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For the flagship channel of the Star network, it could be
a tall order retaining a hold on audiences in the 9 PM slot
after 9 January. But lest it be said that the channel is
not trying its best, Star is lining up a variety of new
shows on all bands to keep those fickle viewers from reaching
for the remote.
A
strong line up of soaps is waiting to be unleashed on the
channel as the year draws to a close. The channel has also
packed in telecasts of a variety of events to ensure that
the TRPs remain on a high.
The strongest weapon in Star's arsenal is Kamzor Kadii
Kaun, the Indian cousin of BBC's The Weakest Link,
which will be Star's Christmas gift to viewers. Beginning
25 December at 9 PM, Neena Gupta takes on a bunch of participants
in a keen battle for intellectual survival and a prize kitty
of Rs 2.5 million. Siddharth Basu directs the show produced
by BBC Worldwide in association with Star India.
Wednesdays 9 PM will be taken over by Sanjivani,
a Cinevista Communications creation set around hospital
life and the lives of four young doctors, and loosely structured
like the hugely popular US show, ER. Beginning 16 January,
the serial is directed by Kaushik Ghatak, and stars Mohnish
Behl, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajiv Verma and Daisy Irani.
KBC Junior at 10 am on Sundays will be replaced by
Bol Baby Bol, a show on which 10 children get to ask questions
while adults guess the answers. Hosted by Manoj Pawa, it
is an adaptation of Small Talk, produced by Freemantle
India.
Immediately following on from 10:30 to 11 am there is Yehi
Hai Right Price, a game show that begins 6 January.
The format for this one has been picked up from a successful
original, The Price is Right. Host Ronit Roy invites
participants from among the audience to test their consumer
knowledge and walk away with a host of products. Remember
Tol Mol Ke Bol hosted by Ritu Raj on Zee TV a couple
of years ago anyone?
A
talk show, Kashmakash also makes its debut on 4 January
at 3 PM Anchored by Renuka Shahane and written by Sathya
Saran, the programme deals with marital and other problems,
with experts providing solutions. Also in line is Wajood,
a four part series directed by Sukhwant Dhadda that kicks
off on 3 January at 8 PM Set in Punjab, it weaves a story
of family feuds, misunderstandings and revenge. It stars
Kanwaljit Singh, Ashish Chowdhary and Shraddha Nigam.
Saturday
noons from 5 January will be dominated by the three headstrong
protagonists of Eeena Meena Deeka, a whacky sitcom
about three single women who hate to believe it's a man's
world and are out to change it. This one boasts of Reena
Roy, Anita Raaj and Asha Sachdev in lead roles. All three
are filmstars from the eighties era who are now trying to
make their presence felt on TV.
Star
Plus has also filled in all the Sundays of January 2002
with proposed telecasts of glamorous events in the past
months. Beginning with the Hero Honda Indian Television
Academy Awards at 8 PM on 6 January, the channel will also
show the Raymond International Fashion Awards at 11 am and
the Best of Screen Awards at 8 PM on 13 January, the 8th
annual Star Screen Awards at 8 PM on 20 January and a concert,
Celebration of a Nation at 8 PM on 27 January. Hosted by
lyricist Javed Akhtar, the concert features Sukhvinder,
Abhijeet, Jaspinder Narula, Kumar Sanu, Usha Uthup and veteran
singer Mahendra Kapoor. Star's Republic Day treat for viewers
is J P Dutta's Border.
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