Movie Channels
HBO wins plaudits in Asia; takes website to a new level
For the second successive year movie channel HBO has done well in Television Asia’s regional survey. Fans from India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong responded enthusiastically.
Some categories where HBO was the top dog include Programming, Sales and Marketing, Viewer Feedback and Most Popular Channel. HBO was runner up in Best On-Air Look and came in third in Best Value for Money.
President and CEO, HBO Asia, Dan Murrell had these remarks to make: “We are very pleased and honoured to once again be recognized No.1 by the industry. As the premium movie channel in the region, we will continue to work towards creating and delivering even more value to all our viewers and partners”.
In America, meanwhile, the channel is pulling out all the stops in a bid to connect with its viewer base. On hbo.com fans of OZ, a series which runs in America, can take a 360-Degree Virtual Tour through ‘Virtual OZ’.
The series examines the lives of the correctional officers and inmates at the Oswald State Correctional Facility which is a maximum-security prison. Film director Barry Levinson (Rainman) is one of the executive producers. The ensemble cast includes Ernie Hudson (Congo), Terry Kinney (Sleepers), Dean Winters and Kirk Acevedo.
It offers a ‘First Look’ at the prison set part of the OZ Web Site which has been redesigned. Viewers will be shaken up by the harsh difficulties prisoners have to face at the correctional facility.
HBO.com started five years ago. It is created and produced by Home Box Office, the premium television programming division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. HBO has exclusive licensing deals with Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Columbia/ TriStar), Universal and Warner Bros (including New Line Cinema).
Site visitors can “walk” in a virtual world through the penitentiary by using Apple Quicktime VR, Flash 5.0. They will also be enthralled by three dimensional animation features. They can explore the halls of the experimental “Em City” and experience the intense loneliness of solitary confinement.
All this is a clear attempt on the part of the channel to build up expectation before the series’ fifth season which starts on 6 January 2002 at 10pm ET on the channel.
Virtual OZ will also offer 40 360-degree photos and what the channel terms as “hot spots” that provide information and audio clips. This is aimed at familiarising viewers with the role that the locations they visit played during past episodes.
The information and audio clips will also delve into details about the characteristics of each OZ area and provide insight on past events at that particular location.
Another new site area is “Behind OZ,”. This aims at educating viewers about how the series was made. Cast and crew members will talk about their experiences making the series.
There will also be an exclusive “sneak peek” slide show of the upcoming fifth season. “Question of The Week” contests will bestow winners with OZ merchandise. A television schedule along with an episode guide will also be on display. OZ also has a newsletter and if fans can sign up receive for show and cast information.
Movie Channels
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat Premieres 14 Feb on Zee
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat world TV premiere 14 Feb at 8pm passion meets politics.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s arrow just got a plot twist and it’s heading straight for your TV screen. This Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema is turning up the heat with the world television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, a raw, rule-breaking romantic drama that proves love doesn’t always come wrapped in roses.
Set to air on Saturday, 14 February at 8pm, the film stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, directed by Milap Zaveri. It dives headfirst into obsession, heartbreak, and the kind of unconditional love that leaves scorch marks. Rane plays Vikramaditya, a powerful politician whose all-consuming passion for actress Adaa spirals into chaos when his feelings go unreturned unleashing a storm of emotion, misunderstanding, and life-altering consequences.
The timing couldn’t be sharper. Audiences are clearly craving intense love stories over sugar-coated ones, and this film taps straight into that vein. Harshvardhan Rane already has a loyal fanbase from his cult hit Sanam Teri Kasam, which cemented his status as the go-to guy for heart-wrenching romance especially among younger viewers who keep the film on repeat.
Milap Zaveri captured the film’s beating heart, “This film is about love that doesn’t follow rules. With Valentine’s Day being a time when audiences gravitate towards romantic narratives, the television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on Zee Cinema felt like the perfect fit. The continued love for intense romances shows there is a strong emotional appetite for such stories.”
Rane himself called it a story rooted in messy, honest emotion, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explores love in its most intense and vulnerable form where emotions are messy and deeply human. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from passion or pain on Valentine’s Day making it even more special as it reflects the many shades of love people experience.”
Sonam Bajwa added her take, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not a conventional love story, it’s raw, intense and emotional. Valentine’s Day is usually associated with happy romance but this film explores love in its most vulnerable form.”
So if your Valentine’s plans include more than chocolates and clichés, tune in to Zee Cinema at 8pm on 14 February. Because sometimes the most unforgettable love stories aren’t the ones that end neatly, they’re the ones that leave you questioning just how far passion can push before everything changes.
