TV’s defining moments

TV’s defining moments

The 1000 episode club This will be a landmark year for TV because as many as four serials crossed 1000 episodes. In an era where serials are ruthlessly yanked off within a couple of months if they fail to garner ratings, it was no mean feat for Balika Vadhu, Uttaran, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasmah to reach the 1000 episode mark. Rajan Shahi producer of Yeh Rishta... has dubbed it the 1000-episode club and is proud to be part of it. “It’s a positive trend,” he beams. No ratings for two months From October 7 to December 19, Television Audience Measurement (TAM) had stopped releasing viewership data due to the process of digitisation in four metros. This was the first time that such a thing had happened and it created excitement and panic among the producers. Producer JD Majethia had said, “At least for two months, we don’t have to bother about ratings and will be free to concentrate on our creative conviction. We can experiment to our heart’s content. But two months later we will have to be prepared for a roller coaster ride because when the accumulative ratings come, I am sure serials that haven’t performed well will be axed within 15-20 days! I am also tightening my seat belt, but it sure will be an exciting journey!” And that’s exactly what happened. When the TRPs were out recently, it changed perceptions about the channel positioning and popularity of shows. Aamir’s TV debut After a lot of speculation Aamir Khan made his much-awaited debut on the small-screen with a socially relevant show Satyamev Jayate. It was undoubtedly the biggest thing to happen on TV this year. The issue-based show touched upon burning topics like female infanticide, child abuse, dowry and medical malpractices. Simulcast on Star network and Doordarshan, the show was highly acclaimed. Some of the issues like female infanticide had the Rajasthan government reacting adversely, while the topic of medical malpractices had the doctors up in arms. The show took superstar Aamir to another level as a social activist and had him featured on the cover of Time magazine. Mythology is back He came, he saw and he conquered. We are talking about Lord Shiv or rather the serial Devon Ka Dev Mahadev based on him. While it’s not the first mythological to trace the journey of Shiv — earlier there was Om Namah Shivay — it certainly clicked with the viewers in a big way. Producer Nikhil Sinha attributed it to the show looking and being shot in a contemporary way. Its success spawned the comeback of mythos on TV. Channel no bar The simulcast of Aamir Khan’s TV show set the ball rolling for others to follow suit. Sur Kshetra a muscial talent hunt was simulcast on Sahara One and Colors. Super Fight League was shown on Neo Sports and Zoom. Ramayan is being aired both on Zee and Doordarshan. As Dheeraj Kumar who has produced several serials on Doordarshan and satellite channels had said, “When cricket can be simulcast on various networks why not shows? It’s a positive step and augurs well for the viewers.” — Compiled by Chaya Unnikrishnan

Published Date:  Dec 31, 2012

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