Mythological
83% of viewers leave historical TV shows midway: Chrome DM survey
BENGALURU: A Chrome Data Analytics & Media (Chrome) survey of 1,373 respondents reveals that 44 percent of television viewers preferred watching historical shows on television as opposed to 56 percent that said that they didn’t. 1,140 or a little more than 83 percent of the respondents said that they did not watch the complete season of the historical show, as compared to a little less than 17 percent (fractionally more than one sixth) who said that they watched the entire season.
The Chrome study respondent universe comprised 21 percent of the respondents in the age group of 18 to 24 years; 22 percent were in the 25 to 34 years age group; 25 percent were 35 to 44 years old; 19 percent were 45 to 54 years old and 13 percent were 55+ years old. 53 percent of the respondents were male, 47 percent were female.
More than half (61 percent) of the 1,140 respondents said that unnecessary stretching of the story beyond limits was the major reason that they did not watch the entire season of a historical. Gradual deviation into love or personal life of the story was another major reason for which 39 percent said that they did not watch the entire season. The other two major reasons were the unnecessary twists and introduction of unknown characters (22 percent) and the fact that the historical was not based on atrue story (18 percent). Please refer to the figure below:
Awareness of the story before viewing it on television was the highest in the case of the historical serial Jhansi ki Rani – 69 percent were aware of the story, followed by the story of Jodha Akbar with 58 percent of the respondents saying that they were aware of the story. Please refer to the figure below:
In order of preference, 55 percent (the highest) of the viewers preferred watching the GEC genre, while 17 percent (the lowest) preferred the kids’ genre.The next most preferred genre – movies was a choice of 48 percent of the respondents. News was the third most preferred genre with 34 percent followed closely behind by Music which scored 33 percent. Please refer to the figure below for content genre preferences.
The Chrome survey was carried out for the launch of the historical TV show Porus on Sony Entertainment (SET). 19 percent of the 1,373 respondents were aware about the story of Porus and Alexander. 56 percent had heard of King Alexander, while only 23 percent had heard of King Porus.
61 percent of the respondents were aware that of the launch of Porus on television, out of which 81 percent could recall that it would be aired on SET.
MUMBAI: Collective Artists Network is stepping boldly into the past to shape the future of Indian storytelling. The company has announced HistoryVerse, a sweeping new content slate dedicated to retelling India’s rich historical and mythological legacy for contemporary audiences.
Launched under the newly formed Collective Studios, the slate features eight history-inspired titles across theatrical films and web series, making it the largest such lineup announced in India to date. The stories draw inspiration from figures and traditions that have shaped the subcontinent for centuries, including Hanuman, Krishna, Shiva, Shivaji, Durga, Kali and Swami Samarth.
The already released Mahabharat series acts as the foundation stone for HistoryVerse, offering a glimpse into how deeply rooted narratives can be retold with scale, polish and a modern storytelling lens. Building on that momentum, three of the newly announced projects are being developed as feature films, while two will take the form of web series. More titles are already in various stages of development.
Collective says the focus is on detail and immersion at every step, from research and writing to visual design, aiming to make these stories feel expansive yet accessible, even for viewers who may not usually gravitate towards historical content.
Announcing the slate, Collective Artists Network founder and group CEO Vijay Subramaniam, said India’s folklore remains one of the country’s most underleveraged creative assets. “These stories sit at the heart of our culture and deserve to travel the world,” he said. “HistoryVerse is not just about films and series. It is about building an ecosystem of experiences, consumer brands and gaming that allows audiences to engage with these narratives in many ways.”
With HistoryVerse, Collective Studios is positioning itself for the long haul, betting that India’s oldest stories, told with contemporary craft, still have plenty of new ground to cover.
