Movie Channels
Star One’s The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya recreates history
Mumbai, March 3, 2006: After creating history in television programming with its first season, Star One’s The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, is back with a bang! The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya (TGILCD) opened strongly with 5.06 TVR (CS4+ HSM Base). The first week’s episode, which aired on Friday, February 24 2006 between 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., burst through the TRP scales with 7 million viewers tuning-in from across the country. This nationwide search for the best comic talent, provided the viewers, the much needed – Doosra dose of Fun, Laughter and Entertainment!
Its also a double whammy for Star One as another new show – Mano Ya Na Mano, that premiered on the same day at 11:00 p.m. also made a grand entry with 2.16 TVR (CS4+ HSM Base). The response from viewers has indeed made the Channel’s new programming property absolutely – FANTASTIC!
Mr. Deepak Segal, Executive Vice President, Content, Star India Pvt Ltd, said, “After the unprecedented success of the first season, Star One’s commitment to bring the best to its viewers has been proven once again, with the outstanding debut of the Great Indian Laughter Challenge ‘Dwitiya’. We aim to sustain this level of success through such shows and reach greater heights in this year.”
The first season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, launched in June 2005 had become an instant hit amongst viewers. Redefining the ‘comedy’ genre on television, it created a never-before platform for the upcoming comedians. Today, Sunil Pal, Navin Prabhakar, Raju Shrivastav and other participants have become household names, gaining phenomenal recognition and popularity amongst viewers across the country.
TGILC Dwitiya features an impressive array of outstanding comic routines, teamed with the presence of judges – Shekhar Suman & Navjot Singh Siddhu, better known to audiences as “The Wizards of Wit”. The hostess is none other than the stunning Parizaad Kolah. Produced by Endemol, a global leader in television and other audiovisual entertainment, TGILC Dwitiya will have a total of 18 episodes. Nitin Desai of Devdas fame, has designed the fantabulous sets of this show.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
