Game On

The iconic quiz show is coming back to Indian television.

For many growing up in the 90s,Sundays consisted of one unchallenged,unalterable ritual: watching the Bournvita Quiz Contest. Hosted by Derek OBrien,the quiz show had millions of Indian school children their families and teachers hooked ever since it first appeared in the early years of the cable television boom.

It went off air about four years ago,to the regret of many. But early this year,a Facebook campaign,Bring BQC Back,was started by fans to bring the television show back on air. Fortunately,it seems like the plea was heard by the right people. What started as a few viewers yearning for a return to quality quizzing on TV has now translated into reality,with OBrien confirming that the show will be on air starting August 14.

We are planning to start shooting next week, says OBrien,and adds that the show will continue to be produced by his company,Derek OBrien & Associates. However,he doesnt divulge much,as the format is still very much a work-in-progress. So while he does say that news of BQCs return isnt just a rumour,OBrien is unable to confirm which channel will broadcast the show nor does he say how the shows format will be tweaked.

BQC,which originally started off as a radio show in 1972,hosted by Hamid Sayani (followed by Ameen Sayani),took the leap to television in 1994,with a Sunday noon slot on Zee TV. It was later picked up by Sony Entertainment Television in 2001. By then,the show had become a massive television property,which reached out to over 4000 schools across 66 cities and seven countries,including United Arab Emirates,Kuwait,Qatar,Oman,Bahrain and Nepal. Appearing on the show was a matter of great prestige not just for schools,but also to the many celebrities – from Ustad Zakir Hussain to Sushmita Sen and Shankar Mahadevan – who made guest appearances.

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