English Entertainment
New primetime spy series on Star World
MUMBAI: From the co-writer of Shaft and Armageddon comes a new complex action-thriller focusing on the secret lives and private demons of an elite US Justice department crime fighting unit that confronts the country’s deadliest, most untouchable lawbreakers by going undercover to bust them.
Starting tomorrow 14 September on Star World, the new series explores the dark and mysterious world of undercover espionage in the new series UC: Undercover every Tuesday primetime slot 9 pm.
The crime fighting unit is headed by authoritative Donovan (Oded Fehr, The Mummy) and has undercover agents Jake Shaw (Jon Seda) and Alex Cross (Vera Farmiga), psychological profiler Monica Davis (Bruklin Harris, Dangerous Minds) and young techno-wizard Cody, played by Jarrad Paul, who runs all of the high-tech surveillance operations that the team conducts. The team often butts heads with Paul Bloom (Brian Markinson, “Enemy of the State”), their obstructive and fiercely ambitious, career-climbing Justice department boss.
As a federal team, the group can respond to emergencies all over the country, taking down ‘elite’ bank robbers, drug kingpins, domestic terrorists, spies, jewel thieves and dirty cops.
The series shows the taut, cat-and-mouse game played by the undercover agents as they attempt to infiltrate the lives of a gallery of criminals, including murderous master thief Jack ‘Sonny’ Walker (William Forsythe, The Rock) and imprisoned drug lord Carlos Cortez (Steven Bauer, Traffic).
The series also explores the psychological toll undercover work takes on the agents who play this deadly game of false identities and who commit treachery as a daily profession.
Watch without being seen, listen without being heard, and seduce without being seduced-that’s what this team of agents and experts do as they use cutting-edge technology to surveil criminals and extraordinary courage and skill to take them off the streets.
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.
