

    Says ZEEL content head (Hindi GECs) Ajay Bhalwankar: “This year, we will wish our viewers a happy, healthy, prosperous and successful Diwali and New Year with Diwali Dhamaka. It aims to get every member in the family to have a smile on their face with its amazing and diverse line-up of acts. It’s a fitting celebration on the occasion of Diwali with all actors from Zee TV shows presenting performances to give an all new fresh dose of entertainment as the New Year is brought in.”

    Colors will run Diwali tracks across its shows including Balika Vadhu, Sanskaar, Comedy Nights with Kapil and Bigg Boss with actors wishing viewers a happy Diwali.

    Sab TV will telecast SAB Ka Diwali Mela – Andekha, Adbhut, Albela on 1 November, 9 pm onward.  

    The fun show will feature everyone, from the residents of Lapataganj to the courageous cops of Iman Chowki, from Gokuldham Society wasis to Chidiya Ghar’s humble Narayan family.

    Says Sab EVP & business head Anooj Kapoor: “We have always endeavoured to provide entertaining and engaging content to our viewers. This year, our two big initiatives SAB Ki Holi and SAB Ke Anokhe Awards garnered an overwhelming response resulting in high viewership. Continuing with our brand promise, Asli Maaza SAB Ke Saath Aata Hai, we are confident that SAB Ka Diwali Mela will offer our viewers an extravagant celebration that they can enjoy with their families.”

    If you thought GECs were the only ones in the fray, think again.

    Movie channels like MAX have changed their colour palette from 25 October, to be on-air till 9 November.

    1 November will see MAX’s Pataka Weekend with the telecast of Talaash (morning), Bajate Raho (afternoon), Yamla Pagla Deewana (evening) and Robot (prime time).

    2 November will see Bajate Raho (morning), Chak De India (afternoon), Mohabbatein (evening) and Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbaai Dobara (prime time).
    It’s a full plate on 3 November as well with Aashiqui 2 (morning), Rowdy Rathod (afternoon), Band Baaja Baraat (evening) and Dhoom 2 (prime time). 

    MAX aside, Zee Cinema will host the world television premiere of Phata Poster Nikhla Hero at 9 pm on 2 November while UTV Movies will telecast newbies like Race 2, ABCD, Himmatwala and Khiladi 786 while revisiting classics like Sarfarosh, Swarg, Aankhen and more.

    Coming to English movie channels: Movies Now will have blockbuster-packed days, starting 11am, 3 November. Some of the titles include Karate Kid, X-men Last Stand, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Unknown.

    Zee Studio is ready for its Diwali best with hits like Real Steel, I am number four, Pearl Harbour, Goal II, Pirates of the Caribbean– on Stranger Tides among others.

    From 1-3 November, ‘Studio Dynamites’ will bring action flicks 8 pm onward whereas Diwali day will see ‘Studio Binge’ – a marathon 8 am to 8pm day with five great movies back to back.

    On the digital front, Zee Studio plans to bring its #StudioDynamite campaign, where viewers have to watch out for explosions on their TV screens during the film, decode the message and tweet the correct answer with #StudioDynamite to win prizes.
    If GECs and movie channels are prepping to celebrate the festival of lights, kids’ channels aren’t far behind.

    Hungama TV’s Dusshera to Diwali special started on 14 October and will be on-air till 2 November, with movies including Shinchan Bungle in the Jungle, Luv Kushh and the Ghost Army, P5 – Pandaavas, Impy’s Wonderland and The Incredibles among others.

    Disney meanwhile will have a special episode of Best of Luck Nikki season 3 with the Singh Family on 3 November.

    POGO’s Diwali treat includes movies like Chhota Bheem Aur Ganesh In The Amazing Odyssey!, Kaalia Ke Chele Special, Gol Mol Gongol, Chhota Bheem Dholakpur To Khatmandu, Chatur Chetan and Hanuman & Friends Special every day from 28 October to 3 November at 12 pm.

    Says Turner International India senior director & network head Krishna Desai: “Chhota Bheem and the Shinobi Secret is a brand new special to air on POGO from 3 November at 12pm. This is not it; the channel makes this season absolutely spectacular by giving kids the chance to win amazing prizes by participating in Zabardasti Diwali Contest every day, 10am onward. The prizes include Digi-cams & smart phones.”

    On Cartoon Network, children can watch movies like Kid Krrish, Tom and Jerry in the Wizard of Oz, Oggy ki Olly and Krish Trish Baltiboy: The Battle of Wits, etc every day from 28 October to 3 November at 12pm.

    Adds Desai: “Oggy: I Love India is a brand new special that will premiere on 1 November at 12pm.”

    The Nickelodeon cluster (Nick, Nick Jr./Teen Nick and Sonic) too has a dhamakedar treat lined up for kids, promising a crackling yet safe Diwali.
    Nick will run new episodes of its shows Motu Patlu and Pakdam Pakdai apart from calling Diwali ‘Nickwali’ and bringing its popular Nicktoons together to sing Diwali jingles titled ‘Diwali Fungoli’.

    Like they say, music is the food of life, so play on… music channels too have jumped onto the Diwali bandwagon in a big way.

    9XM has launched a special video based on the concept of ‘light writing’, displaying trails of light in different forms, with a message to boot: ‘This Diwali Light it Up!’

    This apart, one of its animated characters Bheegi Billi will be seen in a new avatar called Billi Don while Bade Chote will open  their special Kaun Karega Bakwaas Season 3.

    Coming to Bollywood gossip channels like Zoom, it is ready with a string of new and exciting shows.

    A bevy of Bollywood stars including Sonakshi Sinha, Shahid Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Imraan Khan, Chitrangada Singh and Vivek Oberoi will grace the Zoom show, Planet Bollywood News, with episodes aired between 1-3 November at 7pm.

    Diwali eve will see the launch of a new show called 100 Crore Club at 8 pm. Starting 1 November, watch out for Zoom’s on-air lead contest called – ‘Watch More. Talk More’ powered by Freecharge. There are mobile free charges worth Rs 1.5 lakh to be won by viewers.

    UTV Stars will telecast special interviews with stars including Aditi Rao Hydari, Prateik Babbar, Tusshar Kapoor, Amrita Rao, Vivek Oberoi, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Imran Khan, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone.
    On AXN, audiences can catch the all new series of Sherlock, Chosen and So you think you can dance season 10.

    With TV channels all set, the question remains are you ready for the bombarding of programmes.

  • Colors gets notice for Bigg Boss 7

    Colors gets notice for Bigg Boss 7

    MUMBAI: The popular reality show Bigg Boss, now in its seventh season, has landed into trouble, weeks after its launch. A show cause notice has been served by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding the content that has been aired on the channel Colors saying that it was not appropriate for unrestricted public exhibition.

     

    The objections raised are on episodes where concern was raised regarding the language used by some contestants as well as the scene where participants are seated in a chair and given electric shocks. The source told PTI that these scenes violate the programming code under the cable TV act.

     

    The channel, Colors, has been asked to explain itself. Bigg Boss is currently one of Colors’ flagship shows and it claims to have molded it to suit a family audience. Previously also the channel has got into trouble due to Bigg Boss’ content.

     

    Bigg Boss is created by Endemol for the channel Colors, an adaptation of the popular international reality show Big Brother. In its seventh season, this year the show is themed around ‘Heaven and Hell’ where participants are in two houses – one themed around heaven and the other themed around hell.

  • Marathi TV: The BTL surge

    Marathi TV: The BTL surge

    MUMBAI: While shows such as Bigg Boss and Dance India Dance are capable of drawing eyeballs on their own steam, they owe their popularity, at least in part, to extensive marketing and promotion undertaken by the Hindi GECs in question.

    Contrastingly, the Marathi GEC space is not too well known for going aggro on advertising, however, there’s one element of the marketing mix which even these channels resort to frequently in order to connect with its audiences.

    Viacom 18 EVP and ETV Marathi business head Anuj Poddar says, “On-ground activities integrate elements of emotion, logic, and general thought processes to connect with the consumer. The goal is to establish the connection in such a way that the consumer responds to the show offering at both an emotional and rational response level.”

    Poddar gives the example of Kon Hoyil Marathi Crorepati(KHMC), ETV Marathi’s flagship programme, which garnered high views. He says a KHMC van with a ‘hot seat’ travelled to 90 markets in the state, with people getting an opportunity to experience the thrill of being in the coveted seat answering questions.

    On the other hand, Zee Marathi, which leads the genre, has on-ground activities weaved into its shows such as Home Minister, which is entering its tenth year and involves meeting women in their homes on a regular basis; Aamhi Saare Khavaiyye and Madhali Sutti to name a few. During rainy season events are conducted indoors while during other times they are outdoor.

    Zee Marathi claims to have touched all of Maharashtra’s prime markets, whereas ETV is looking to expand its on-ground activities, mainly in towns and villages. Both the channels undertake these activities on its own. Zee Marathi says the local part is taken care of by local agencies such as booking places.

    Most of the times, the cast also accompanies in such activities for which they are also paid. “The casts of the shows are a major crowd puller and play an important role in driving audience for any on-ground activity,” says Poddar.

    “Our audiences don’t sit in Mumbai and Pune and so, our on-ground activities are targeted at other towns,” points out Poddar, adding that the channel is currently into on-ground operations for its upcoming dance show, Mhanjech Assal Dancer (MAD).

    “On-ground activities, especially experiential marketing, will play a pivotal role in all marketing campaigns as we move from mere product attribute communication to focusing on delivering experiences that develop relationships and bonds that enable brands to grow over time,” he adds.

    It turns out ETV devotes 10 per cent of its entire marketing budget to on-ground.  Zee Marathi refused to comment on how much it spends on below the line activation. Sources however peg total on-ground expenditure at around Rs 3-5 crore per annum. Again, the expenditure may vary depending on the scale of the show.

    Zee Marathi business head Deepak Rajadhyaksha is of the opinion that the impact of on-ground activities is almost always visible. “We get to understand what people like and don’t like as well as the impact of the channel. Viewers give us a clear picture.” All marketing activation of the channel is done under the brand name Utsav Natyancha, involving games, acts and prizes along with discussions. Utsav Natyancha’has travelled to more than 11 towns across the state, claims Rajadhyaksha. He discloses that the channel resorts to close to 15-20 BTL initiatives each year. ETV Marathi says that it selects locations on the basis of viewership contribution as well as market classification.
    People participating in the KHMC activity, organized by ETV Marathi

    Madison COO Karthik Lakshminarayan says that more than the Marathi channels Hindi TV channels normally go into a greater overdrive on this front and hence get a lot more visibility amongst lay consumers.  “Such activities create a lot of buzz for the TV channel and show,” is Poddar’s stated view.

    So what happens once an event is done? “We conduct a survey by distributing forms to people asking them about the show,” says Rajadhyaksha. During the course of the event, games are conducted in which contestants are asked questions pertaining to the channel’s shows after which winners get prizes. All contact details of the people is piled into a database and they are informed and invited the next time Zee Marathi does an event.

    Same goes for ETV Marathi. Feedback from an event is used in the next event they undertake. Regular mailers, SMS updates, Facebook uploads and Twitter tags are used to build curiosity among the viewers.

    “What such kind of marketing does for the channel is that it gives it an opportunity to tailor messages in a personal manner. It also gives marketers valuable insights into their ROIs,” says Poddar.  So while print, TV and radio form the main chunk, channels seem to be waking up to the possibilities offered by on-ground as a critical component of reaching out to consumers. Marathi TV appears to be on the road to getting the fourth ‘P’ of its marketing mix right.

  • Well begun isn’t half done

    Well begun isn’t half done

    MUMBAI: Television channels may continue to bet big on newer and more interesting formats but how well (or otherwise) these programmes fare, at least in the long run, is something that ultimately depends on the audience.

    A case in point is the big fight between Star Plus’ Mahabharat and Colors’ Bigg Boss Season Seven. Battle lines were drawn between the rival channels as they had geared up for the launch of two of their biggest properties.

    Promotions (on-air, print OOH and on-ground) went on for months. Colors left no stone unturned, with the heaven Vs hell theme and all the suspense built around who would be the inmates of the Bigg Boss house this year. Star Plus too pulled out all stops, promising viewers the mythological battle between good and evil in a contemporary avatar.

    While both the channels were hoping to up their ante with these big-ticket shows, the results are now out for everyone to see.

    As per the TAM ratings, Mahabharat got off to an epic start with 8445 TVTs whereas Bigg Boss lagged behind a bit with 7711 TVTs on the day of its premiere.

    Subsequently, Mahabharat, aired from Monday to Friday, garnering 6356 TVTs and the daily Bigg Boss getting 5080 TVTs. So while media planners agree that both shows have done well, going by its opening ratings, there’s really no consensus as to its performance going forward.

    The big question facing the channels is whether its shows will be able to sustain ratings and do justice to the kind of moolah that has been spent on them. Opines Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan: “Mahabharat is a very strong story and since, we know there are a finite number of episodes, the show won’t be dragged. Hence, I believe that it will continue to do well in the coming weeks as well. But for Bigg Boss to sustain ratings, it will depend a lot on the controversies it gets into.”

    By contrast, a Delhi-based media planner feels that while Mahabharat started with a boom, it won’t be able to match up with the gossip and entertainment provided by Bigg Boss. He points out: “A lot of people want to see what is so different in the current shows but however sometimes get disappointed with the execution. I can only hope that the disappointment doesn’t turn into a blind eye for both the shows.”

    Another media planner adds that garnering great TVTs in the opening episodes is nothing new. “Most shows, especially reality shows, are able to generate enough enthusiasm among viewers. The real test is about holding their attention.”

    All we can say is while we can’t predict the future, for now, both shows have gotten off to a great start…

  • Star Plus and Sony gain big in TAM week 38

    Star Plus and Sony gain big in TAM week 38

    MUMBAI: The war for ‘the best among the rest’ continues even as the top three positions see no change in week 38 of TAM TV ratings. The week has worked wonders for Star Plus and Colors with its high properties Mahabharat and Bigg Boss seven respectively hitting the TV screens.

    Star Plus is the highest gainer this week with 534,590 GVTs (477,029), holding the number one slot. Well! the reason is quite clear, Mahabharat opened up with commendable 8,445 TVTs taking it way ahead of competition.

    Talking about Mahabharat’s grand opening, Star Plus, senior vice-president, marketing, Nikhil Madhok exults: “We are extremely happy with the grand welcome it has received. There is very encouraging positive feedback pouring in from all quarters. We are now looking at building further from here on.”

    On the other hand, Bigg Boss seven too saw a healthy start scoring 7,711 TVTs on the grand premier that was held on 15 September, taking Colors score to 479,892 GVTs (463,869).

    Sony Entertainment Television was the next highest gainer this week with 327,089 GVTs (292,852), occupying the number four position.

    Zee TV too saw a rise this week and holds its number three spot with 413,707 GVTs (398,993). Life OK, the sister channel of Star Plus is at number five position with 313,138 GVTs (322,364). Sab takes a back seat at number six with 289,471 GVTs (312,053). Sahara One continues to be at the bottom scoring 26,495 GVTs (28,749).

    All Star Plus’ shows witnessed a rise in the ratings this week. Its popular show Diya aur Baati Hum saw a massive rise in its ratings and rated 9,819 TVTs (8,803). Another prime time show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai scored 6,587 TVTs (6,144). Pyar Ka Dard Hai reported 7,342 TVTs (6,930) and Saathiya registered 6,456 TVTs (6,002). New epic series Mahabharat witnessed a good week with 6,356 TVTs.

    Second placed, Color’s much hyped reality show Bigg Boss seven witnessed 5,080 TVTs this week. Long running fiction series Balika Vadhu saw a marginal rise and rated 6,551 TVTs (6,278), Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon scored 4,990 (4442) and Uttaran reported 4,140 TVTs (4,154). Comedy Nights with Kapil garnered 7,244 TVTs (7,215).

    Zee TV’s fictional offering Qubool Hai saw a hike recording 6,340 TVTs (5,956). Pavitra Rishta generated 4,733 TVTs (4,280). Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke notched up and scored 5,035 TVTs (4,643). The channel’s historical show Jodha Akbar seems to attract audiences by its interesting track taking its tally to 8,025 TVTs (6,981). Drama series Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se registered 4,612 TVTs (5,047). Its new offering Buddha took its tally to 1,537 TVTs (1,450).

    Fourth placed, Sony’s long running crime series CID witnessed a drop recording 5,070 TVTs (5,391) and Crime Petrol saw a high rise and rated 6,415 TVTs (3,739). The channel’s historical show Maharana Pratap generated 3,266 TVTs (3,151). KBC notched up taking its score to 6,134 TVTs (5,925). Comedy Circus garnered 3,092 TVTs (3,409). Other fiction shows either held on to their viewership or dipped marginally during the week.

    Fifth placed, Life OK’s top series Mahadev has propped up this week as it scored 3,588 TVTs (2,585). Do Dil Ek Jaan stood at 1,801 TVTs (1,666), Savdhan India rated 2,300 TVTs (2,734), whereas Shapath generated 3,988 TVTs (3,410).

    Sixth placed, Sab’s fiction show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to be the channel leader with 7,276 TVTs (6,816). Chidiya Ghar saw a downfall as it rated 3,045 TVTs (3,430). Lapataganj reported 2,066 TVTs (2,347). Baalveer registered 2,605 TVTs (2,057). Other fictional shows witnessed marginal rise and fall as well.

    In the movie channel genre, Zee Cinema reported 187,397 GVTs (191,359); Star Gold witnessed a slight fall to 177,380 GVTs (182,350) and Movies OK rated 96,047 GVTs (100,401). On the other hand, new entrant &pictures garnered 67,480 GVTs (67,774). Max saw a healthy rise when it scored 210,021 GVTs (192,416).

    Well, it seems the GECs are having a roller coaster ride. Let’s see what’s in store for the channels in the coming weeks.

  • When Arnab vanished, almost

    When Arnab vanished, almost

    What happens when the nation’s most vociferous, most articulate news show anchor goes missing? Well, the nation goes into overdrive, demanding to know the whereabouts of the host it has come to love, or hate, as the case may be.

     

    We’re talking about Arnab Goswami, Times Now Editor-in-Chief and presenter of The Newshour, one of the most widely-watched and debated shows on the channel. Goswami’s disappearing act last week, though brief, was enough to set off a cacophony of telephones ringing at the Times Now office. And much like Arnab’s familiar rant on the show ‘The Nation wants to know’, viewers wanted to know where in God’s name was Arnab?

     

    Unable to deal with so many telephone calls, The Newshour even put out a tweet saying: “Our viewers have been asking about Arnab. To them, we would like to say that he will be back on Monday at 9pm on show again”. However, the calls continued unabated. A Times Now employee described the number of calls and emails inquiring whether Arnab had taken ill as ‘astonishing’ and that “Only celebrities get such calls, don’t they?”

     

    ________________________________________________________________________

    Forget the cold vibes between BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and the party’s tallest leader LK Advani, it was Arnab who was the topic on social media.
    _____****________________________________________________________________

    The twitterati took to their favourite website with a vengeance, sending out both love and hate tweets for the man who loves to play devil’s advocate on The Newshour. Some went on to draw parallels between Arnab’s absence from The Newshour with that of say a Salman Khan from Bigg Boss or Amitabh Bachchan from KBC. Others made unfavourable comparisons with other news anchors in tweets like: “Barkha Dutt to undergo a face implant to look like Arnab Goswami to boost NDTV TRPs” and even derided tongue-tied panellists as: “Panellists on The Newshour speechless as they’re used to speaking for just 10 seconds with Arnab around…”.

     

    Still others heaved a sigh of relief as “they could finally turn up the volume of their television sets rather than turn down.” Forget the cold vibes between BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and the party’s tallest leader LK Advani, it was Arnab who was the topic on social media. So with such an iconic presence missing, did the channel lose out on TRPs or did other news channels make most of the opportunity. Only next week will tell… that is when the TAM ratings are out…

     

    The collective impact of regulation and the creeping tyranny of the minority have stifled innovation in our industry and, dare I say, in the economy as whole. At 15 per cent, we may grow at thrice the rate of the GDP but that is more a reflection of our topline economic growth than the health of our industry. At this rate, it will take us another 15 years to hit $100 billion in value and by then, we will be just three per cent of the world media market. This is just unacceptable.

     

    Till then, both those who love and hate Arnab can sit back and watch his shenanigans as he returns today same time same show on your favourite news channel…

  • Bigg Boss Seven plays with hell and heaven

    Bigg Boss Seven plays with hell and heaven

    MUMBAI: Each year they try to take it up a notch, and it’s not getting any easier. But Bigg Boss never fails to surprise and entertain TV viewers and Hindi GEC Colors believes that this year as well, the seventh season, will ring well with TV audiences.

    And it introduced it to the media on 11 September evening with a high profile launch with oodles of glam themed around a mix of heaven and hell, which is the signature for the year. And of course with the announcement that long time loyal backer Vodafone has signed on as the presenting sponsor for the fifth year.

    Admits Vodafone chief commercial officer Vikas Mathur: “The program has huge followers and it gives us good impact and reach making it valuable for Vodafone.”
    Deepak Dhar, Vivek Mathur, Salman Khan and Raj Nayak at the launch of Bigg Boss Saath Saat.

    With the set in Lonavala once again, 80 to 90 cameras have been rigged to give audiences a peep into the lives of the 14 contestants who will this time face ‘jannat’ and ‘jahannum’ as part of the deal.

    The show produced by Endemol takes up a good 300 days annually to be put together by a dedicated bunch of 150-170 professionals right from creatives to the casting and technical crews.

    Like in the case of most international formats, the creative folks at Endemol India (the producer of the show) and Colors rely heavily on the Big Brother bible to add elements which have worked elsewhere where the show is telecast globally. The ‘Global Creative Team’ is also constantly working at coming up with new and different ideas. This team meets up twice in a year to look at the progress and variety in Big Brother across the globe.

    “We are constantly looking at what are the best elements and we add to it as well as adapt,” says Endemol MD Deepak Dhar.

    Once the conceptualization has been done, the art director and set designer moves the ship forward to create the set which takes up about four months in all. “It’s less of a set and more of a house because people have to live in it,” adds Dhar.

    Today, Bigg Boss has moved beyond being produced for Hindi audiences; language editions in Kannada and Bengali have also aired on television, the credit for which Dhar attributes to Colors CEO Raj Nayak.

    “We are slowly paving our way into the regional markets of India as well,” reveals Dhar.

    The show has already started making a buzz in the digital sphere with the Facebook and Twitter engagement activities in the form of heaven and hell anecdotes.

    “The fact that there is so much of expectation from Bigg Boss puts a lot of pressure on the digital team because we need to ensure it matches to it,” admits Colors digital head Vivek Srivastava.

    The most important and integral part is prior to the launch when the curiosity needs to be built without giving away names or details about the show. “It gets easier once it has launched but then the workload is more as well,” adds Srivastava. The current idea is using cartoons to get across the dual nature of the show to the viewers.

    The marketing mix seems to be the usual 360 degree campaign involving a lot of focus on TV, on both, Network18 group channels and other channels. “We believe we can reach many viewers through TV,” says Colors marketing head Rajesh Iyer.

    Salman Khan has been the host for four seasons of the show and this is his fifth stint. He gleefully says that he will continue with Bigg Boss till the time Colors gets tired of him. Not much has been revealed about this season although rumors are floating aplenty.

    “The beauty of this show is the surprise and suspense,” says Nayak.

    The launch date has been fixed for 15 September at 9 pm. And as Bollywood’s biggest Salman says audiences will definitely tune in. Says the man: “Why should you watch my shows or movies? Because I’m in them!”

    The coming weeks will reveal whether they are falling for his lines!

  • Bigg Boss Seven plays with hell and heaven

    Bigg Boss Seven plays with hell and heaven

    MUMBAI: Each year they try to take it up a notch, and it’s not getting any easier. But Bigg Boss never fails to surprise and entertain TV viewers and Hindi GEC Colors believes that this year as well, the seventh season, will ring well with TV audiences.

    Deepak Dhar, Vivek Mathur, Salman Khan and Raj Nayak at the launch of Bigg Boss Saath Saat.

    And it introduced it to the media on 11 September evening with a high profile launch with oodles of glam themed around a mix of heaven and hell, which is the signature for the year. And of course with the announcement that long time loyal backer Vodafone has signed on as the presenting sponsor for the fifth year.

    Admits Vodafone representative Vikas Mathur: “The program has huge followers and it gives us good impact and reach making it valuable for Vodafone.”

    With the set in Lonavala once again, 80 to 90 cameras have been rigged to give audiences a peep into the lives of the 14 contestants who will this time face ‘jannat’ and ‘jahannum’ as part of the deal.

    The show produced by Endemol takes up a good 300 days annually to be put together by a dedicated bunch of 150-170 professionals right from creatives to the casting and technical crews.

    Like in the case of most international formats, the creative folks at Endemol India (the producer of the show) and Colors rely heavily on the Big Brother bible to add elements which have worked elsewhere where the show is telecast globally. The ‘Global Creative Team’ is also constantly working at coming up with new and different ideas. This team meets up twice in a year to look at the progress and variety in Big Brother across the globe.

    “We are constantly looking at what are the best elements and we add to it as well as adapt,” says Endemol MD Deepak Dhar.

    Once the conceptualization has been done, the art director and set designer moves the ship forward to create the set which takes up about four months in all. “It’s less of a set and more of a house because people have to live in it,” adds Dhar.

    Today, Bigg Boss has moved beyond being produced for Hindi audiences; language editions in Kannada and Bengali have also aired on television, the credit for which Dhar attributes to Colors CEO Raj Nayak.

    “We are slowly paving our way into the regional markets of India as well,” reveals Dhar.

    The show has already started making a buzz in the digital sphere with the Facebook and Twitter engagement activities in the form of heaven and hell anecdotes.

    “The fact that there is so much of expectation from Bigg Boss puts a lot of pressure on the digital team because we need to ensure it matches to it,” admits Colors digital head Vivek Srivastava.

    The most important and integral part is prior to the launch when the curiosity needs to be built without giving away names or details about the show. “It gets easier once it has launched but then the workload is more as well,” adds Srivastava. The current idea is using cartoons to get across the dual nature of the show to the viewers.

    The marketing mix seems to be the usual 360 degree campaign involving a lot of focus on TV, on both, Network18 group channels and other channels. “We believe we can reach many viewers through TV,” says Colors marketing head Rajesh Iyer.

    Salman Khan has been the host for four seasons of the show and this is his fifth stint. He gleefully says that he will continue with Bigg Boss till the time Colors gets tired of him. Not much has been revealed about this season although rumors are floating aplenty.

    “The beauty of this show is the surprise and suspense,” says Nayak.

    The launch date has been fixed for 15 September at 9 pm. And as Bollywood’s biggest Salman says audiences will definitely tune in. Says the man: “Why should you watch my shows or movies? Because I’m in them!”

    The coming weeks will reveal whether they are falling for his lines!

  • The seven season itch

    T he daggers are drawn and the battle field is set for what promises to be one of the most closely watched fights in recent television history.

    We’re talking about the ensuing tussle between two of the small screen’s hottest properties: Sony Entertainment’s Kaun Banega Crorepati season seven vs. Colors’ Bigg Boss season seven.   

    While there really are no guesstimates as to which among these two shows will succeed in grabbing more eyeballs (… and TVTs), both Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are more than ready for the kill.  

    Sony is betting big on the seventh season of KBC which comes to drawing rooms beginning 6 September, in a new and improved avatar. Not to be outdone, Colors is kick-starting Bigg Boss season seven – The ‘Wow’ and the ‘Aow’ barely nine days later i.e. 15 September.

    We identify our strengths and weaknesses, and then see how we can complement our strengths with new shows, says confident Raj Nayak

    Rechristened Saptakoti Mahadhani… Kaun Banega Mahacrorepati, KBC will be aired every Friday to Sunday at 8:30 pm. whereas Bigg Boss season seven will be telecast Monday to Sunday at 9:00 pm.

    So what is the USP of this particular season, which the GECs are banking on?

    KBC aims to create a platform of opportunities for Indians across ages, genders and socio-economic groups, and has had a makeover in terms of its format and prize money, which is now a whopping Rs 7 crore, among others.

    Bigg Boss, on the other hand, arrives with a novel theme of heaven vs hell – The ‘Wow’ associated with the former and the ‘Aow’ with the latter.

    A quick look at what’s new in both the shows:

    KBC’s money tree will now comprise 15 questions and it will boast a brand new lifeline called ‘Power Paplu’ to aid those who seek to revive an already used lifeline. ‘Flip the question’ (Alat Palat) will replace ‘Ask the expert’ while ‘50:50’ will replace ‘Double Dip’.

    In the entire game play, a hot seat contestant may now use only four of the five lifelines on offer.

    A new feature ‘Play along’ has been introduced for the Fastest Finger First contestants who do not make it to the hot seat.

    Well, competition is a reality. Within the very aggressive, competitive market, you have to differentiate the niche, says N.P Singh

    Using ‘Play along’, they can play with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time gets to win one lakh rupees at the end of the episode.

    Additionally, the time limit for the ‘Phone a friend’ lifeline has been increased from 30 to 45 seconds. What’s more, audiences can win by playing the Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot.

    In contrast, Bigg Boss promises to be a roller-coaster ride for audiences, what with the heaven vs hell theme.

    Of the 14 contestants, seven will be new names residing in a separate heaven themed house while the remaining seven will be old members, staying under one roof in another hell themed house, who’ve already been members of the Bigg Boss house during the last six seasons. The contestants from both the houses would be pitched against eachother in a series of tasks.

    Among the newbies entering the Bigg Boss house are Shekhar Suman, Vatsal Seth, Suraj Pancholi, Kushal Tandon, Pratyusha Banerjee and Sonarika Bhadoria. The seventh newcomer is still to be identified.

    Blast from the past: Hellcat Pooja Mishra is among the old members who will continue to occupy the house. Other members are still not confirmed.

    There will be some amount of competition and fragmentation between the two shows, says Deepak Netram

    Apart from programming frills, the channels themselves seem super confident about their respective properties. Moreso considering Bigg Boss has had a successful run last season with an opening of 4.0 TVR (television viewership ratings); ditto for KBC’s last season which opened with 6.1 TVR.

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak says the channel is very clear and conscious in its strategy to be a complete household entertainment channel. “Today if you do a FPC (Fixed Point Chart) check across all channels, you will see Colors has the maximum variety. While strategy is one part, everything we do involves risks. But when I say risks, we take calculated risks. We identify our strengths and weaknesses, and then see how we can complement our strengths with new shows. If we succeed, they become better. If not, we keep trying,” he exults.

    Asked if Sony has any particular strategy to beat the competition, SET chief operating officer N.P Singh says, “Well, competition is a reality. Within the very aggressive, competitive market, you have to differentiate the niche. Sony in its last 17 years has always run shows which are different from the rest and that has set us apart and we continue to follow that strategy.”

    Since it is the seventh season, both shows have a great following and it will be very hard to choose one, says Ashish Bhasin

    While Lodestar UM vice president Deepak Netram agrees there will be some amount of competition and fragmentation between the two shows, he is quick to point out that they cannot be compared. “They are unique in their own way. From the past what we have seen is KBC ratings have been there year on year. So we hope to maintain that. Bigg Boss on the other hand is looking bigger; the promotions are really huge and have happened way in advance. So it will be interesting to see how this pans out,” he observes.

    Aegis Group plc chairman India and CEO southeast Asia Ashish Bhasin echoes Netram’s sentiments saying it will be a tough call between two very established properties. “Since it is the seventh season, both shows have a great following and it will be very hard to choose one. What viewers always believe in is content. If the content is of the viewers’ interest, people will definitely opt for that. The main competition will be when something else comes at that time – say a big movie is being launched by another channel or any big news event – which show loses out in that instance is going to be more interesting to watch,” he opines.

    peaking from the point of view of advertisers, Bhasin says this particular slot is becoming increasingly attractive to them as it is also the hub of reality shows. “Advertisers will go where the eyeballs are and choose the most cost-effective way to get them. That’s how pricing will be done. And that can vary depending upon what the market rates are for that channel around that point of time. I don’t think finding advertisers for any of these shows will be an issue,” he says.

    On his part, Nayak maintains Colors’ non-fiction shows generate more traction from advertisers than its fictional shows and Bigg Boss gets some of the biggest brands. However, he adds that it works as a loss leader and the channel has been investing in it because it is a cult show. This apart, it generates a lot of buzz. Estimates are that it is in the region of Rs 15-20 crore.

    Most advertisers across categories agree that since both KBC and Bigg Boss are big properties and have local audiences across age groups, they cannot afford to ignore any one of them.

    “Who would not want to take advantage of these shows to reach out to their target group? People are waiting for the shows to start and with festivals coming up; no one would be a fool to favour one over the other. Maximum eyeballs give us maximum reach,” says an advertiser who didn’t wish to be named.

    As things stand, both the shows have gone viral on various digital platforms. Bigg Boss seven’s official Facebook page boasts around 1.8 million likes and more than 30,000 people talking about it. KBC Seven is not far behind with 1.6 million likes. Both are popular on Facebook but don’t seem to be trending that much on twitter.

    Whether Big B’s charisma will work or Salman Khan’s swagger, only time will tell…