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FremantleMedia brings entertainment to the floor at NATPE 2006
MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID), the distribution arm of content company FremantleMedia, comes to NATPE 2006 in Las Vegas with a diverse range of entertainment titles.
NATPE 2006 takes place from 24-26 January 2006.
American Idol will headline Fremantle’s entertainment slate. FID presents the ffith Season. This will launch on Fox on 17 January, 2006. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson lend their professional expertise and often unwanted criticism, as they search to discover the next American Idol.
Fremantle points out that the first season grew until over 35 million viewers tuned in for the finale, Season 2 gained ratings up to 91% higher than Season 1, while Seasons 3 and 4 became the highest rated series in the US in the 2003-2005 seasons.
Fremantle will also bring Project Runway to NATPE. Hosted by Heidi Klum, this reality series that gives 12 talented and hungry fashion designers the opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to have their line shown in front of the global fashion community in New York and displayed in the pages of Elle magazine. To earn this honour they must compete against each other in a series of challenges to determine who has what it takes to be the next “It” designer.
In India the show will air on Discovery Travel and Living later this year.
FID will also present the fourth season of the business based reality show The Apprentice. At NATPE FID will debut Martha. This series is the media icon’s latest offering in which Martha interacts with members of the public in the live studio audience, on the street, and even in their homes. She also welcomes some of her favourite celebrity friends to chat. Combining Martha’s signature sense of humour with her love of people and projects, the show presents inspiring ideas from cooking and entertaining, to decorating and home renovation.
Then there is the game show Distraction. This combines ridiculously simple trivia questions with hilarious concentration-breakers. Whether it’s naming three types of cheese while being electrocuted or multiplying seven by eight without blinking, the contestants do not get an easy ride.
Man Stroke Woman is a new sketch show about girlfriends, boyfriends, one’s kids and the girl one fancies in the accounts department.
The duo Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie uncover the dirty secrets of Britain’s filthiest homes in How Clean Is Your House? Armed with little more than a pair of rubber gloves and some valuable household advice, they persuade the unhygienic, the messy and the downright disgusting to clean up their act. Along the way, they reveal some horrifying facts about the bugs and microbes lurking in our homes. The US version of the series, also featuring Kim and Aggie, garnered an audience of 1.6 million viewers when it debuted on Lifetime.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
