English Entertainment
Star World & Star World HD to air Season 1 of The Odd Couple
MUMBAI: Starting 18 December 2015, Star World and Star World HD will air the first season of one of American comedy series – The Odd Couple. The series stars Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon who are joined by an ensemble cast including Lindsay Sloane, Wendell Pierce and Yvette Nicole Brown.
Perry, who is not only starring, but is also an executive producer and co-wrote the pilot says, “I was a huge fan of the movie. I was too young to have seen the play, but I was a huge fan of the movie and then a gigantic fan of the TV show. Oscar and Felix are two of the most seminal characters of all time, so to bring it back and then be lucky enough to find Tom Lennon who plays Felix – and he is Felix, like he is exactly like the character – is fortunate.”
Lennon, who is also a huge fan of the original show said, “Most shows like the great show “Friends” are a pairing of either two or more people who for some reason are disjointed and don’t quite go together and we are so lucky that we had the actual title from the Neil Simon (version).”
The Odd Couple follows a multi-camera set up and is produced by CBS Television Studios. This is the sixth screen production of the play.
Season 1 of The Odd Couple starts on 18th December and will air from Monday to Friday at 8:30 pm exclusively on Star World and Star World HD.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
