Formula is finally passé with channels experimenting with quirkier shows It's possible that when you heard of a show that reveals the past lives of its participants,your jaw dropped in astonishment. But given the number of years weve been subjected to sob dramas,celebrity dance couples and voyeuristic reality shows,thats probably a good reaction. With the unusual,and sometimes downright silly,programming on television these days,its refreshing to see shows as different as ones where actors hunt for their biggest fans,such as Sonys upcoming show Mera Sabse Bada Fan Banega Mera Hero or when celebrities go in for past life regression like on NDTV Imagines latest offering Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka. Raaz has been creating quite a buzz and its not just because of celebrity participants like Karisma Kapur and Sushmita Senits also its sheer novelty of concept. As Dr Trupti Jayin explains,Many people suffer from recurrent phobias and problems which dont seem to have a solution. Theres a theory that such problems may have a root in a past life and that is the solution which were offering on the show. But TVs new love affair with the unusual doesnt stop at past-life regression and other unexplained phenomena. Sheer silliness is also a great way to get people hooked and none do it better than Channel Vs Lola Sundays (aired on Saturdays). One segment of the show,Lola One Question,eschews traditional interview formats and has its unassuming host ask one innocuous question to a celebrity. Even as the celebrity answers in all earnestness,the interviewer freezes completely,much to the interviewees confusion and embarrassment. Some shows use an old but popular formula,albeit with a significant tweak. This is what works for UTV Bindass new show,Sid Vs Varun,where the eponymous young men engage in one-upmanship. Shalini Sethi,programming head of UTV Bindass,says,Most reality shows have artificial situations imposed on celebrities,where they have no control. The twist in Sid Vs Varun is that these are ordinary kids who wanted to make a low budget show about their friendship and rivalry and they did just that. Farzad Palia,associate general manager of VH1,explains that the reason for the proliferation of so many differentiated shows is that the competition is tough and the audience is easily bored of repetition. Our show Yo Mama caught on instantly with the youth. Its still a contest,like others on TV,but with a difference but its a trash talk contest,where two sides actually compete in putting each other down by insulting their families. Sheetal Sudhir,vice-president and creative director of Channel V agrees,A show has to be polarising in order to grab eyeballs. People will only notice a show if it does something as outrageously silly and funny as Lola One Question. If we produced a run-of-the-mill soap,who would care to watch?
