GECs
Surya TV banishes ‘Comedy Time’ as TRPs dip
MUMBAI: For all those who have been wondering where regional channel Surya TV’s primetime comedy programme Comedy Time has vanished, take note: it has been yanked off and is replaced with a comedy soap titled Ettu sundarikalum njanum (Eight beauties and me), which was having a good run in its previous slot as a weekend show.
Though the channel has been maintaining that Comedy Time has been taken off just for a change despite doing well, figures fail to back that theory.
“It is not that Comedy Time went down in the popularity charts. But everybody needs a change at times. The show had been going on for more than four years and now we have decided to replace it with something fresh, for a change,” a Surya TV spokesperson told indiantelevision.com.
Still, the figures tell a different tale. The average television rating (TVR) of the show for the last four weeks, according to TAM (CS 4+ Kerala 1 million+ towns) stood at 0.83 per cent, while a rival show Comedy Show on Asianet recorded a superior 5.01 per cent during the same period.
Surya TV had been constantly changing the schedule of Comedy Time of late. Both Comedy Time and Asianet’s Comedy Show were sharing the 10:00 pm slot until the former was shifted to the 10:30 pm slot. After some time, Iit was shifted to the 9:30 pm slot (approximately two months ago) before being taken off the air now.
The TAM figures of Comedy Time quoted above are of the 9:30 pm slot and it is evident that the programme couldn’t do justice to the popular slot.
Talking to Indiantelevision.com, Comedy Time’s star anchor Koottikkal Jayachandran said the decision was a collective one. When pointed out that a formal announcement regarding this was not made, he agreed that the audiences should have been informed about it.
He also expressed his ignorance about the ‘decision’ to telecast the final episode on 19 June.
Jayachandran, who won an award for best television anchor this year, has been taking up acting assignments in Malayalam films. His latest film, Freedom, is due for release this August.
Speaking about his future plans, he said he is currently ideating a show that will be co-produced by him. He revealed that he was in talks with some channels and would take some time to get it on air.
“Our aim is to come up with a different show altogether. So, naturally it is going to take some time,” said Jayachandran.
Jayachandran was hopeful that he would be able to return to his viewers, who have made him what he is now, at the earliest.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
