News Broadcasting
Zee English strengthens Sunday lineup with fresh sitcoms
MUMBAI: For the English serial buff craving fare with a difference, Sunday evenings are all set to get juiced courtesy a slew of new initiatives from Zee English.
The channel has announced that it will launch three weekly shows from 22 June. The half-hour sitcom Hidden Hills at 9 pm follows the adventures of two suburban couples — Doug (Justin Louis) and Janine (Paula Marshall), and Zack (Dondre T Whitfield) and Sarah (Tamara Taylor). The comedy explores the wild, sexy and funny side of the suburbs where apparently everyone has a lot more to reveal than what first meets the eye.
This will be followed by Norm at 9:30 pm. It deals with Norm Henderson, (Norm Macdonald) a professional hockey player who likes to gamble without paying taxes and ends up being thrown out of hockey for life. Facing a possible jail term, Norm was instead sentenced to community service as a social worker. Laurie (Laurie Metcalf) is Norm’s co-worker and best friend. With Norm’s help, Laurie learns that it’s okay to sometimes bend the rules. With Laurie’s help, Norm learns that there are actually times that the system does work.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith at 10 pm is about “Mr. Smith” (Scott Bakula) a top industrial espionage agent works for “Mr. Big” out of the Factory in Seattle, a company specialising in detection and protection. “Mr. Smith” teams up with another skilled spy the mysterious and beautiful freelancer “Mrs. Smith” (Maria Bello) who spies for anyone willing to meet her price.
All these initiatives are no doubt aimed at countering Star World’s desi strategy. The channel has started airing shows like Kumars at No. 42 on Sunday evenings.
Talking about the logic driving the new content, channel head Ashvini Yardi said: “Till now our weekend programming was driven essentially by our platform drivers on weekdays. However, a large audience that consistently viewed the weekday programming was demanding fresh programming during weekends. The new line-up that we have launched are a mixture of light comedies and are acclaimed for its cast as well as its programming virtues.”
The channel has identified younger viewers as a major focus area and will introduce special programming over the course of the year that will cater to this viewer segment. This will also ensure that the channel extends its programming strengths to other time bands as well.
As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the channel has spiced itself up in terms of look, feel. The interstitials are sleek and feature catchy jazz music.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
