No KBC tomorrow

Reruns or new show?

But the channel has now decided to air The Best of Screen awards, instead of KBC 2 tomorrow.

This means the last KBC episode canned with Bachchan will now air on Friday, January 13 followed by the Screen awards red carpet and awards ceremony on January 13 and 14 respectively.

The channel now has to take a decision about what to air from January 20 in the KBC slot — whether they will air repeat episodes or replace KBC temporarily with a new show, unless Bachchan is fit enough to shoot again.

Things in place

"We are having a meeting with Mr Bachchan and will spell out the details shortly," says Deepak Segal, executive vice-president, Content, Star India.

"We have a mix of fresh KBC2 episodes and the annual Screen Awards for the next two weekends. We are working things out and will have our plan in place early next week."

Bachchan's ill health and resultant hospitalisation — he underwent surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine on November 30 —made Star rework its KBC 2 schedule.

The channel had converted it into a bi-weekly, instead of the thrice-a-week format from December 4. The quiz show began airing only on Fridays and Saturdays with a no-show of KBC 2 on Sundays.

Shoot schedule

Incidentally, Bachchan was slated to begin a shoot schedule for KBC 2 from November 30 — the day he was rushed to the city's Lilavati Hospital from New Delhi, after he complained of stomach ache. The shoot was supposed to last till December 6.

KBC 2, produced by Siddharth Basu, went on air in August 2005. The last episode of the second season was to air on March 11.

However Bachchan's indisposition may delay the schedule. At the start of KBC 2, the star anchor had reiterated that he was committed to complete the contractual remaining 85 episodes from season one. Bachchan has completed shooting for 61 episodes.