The soap dish is not the only one that has the fun element. There are many other programmes that are much more richer in content, quality entertainment value but get missed due to primetime serials. SANGEETA YADAV brings you a few such shows on the small screen that may not be rolling in TRPs but are a must watch
For those of the opinion that there is nothing to much watch on the telly outside the soapdish, here is a reality check. Saas-bahu serials and reality shows are happening yes, but not entirely. There are many others which are not only informative but come with a high entertainment quotient.
There are shows that unravel the mysteries of the universe and talk about how and why ufologists believe Earth has alien visitations. Ancient Aliens takes the viewer on a journey that is not only brilliant in content but intriguing too. Then there How It’s Made on Discovery Science. The show is a tell-all on how things are made — from custom-built motorhomes to a simple leather wallet. If science doesn’t interest you there, Fox Traveller takes you on an exotic food trail in Food Safari. It’s about global culinary delights, talking not just about how a dish is made, but also its history.
And it isn’t just English shows that are qualitative. Shows like glorious years of Hindi cinema through Classic legends by Javed Akhtar and Tamas (a re-run) on History TV18 are a welcome change. The latest to join this line is filmmaker Shekher Kapur’s Pradhan Mantri, a political reality show on ABP News.
“People have written to me praising the show’s format and the rich content. That is the charm of informative shows. TV is a powerful medium to bring social change. When I did Udaan, it left its mark. I wanted to do a similar show and when ABP approached me, I was thrilled. I get a little frustrated sometimes that a five-hour educational and an eye-opening show has to be presented in one hour,” Kapur, also busy scripting for his movie Paani, says.
Then there is Wah Wah Kya Baat Hai (SAB TV) that brings the best of the Hindi and Urdu poets on a common platform. “There is a huge talent of poets. When the show was launched a year back, many poets approached us to. like any other art form, poetry is also contemporary and we try to present it in a way that today’s generation understands and enjoys it. The aim is to bring the family together and listen to the best hasya kavis,” Shailesh lodha, show’s host tells you.
Seconds Kapur. “When I shoot for Pradhan Mantri, I’ve a mental picture of a family coming watching the show. Usually, a woman wants to watch saas-bahu serials, the husband wants to watch news and the children cartoons. Keeping this in mind, I ask if myself I can make a programme that will hold them together. That’s the biggest challenge for informative shows,” Kapur says, adding that anchoring has been a great learning experience.
The downer for such shows is that there aren’t many takers despite the brilliance. The problem, experts opine, is that not many people are even aware that such programmes are on air. Most informative shows air on weekdays at primetime. This is when one is glued to soaps.
This doesn’t mean that shows like River Monsters on Animal Planet which talk about some of the most bizarre looking and dangerous fish found in rivers of the world, including the dreaded killer catfish that feeds on dead bodies in India, don’t have a viewership. The show that airs every Wednesday at 9 pm has a niche audience. “TV has a lot of content to offer. If one wants an alternative to soap, there is plenty of all genres,” Kapur says.
The reason why such shows are not well-known is because these shows draw a parallel to the common man’s real life and the viewer finds a connect. “In an informative show, the content is interesting, the way it is put across doesn’t catch the imagination,” Kapur opines.
A classic example of this is Wah Wah…. The one-hour show aired at primetime had a great opening. But slowly, the TRPs dipped to 1.6. However, the show never lacked in content. “Even with low TRPs, we’re getting a good response. Whenever we do live shows offair, they are packed. That reflects the show’s popularity. When you put fictional and non-fictional show together on the same time slot, the majority will go to fiction because people relate to it,” lodha explains.
Veteran poet, lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akthar’s Classic legends (Zee Cinema) which on aired in 2011 became such a hit that the channel came up with Season 2. The programme is not just an encyclopaedia on the golden era of Hindi cinema. It also boasts of the largest library of digitally re-mastered classic movies with over 500 exclusive titles, encapsulate Indian Hindi cinema from 1940 to 1970.
“I enjoyed hosting Classic legends. I had grown up watching the actors and directors of that era. It was very nostalgic for me as I recalled them in each episode. I didn’t need a script to talk about them since I have lived in that era . Of course, there was a bit of research work like finding the dates and years. What made the show a hit was each episode is an encyclopaedia in itself,” Akthar says. For those who love to dabble in the nether world, catch the fictional show Supernatural on AXN. The show takes the viewer on a thrilling and terrifying journey of the Winchester brothers battling every kind of paranormal entity that visits earth.
“The challenge is to educate the viewer of such programmes. To begin with, people wanted to just watch saas-bahu shows but the audience has now grown up and wants to watch programmes that are rich in content, are slick and have an entertainment value. This transition is slow. Gradually they will want to watch shows that stimulate their intellect. Even daily soaps are changing their content and exploring new paths,” Arpit Mankar, programming head, AXN says.