News Broadcasting
Nippon & Envision announce first scripted co-production ‘Connected’
Mumbai: Having announced their co-production partnership last year where the two companies plan to combine their “Western and Eastern sensibilities” to develop new scripted projects for the global market, Nippon TV – Japan’s multiplatform entertainment powerhouse and Envision Entertainment – the London-based content production company on Tuesday announced their first project together entitled – “Connected.”
“Connected” is an innovative crime drama series taking place largely online, perfect for today’s world defined by hybrid communication. The concept was inspired by Nippon TV’s successful scripted series “Double Booking,” produced and broadcast in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, and the same production team led by Nippon TV’s creative director Itaru Mizuno is participating in this project, said the statement.
The worldwide format rights for “Connected” will be offered for the first time at the upcoming Series Mania Forum with a special showcase set for 22 March in Lille.
“What we believe is strong about ‘Connected’ is its relatability you may see in young fresh heroes and their struggles, not necessarily charismatic but charming, and that is how these multilayered and globally expanding stories are told through online and offline world just like how we experience these days,” commented Nippon TV business producer for international business development Sayako Aoki. “We will be thrilled to see Japanese ‘episode zero’ lead to UK version and to numerous more opportunities, diversifying the universe invented through this East-West collaboration.”
The Japanese version of “Connected” will air in Japan on Nippon TV in April. Envision Entertainment and Nippon TV are simultaneously in advanced development for a UK version of the series, which is set in the same shared universe.
“We are immensely proud of our work with Nippon TV on ‘Connected,’ an infinitely flexible crime format which can combine stories in any number of languages and territories in an unobtrusive and believable way,” said Envision Entertainment chief content officer Michael Nakan. “Our unique approach to hybrid communication between characters is a million miles away from forced ‘Europudding’ co-productions and offers a genuinely seamless opportunity to tell stories with local resonance and international scale. We look forward to working with partners around the world to develop a truly global group of homebound detectives.”
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
