MUMBAI: After successfully innovating with horror serials and mega serials, leading Malayalam regional language channel Asianet is introducing a new concept (for India at least) - a daily series that will run for exactly 11 weeks.

Asianet has now come up with a new serial Avicharitam (the unexpected) directed by KK Rajeev with the tag line: "the serial that is completed in 44 episodes." Avicharitam kicks off today, and will air Monday to Friday.

"This is the first time a channel is showing the guts to announce exactly how long a serial is going to be. Audiences have been complaining about serials that are stretched to no-where just because they are mega-serials and we decided to come up with a serial that gives the audience the exact number of episodes it would be on air," Asianet COO Mohan Nair told indiantelevision.com.

Speaking about how the channel had consolidated its leadership hold on the Malayalam language entertainment stakes, Nair said, "We have been doing very well. In the overall channel standings, Asianet has been dominating the prime time (6 pm to 11 pm) segment. Asianet's new horror serial Kadamattathu Kathanar has become a roaring hit with all sections of the audience and this has contributed to the channel's excellent ratings in recent times."

Talking about the channel's programming initiatives for the NRI Keralites, Nair said programmes like Gulf News, the Sunday news weekly Gulf Round Up and many entertainment-based programmes were targeted at the Gulf's Kerala community.

"Asianet has been initiating similar kinds of programmes for viewers in the Europe and US too," said Nair.