ITV

Tag: Empire

  • FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    MUMBAI: FX HD, India’s exclusive high definition destination for edgy and fast paced shows is the one stop shop for some of the best dramas, thrillers and comical shows.

    The channel that was recently launched in September of 2015 was earlier exclusively available to Tata Sky customers. From 31 January onwards, the channel is now also available on Airtel DTH.

    The expansion of FX HD’s audience base perfectly coincides with the launch of some popular audience favorite shows like Mad Men, House M.D., Scare Tactics among others on the channel. Moreover, the channel is also home to some of the most famous, award-winning shows of global television such as Empire, American Horror Story series, The Affair, Doctor Who and Louie.

    The channel will also soon be premiering Wayward Pines and Minority Report.

    FX HD went LIVE on 31, January 2016 across the Airtel DTH platform and is available on channel no. 153.

  • FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    MUMBAI: FX HD, India’s exclusive high definition destination for edgy and fast paced shows is the one stop shop for some of the best dramas, thrillers and comical shows.

    The channel that was recently launched in September of 2015 was earlier exclusively available to Tata Sky customers. From 31 January onwards, the channel is now also available on Airtel DTH.

    The expansion of FX HD’s audience base perfectly coincides with the launch of some popular audience favorite shows like Mad Men, House M.D., Scare Tactics among others on the channel. Moreover, the channel is also home to some of the most famous, award-winning shows of global television such as Empire, American Horror Story series, The Affair, Doctor Who and Louie.

    The channel will also soon be premiering Wayward Pines and Minority Report.

    FX HD went LIVE on 31, January 2016 across the Airtel DTH platform and is available on channel no. 153.

  • Colors Infinity steals the show at the 73 Golden Globe Awards with four big wins

    Colors Infinity steals the show at the 73 Golden Globe Awards with four big wins

    MUMBAI: Colors Infinity wins big at the 73 Annual Golden Globe Awards with two of its shows. The critically acclaimed TV series of 2015, Mr. Robot, bagged the coveted title of best TV series drama against shows like Empire, Narcos, Outlander and the biggest competitor, Game of Thrones.

     

    Contending with such popular series for the award makes the win all that much more of a coup for the new series, which has completed only its first season. On the other hand, Mozart tn the Jungle, which will soon air on the channel, picked up the best TV series musical or comedy.  

     

    Mr. Robot, written and directed by Sam Esmail, gained a loyal fan base this year for its gritty depiction of the world of hacking. The show gained immense popularity in India through its instant premiere on Colors Infinity, a channel which is known to handpick the best of international content, bringing highly acclaimed never seen before series to India. The director accepted the award with a mix of quirk and grace, saying, “I got to thank the Hollywood foreign press. I mean, they gave the best drama series award to a show called Mr. Robot. And that took a lot of courage, so thank you.”

     

    In addition, Christian Slater also won the best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television for his role in Mr. Robot, while Gael Garcia Bernal bagged the best performance by an actor in a television series musical or comedy for his role in Mozart in the Jungle.

  • Star English has much to cheer at Golden Globes

    Star English has much to cheer at Golden Globes

    MUMBAI: Star India’s English entertainment bouquet, consisting of Star World, Star World Premiere HD and FX, is known for showcasing the best and latest in English entertainment from across the world. Star India remains the first choice for premium urban audiences seeking quality English entertainment. Cast from some of its leading and critically acclaimed shows like Taraji P Henson (Empire), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Maura Tierney (The Affair), Lady Gaga (American Horror Story – Hotel) and Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) have struck gold at the 2016 Golden Globe awards this year.

     

     The leading lady from Empire, Taraji P Henson, won her first Golden Globe for best actress in a television series drama for her groundbreaking role as Cookie.  Taraji’s character is the heart of the series and provides unforgettable catchphrases, heartbreaking line readings, and natural comedy in a tour de force performance that makes you miss her every second she’s not on screen. Empire Season 2 is currently airing on FX and FX HD every Sunday at 10 pm.

     

    The Mad Men superstar Jon Hamm won the Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a television series drama. Jon Hamm popularized the character of Don Draper in the series which captures the world of advertising in the 1960s like never before. Despite his outward disenchantment and egotism, the character of Don Draper demonstrates a strict code of personal ethics, insisting on honesty and chivalry in his subordinates, but not always in himself. Mad Men returns to television with FX and FX HD from 29 January 2016 and will continue to air from Monday to Friday at 11 pm.

     

     Maura Tierney from The Affair won the award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television. As a jilted wife slowly coming to terms with a life she never had planned for herself, Maura Tierney found a perfect balance of comedy and tragedy in her character Helen’s situation The Affair Season 2 is coming soon on FX and FX HD as part of special programming for Valentine’s Day on 14th Feb

     

    The singer-actress Lady Gaga won Best Actress in a miniseries or motion picture for television for her role in American Horror Story: Hotel. Gaga plays Countess Elizabeth who is the owner of Hotel Cortez, a ritzy hotel set in modern day Los Angeles, California. Elizabeth is an uber glamorous socialite who secretly maintains her stunningly fierce good looks by using her special clawed gloves to murder people and drink their blood. American Horror Story – Hotel airs on FX and FC HD on every Saturday at 11 pm.

     

    The Crazy-ex girlfriend star Rachel Bloom grabbed the Golden Globe for best performance by an actress in a television series—musical or comedy. Bloom plays a successful Manhattan lawyer Rebecca Bunch who follows her high-school ex, Josh Chan, to the humdrum suburbs of California. The occasional musical numbers in the series act as comedic interjections, but they also telegraph the show’s darker themes, reminding us that our protagonist is slowly unravelling. Crazy ex-girlfriend airs on Star World Premiere HD every Thursday at 10 pm.

     

    Star India has a successful track record in bringing the best of international television, a stellar cast and outstanding performances. The network is home to the shows that have helped these stars acquire world acclaim.

  • Star India to launch FX HD in mid September; spruce up content line-up

    Star India to launch FX HD in mid September; spruce up content line-up

    MUMBAI: As competition heats up in the English Entertainment space with the launch of Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD along with the recent revamp of Comedy Central, existing players are now upping their game with compelling content and HD launches.

     
    In a bid to stay ahead in the game, Star India’s English entertainment channel FX is all set to change the way Indian viewers consume content. The channel, which is undergoing a brand refresh by adding new content, will also be launching its high definition (HD) version, FX HD within the next two weeks.

     

    This year, the channel is all set to captivate viewers with the #AllNewFX by showcasing over 50 of the most edgy, new and acclaimed shows across genres.

     

    Speaking about FX, Star India English cluster business head Kevin Vaz said, “English speaking people in India are increasing at a substantial rate and therefore more and more channels are coming in. FX will be for audiences who are following English entertainment since a long time. We now have Star World, which is for family viewing, Star World Premiere – the ad free channel – will cater to premium category and with FX, we want to reach out to the top brass.”

     

    The network pulled Fox Crime off air recently. Vaz cites lack of content and not poor response as the reason for taking the channel down. “We didn’t want to mix it with other content, hence when we saw there were not enough offerings, we decided to pull the curtains down on it,” informed Vaz.

     

    Piracy often eats up a major pie of English entertainment viewership as consumers are accustomed to downloading pirated content and watching marathon episodes on their desktops and laptops. Vaz is of the opinion that accessibility can change that behaviour. “The world is now connected unlike ever before. People talk to friends in the US and want to see content with them and talk the same trend. That was not happening earlier so people resorted to downloading. Now shows will be available at the same time as the US, so I don’t see that factor being a huge obstacle,” he adds.

     

    Post the KBC and Kyunki era, Indian viewers want to consume content everyday and are not used to the concept of waiting for a week, which is a challenge, as per Vaz. Shows in the US are aired once a week and at times while there is Christmas or any other occasional break, they are not even aired every week. “People in India don’t expect something like this. There 22 episodes are run over 32 weeks,” he says.

     

    Keeping Indian viewers at par with the world on English entertainment, FX is all set to make weekends more exciting with day and date shows on the soon to be launched HD version. This will enable viewers to watch the latest episodes of shows like Homeland (Season 5),Affair (Season 2), Empire (Season 2) and Doctor Who (Season 9) right after the international telecast.

     

    What’s more, the action doesn’t stop there. Psychological thrillers like Luther and Bosch, reality comedy like Last Comic Standing and Last Man on Earth will all be showcased in the month of September on FX.

     

    Weekends have also been spruced up with FX Top Rated – where viewers can watch the highest rated and loved shows back to back. With 80 per cent premieres and only shows that pass the 7+ rating on Imdb, FX Top Rated is slated to bring curated quality content across the year.

     

    The all new look and packaging of the channel is specially designed to bring out its strong brand promise of ‘Edge of Entertainment,’ which aptly resonates not just the channel philosophy but also that of curated content.

     

    Content price is constantly escalating and India is yet to figure out which revenue model will work and which won’t. “I think we need to have all the options available for consumers at this stage,” said Vaz.

     

    The English entertainment space on Indian television is definitely getting a facelift at a brisk pace with channels putting their best foot forward as far as programming goes.

  • FX gets psychological crime drama ‘Luther’ to India

    FX gets psychological crime drama ‘Luther’ to India

    MUMBAI: Indian viewers are in for multi-dimensional miniseries experience this August. ‘Luther’- a critically acclaimed dark psychological crime series, will take Indian viewers through a twisted and thrilling journey the fascinating world of crime. Starting 17th August, the channel will showcase the series every Monday to Friday at 10pm.

     

    Crackling with spine-chilling suspense and a gripping storyline, Luther stars Idris Elba in the lead role as John Luther, a brilliantly genius yet emotionally impulsive detective who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts. Just on the right side of ruthless, John Luther brilliantly tackles one outrageous, high-profile case after another, each compelling him to confront and rise above his own moral dualities. As he battles his own terrible demons and takes on the sociopathic criminals, Luther treads on the brink of becoming a predator or a prey.

     

    The star of the show is Idris Elba as John Luther, essaying a strong performance that won him a Golden Globe Best Actor award. Best known for his roles in The Wire, Thor and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Idris Elba is an award winning British television, theatre & film actor. In addition to his acting work, Elba is a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis (or Big Driis the Londoner) and a hip-hop soul musician. Another notable actor, a two-time Olivier Award and Golden Globe Award winner, Ruth Wilson plays the psychotically brilliant and close friend of Luther, Alice Morgan. Alice insinuates herself into Luther’s business and personal life both as an enemy and ally while providing the show with its most visceral kicks. The actress has earned global attention for her roles in Suburban Shootout and Jane Eyre.

     

    Bringing the entire series from season 1 to the premiere of season 3 to India, FX will add the international hit to its robust line-up of the edgiest shows across categories. FX has already built an array of shows across genres with recent launches like Doctor Who, Empire and many more in the future. Staying true to its tagline “Edge of Entertainment”, FX is treating its Indian viewers to the most evolved, the edgiest and risqué international content spanning genres including comedy, crime, reality and more.

  • FX join hands with Uber to promote ‘Empire’

    FX join hands with Uber to promote ‘Empire’

    MUMBAI: Taking the edge of entertainment to a whole new level, FX has launched the 2015 television hit Empire on Indian television. 

     

    To celebrate the launch of this addictive drama, the channel has joined hands with personal cab service, Uber, to bring consumers an exclusive chance to ride like an Empire kingpin.

     

    With an aim to bring show fans a real-time feel of the series, FX and Uber are giving away an exhilarating ride in a super car. All viewers have to do is catch the show when it airs on FX every Monday to Friday at 10 pm. 

     

    During the airing of the episode, a special code will appear on TV screens. Viewers need to spot this code and enter it in the app to unlock a hidden ‘UberEmpire’ Tab. 

     

    Select lucky winners would win a ride in true Empire style in an uber glam super car free of cost. Spanning across two cities, Mumbai and Bangalore, the activity is live now. FX and Uber shall also promote this activity on their Twitter platforms.

     

    Further strengthening the show’s proposition, FX set-up a unique on-ground activation to engage viewers and bring them the true feel of the show. The channel associated with 10 media agencies including the likes of Lintas, Madison, GroupM across three cities. 

     

    With show branding in key areas at the agency offices, employees were further engaged with a contest activity. Participants had to get themselves clicked in quirky show related props at the photo-booth set up in-house. Winners picked through a lucky draw, got an opportunity to ride the high life in a Limousine.

     

    The channel also gave the audience a taste of the Billboard chart topping music before launch, with the songs playing on radio stations across Mumbai and Delhi. Taking a step further, FX has augmented Empire’s strong music connect and grabbed audience eyeballs through a larger than life rotating turntable in the form of an innovative outdoor hoarding at a key hot spot in Mumbai.

  • FX to telecast drama series ‘Empire’

    FX to telecast drama series ‘Empire’

    MUMBAI: This July, FX will exclusively launch ‘Empire,’ a super addictive hip hop drama series that has created a sensation on International television. Hitting TV screens on 14 July in India, the series is sure to engage viewers with its gripping narrative and brilliant performances every Monday to Friday, 10 pm only on FX.

     

    Uncovering an explosive and ferocious struggle for power, Empire weaves a riveting tale of unimaginable extremes, centering on the exploits of a hip hop music empire mogul and his family who battle it out for his throne.  Family politics, Money, Murder and Passion charged with the twisted dynamics between the show’s cast has made Empire one of television’s most addictive dramas in recent times.

     

    The series brings to life risqué characters, portrayed through an impressive award winning ensemble cast. Headlined by the brilliant Terrence Howard as the music empire mogul- Lucious Lyon played by Terence Howard and his ex-wife Cookie Lyon played by Taraji P. Henson, the show has witnessed the highest ratings in recent television history breaking numerous records on television including being #1 new series of the 2014/15 Season on US Broadcast TV among its other accolades. Set against a backdrop of the glamorous hip-hop music industry, the series has surpassed expectations with its original soundtrack exclusively written and produced by the multiple Grammy-winning producer-rapper Timbaland. Earning rave reviews, Empire’s soundtrack beat the Queen of Pop, Madonna on the race to the top, debuting on the number one spot of the much coveted Billboard 200 chart.  According to Nielson Music, Empire is also First TV Series Soundtrack to Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and sold 110,000 copies in the week ending 15 March.

     

    FX has launched a 360 degrees multimedia campaign spanning TV campaign beyond the Star Network, Digital, Trade and innovations across Outdoor and consumer activations.

  • IMAX in a far-reaching deal with Warner Bros

    IMAX in a far-reaching deal with Warner Bros

    MUMBAI: In a far-reaching deal with Warner Bros, IMAX has decided to screen the opening nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness in IMAX 3D this December but it also ensured that twenty of Warner Bros. Pictures‘ films would arrive on IMAX screens in the coming years.

    Observed IMAX President Greg Foster, "It‘s more moving the ball forward. Continuing to solidify all of our relationships; we have a unique relationship with Warner Bros. but have unique relationships with all the studios."

    Foster sees Warner Bros. as a studio that perfectly aligns with the IMAX brand and business model. "Warner Bros. has a very specific strategy for the past ten years that plays specifically to our brand," averred Foster. "They‘re in the tentpole business. Whether it‘s the Harry Potter franchise or the Batman franchise or the Hobbit franchise or the Superman franchise — those are the movies that are right up in our wheelhouse."

    WB‘s announcement named a handful of event titles lined up for IMAX‘s signature digital remastering process, including Jack the Giant Slayer, Man of Steel, Pacific Rim, 300: Rise of an Empire, Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity, The Seventh Son, and next year‘s Hobbit sequel, The Desolation of Smaug.

    IMAX and Warner Bros. set up a similar deal in 2010, and like that collaboration, IMAX is still free to bring the films of other studios to the large screen format. "We‘ve got two movies from Lionsgate: Ender‘s Game and Catching Fire," said Foster. "We have movies with Disney, one that we‘ve announced and others we haven‘t announced and are pursuing and making work, and I think we probably will. We have Star Trek [Into Darkness]. We‘ve had an incredible run with Sony for Bond right now. We‘ve got Oblivion and Jurassic Park for Universal — it‘s a big marketplace. "
     

  • The History Channel to hit Scandinavia on 1 February

    The History Channel to hit Scandinavia on 1 February

    MUMBAI: The History Channel UK, a joint venture between A&E Television Networks (AETN) and British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), has announced an agreement to distribute The History Channel to Scandinavia, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

    Through an agreement with Norway’s Canal Digital, the channel will debut in Scandinavia on 1 February 2007. Available to approximately one million households across the region at launch, the channel will be broadcast in English with local subtitles for each of the four countries.
    The channel in Scandinavia will be programmed by The History Channel UK, but will offer a separate schedule from the UK service. The network will air on channel 27 in Norway, Denmark and Finland, and on channel 28 in Sweden, informs an official release.

    The History Channel features award-winning programming that covers a variety of topics, including ancient history, contemporary history, military history and conflict, and technology and transport. Among the original series that air on the channel are Battle Stations, Engineering an Empire, MegaDisasters, and Digging for the Truth; specials include The Crusades: Crescent and The Cross, Titanic, French Revolution and Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids.

    The History Channel UK commercial director Ian McDonough said, “Scandinavia is a hugely important market for us and we are excited to be launching The History Channel with a partner as strong as Canal Digital. The Scandinavian people have a keen interest in history and the channel’s programmes offer the highest production value together with topics ranging from the Ice Age to the Digital Age.”

    “We are very pleased to launch The History Channel Scandinavia, and expand significantly our European footprint,” said International AETN Vice President Sean Cohan. “As the brand’s visibility in the region grows, we plan to offer viewers our award-winning content across platforms – via mobile, broadband and VOD. We also look forward to introducing our other channels, The History Channel HD, The Biography Channel, Crime and Investigation Network in Scandinavia in the near future.”