From today onwards, it is the season of Quiz shows – at least for many in the Hindi- Telegu and Malayalam TV viewers. Today we have Big B coming on Sony. Gemini TV, SUN TV Network’s Telugu GEC Channel is all set to broadcast ‘Evaru Meelo Koteeswarulu’ by actor Jr NTR. ‘AnchinoduInchodinchu’–Malayalam version of the successful international format show “ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER” starts today on Surya TV with Suresh Gopi. Already you have at the same time band, a quiz show Oru Kodi with Flowers TV host Sreekantan Nair.
KBC comes with a steady loyal viewership and a host Big B . Now that is not enough in times of pandemic. The curtain raiser promo, Amitabh Bachchan can be heard introducing Gyaanraj. It is to be noted that Gyaanraaj is part of a team consisting of 100 scientists that work as advisors for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That takes care of the Modi Bhakths as well. Channel publicists have been active as media picked up a year back old FB post of the first winner of KBC who wrote about his squandering of Rs 5 cr prize money on business as he wanted to tell journalists that he was a successful investor. Now KBC is into the 13 th year and this year the ad volume rates are very low. Even the Tokyo Olympics ad revenue took a dip.
Moving to South. Here the two shows starting today (Aug 23) has a time slot that takes a direct face off with all favorite soaps of the rivals and leaves the weekends open for other shows to fight it off. The truth is that Surya in Kerala and Gemini in AP/TS are two crosses that the successful Sun Network has been bearing. Now pitching these two shows at 8.30 PM, it sorts of hopes to neutralize the soaps of the rival channels. The marketing guys in TV ad world says that a survey conducted post Covid 10 1 Phase says that men audience are game to sitting at home and watching quiz shows or any reality show (other than the beaten to death singing- dancing reality ones) and so also the woman and kids.
Though no one has the name of the agency who conducted the survey, TV addicts in Kerala and AP/TS say that as such the serials in top channel in these two States in 8.30 PM are boring. Flowers TV funded by chit fund owner Gokulam Gopalan who has invested his money (or investors?) in many biz and also has a stake in the Ezhava politics is pumping money to make it the top GEC. Sreekantan Nair or SK who drives the channel GEC and news 24 Hours is inching closer to Asianet . Flowers TV soaps not being able to make a dent, SK put Oru Kodi quiz show at Mon- Wednesday 8.30 PM and this was a new move. Such shows came only at weekends or Mon- Friday. It was a move to break the TRP rating hold, says Ad guys,
Surya TV guys now pitched their Quiz show at same time- same days. Now Suresh Gopi the actor – BJP RS MP has been a successful TV host and his one liner at early shows are still popular. To give a curtain raiser, we get Kunchacko Boban, youth icon as first contestant. Moving to Andhra/TS, Jr NTR is an actor whose stronghold is in rural areas. Here the ball game has a new meaning. These two States are the ones that beat all fears of exhibitors when theaters opened after the first wave and second wave. A robust theater going public is intact. Even some films that would have flopped pre- Covid time were hits.
Gemini then adds yet another film celeb – Tammannah Bhatia as host to Master Chef show starting at August 27th - Friday- Saturday 8.30 PM. It has decided to puta new serial at 8 PM- Sundari and Kaviyanjaali at 9.30 PM – Monday – Saturday.
For a film crazy State add a curtain raiser of Ram Charan (top draw and member of Chiranjeevi clan) coming as celeb contestant is ultimate. The blockbuster formula is ready to unleash. Here the TV viewers did plump in a big way for Bigg Boss hosted by actor Nagarjuna (appears at weekends). It was on Star. In Kerala, Mohanlal and Lalettan magic waned in the just concluded BB show on Asianet. In Tamil, Sun will have to face Zee coming with Survivor reality show and the next edition of Big Boss in Star Vijay hosted by Kamal Haasan.
Now we will have to wait and see whether the serial makers formula makes more money for tv channels or the quiz masters. As if competition to theaters from OTT was not enough, BB Hindi has a OTT version .
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