Season’s viewings

But perhaps the biggest addition to the post-Diwali menu of television viewers will be the entry of American television network CBS. CBS Studios International has partnered with Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd to start BIG CBS Prime which will focus on bringing the latest American programming like NCIS,Survivor,CSI:Crime Scene Investigation,Judge Judy and Entertainment Tonight to India. It’s not like India hasn’t seen shows such as CSI or Survivor before; the difference this time will be that these shows will air in India concurrently with their US broadcast. This means that fans will no longer have to wait for months before a show is finally telecast in India. “Over the years,Hindi and regional television industry in India has grown. But English TV is lagging. That’s why the need for a channel that is truly global in nature,” says Aparnaa Pande,Business Head,BIG CBS Networks.

It’s not like the English language channels in India are not trying hard to keep content fresh. Horror and supernatural thrillers are getting increased playtime. HBO has been broadcasting True Blood,set in a future where humans and vampires live in uneasy proximity. Now comes Zee Cafe’s Vampire Diaries,which sees a girl torn between two vampire brothers. Anurag Bedi,business head of Zee Cafe,explains,“The Twilight trilogy has created history of sorts and has become a rage amongst the audience. So obviously,there is an appetite for the supernatural horror-fantasy genre. I believe the demographics of the Indian viewer have changed — from a primarily mature one to include even the youngsters of the family.”

For a long time,sitcoms and crime shows were the staple of English programming. But as Shruti Bajpai,country manager South Asia,HBO Asia,points out,“The Indian audiences have evolved over the years,and enjoy a variety of genres — from dark comedy to suspense,off-beat themes to the typical song and dance shows.” The channel is pushing the envelope with Hung,which takes looks at a man who,in the throes of midlife crisis,decides to become a gigolo. Even Star World,well-know for its focus on sitcoms and crime shows,will soon air medical drama Trauma and supernatural thriller series Warehouse 13,while Zee Cafe will show sci-fi drama No Ordinary Family.

However,even as channels begin experimenting with content,comedy and crime will continue to remain the mainstay. Modern Family on Star World is a sitcom,while Royal Pains is a dramedy and The Mentalist on Zee Cafe is an episodic crime series. Saurabh Yagnik,Senior V-P of all English channels of Star Network,explains,“Ultimately,it all depends on what the viewer wants. Comedy and crime are great to wind down with at the end of the day. We’ll continue experimenting in regular phases of course and hopefully before long,we’ll have a good bouquet of genres to offer to the viewer.”

(With inputs from Somya Lakhani)