ITV

Tag: Stephen McPherson

  • Oprah Winfrey to foray into reality series on ABC Entertainment

    Oprah Winfrey to foray into reality series on ABC Entertainment

    MUMBAI: Talk show host Oprah Winfrey plans to enter into the reality space with two shows tentatively tilted Oprah Winfrey’s The Big Give and Your Money or Your Life. This announcement was made jointly by Harpo Productions and Disney owned ABC Entertainment.

    To be rolled out as eight-episode show, Oprah Winfrey’s The Big Give will challenge 10 people to take the money and resources they are given and multiply them to come up with the most powerful, sensational, emotional and dramatic ways to give to others.

    An official release stated that each week the group will face a “big catch” that will test their nerve, drive, ingenuity and passion. The stakes will get higher, with one person ultimately being chosen to have his/her wildest dream come true for making the biggest impact. The series will center on the drama, emotion and magic of making a difference in peoples’ lives.

    In addition, the two companies are also developing the primetime series Your Money or Your Life. Each week will feature families facing a life crisis. They will need to make drastic and immediate changes before they are consumed by disaster. In every episode, an expert action team will move in and viewers will watch a dramatic total money and life makeover.

    “Less than 100 days since we launched our new television development group, we’re delighted to be announcing our first two primetime series,” said Harpo Productions president Tim Bennett.

    “Oprah Winfrey getting into series TV is monumental. Our relationship with Harpo has been wonderful for us, and this latest partnership takes it to a phenomenal new level,” said ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson. “These two shows are a perfect fit for our alternative brand with their focus on wish fulfillment and making lives better. I can’t wait to get started.”

  • ABC to air ‘Ugly Betty’ full season

    ABC to air ‘Ugly Betty’ full season

    MUMBAI: The American version The Ugly Betty or the original Colombian show Yo Soy Betty La Fea or the Indianised version Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin has charmed audiences of all territories. 

    The US network ABC has given a full-season order to Ugly Betty, which has emerged as the most-watched new series of the 2006-07 season.

    Produced by Salma Hayek and stars America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, the show has already established itself a solid second to CBS’ Survivor at 8 pm. 

    Among the age bracket of 18-49 years, the show Ugly Betty has drawn an average rating/share of 4.7/13, while holding the top position on average with adults 18-34 year (4.0/12). The show has improved the time period for ABC by 96 per cent in total viewers (15.3 million against 7.8 million) and by 92 per cent in adults 18-49 (4.8/14 against 2.5/7) over the same nights last year, according to media reports.

    ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson noted, “In just two weeks Ugly Betty has given us an impressive foothold leading into the Grey’s Anatomy hour on Thursday night. The show has proven to be competitive in a very strong time period, and we’re thrilled with Ugly Betty’s performance.”

    In India, the version Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin aired on Sony and had won 3.6 average TVR for the first week of its launch in 2003. The show and the lead character Jassi had become the unofficial mascot for Sony. 

    SET CEO Kunal Dasgupta told to indiantelevision.com in 2004, that Jassi had fetched Sony four million new viewers in the general entertainment category, while the slot sampling too has grown by 300 per cent in the first one year. “The TVRs, naturally, have also shot up by over 300 per cent,” he says.

  • ‘Alias’ celebrates 100th episode this week in the US

    ‘Alias’ celebrates 100th episode this week in the US

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster ABC has anniounced that its action packed show Alias will air its milestone 100th episode on 26 April 2006. In India the show airs on AXN.

    In late February, cast members from the present, as well as the past, gathered together with the “Alias” crew to reminisce and celebrate the landmark occasion on the APO set at the Disney Studios. Creator/executive producer J.J. Abrams, along with Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment, made humorous-yet-touching speeches about working with everyone involved with the show for the past five seasons.

    In the 100th episode, Sydney’s maternity leave is cut short when she learns that Will has been abducted by her nemesis, Anna Espinosa. Meanwhile, Sloane finds himself one step closer to obtaining the cure for daughter Nadia. The lead characters is played be jennifer Garner.