English Entertainment
Discovery bags 6 of 17 awards at Wildscreen
BRISTOL (UK): Discovery Networks has bagged six Wildscreen Panda awards at Wildscreen, the world’s largest wildlife film festival.
The Discovery Channel won four awards and The Learning Channel (TLC) and Animal Planet won one award each, from the 350 odd films from 30 countries which were in the fray. TLC and Animal Planet are both first time winners of this award, says a release.
Blue Planet: Seas Of Life, the award winning eight-hour series about the Earth’s marine environment, received three awards; Best Music, Best Series and The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Golden Panda Award for the best film of Wildscreen 2002 for the “Introduction” programme of the series Ocean World. The series is a co-production of the Discovery Channel and BB Worldwide.
Discovery Channel’s Lion Battlefield, a drama of the African plains and the complex territorial battles between plants, insects and the great mammals, won the Parthenon Entertainment Award for Innovation. The series is co-produced by the Discovery Channel and BBC Natural History Unit.
The Panda-in-the-Pocket Award, given to out-of-the- ordinary productions that bring fresh light to the natural world but do not fit into specific categories, went to TLC for Living With Bugs: War Of Two Worlds. The two 50 minute films combine the very best macroscopic imagery with the most intimate of human stories to create a unique bug’s eye view of our planet, our homes and our body, states an official release. The series is a co-production of TLC and Oxford Scientific Films and Granada Productions.
The award for Best Editing Wildlife , was bagged by Animal Planet’s On One: Iguanas Living Like Dinosaurs. The series which explores the social lives of iguanas and their distinct similarities to dinosaurs, is a co-production of Animal Planet and BBC Worldwide.
Wildscreen is the world’s biggest and most prestigious festival of wildlife film, television and new media. The conference and film competition has takes place in Bristol, UK, every two years since 1982. Run by The Wildscreen Trust, a registered UK charity, it is presented in association with WWF-UK (World Wide Fund for Nature).
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
