(28 November 2005 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: The History Channel (THC) will kick off a slew of shows next year in a bid to offer specific viewpoints of the past on different subjects from Las Vegas to the Oscar Awards. As always the aim is to keep things entertaining and relevant.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com this morning The History Channel VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, "We will air Oscar Time from January 2006. As Hollywood awaits the prized list of winners and losers, THC gives viewers a peek into the lives of Oscar winners who have already walked the red carpet. We look at what took them to the coveted podium and what winning an Oscar did for them."

Viewers interested in the gambling den of Las Vegas can check out Breaking Vegas. This also kicks off in January. It is inspired by the New York Times best-seller, Bringing Down The House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas For Millions by Ben Mezrichthe. The show profiles people who took on the casino system and came away with cash. Sometimes they got away with it, and sometimes the odds - and the law - caught up with them. The show looks at gambling schemes and scams.

Indian journalists are caught on candid camera: Another show that will air is Caught on Film. This shows well-known international journalists dwelling on that one shot that they believe told the complete story, that one frame that will stay with them forever, that one photograph or clip they believe to be truly historic. This special half-hour film featuring Indian journalists will also reveal some special moments caught on camera in India.

Those fascinated by the world of Prophecies can check out the series which starts in February 2005. The show analyses the prophecies which have been made through history. Nazi Prophecies exposes the prophecies that foresaw the rise and fall of Hitler and The Third Reich. Presidential Prophecies gives the viewers a peek at the past and brings to light a fascinating but little known aspect of the Presidency by revealing that throughout history, numerous Presidents have claimed to prophesy through visions.

Declassified which premiers in March 2006 focusses on formerly guarded vaults and archives around the world to reveal the untold stories of modern history. Using material from former secret organisations like East Germany's Stasi, the Kremlin, the CIA, and state television in Korea. Declassified presents a view and the stories behind previously unseen footage in a relentless, fast-cut montage with a rock beat.