English Entertainment
AXN will continue walking the reality path
Next year AXN the action channel will continue exploring the boundaries of reality based shows. A spokesperson for the company said that the channel was into this kind of programming way before it became a fad.
Who Dares Wins, the Aussie show has been running on the channel for the past four years. He also claims that the second series of Survivor which has been shot in Africa has seen a steady growth in popularity after the controversy of the first series, which was set in Australia. According to the spokesperson the show, which airs every Friday in the 10-11 PM primetime slot, has drawn an audience share between 30-40 per cent in the English viewing segment.
In February the channel will premiere two shows. The first is Fear Factor from NBC. Apparently the producers considered other titles like Do or Die and Guts but finally decided that the title Fear Factor best represented the menacing goings on in the show. The apparent aim is to take one’s fear and multiply it by 100.
The host is Joe Rogan. He scoffs at the participants who struggle boasting that the feats are like walking in wonderland. People have perform awful and difficult stunts and the moment you succumb to fear and refuse to go further one gets eliminated. To the winner goes the spoils of $50,000.
The perverse thrill comes from watching participants do something that could harm them for life like jumping from one moving train to another. Next one might have to eat ugly insects without throwing up. And participants suffering vertigo are in for a treat as they might have to scale a huge height next even if the stomach is feeling queasy.
A celebrity episode will be one of the highlights. Participants include actress Kelly Preston, The World Wrestling Federation’s Chyna and Baywatch‘s David Hasselhoff. They will have millipedes and scorpions crawling on their heads. Simply mouthwatering!
The second is Scariest Places on the Earth. Hosted by Linda Blair the channel goes to places which have a troubling past like Dracula’s Mansion. The locations are aimed at spooking the viewer. Stories of ghosts and spirits promise to feed the viewers’ imagination.
Eyewitnesses will tell shocking tales and paranormal experts operating the latest high-tech ghost monitoring equipment will help explain these haunting occurrences and frightening tales. One episode will feature an abandoned hospital which was once full of TB patients. Five women decide to spend the night there.
In March the channel will debut The Agency. Critically acclaimed film director Wolfgang Petersen serves as executive producer for the television series. In fact In The Line Of Fire, the Clint Eastwood film which he directed, was shown a few days ago on the channel. For years Hollywood has used The CIA as its whipping boy. Now viewers can see the intrigue, backstabbing and mechanisms that fuel the agency.
The show examines how the agency handles high profile and sensitive cases. Mikael Salomon is the director. The cast includes Gil Bellows, Gloria Reuben and Will Patton. It has been produced by Radiant Productions, in association with CBS. The latest news from the show currently airing in the States is that actor Beau Bridges will join the cast in the role of CIA director. The current director played by Ronny Cox has been given the boot.
In April brand new episodes of The Guinness Book of World Records will be shown along with a new series of The Amazing Race. The former had a successful run on Doordarshan a few years ago.
The channel will however start January on a low profile note. There will be a series of movies shown under the tag Courtroom Action like Jagged Edge with Glenn Close playing a high profile attorney defending a possibly guilty Jeff Bridges and The Juror with Alec Baldwin terrorising Demi Moore.
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.
