It’s showtime

Channel: Colors
Show : Chak Dhoom Dhoom
Launch: April 30
Airing: Friday – Saturday,9 pm
A kid’s dance reality show,Chak Dhoom Dhoom has picked up 40 contestants from across the country who will be judged by a jury comprising Saroj Khan,Ahmed Khan and Bigg Boss winner Vindu Dara Singh. While the former two are reputed choreographers,we wonder what Vindu is up to on the show? One can’t equate the body-builder with dance! He and Pravesh Rana,who is co-hosting the show with the latest child star Saloni Daini must have come as a package after their turn in Bigg Boss on the same channel. Coming back to the show,the 16 shortlisted participants will perform over a period of 13 weeks,mentored by choreographers Bosco-Caesar.
Other shows in the pipeline include India’s Got Talent 2,Kitchen Champion,Bigg Boss 3 and most importantly Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi 3. The show’s USP will be Priyanka Chopra,who replaces Akshay Kumar as the host and 13 cricketers,national and international as contestants.
IPL impact: “Programming schedules for a channel like ours cannot be tailored around sporting events. We do keep in mind that some events cause lower viewership but it’s not something for which we have a strategy. Our focus is on keeping viewers entertained. So while,there is Chak Dhoom Dhoom that is coming up right after IPL,it is because National Bingo Night slot needed to be replaced. As far as TRPs are concerned,it is too early to state anything about the ratings that will be generated. However,it would suffice to say that given that India is filled with immense talent for song and dance and various other hidden talents we are proud and honored to provide them with a platform to showcase their talent.” – Ashvini Yardi,Programming Head,Colors

Channel: Sony
Show: Indian Idol 5
Launch: April 26
Airing: Monday – Thursday,9 pm
The first show of its kind show on Indian television,Indian Idol had caught the fancy of the viewers when it was launched five years ago. Abhijit Sawant the winner of Idol 1 is still remembered and is in fact hosting the audition episodes with another Idol finalist Prajakta Shukre. Subsequent seasons of the show have not exactly been on a song but the channel is back with its fifth edition and this time has roped in Sunidhi Chauhan as a judge along with Salim and Idol regular Anu Malik. Though it’s early days yet,the show so far has given a been there done that impression.
Other shows to be launched on the channel include Boogie Woogie,which makes a comeback with kids championship and Comedy Circus. Their big-ticket show is Maan Rahe Tera Pitaah which has its story based against the backdrop of coal mines. A light-hearted drama follows with Baat Hamari Pakki Hai about parents trying to arrange a match for their daughter.
IPL impact: “Indian Idol has been our most-watched show. Since IPL was shown on our sister channel (Max),we promoted it in a big way during the matches. The rest of the new shows are part of our regular launches.” –Danish Khan,VP,Mktg

Channel: Zee TV
Show: DID L’il Masters
Launch: April 30
Airing: Friday-Saturday 9.30 pm
After its successful Dance India Dance,the channel introduces a kid’s talent hunt to look for dance ke baap. Judged by Farah Khan and Sandip Soparrkar,it will have 16 children vying for the recognition. Incidentally,there was talk of Farah judging Zara Nachke Dikha but she had to shoot for her film Tees Maar Khan during the same time,which is why it didn’t happen. Grandmaster and USP of the show Mithun Chakraborty continues to be part of it. Soumya Tandon and Manish Paul will be hosting the audition episodes. Meanwhile,the channel is looking for a child to host the show.
May will also see the launch of a serial Keshav Pandit inspired from the best-selling novels by famous Hindi writer Ved Prakash Sharma. The serial’s talking point is that it revolves around a male protagonist played by Sarvar Ahuja. Close on the heels of this comes Mera Naam Karegi Roshan that depicts the struggle of a girl after the death of her father.
IPL Impact: “We schedule our launches independent of IPL’s timelines. Even last year,we launched Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo bang in the middle of IPL and look how it’s delivering today. IPL is a mere one-month phenomenon and we do not plan our lives around it. The launch of DID Li’l Masters right after IPL was an automatic one. With the second season of Lux Dance India Dance culminating,it was a natural progression for us to launch the junior version of the immensely successful show. As far as Keshav Pandit is concerned,it is tentatively scheduled for a mid-May launch. If you check the TAM data,we are the only channel that has consistently grown in viewership through the duration of IPL for both,this year as well as last year. – Akash Chawla,Mktg Head- Zee TV

Channel: Imagine TV
Show: Shrimati Swara Rajay Deshmukh – Sarvagunn Sampana
Launch: May 11
Airing: Monday – Friday 7 pm
Ekta Kapoor started giving a Maharashtrian tadka to her shows with Pavitra Rishta,which is the numero uno show on Zee. Not surprisingly,her next show Sarvagunn Sampanna on Imagine is also having the Marathi flavour. In fact,the show highlights the life of a lavani dancer. Shot in Kolhapur,the serial definitely sounds interesting. Swara played by Pooja Bose,is the protagonist who is passionate about her art and actively participates with her parents in their performances. Like everyone,Swara’s parents want to get her married into a good family but will the stigma of being a lavani dancer spoil her chances is what the serial purports to explore.

Show: Desi Girl
Launch: May 21
Airing: Friday-Sunday 9 pm
A reality show based on the international format Simple Life,Desi Girl is about eight city bred girls,read celebs,staying in a village for over a month and doing all the things that a gaon ki chori does. From milking cows,making cow dung cakes,cleaning the house and cooking for the family they are staying with,the girls have to prove their capabilities and ability to adapt. The show is hosted by Rohit Roy who with his flirtatious and charming streak is supposed to win over the girls and the viewers.
Apart from these two shows,the channel will be launching Raktha Sambandh,a couple of reality shows that include Raaz Pichale Janam Ka 2,Swayamvar with either a cricketer or an actor and a desi version of So You Think You Can Dance is also being worked out.
IPL impact: “We launched two shows Kaashi and Jamunia a week before IPL and will be introducing two more shows this month. It has nothing to do with IPL,which had only a 10-12 per cent impact on GECs. As a policy we keep a gap of two months before we launch new shows as we have to promote it adequately. Reality shows are expensive,which is why there’s a gap after Rahul Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayega. Sarvagunn.. is a regular soap with a different take. We’re confident the shows will create a good stir.” –Nikhil Madhok,Senior VP,Mktg and Communications,Imagine