After years of dominating the paid-for South Asian TV landscape in Britain, Indian broadcast major Zee is expanding its remit in the UK this weekend with the launch of ‘&TV’, a free-to-air channel that promises an exciting line up of general entertainment fare.
It may be the newest entrant in the segment but it is testament to Zee’s clout that the channel roped in none other than superstar Shah Rukh Khan to front the channel’s flagship show ‘India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun?’, an Indianized version of the international format ‘Who’s Asking?’
According to Punit Goenka, CEO of Zee, the ‘&’ suffix is meant to denote the channel’s commitment to “binding people, ideologies and philosophies”.
"&TV will offer a more substantial viewing experience to an audience that is always seeking fresh and relevant content.
“The channel extends our Hindi entertainment portfolio under the '&' bouquet and will add to the consolidation of our leading position in the entertainment industry. We are certain that with the launch of &TV, we will capitalize on further such opportunities to build a robust entertainment bouquet and march ahead towards achieving the global ambitions set for the Company."
Shah Rukh Khan said, "I am very excited to be a part of &TV's game show India Poochega - Sabse Shaana Kaun? It is a unique game show that gives merit to the street smart ones. You might not be a scholar or a master in any field but if you are smart, then this game show is for you. The channel has decided to bring on board innovative content that hopefully will personify the spirit of New Age India."
King Khan’s slot isn’t the only exciting thing about the channel.
Among the other highlights is ‘Begusarai’, a fresh new take on the Hindi soap genre, set in rural Bihar. The channel roped-in none other than acclaimed actor and filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia to conceptualize the show.
At a time when the historic epic is de rigueur TV, &TV has married the genre with the issue of the even more topical Women Empowerment for ‘Rrazia Sultan’, a lavishly-produced drama that tells the story of the eponymous Razia Sultana, the 13th Century princess believed to be the first woman to rule Delhi.
It’s not all Q&A’s and historical epics though.
For those who want their funny bones tickled on a regular basis, there is ‘Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai!’, a hilarious sitcom set in Kanpur and featuring two neighbouring couples, secret crushes and aspirations.
The channel’s original programming – including the above shows will be broadcast between 7.00 pm and 10.30 pm weekday nights. The remainder of the schedule will feature Bollywood cinema and repeats.
The weekend schedule features original programming such as ‘Killerr’ and ‘Tujhse Naraaz Nahi Zindagi’, a hard-hitting program that explores everyday issues faced by ordinary people through the format of a Radio show.
&TV replaces ‘Lamhe’ on Sky Channel 795 and is live on 6 April.
Full schedule:
Monday to Saturday
7.00 pm - Razia Sultan
7.30 pm - Bhagyalakshmi
8.00 pm - Gangaa
8:30 pm - Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain
9:00 pm - India Poochega Sabse Shaana Kaun? /Killerr Karaoke
10:00 pm - Begusarai
Sunday
9.00 pm Killerr Karaoke
10.00 pm Tujhse Naraaz Nahi Zindagi
NOTE - Above promos feature India timings.
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