MUMBIA: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited classic movies channel Zee Classic that has 300 exclusive titles from the 1940?s to the 1970?s will be rolling out the second phase of the ?The Classic Cut? film festival that pays tribute to the greatest films and icons of Indian Cinema.

The channel has partnered with Big 92.7FM, DNA, Dish TV and PVR theatres to reach out and spread awareness about the activity.

After the success of the first edition held in February this year, the channel is back again to carry forward the promise of bringing the magic of the ?Evergreen Age? of Hindi Cinema to its audiences beyond the television screen.
This time around, ?The Classic Cut? Film Festival will re-release four iconic Bollywood movies - Sholay, Karz, Seeta aur Geeta and Deewar in PVR theatres. The movies will be shown in a by invite only event in Mumbai on 21 April and in Delhi on 28 April.

ZEEL Hindi Movie Cluster business head Mohan Gopinath said, "Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Zee Classic, we?re fortunate to have a treasure trove of both. With ?The Classic Cut? Film Festival we?re thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these masterpieces and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen. True to our word, Zee Classic will re-release Sholay, Karz, Seeta aur Geeta and Deewar on the big screen in Mumbai and Delhi. This is a rare opportunity for all the cinema aficionados to watch cult movies in theatres. The festival will begin in Mumbai and Delhi and will be taken to other towns subsequently. We are also utilizing this opportunity to connect with the loyal viewers of Zee Classic and invite them over to enjoy the extravaganza in Mumbai and Delhi."

MUMBAI: Airing every night at 9 pm in March, Animal Planet?s new series ?Wild Recon? will feature adventurer Donald Schultz, who faces some of the Earth?s mightiest, deadliest and most fascinating creatures in their natural habitats.

It?s one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet, but animal adventurer, adrenaline junkie and venom expert Schultz is willing to risk his own life to do it. Whether harvesting venom from the fangs of deadly black mamba in South Africa, collecting deadly jelly fish tentacles off the remote coasts of Papua New Guinea, or bringing down a 400-pound wild African lion to get a blood sample, Donald is fearless in the worldwide pursuit of bio-specimens for research and potential new scientific discoveries.While other children were out playing soccer, nine-year-old Schultz was busy catching and handling the deadliest snakes on the planet.

He is willing to do a job no one else dares. With support from veterinarians and animal researchers, he travels to remote and jeopardous locales to collect venom and rare DNA critical to cataloguing species and research that will one day save countless lives.

Whether harvesting venom from deadly black mambas in Mozambique, collecting lethal jellyfish tentacles off the remote coasts of Australia, chasing and relocating charging elephants in Sri Lanka, or bringing down a 600-pound wild African lion to get a blood sample in South Africa, Donald is fearless in the worldwide pursuit of bio-specimens for research and potential new scientific discoveries that he hopes will save lives. As Donald himself says, "This is not a stunt; this is my job.

"He said, "The work I do on ?Wild Recon? is literally my life?s work. I?ve been going on these adventurous missions for years and now the series spotlights the jeopardy that I enjoy in collecting these samples on behalf of the research community. I?ve dedicated my entire life to working with animals.

"Born and raised in South Africa, Donald was the youngest person ever to give venomous snake demonstrations at the Fitzsimons Snake Park. But catching, caring for and studying snakes were not enough. Now, Donald travels the globe tracking down dangerous creatures, all in the name of science. He uses his animal acumen and taste for adrenaline for a greater cause, risking his own life for research that may one day save the lives of animals and humans.

Hiking through thick jungle undergrowth, diving to depths of hundreds of feet to sample shark species or skydiving into hard-to-get-to habitats, Donald stops at nothing to complete his mission. In addition, his missions are a race against the clock as he must get his fragile samples out of the field and into the lab for the next stage of work to commence. With Donald?s help, researchers will hopefully unlock the mysteries of animal DNA, identify the blueprint for undiscovered anti-venom or even one day find a cure for a life-threatening disease.

He works closely with researchers at zoos, universities, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and especially local governments and communities to assess their needs and identify what research could be critical to their ongoing studies.

MUMBAI: BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson has set sights on making BBC the hallmark of quality drama and the automatic home for the best talent in the world.

Speaking at an event for writers, actors, industry and press in the UK, Stephenson said that BBC and drama are inseparable. "It is written through the BBC like a stick of rock. No other broadcaster in the world has drama so firmly in its DNA.?

Setting out his vision for the genre and looking forward to new horizons, Stephenson?s aim is to build a BBC drama department that has an enormous international reputation. "That means making us more British than ever - it is about applying the Danny Boyle vision to our work - a bold, adventurous, authorial approach that exports because of its Britishness not despite it. A BBC that feels inspiringly creative - where there is a buzz and creativity and anything goes optimism.?

He signalled the dawning of a new era of ambition with the arrival of a new DG. ?Lord Hall and I have had early talks about the BBC as a cultural organisation with an international reputation, one to make us proud and that strengthens our creative muscles. I want to make BBC drama a cultural institution ? a touchstone for quality and modernity with all the excitement and glamour of a curtain going up."

Stephenson announced a range of new commissions. One of them is ?Atlantis?. The city of Atlantis is a mysterious, ancient place; a world of bull leaping, of snake haired goddesses and of palaces so vast it was said they were built by giants.

It?s into this realm that the young Jason arrives and an amazing adventure begins, bringing to life the vast store of Greek myths and legends re-imagined for a new generation in the 13-part series.

The shooting for this series will begin in Wales and Morocco in April.

?Death Comes To Pemberley? is another show lined up for launch. Adapted from P.D James? novel in this 200th anniversary year of the first publication of ?Pride & Prejudice?, P.D James? homage to Austen brings the world to life. Set six years after ?Pride & Prejudice? ends and centering on Austen?s best-known characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, the three-parter combines classic period drama with a highly suspenseful and brilliantly crafted murder mystery plot.

?The Interceptor? is an eight-part series about a top secret, state of the art law enforcement team whose unswerving mission is to hunt down some of Britain?s most dangerous and ruthless criminals. ?Jamaica Inn is a new adaptation of the classic Daphne du Maurier novel, set in 1820 against the foreboding backdrop of windswept Cornish moors, this highly charged, gothic romance follows young Mary Yellan as she becomes entangled in a dangerous criminal world ridden with smuggling and murder, testing her resolve and morality to the very core.

For BBC Four, there is ?Burton And Taylor? which is about volatile ex-lovers in the story of their ill-fated appearance in a 1983 revival of Noel Coward?s stage play, Private Lives. ?Burton and Taylor? is a drama about one of the most fascinating, glamorous and tempestuous relationships of the 20th century, that of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, the two most famous movie stars of their day who played out every high and low of their love affair, their marriages and divorces right in the public eye.

Also as part of the BBC?s blockbuster celebrations to mark the Doctor turning 50, fans will be able to see ?Doctor Who? in 3D! To be broadcast using some of the BBC?s HD capacity, the show?s lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat said, ?It?s about time. Technology has finally caught up with Doctor Who and your television is now bigger on the inside. A whole new dimension of adventure for the Doctor to explore.