Star World, Zee Cafe to air 'fresh' seasons this December

Ankit Jain - Televisionpoint.com | Mumbai
Want to know whether Nathan Petrelli dies in the next season of Heroes or whether the new 90210 lives up to the hype created by its predecessor? You don't have to wait long after the shows are aired in the US: Heroes season three and 90210, both currently on the air in the US, will air on Star World in December.

If entertainment news is your thing, then you only have to wait a day to get the latest goss from E! News and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Zee Cafe. And if you want to know what's happening on Survivor: Gabon, you just have to wait a few days to catch the latest action on Zee Cafe this December.

"Our target group uses the Net as a source to keep tabs on what's happening in the world of music and entertainment on a daily basis; so chances of this group catching these shows online will only increase. It's not a threat because the popularity on the Net spills over to the channel and generates buzz." says, Sushmitha Rao, programming manager, Zee Cafe.

However, there are people who don't want to wait even a few weeks for their fave shows to air on TV. PR professional Payal J downloads the latest episodes of Heroes season three every Tuesday morning after it airs in the US Monday night.

"When Heroes first came to India, I watched a few episodes on TV. The concept seemed interesting, so when season two began in the US, I found a download site to watch it hours after it aired in the US," she says.

Payal does the same with Desperate Housewives (season five in the US; season four in India, which just ended), Prison Break (season four in the US; three in India) and Private Practice (season two in the US; season one in India, which just ended).

Another media executive Rohit Chauhan says that apart from catching the latest seasons of shows like Heroes, Prison Break, Lost and How I Met Your Mother, he also wants to watch Dexter and Veronica Mars, which aren't aired in India. But he isn't particular about watching them as soon as they're telecast in the States.

Rita Fernandez, an senior advertising professional, doesn't watch much TV and the only thing that interests her is American Idol. "Since it airs in India the day after the live telecast in the US, you just have to keep away from reports on the Net about who's eliminated," she says.

Rita also watches America's Next Top Model occasionally. "But what airs on Zee Cafe is at least one season behind. I'm somewhat aware of what's happening in the current season because I watch E! News. That intrigued me enough to watch the next season when it airs here, but I wouldn't download episodes," she adds.

But Indian channels don't keep continuity in mind when they announce a new season. Says media person Anamika Menon, "When a season of a show ends in the States, there's always a tentative date announced on when it'll be back. There's no such system here. They just pick various series and telecast. Every time you hear of a new series, say, Boston Legal, they just say, 'A brand new season of Boston Legal'. But they hardly mention which season it is."