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Why Changing the Timeslot of ‘Bhakarwadi’ for ‘BaalVeer Returns’ May Be the Worst Decision for SAB TV

A family entertainer shifted to a late slot for a kid-friendly show? Not entirely smart.

As a channel, Sab TV has definitely had its own share of struggles to have its line-up become as appealing as its rivals. However, the landscape changed drastically when Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah arrived, and now, 11 years later the show continues to run stronger than ever.

With only one show doing wonders, the channel has had several hits and misses in the past few years, but fortunately more hits than misses. One of them was Baal Veer, a quintessential kid-friendly fantasy show that ran for over four years and was indeed an absolute favorite amongst the kids. Fast-forward to 2019, the show has made a return with higher stakes but there are two debates it has sparked – Did the kids need for the show to return? Due to it getting the prime slot, was it fair that Bhakarwadi became the scapegoat? Here, I will try to highlight the important points that may offer a perspective.

A Family Entertainer

Sab TV has been longing a good show that is not only a family entertainer but offers the perfect blend of comedy and emotions without being monotonous. This long-wait seemingly ended with Bhakarwadi, as the show managed to strike a chord with viewers right away. Coming from the most reliable minds in the form of J.D. Majethia, Aatish Kapadia and Deven Bhojani (makers of Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, Khichdi) the show was the welcome change the channel was yearning for. And in a mere five to six months, the show has become one of the most loved presentations apart from being the channel’s third-highest rating grabber.

1

Times Have Changed

To some, it may seem absurd when we talk about how a mere three year time period is a huge difference. However, it certainly is when we take into account the times we are living in. For its time and portrayal, Baal Veer Season 1 seemed decent as it tapped into the innocent minds that aspire to have a superhero that is of their own age. The target audience was clear and it worked out well too. But the fact that three years later, the channel decided to bring back the same kid (who is now in his teens) as BAALveer doesn’t have the same appeal it did earlier. Even though there is another little kid who will apparently become the child superman, the overall look-and-feel just doesn’t fit in.

2

Understandable of Airing on Primetime, But…

Trying to be reasonable, as a channel, it makes sense for it to offer a returning kid-friendly show being be given the prime-time slot of 8 pm. Because there is a good chance that kids are tucked in their beds before or around 10 pm for school to go the next day. What, however, is disheartening is the fact that for this to happen, Bhakarwadi became the scapegoat. A family entertainer would want to be seen as a ‘family’ and not late in the night when everyone is in their own space.

3

Alternatives to this Change of Timeslot

There is an alternative of having a relatively win-win situation for everyone – While Baal Veer Returns may not have an appeal with us as viewers, it is a big-ticket show for the channel and would obviously be given a chance. So with that show staying on the 8 pm slot, the bigger concern is Bhakarwadi shifting to 10:30 pm slot. The fair solution to that would be Bhakarwadi getting a 9:30 pm slot which is currently occupied by Jijaji Chhat Par Hain. The latter has been on-air for over a year and a half now and only has loyal viewership to take care of. Plus, the show originally belonged to the 10:30 slot, so it won’t be a surprising step for the show and its viewers. On the other hand, for Bhakarwadi, it will be encouraging to have the serial on a timeslot that is not too late and can still be enjoyed by everyone.

As I was thinking this, I came across several fans of the show expressing their displeasure on the shifting of the timeslot. So, before I offer an alternative, here are some tweets that stamp the fact-

https://twitter.com/Akshay31088426/status/1171299409633497088Twitterhttps://twitter.com/d_cool_sumit/status/1171445934787461123Twitterhttps://twitter.com/rushabh_02/status/1171651979891957760Twitterhttps://twitter.com/overThehead/status/1169623798158512129Twitterhttps://twitter.com/O_kaushik/status/1171441185023414273Twitterhttps://twitter.com/Akshay31088426/status/1169984909114368001Twitterhttps://twitter.com/nahata_navin/status/1171814234453200898Twitterhttps://twitter.com/iamamitsengar/status/1171436112721539078Twitterhttps://twitter.com/AshishMehtaKTL/status/1171418978620596224Twitterhttps://twitter.com/pyaarey/status/1170372363008933888Twitter

We hope this actually serves as a solution for the channel to the displeasure that many have been facing. What do you think about the same? Leave in your comments below.

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Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah poster

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

Baal Veer poster

Baal Veer

Jijaji Chhat Par Hai poster

Jijaji Chhat Par Hai

Bhakarwadi poster

Bhakarwadi

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SAB TV

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