Movie Channels
AXN continues focus on reality shows with 4 new programmes
MUMBAI: Action oriented channel AXN is set to send pulses racing with four new shows. Fear Factor II, Courage, Rescue 911 and Without Warning which will premiere this month.
The second season of Fear Factor premieres 12 August at 9 pm. According to an official release, the show is powered by two celebrity specials – a Playmate special and a WWE special. Participants are pushed into difficult situations where their grit, mettle and tenacity is tested to the ultimate limits. In each episode, six people are confronted with a series of challenging and life threatening stunts demanding co-ordination of mind and body. Contestants are put through three tasks – if they complete their tasks, they advance, if fear stops them from completing a stunt, they are immediately eliminated. The contestant who wins the final challenge takes home a grand prize of $50,000.
Viewers can watch the likes of David Hasselhoff (Baywatch), Kevin Richardson (The Backstreet Boys), Kelly Preston, actress wife of John Travolta, Brooke Burns (Baywatch, Shallow Hal) and Donny Osmond (Donny & Marie) – all ready to face their innermost fears. The show also showcases participants’ attempts to conquer fears of swimming in a sea full of alligators or having 50 tarantulas crawling all over contestants’ faces.
Courage premiers on Independence day (15 August) at 9 pm. Hosted by actor Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), the show sees ordinary citizens performing incredible acts of heroism. Viewers can watch scenes such as a teenage boy, who after surviving a catastrophic plane crash, runs back into the burning wreckage to rescue his sister and mother. A civilian risks his life by going undercover in the dangerous world of illegal hunters to capture a notorious bear poacher.
Without Warning kicks off on 13 August at 9 pm. Five episodes see world-acclaimed experts risking their lives in man’s most notorious domains of disaster as they reach for answers that will ultimately provide a safer world for all. Rescue 911 on 20 August at 8 am and 4 pm with new episodes from Monday to Friday will deal with paramedics and other rescue workers dealing with emergency situations. Hosted by William Shatner of Star Trek fame Rescue 911 follows 911 calls that are answered each day. The show conducts interviews with rescue workers, plays back recordings of actual calls and provides a vivid look at the life or death dramas that occur every day.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
