Movie Channels
AXN to launch in 6 European territories on 17 October
CULVER CITY: Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE) action and adventure channel AXN is expanding its reach. AXN launches in six East European countries – Poland, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria – on 17 October.
AXN general manager for Central Europe Tom Davidson made the announcement yesterday.
AXN will feature top Hollywood, European and international programming that includes action series and movies, adventure reality and action animation aimed at thrill-seeking, advertiser friendly 18-34 year olds, says a company release. The subscription and ad-supported basic channel, will deliver local language versioned content to viewers across the region, an official release says.
While making the announcement, Davidson stated, “The response to AXN has been phenomenal. To exit the gate with one million total subscribers is a testament to the strength of the AXN proposition and confirmation that our strategy to localise in each market has been embraced by cable operators across the region.”
AXN’s primetime schedule will feature action with the latest US adventure, sci-fi and animated-action series featuring the regional premiere of Spider-Man: the Animated Series; Street Time, the urban action drama starring Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure ); Odyssey 5, the first-run, outer space adventure series starring Peter Weller (Robocop ); and the global sci-fi hits Mutant X and Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda.
Primetime will also feature a movie line-up of star-studded Hollywood and independent films like the acclaimed Boyz n the Hood with Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Jerry McGuire, the gritty crime drama Where The Day Takes You, with Christian Slater, Lara Flynn Boyle and superstar Will Smith (Men in Black I and II ); and Body Double – the Brian de Palma classic starring Melanie Griffith.
Wednesdays on AXN will take reality into a new dimension with series such as Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, hosted by Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: the New Adventures of Superman), and Worst Case Scenario – based on the global best-selling book of the same name. Adventure programming combines the best in human endeavor with breathtaking scenery from around the world in North Face Expedition, Global Adventures and the AXN global franchise property, Eco-Challenge, the world’s premier expedition race, created by Mark Burnett (Executive Producer of Survivor), added the release.
With the new launches, AXN will now reach more than 87 million households in over 46 countries throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America, the release says.
Movie Channels
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat Premieres 14 Feb on Zee
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat world TV premiere 14 Feb at 8pm passion meets politics.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s arrow just got a plot twist and it’s heading straight for your TV screen. This Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema is turning up the heat with the world television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, a raw, rule-breaking romantic drama that proves love doesn’t always come wrapped in roses.
Set to air on Saturday, 14 February at 8pm, the film stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, directed by Milap Zaveri. It dives headfirst into obsession, heartbreak, and the kind of unconditional love that leaves scorch marks. Rane plays Vikramaditya, a powerful politician whose all-consuming passion for actress Adaa spirals into chaos when his feelings go unreturned unleashing a storm of emotion, misunderstanding, and life-altering consequences.
The timing couldn’t be sharper. Audiences are clearly craving intense love stories over sugar-coated ones, and this film taps straight into that vein. Harshvardhan Rane already has a loyal fanbase from his cult hit Sanam Teri Kasam, which cemented his status as the go-to guy for heart-wrenching romance especially among younger viewers who keep the film on repeat.
Milap Zaveri captured the film’s beating heart, “This film is about love that doesn’t follow rules. With Valentine’s Day being a time when audiences gravitate towards romantic narratives, the television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on Zee Cinema felt like the perfect fit. The continued love for intense romances shows there is a strong emotional appetite for such stories.”
Rane himself called it a story rooted in messy, honest emotion, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explores love in its most intense and vulnerable form where emotions are messy and deeply human. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from passion or pain on Valentine’s Day making it even more special as it reflects the many shades of love people experience.”
Sonam Bajwa added her take, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not a conventional love story, it’s raw, intense and emotional. Valentine’s Day is usually associated with happy romance but this film explores love in its most vulnerable form.”
So if your Valentine’s plans include more than chocolates and clichés, tune in to Zee Cinema at 8pm on 14 February. Because sometimes the most unforgettable love stories aren’t the ones that end neatly, they’re the ones that leave you questioning just how far passion can push before everything changes.
