English Entertainment
FX & FX HD to premiere M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Wayward Pines’
MUMBAI: FX and FX HD are all geared up to premiere the sci-fi thriller series Wayward Pines.
Going on air from 22 February, the series will air every Monday to Friday at 9 pm.
Wayward Pines is directed by M. Night Shyamalan and developed by Chad Hodge for television.
Shyamalan said, “Well, I got the first book before it was published — maybe two, three months before — from a producer and read the book in one day and completely flipped out. I turned those pages as fast as I could and immediately knew that I had to turn it into a show. I was so grabbed by the single-player story-telling; I kind of like to call it. You’re really with Matt Dillion’s character, Ethan, and you’re feeling the experience of coming into this town with him and you’re kind of really in his head. People stare at him as he interacts with this crazy nurse and this crazy sheriff — why isn’t anybody talking to him? So it’s really almost like you’re in his head and I felt the same way when I was reading the book.”
The series stars Matt Dillon (Ethan Burke), as a US secret service agent investigating the disappearance of two fellow agents in the mysterious small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. Ethan awakens from a car accident unable to contact the outside world, and unable to leave. He finds one of the agents dead and the other, his former lover Kate Hewson played by Carla Gugino, settled down in the seemingly idyllic town. But the inhabitants of Wayward Pines are trapped there by a set of rules enforced by the strict Sheriff Arnold Pope enacted by Terrence Howard, and any attempt to escape is punished by a public execution known as a reckoning. Ethan works to discover the truth, and has to make hard choices when he does.
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.
