Fatal attraction
Industry experts throw light on crime-based shows on the tube being a hit with viewers
It's not just fictional drama, love sagas or saas-bahu soaps that are widely popular on TV. Crime shows seem to be the most-watched on the tube at the moment. However, such shows have been a hit ever since Doordarshan days. Remember the detective series Byomkesh Bakshi, the Indian version of Sherlock Holmes?
Over a period of time, crime-based shows have become more realistic in their storylines. Danish Khan, Sony's senior VP and head of marketing, feels the thrill factor makes them popular. "Crime-based shows have always been a refreshing break for the audience from daily soaps, as they have a new story in each episode. Also, in India we all love our thalis and the same applies to our TV viewing palate. So, crime shows add the much-needed spice. Also, with real incidents projected, like in Crime Patrol, makes the audience aware of the reason behind a crime and alerts them to be cautious. CID and Adalat are more on the lines of thrillers where they bust difficult cases with ease. So there is always an audience for such shows."
When it comes to English channels too, crime shows are easily the most viewed. Think Dexter, CSI, Bones, Prison Break, Lie To Me, Castle, Navy NCIS, Cops, Harper's Island, Sherlock, White Collar, Law & Order and the list is endless. Rohit Bhandari, AVP of AXN and Animax India, says, "The biggest attraction that viewers have towards crime is the crime plot, which generally centers around murder. The methodology and the innovativeness of crime solving is what brings viewers back to these shows on a weekly basis."
While there is no fixed audience for crime programs, the fact that cases are solved under an hour keeps one excitedly glued to such shows. Says Nikhil Mirchandani, business head, television channels, Reliance Broadcast Network, "If crime rates increase, the need for creating awareness and consuming such edgy content also increases. The genre is one that is promising and the BIG CBS Channels are already playing the opportunist."
There's however a stark contrast in crime shows on English channels and their Hindi counterparts. Nikhil explains, "Often it is real-life crime stories that get made into TV shows. The stories are the same — brother kills brother, family feuds, incest and so on. The style of serving probably differs since the audiences receiving them consume it differently."
Rohit reasons that the difference lies in the production quality of the international shows which are produced using high quality graphics and visual effects, hence stressing on an attention to detail, while explaining the process of crime solving.
Industry experts throw light on crime-based shows on the tube being a hit with viewers
 | |
It's not just fictional drama, love sagas or saas-bahu soaps that are widely popular on TV. Crime shows seem to be the most-watched on the tube at the moment. However, such shows have been a hit ever since Doordarshan days. Remember the detective series Byomkesh Bakshi, the Indian version of Sherlock Holmes?
Over a period of time, crime-based shows have become more realistic in their storylines. Danish Khan, Sony's senior VP and head of marketing, feels the thrill factor makes them popular. "Crime-based shows have always been a refreshing break for the audience from daily soaps, as they have a new story in each episode. Also, in India we all love our thalis and the same applies to our TV viewing palate. So, crime shows add the much-needed spice. Also, with real incidents projected, like in Crime Patrol, makes the audience aware of the reason behind a crime and alerts them to be cautious. CID and Adalat are more on the lines of thrillers where they bust difficult cases with ease. So there is always an audience for such shows."
When it comes to English channels too, crime shows are easily the most viewed. Think Dexter, CSI, Bones, Prison Break, Lie To Me, Castle, Navy NCIS, Cops, Harper's Island, Sherlock, White Collar, Law & Order and the list is endless. Rohit Bhandari, AVP of AXN and Animax India, says, "The biggest attraction that viewers have towards crime is the crime plot, which generally centers around murder. The methodology and the innovativeness of crime solving is what brings viewers back to these shows on a weekly basis."
While there is no fixed audience for crime programs, the fact that cases are solved under an hour keeps one excitedly glued to such shows. Says Nikhil Mirchandani, business head, television channels, Reliance Broadcast Network, "If crime rates increase, the need for creating awareness and consuming such edgy content also increases. The genre is one that is promising and the BIG CBS Channels are already playing the opportunist."
There's however a stark contrast in crime shows on English channels and their Hindi counterparts. Nikhil explains, "Often it is real-life crime stories that get made into TV shows. The stories are the same — brother kills brother, family feuds, incest and so on. The style of serving probably differs since the audiences receiving them consume it differently."
Rohit reasons that the difference lies in the production quality of the international shows which are produced using high quality graphics and visual effects, hence stressing on an attention to detail, while explaining the process of crime solving.
No comments:
Post a Comment