Cable TV
George Lucas to make 3D TV series of Star Wars
MUMBAI: Star Wars creator George Lucas has agreed to write 100 one-hour episodes for television to be shown in 3D.
The series is being produced by Rick McCullum and is expected to spark a big-money bidding war between the BBC and ITV, reports said.
“Writers will soon start work to prepare for filming and release in 2008, said McCallum adding, ” The series will introduce “a whole bunch of new characters” and be “much more dramatic and darker”. George Lucas has committed himself to writing the Star Wars TV series. It’ll all be new because the originals will be too old.”
They will fill in the missing years between 2005’s prequel, Revenge Of The Sith, and original film Star Wars, made in 1977. The TV series will focus on the rise of Darth Vader’s dark empire and will feature original actor Anthony Daniels, who played robot C-3P0.
The Star Wars films are among the most popular ever made and tell the story of the descent into evil of Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker and his redemption by son, Luke.
Cable TV
Den Networks Q3 profit steady despite revenue pressure
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.








