Event Coverage
BVITV brings live action and animation to Mipcom
MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) will bring seven new live action network series to the MIPCOM international TV market. The seven new live action series include five, one hour dramas and one new comedy.
The new one hour drama will be the dark, comedic Desperate Housewives, a witty, dark look at suburbia, the series follows the truth behind the apparent domestic bliss of a group of wives, narrated through the eyes of Mary Alice, a deceased former resident of their upmarket suburb.
The other drama, Lost is about the survivors of a plane crash are forced to live with each other on a remote island – a dangerous new world posing unique threats of its own.
Grey’s Anatomy, the drama about the professional and personal lives of young interns in a surgical training program at a Seattle hospital. Kevin Hill is a drama where Taye Diggs stars as a young attorney who gives up his playboy lifestyle to raise his ten-month old niece after his cousin dies unexpectedly, informs the offical communique.
Life as we know it features three hormone-charged teenage boys who are trying to grow up without totally freaking out. BVITV’s new half-hour comedy will be Rodney, based around the stand-up routine of US comedian Rodney Carrington.
Also being launched at MIPCOM is The Days is another set of drama following the life of a modern American family, with two ambitious parents and three strong-minded kids, as they grapple with humorous and tough change-of-life issues. This series marks the first project under a unique programming partnership between the ABC Television Network and advertising agency MindShare North America, informs the company release.
BVITV will present W.I.T.C.H. to its clients, an animated series combining epic adventure, comedy, magic and realism. It follows the adventures of five teen heroines who possess the superpowers of the elements.
The series was born out of a Disney Publishing comic serie, and comes from the Jetix Europe portfolio of programming, of which BVITV services the distribution. Also from the Jetix portfolio is Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!’, a futuristic, fun, animated action series about Chiro, a young boy defending his home against the evil Skeleton King, aided by a team of five Super Robot Monkey warriors.
This year, BVITV will be taking seven returning live action series to the market, with the high-octane drama Alias which will starring Jennifer Garner, According to Jim (with Jim Belushi), 8 Simple Rules, Scrubs, Less than Perfect and ‘My Wife and Kids’. The family comedy Hope & Faith, starring Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa, launched at MIPCOM 2003, will return for a second season.
At MIPCOM, BVITV will be talking to its clients about local development of the formats Extreme Makeover, The Amazing Race and The Family, through its portfolio development group, headed up by vice president Philippe Maigret.
EMEA senior vice president and managing director Tom Toumazis, at BVITV commented: “Our line-up of new one hour dramas is already showing strong international appeal, and we are looking forward to be able to show our clients more of these series down at MIPCOM, as they are currently in production. In addition, to be able to offer eagerly-anticipated kids properties like W.I.T.C.H. and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, returning series and formats will give our slate a broad appeal going into the market.”
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
