English Entertainment
‘ER’ ropes in actor Ray Liotta for real time episode
MUMBAI: In a bid to revive interest in its hospital drama ER , NBC has announced that an episode in November will be shot in real time. This stunt was first adopted by Fox’s 24.
Actor Ray Liotta who became big in 1990 playing the lead in Martin Scorcese’ s Goodfellas has a guest role. The episode will follow every moment of Liotta’s hospital visit.
An AP report adds that he plays an alcoholic ex-con with cirrhosis of liver and a bunch of other problems. In India, ER airs on Zee English.
The show’s co-producer David Zable was quoted in The Herald Sun saying, “We also have never tracked one patient the whole time through the show. We really had to mine each moment for drama.”
Meanwhile the shows new season premieres in the US on 23 September. Another report in The Hollywood Reporter quoted Zabel who wrote the script saying that the Ray Liotta episode will consist of 44 consecutive minutes of his treatment and his interactions with the staff.
Casting continues to shift on ER with Alex Kingston leaving her role as Dr. Corday and Shane Alexander and Madchen Amick joining the cast.
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.
