Discussion: Why has this concept not caught on in India?

HopeAndBelieve thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#1
Let's just start this discussion, and I feel like it's something I have a hard time figuring out about TV shows in India. This just doesn't apply to Tumhari Paakhi, but all of the current ongoing shows.

So somebody a few days ago posted about Seasons and Weekly set episode concepts. These are followed by many American TV series as well as UK TV series.

So basically.. what it really is.. When a TV series follow this concept, the show runs for 6 months or a specific time period in a year and it's called a season. There are a limited set of episodes that they have to produce during that period. The other 6 months, the show doesn't air or such. This gives both the writers as well as actors a resting/thinking period. The other 6 months when the show airs, all episodes are shot with scripts.

The other concept is limited episodes per week, for example here in India, it's Monday - Friday, 5 episodes per week. Where as in American/UK series, some only air for one episode per week for like an hour. This concept is followed by the shows that come on weekend, where it's limited to 2 episodes, Saturday and Sunday.

With current scenario on Indian TV shows, I hear that actors get overworked with their working hours, quality of the show becoming poor. I am not saying that the shows are bad, they are actually quite good, a lot of them. But why hasn't this concept caught on in India. Overall, it improves quality of the television, doesn't drag the shows, gives the entire production team and such a break to relax and think, so many benefits.

I could be completely wrong about my entire thinking as mentioned above, but really why hasn't the season and limited episodes per season and week caught on India? Is it because the channels have not wanted to take that risk or something? Would love to this discussion be taken on other show forums, and get others insight as well.
Edited by HopeAndBelieve - 11 years ago

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jakr thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#2
Yes the original concept is lost when the show runs overtime. But if you want to run for years together u can bring twist and turns and the audience majority of them enjoy without even giving a thought for logic.
I think that the present day shows run with the fan following of the cast irrespective ofstory and realism
Also the majority of the viewers of serials are woman and housewifes and mostly serial follow their taste. like goonghat mangal sutra sindoor and rituals etc.
tv makes money on it and they make what sells.
But now to some extend change is happening with bold concepts and wide out look.
I think slowly it may chanage.
Really this 5days episodes in some cases 6 days week really take a toll of the star cast and team
The quality and concept def suffers.
hnidiga thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#3
just today I was wondering.. about the nedd for the CV's to kill Anshuman, and i thought about the same thing... the concept of seasons seems to be so good!! everytime u ve a scripted season and then u have proper time for brainstorming about the script for the next season and as a result all your seasons will be enjoyable and reasonable.. Not to forget the audience will definitely keep waiting for it.. in fact the surprise element will always be intact..
I say if it works with reality shows why not with serials too.. Shows like Nach baliye, jhalak and india's got talent come back after a while and the viewer's are equally hooked to them.. I would absolutely be delighted if something of this sort comes up on Indian televison.. will be a treat to watch!!
HopeAndBelieve thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#4

Originally posted by: jakr

Yes the original concept is lost when the show runs overtime. But if you want to run for years together u can bring twist and turns and the audience majority of them enjoy without even giving a thought for logic.

I think that the present day shows run with the fan following of the cast irrespective ofstory and realism
Also the majority of the viewers of serials are woman and housewifes and mostly serial follow their taste. like goonghat mangal sutra sindoor and rituals etc.
tv makes money on it and they make what sells.
But now to some extend change is happening with bold concepts and wide out look.
I think slowly it may chanage.
Really this 5days episodes in some cases 6 days week really take a toll of the star cast and team
The quality and concept def suffers.


It's not really about longevity making the show suffer, because if you can keep the story interesting longevity doesn't make you lose interest.

About majority viewers being woman, I guess that could be one primary reason of the 5 day episodes. As they tend to be the ones that watch Indian soaps during those hours. But really, how much can that really effect when you are given so much more variety and high quality programs over the course of 6 months.

5/6 day episodes do take a toll on the actors, and it's one of the prime reasons. Yes actors don't complain and it's their job, but to some extent it does affect them a lot.

The concept has caught on in some ways or the others, like the weekend shows, as well as the reality shows coming back every season. But it can be applied to drama series as well I guess.
HopeAndBelieve thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#5

Originally posted by: harithanhp

just today I was wondering.. about the nedd for the CV's to kill Anshuman, and i thought about the same thing... the concept of seasons seems to be so good!! everytime u ve a scripted season and then u have proper time for brainstorming about the script for the next season and as a result all your seasons will be enjoyable and reasonable.. Not to forget the audience will definitely keep waiting for it.. in fact the surprise element will always be intact..

I say if it works with reality shows why not with serials too.. Shows like Nach baliye, jhalak and india's got talent come back after a while and the viewer's are equally hooked to them.. I would absolutely be delighted if something of this sort comes up on Indian televison.. will be a treat to watch!!


It does work with literally every show if you can start a season and end the season with logical starts and ends. It does require some effort, but a lot of time is saved as well. The end result is a much better quality show, better working hours for actors, more time for writers to work on their scripts, etc. So many benefits, but yah.
farheen_s thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#6
Its not a series its more of a soap opera.. So just like how soapies run 5times a week in America such as days of our lives bold and the beautiful general hospital etc similarly india has daily serials which don't get breaks cause personaly I feel if a serial ends in india for a season it will be forgotten.. This has been how india does it.. And people are to use to it I think.. But I can't imagine the toll acting full time has on the actors.. But they signed on for it so they know what 2 expect..
HopeAndBelieve thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#7

Originally posted by: foxy_s

Its not a series its more of a soap opera.. So just like how soapies run 5times a week in America such as days of our lives bold and the beautiful general hospital etc similarly india has daily serials which don't get breaks cause personaly I feel if a serial ends in india for a season it will be forgotten.. This has been how india does it.. And people are to use to it I think.. But I can't imagine the toll acting full time has on the actors.. But they signed on for it so they know what 2 expect..


Yah, I completely understand it's a soap opera, and will run 5 times a week, however even the examples of soaps you gave have season breaks. That's the reasoning behind a long lasting soap going on for years, without losing it's touch.

In India, specifically, some shows which run for longer time period than they were assumed to go for tend to lose that. Take TP for a realistic reason, if TP had been given a season break and returned after 6 months.. not only would have that given the show writers time to brainstorm on how to continue the story, as well as actors a break time.

I don't think people would forget about TP if it were to come back after 6 months. If you leave the story at a great cliff hanger at the end of the season, viewers will likely come back. If I am correct, I don't think there has been any Indian Soap which has taken the season concept, which is why it has not caught on. People would love it in my personal opinion. But it's rather a risk that both the channel and show must take, because its a do or die situation.

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