Time to go back to campus

When did you last see a show dealing with youth, their dreams, romance and love life that was based against the backdrop of campus? Not in the recent past. Remix was an updated version of a campus caper that touched upon life in college its usual share of romance, music and teenage problems. That was four years ago. In the 90s, general entertainment channels like Zee and Sony aired youth and campus-based shows like Campus, Hip Hip Hurray and Challenge. But by and large such shows have been a rarity on main GE channels for the last eight years. Now Star One is revisiting the genre of college romance with Miley Jab Hum Tum.

The show is set against a vibrant campus backdrop and showcases the journey of six young people, their anxieties, insecurities and apprehensions to fit in a Mumbai college. "It is a show about friendship, love and romance in college, quite realistic and believable without the usual vamps. It has relatable characters and moments," says Neeraj Sachdev, project director, Sunshine productions.

According to Ravi Menon, Star One's executive vice president and general manager, though Star One is a general entertainment channel, its core target audience (TG) is 17 to 24 years of age. "In the past we have presented the best in the form of Dill Mill Gayye and Zara Nachke Dikha for our viewers. With Miley Jab Hum Tum we are offering a fresh and new concept that revives the college magic and the love between the youth. We are hoping this show will also create as much fan following as other shows on our channel," he adds.

Neeraj is of the view that Miley Jab Hum Tum is an aspirational show that will appeal more to the non-metro youth. "Youngsters in metros have other sources of entertainment. Not that youth in metros will not watch this show, but the real eyeballs will come from B and C class markets," says Neeraj. Menon says every show has its own audience. "Shhh…Koi Hai and Laughter Challenge are skewed towards male TG while Dill Mill Gayye is primarily aimed at female TG. Miley Jab Hum Tum is focused on teen viewers," he explains.

But why are most GE channels ignoring campus capers? Neeraj says the mindset of GE channels is different. "Every show that they plan is targeted at a larger audience. That is why most of the shows across the GE space have similar look and flavour," he says. According to Sanjay Upadhyay, Sony's creative head (fiction), after the categorisation of channels five years ago, youngsters abandoned GE channels for other alternatives like music, lifestyle and youth-specific brands.