Are you ready for an encore?

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A still from Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (TOI Photo)

From TV soaps to reality shows, Indian television's 'seasonal touch' continues.

Globally, second, third and fourth seasons of popular television shows are a given. In India, it's a trend that is increasingly showing signs of becoming a top TRP-churner.

From TV soaps to reality shows, Indian television's 'seasonal touch' continues. After the super success of their first seasons, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul, Nach Baliye, Roadies , and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa have returned often with a new, revamped look, new hosts and fresh contestants.

Niret Alva, president of the firm that has been producing Indian Idol , says, "Seasons on television have been a success abroad. The central theme is to build on the foundation and help the show to grow and acquire a life of its own. Their success can be gauged by the number of copycats."

But, do seasons garner the same response as their preceding ones? "Not necessarily," replies Alva, adding, "In our case, the first season was a huge hit, the second was a mixed bag, while the third seems to be doing well too."

While seasons have become a norm for reality shows, some serials too are following suit. Anooj Kapoor, business head of the channel that saw serials like Left Right Left and Mohalla Mohabbat Wala take a season's break during the Cricket World Cup, explains how it helped their popularity: "Your favourite serials are like your best friends, which you start missing after a while. People grow fond of the characters they see everyday and thus go back with renewed enthusiasm. This is what happened with our serials."

Nevertheless, experts maintain that constant innovation is a must. "Ratings grow from auditions through the finals. While the format is the baby, changes can still be made in story-telling, character build-up and the reality element," says Alva.

On the part of participants and audiences, the opinion stands divided. TV actress Gurdeep Kohli, who participated with now husband Arjun Punj in Nach Baliye 2 , says, "I love to dance and liked the thought of spending lots of time with Arjun. Plus, the first part became so popular, it was most talked about."

But Amit Sana, one of the finalists of Indian Idol , feels, "There was a lot of curiosity and excitement in the first season. But the same surprise element cannot be replicated the second time around. In addition, now there is a music reality show on every channel."

The audience, however, is certainly not complaining. Says 24-year-old Nisha Dalal, "Each season brings new things and new people. More importantly, they provide a good break from saas-bahu sagas."

Guess seasons are here to stay on television, at least for the time being!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/TV_Buzz/Are _you_ready_for_an_encore/articleshow/2446484.cms