English Entertainment
Star World Premier HD to air M. Night Shyamalan’s megahit series ‘Wayward Pines’
MUMBAI: Wayward Pines the masterful adaptation of the ‘Wayward Pines’ novels by eminent sci-fi and mystery author Blake Crouch and its impeccable direction by M Night Shyamalan was a surprise hit of summer 2015 and its Season 2 has proved to be even more nerve-wrecking than before! The Abbies’ invasion, a leap forward in time – one that suggests that everything has only gotten worse, has brought viewers back to the small town of Wayward Pines with a storyline better and bolder than before!
Rightfully, as the second season continued to get better and scarier as weeks flew by, the assemblage of stars, two time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond), Jason Patric (Speed, My Sister’s Keeper) and BAFTA nominated Nimrat Kaur ( Airlift, Lunch Box) exhibited their characters to the tee keeping audiences hooked to the series.
On choosing to star in Wayward Pines as the main cast member of a television series for the first time ever, Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou said, “I think TV offers you a platform in which you can – when you’re doing a film, you’re doing that film, and it’s that theme that you’re exploring in the film. But when you’re doing TV, you explore so many different themes.” He also spoke about the chemistry between the stars on the set, “At the end of the day when we finish, we wrap for the day. And we all interact with each other.”
The penultimate episode showed the revival of the Abbies’ leader – Margaret and the finale episode ‘Bedtime Story’ is all set to have the Abbies’ descend upon the town of Wayward Pines. To add to the misery the town’s leader Jason is dead, a highly intensified war between the human race and the Abbies is on the cards and everyone who is human is trying to save their lives. But there aren’t enough cryo-chambers, the only means of saving them, to contain them all and Theo is faced with a decision that could seal the fate of humanity. Will Theo Yedlin (Jason Patric), Theo’s wife Rebecca (Nimrat Kaur) and C.J. Mitchum (Djimon Hounsou) step up their game and finally find a way to save town?
Now that Jason is dead, will Theo be the next leader or will Theo, Rebecca and Mitchum together find a way to save the human race?
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.
