English Entertainment
Fox buckles under pressure, pulls off ‘homophobic’ show
MUMBAI: Fox Television has buckled under the pressure from homosexual activists and has pulled off their gay reality show Seriously, Dude, I’m Gay from its television series lineup.
According to a media report, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad) commended Fox’s decision to cancel the show before it aired.The two-hour reality show featured two straight men competing for a prize of $50,000 by fooling people into believing they’re homosexual. Glaad expressed “grave concerns” about the show, after Fox allowed the group to prescreen it.
“Fox deserves a lot of credit for doing the right thing here. They offered us an advance copy of the show and were incredibly responsive to our grave concerns. They worked with us to schedule a meeting and preempted that meeting with a decision to shelve the show,” Glaad executive director Joan Garry was quoted as saying in a media report.
The media report added that Fox had now invited Glaad representatives to participate in a larger meeting about the way the network depicts the “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.”
Earlier Fox had issued an official release describing the new show as “a heterosexual male’s worst nightmare: turning gay overnight.” The release also said the contestants would be judged by a “jury of their queers.” But after the language used in the release was criticised by Glaad, Fox apologized and released a revised version of the release.
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.
