New Beginnings

2011 promises to bring in a host of new shows without edging out the old concepts.

2011 promises to bring in a host of new shows without edging out the old concepts.

THE small screen promises some big surprises in the new year. Shah Rukh Khan makes a comeback in mid-January with Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout as its omnipresent host. What will impress the audience,however,is the scale of this show,which is the Indian version of Wipeout,known as one of the biggest and most hilarious game shows of the world.

Several other channels are also planning to woo viewers with their best in 2011. Mid-January will see an Indian version of the controversial UK show Wife Swap,tentatively titled Mother Swap,on Sony TV. However,before we could even get over the much-hyped wedding between reality TV star Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguly and their public spat,Imagine announced yet another season of the Swayamwar series,Ratan Ka Rishta. This season has the girl-next-door television actor,Ratan Rajput,as the ideal bride in search of the perfect husband.

Ashvini Yardi,programming head of Colors says,2011 will see a lot more competitiveness and further fragmentation of the Indian television industry. With niche channels such as a recent 24-hour food channel,the game is going to get interesting. More foreign channels are also making their entry.

However,since the more things change on Indian television,the more they remain the same,so its best not to get high hopes yet. Voyeuristic reality shows defined 2010. And 2011 is not likely to be any different. In comparison to the West,this is just the beginning of the reality TV genre in India. After years of watching saas-bahu shows,the audience finally has something new to indulge in, says Nikhil Gandhi,Business Head,UTV Bindass. Almost three years ago,UTV Bindass,a youth-oriented channel,made its presence felt. After dishing out no-holds-barred content like Emotional Atyachar,Big Switch and the Dadagiri series the channel welcomes 2011 with Dadagiri 4 and Love Lock Up,starting on January 15 and January 10,respectively. While Dadagiri 4 is a known format,Love Lock Up revolves around complicated relationships a couple will be locked up inside a house for eight days and expected to resolve their conflicts. The controversial Emotional Atyachar too promises to return with a third season in 2011 to catch more suspected cheaters. So does MTV Roadies with their eighth season in January. Star Plus too will enter the field of reality shows with Wife Bina Life,starting in the first half of the year,that will dwell on how men take up household responsibilities while their wives will be away holidaying. Even popular English GEC channels like Star World and CBS will whet the audiences appetite for voyeuristic shows. Star World will air Bachelor Season 11 and Bachelorette Season 3 early 2011,while CBS will give a tough fight with the current season of Americas Next Top Model.

Saurabh Tiwari,Head of Programming-Fiction,Imagine TV,however,begs to differ. In 2011,channels will have to strike a balance between established brands and new innovative and edgy shows. No single formula will work for too long as trends change every six months, he says. He might be right as two dance reality shows will make a comeback with new concepts early 2011. Zee TVs popular Dance India Dance will be back in the game as DID Doubles. Around the same time,Colors will re-introduce Chak Dhoom Dhoom: Team Challenge with Mallika Sherawat as a judge.

Despite the focus on reality and talent-hunt shows,viewership of fictional programmes will remain intact. UTV Bindass will cash in with a new show called Meri Toh Lag Gai Naukri around February. Yashraj Studio returns on Sony TV with two fictional shows. In January,Colors too will launch Mukti Bandhan,a serial based on a popular novel by Harkishan Mehta,and Phulwa,the tale of a girls survival in the Chambal valley.

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Interestingly,Zee TV will experiment with a new concept that of fiction shows with multiple seasons. It will launch the second season of Choti Bahu. SAB TV,known for its family entertainment shows,will add more to its schedule with Mrs Tendulkar,a family comedy that will be aired early next year. For those interested in some racy crime shows,Star World will show the first seasons of The Walking Dead,Good Guys and Detroit1-8-7.

However,game shows could be big on Indian television next year. Zor ka Jhatka will lead the way with 28 celebrities and Shah Rukh Khan. Its a large format so it will appeal to the Indian audience, says Khan. AXN too is coming up with an Indian version of Minute to Win It,which requires people to do bizarre tasks in a minute,in early January. Rohit Bhandari,Senior Vice-President,AXN,believes that game shows make periodical appearances on Indian television. Reality shows came after a round of saas-bahu soaps. Now,its time for some fun game shows, he says. MTV too will enter this terrain with MTV Loudless in January a hilarious game show that will test the endurance level of contestants by giving them bizarre tasks like getting slapped or having their nose hair being plucked.