iWorld
Viu & Nicotex Partner to Launch Adventure Series ‘I Can You Can’
MUMBAI: Viu announced the launch of its first adventure reality show ‘I Can You Can’ in partnership with Nicotex. The show is produced by BBC, India. With the introduction of this new style of journey-based content, Viu continues to offer fresh and compelling content in a variety of genres.
The six-episode series is set to go live Sunday 17 December 2017 at 7:00 pm IST and will be telecast every Sunday. It will be available on Viu and will be televised as a simulcast on National Geographic. Hosted by actor, model, and athlete Milind Soman, the series will showcase a journey of six people, including three who want to quit smoking and three who have already succeeded in quitting. The interesting part of the journey is the interaction between the smokers and the ones who have quit and their efforts to not just conquer the Everest Base Camp, but also their own “personal Everests”.
Commenting on the launch of the show and partnership with Nicotex, head monetisation & distribution – Viu India Sameer Gogate said, “At Viu, we endeavor to showcase premium content that is fresh, contemporary and relevant to millennials. ‘I Can You Can by Nicotex’ is an example of this. I believe that Viu’s young audience will find this offering engaging and inspiring.”
Elaborating on the show, Cipla Health, the company behind Nicotex, CEO Anantha Nayak said, “The sole purpose of Nicotex has been to make a smoke-free India. In our journey to inspire health, ‘I Can You Can’ is a one-of-a-kind show and integration opportunity for the brand. We believe this format of message delivery will help spread our message to the consumers in a highly engaging manner.”
The ‘I Can You Can’ project was tied in together with Viu & BBC for brand Nicotex by agency m/SIX. Expressing his thoughts on this, Mindshare content head Devendra Deshpande said, “With this collaboration between Nicotex and our partners, we are optimistic about making a difference to the lives of those who wish to make a lifestyle change for the better. We have been involved right from the initial stages of understanding the brand, to concept creation and finding the right channel partners. Content plays an important part of the brand’s strategy and by teaming up with Nicotex, I am sure” I Can You Can” will be a successful series.”
BBC Worldwide India creative and business head Soniya Kulkarni commented, “I Can You Can” is BBC Worldwide’s new, unique and challenging show. We filmed in 2 countries and across cultures while attempting one the world’s toughest climbs. The series talks about kicking the addiction to smoking but is told in an engaging way, that does not preach or condescend. With the active and constant support from our partners MindShare and Viu, we think we’ve achieved our own Everest – an international level of look and storytelling which remains our aim across all our productions.’’
Viu has developed over 3,000 hours of compelling original content across Asia, giving impetus to the budding local talent, while reaching out to millennials with relatable digital content that they have come to love. In the past year Viu has created a number of engaging shows across genres such as SPOTLIGHT, Gehraiyaan, Social, PillA, Pelli Gola, No.1 Yaari and Social. Viu has more than 23 million users across region delivering over 150 million video views with an average watch time per user per month of 35 hours.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
