Star Plus eyes No. 1 spot on weekends with new shows

MUMBAI: Star Plus, the leading Hindi GEC, is beefing up its weekend primetime where it lags behind rival networks Sony Entertainment Television (Set), Colors and Zee TV.

The channel is launching two one-hour fiction shows at the 8 and 9 pm band from 11 August.

?Teri Meri Love Stories? will occupy the 9 pm slot on Saturdays and Sundays, a time zone where Star Plus was airing repeats. It will compete with reality shows like ?Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa? (Colors), ?DID lil Masters? (Zee TV) and ?Indian Idol? (Set).

?Arjun? will replace ?Gumrah?, a Channel [V] property, to air at 8 pm. It will have to encounter Set?s crime-based property ?Adalat? that airs from 7.30-8.30 pm. Colors, on the other hand, telecasts special episodes of one of its fiction shows every Saturday. Meanwhile, Zee TV airs repeats at this slot.

?Teri Meri Love Stories? is a collection of "heartfelt" stories of people who surrender to the pressures of life and are letting love fade. Knocking on their inward eye, the realisation that comes with small incidents helps them rekindle love in their lives. Each story shown is a depiction of the re-discovery and re-colouring of fading love or a missed opportunity to find love in the chores of modern day existence.

?Arjun? is an action/crime investigation series that will see the lead character, Arjun, to solve crime-based cases. He, along with the Emergency Task Force Team, will aim to free the world from all crimes.

Produced by Four Lions Productions, Arjun is directed by Gorkhy.

Star Plus GM Nachiket Pantvaidya said, "We hope to get spikes from our weekend properties. We want to make the weekend fiction programmes more of a habit for the viewers. We aim to project ourselves as No. 1 in the weekend with the launch of ?Arjun?, ?Teri Meri Love Stories? and ?Lakhon Mein Ek?."

?Lakhon Mein ek?, which has replaced Aamir Khan?s Satyamev Jayate, features stories of real life people who rose above the ordinary through choices they made. The show features inspiring tales of courage that has the potential to change entrenched mindsets, the channel said.