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Tag: Matt LeBlanc

  • Zee5 amassed over million views for Friends: The Reunion

    Zee5 amassed over million views for Friends: The Reunion

    KOLKATA: To the delight of fans across the world, Friends: The Reunion returned to television screens on 27 May. While globally released on HBO Max, Indian viewers could also watch it on Zee5. On day one itself, the much-awaited return of the popular franchise registered over one million views, only hours after being aired.

    “We at Zee are extremely delighted to note the roaring response that Friends: The Reunion received on Zee5, by amassing one million+ views and (still) counting, from across the country. We feel extremely proud to have played a part in understanding and serving the cult-loyal audience of the show, by streaming it across millions of screens. Consumer delight and a seamless user experience was an integral aspect of our approach across platforms and this step reinstates our commitment towards our viewers and partners,” Zee digital business and platforms president Amit Goenka said.

    Zee5 announced last Sunday that it had picked up the rights of the show for Indian markets. For a generation and after, Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004, had a massive following all over the globe, as in India as well. It continues to be one of the more popular series on Netflix, even after 27 years since its first episode was aired on TV. The special reunion episode’s trailer racked up hundreds of millions of views across several channels on YouTube, and wherever else it was released.

    The current franchise offering features Jenifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow touring their old sets on the Warner Brothers studio lot that is followed  by a sit down question and answer session with funny man James Corden before a live audience. Corden’s conversations with the six witnesses a lot of re-enacting from old episodes, reminiscing, leg pulling, and poignant moments leading to a lot of laughs and even tears for the stars.

    “As the country’s youngest OTT platform, Zee5 will continue to win hearts, not just in India, but across the globe. We remain committed to delivering compelling content that caters to the consumers’ unique tastes and preferences and enhances the value for our partners. We will continue to augment our offerings with a bespoke catalogue of premium and original content for audiences in India and across the globe,” Goenka added further.

    Currently, Zee5 is available at Rs 499 for a 12-month premium plan. The streaming platform has been striving to sign on new subscribers; and picked up the rights to Salman Khan’s Radhe at Rs 230 crore, which led to some 4.2-odd million concurrent viewers logging on for the film’s premiere.  

  • When can you watch Friends: The Reunion in India?

    When can you watch Friends: The Reunion in India?

    KOLKATA: In another piece of good news for the fans of the iconic TV show Friends, OTT platform Zee5 announced on Tuesday that it will stream the highly anticipated Friends: The Reunion in India simultaneously with the US and the world on 27 May.

    Talking about the excitement ahead of the premiere, Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said: “We received an overwhelming response from the audience after recently announcing that the show will stream exclusively on ZEE5 in India. We are proud to share that we will bring this event to India along with the world on 27 May at 12.32 pm!”

    Kalra said viewers can also avail Friends: The Reunion Special unlimited viewing offer at least 12 hours in advance before the launch for a seamless experience. “We are all geared up to make this a resounding success in India along with the rest of the world,” he added.

    The trailer has already set the social media ablaze and raked up millions of views across several channels. HBO Max will debut the famous sitcom special on Thursday, May 27 in the US, marking the first anniversary of HBO Max’s launch. The show’s actors Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer will return to the iconic comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Brothers Studio lot in Burbank for a real-life unscripted celebration.

    It will feature a variety of special guest appearances including David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai. Ben Winston directed the special and executive produced along with “Friends” executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane.

    The special hails from Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Fulwell 73 Productions, and Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions. Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer executive produced the special. Emma Conway, James Longman, and Stacey Thomas-Muir co-executive produced.

  • Zee5 pockets Friends Reunion; delights Indian fans

    Zee5 pockets Friends Reunion; delights Indian fans

    MUMBAI: This is one show special which is setting social media ablaze. Ever since, Friends Reunion special’s premiere date on HBO Max in the US was announced as 27 May, many an ardent fans’ pulse was racing, wondering which platform would  do the honours in India. Well, it’s Zee5 which has beaten the likes of Netflix, Prime, Disney+Hotstar  to the final post and picked up the rights. The announcement was made on Sunday by Zee5 chief business officer Manish Kalra

    For a generation and after, Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004,  had a massive following. In India too. To date, it is one of the more popular series on Netflix, even after almost 27 years since its first episode was aired on TV.

    The special episode’s trailer has racked up hundreds of millions of views across several channels on YouTube, and wherever else it has been released.

    It shows Jenifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow touring their old sets on the Warner Brothers studio lot followed  by a sit down question and answer session with funny man James Corden in front of a live audience. Naturally Corden’s conversations with the six sees a lot of re-enacting from old episodes, reminiscing, leg pulling, and poignant moments leading to a lot of laughs and even tears for them.

    For those who came in late, Friends –  which was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television – featured six mates – . Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt Le Blanc), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) – in New York and their journey into adulthood.

    A gaggle of celebs is slated to join the cast: David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.

    The show had also caused major waves towards its ninth and tenth seasons when the six main leads were paid a million dollars in remuneration for each episode. And it is also known for the cameos that some of the biggest stars in Hollywood at that time  made in some episode or the other, right from Brad Pitt to Julia Roberts to Bruce Willis to Sean Penn to Dermot Mulrooney to Winona Ryder to Robin Williams to Billy Crystal to George Clooney to Susan Sarandan to Bonnie Somerville.

    The Friends Reunion special credits Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer as executive producers with Ben Winston directing and executive producing alongside Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. A production of Warner Bros Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Fulwell 73 Productions and Bright/ Kauffman/ Crane Productions, it features Emma Conway, James Longman and Stacey Thomas-Muir as  co-executive producers.

    Observers wonder, why Zee5, which has been focusing on producing originals in different Indian languages, took a decision to acquire the rights for an American show in English and coughed up top dollars for a one-off program.

    Kalra gives the reason why. Says he: “Friends is amongst the world’s most watched and loved sitcoms and it is a great opportunity for us to present their reunion, something that the world has been talking about, on Zee5 for Friends fans in India.”

    Currently, Zee5 is available at Rs 499 for a 12-month premium plan. The streaming platform has been striving to sign on subscribers; hence it picked the rights to Salman Khan’s Radhe at Rs 230 crore, which led to some 4.2-odd million concurrent viewers logging onto the film’s premiere.  Hopefully, the Friends Reunion gamble will pay off and lead to a similar surge.

  • A big night for ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ at 66th Emmy Awards

    A big night for ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ at 66th Emmy Awards

    MUMBAI: 66th Primetime Emmy Awards was a big night for Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family.

     

    The awards opened with Jim Parsons winning his fourth Emmy in the lead actor category for his work as Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory.  The 41-year-old actor plays the role of nerdy Caltech physicist Sheldon Cooper in the Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady-created series. Parsons beat William H Macy, Matt LeBlanc, Louis CK and Ricky Gervais in the category.

     

    Cult drama series Breaking Bad was the other big winner of the night bagging the Emmy for Best Drama Series, while Game of Thrones went home with none of the big prizes despite garnering the most nominations. The series saw a fourth Best Lead Actor win for Bryan Cranston as chemistry teacher-turned-meth drug lord, Walter White aka Heisenberg. His co-star Aaron Paul took home his third Emmy win for Best Supporting Actor and Anna Gunn became a two-time Emmy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress in the show. Moreover, the now-departed, much beloved AMC series also took another Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing as well as Best Drama. The show won six Emmys in total.

     

    Hit TV series Modern Family made Emmy history by winning the title of Best Comedy series for a record-tying fifth year in a row at television’s equivalent of the Oscars and has now tied the record set by NBC’s Frasier. Ty Burrell won the Best Supporting Actor for the comedy series, and the show also won a directing award.

     

    Other significant Emmy Award winners included Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman for BBC’s Sherlock: His Last Vow as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, as well as comedienne Sarah Silverman’s win for Variety Show Writing.

     

    The Emmy Awards also held its traditional memorial tribute to industry members who have died in the past year. The presentation concluded with Billy Crystal giving a moving tribute to longtime friend and fellow comedian Robin Williams, who tragically committed suicide just two weeks ago.

     

    Among the other notable winners, Julianna Margulies won the Best Drama Actress for The Good Wife, while Best Television Movie went to The Normal Heart about gay activist Larry Kramer’s work to raise HIV/AIDS awareness during the early 1980s.

     

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus received her third consecutive Best Comedy Actress Emmy for the political comedy Veep on HBO. Shows like Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards, Showtime’s Shameless, and HBO’s True Detective neither benefited from tactical category choices nor garnered any Emmy Awards this year, despite their popularity and stellar storytelling.