MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has renewed 18 series for the 2013-2014 broadcast season.

Some of these shows air in India on Big CBS Prime and Big CBS Love, the two channels that CBS runs in India through its JV with RBNL.

According to CBS, these mass renewals showcase its strength and stability among viewers in the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics.
The renewals, comprising 16 hours of CBS? primetime schedule, consist of four comedies, nine dramas, three reality series and two news magazines. The returning shows encompass every night of the week and every hour.

The renewed comedies include the previously announced ?The Big Bang Theory?, the final season of ?How I Met Your Mother? as well as ?2 Broke Girls? and ?Mike and Molly?.

Among the returning dramas are the previously announced ?NCIS? and ?CSI?. Other dramas renewed include ?NCIS: Los Angeles?, ?Person Of Interest? and ?Hawaii Five-0?.

MUMBAI: Big CBS Prime is launching two new shows titled ?48 Hours? and ?Chaos? on 28 January.

The American documentary series ?48 Hours? will air Monday to Thursday at 10.30 pm. Meanwhile, ?Chaos? is a comedy drama that will telecast on same days at 11 pm.

Big CBS business head Anand Chakravarthy said, "With our two remarkable new shows, ?Chaos? and ?48 hours?, Big CBS Prime is guaranteed to appeal to the changing preferences of the elite urban Indian male. The contemporary concepts, the fast-paced action and high adrenaline that the shows have to offer will resonate well with our viewers while providing marketers with a strong platform for reaching out to their target audiences."

?Chaos? highlights the events in the lives of a group of four CIA spies who work at the Office of Disruptive Services. The group renames themselves as the Cocky, Intelligent, Awesome team, as the men collectively combat threats to national security amidst the rampant incompetence existing within the bureaucracy and the incessant political bickering, leading to hilarious situations. The show will feature actors Freddy Rodriguez, James Murray and Eric Close in lead roles.

?48 Hours? is an investigation series that delves into a single subject, examining it from multiple angles with its saturation coverage and action-driven style.

Big CBS Prime will be promoting both the new properties across digital and social media platforms for increased visibility among target audiences while ensuring optimal impact and reach to connect with its viewers.

Mumbai: Big CBS Network has launched an initiative to create local excitement for its singing reality show ?American Idol?.

The network has partnered with Talenthouse India to scout for ?Prime Idol?. This initiative will give the viewers a chance to be featured on Big CBS Prime when they submit a video of their solo music performance.

Talenthouse India is supporting the channel in the crowd sourcing effort to hunt for English solo music performances in sync with American Idol.

With the eleventh season currently being aired on the BIG CBS Network, participants can submit a solo music performance to their favorite song and upload it on www.talenthouse.com before December 3, 2012.

This invite is open to anyone who is a music enthusiast and wants to showcase their talent.

Talenthouse India and BIG CBS Network will collectively decide the winning entry from amongst the qualified submissions by 28 December 2012 which will then be featured on Big CBS Prime. The winner will also receive an LCD TV worth Rs 50,000. Two runners-up will be awarded music systems worth Rs 20,000 each.

A public voting phase will commence post the submissions starting 4 December 2012 and the participant with the highest number of votes will receive gift vouchers worth Rs. 10,000.

BIG CBS Network executive vice president, business head Anand Chakravarthy said, "We at BIG CBS Network consistently challenge ourselves to provide our audiences with the latest and best of international entertainment and a superior television viewing experience. This time around we have chosen a unique platform to involve our target audiences. Our association with Talenthouse aims to extend the excitement and anticipation that American Idol generates by giving one Indian a life changing opportunity."

Talenthouse India CEO Arun Mehra said, "We believe, every single person has a creative streak waiting to be discovered. We are sitting on a goldmine of untapped talent who are searching for a platform to showcase their talent and gain recognition. We are proud to be associated with the BIG CBS Network to create an extension of American Idol with this unique promotion. India is a hub of music talent and we are excited to provide our creative community a platform to showcase this talent on BIG CBS."

A pre-decided jury will go through all the submissions, keeping in mind the terms and conditions of the "Creative Invite" which are posted on the site.

Mumbai: English GEC Big CBS Prime has acquired the rights to televise ‘GQ Best Dressed Men of 2012‘.

The channel has special rights to exclusively shoot the event and telecast it as a half- hour show on 14 July at 9 pm.

The event is held every year by GQ India in association with Teacher‘s Origin.

GQ India‘s Best Dressed Men list is a list of 50 of India‘s most stylish men from various industries. The likes of those who are on this list include Bollywood stars like Shahid Kapoor, Imran Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor amongst others; corporate heads like Ratan Tata, Captain Nair; sporting stars Virat Kohli, Bhaichung Bhutia, fashion designers Manish Malhotra, Narendra Kumar.

MUMBAI: Big CBS Prime, the English general entertainment channel (GEC) from the BIG CBS Network, is launching a new thriller/horror reality show - ?13: Fear Is Real?.

The show will premiere on 13 July and will air every Friday at 10 pm.

Big CBS Networks spokesperson said, "The popularity of reality shows is ever increasing and Indians have developed a strong liking for this concept. 13: Fear Is Real is an amalgamation of the reality show concept with the supernatural. Big CBS Prime brings this show to the viewers with an aim to deliver quality and differentiated content to the urban Indian male. With this unique show, we hope to strengthen our reach furthermore amongst our audience."

The channel claims that ?13: Fear is Real? is in lines with Blair Witch Project. The series combines the horror genre with a reality show format.

Contestants are taken on a journey with challenges and games designed to frighten them along the way. Similar to horror films, the challenges will play into deepest fears and anxieties and will reveal things the contestants never knew about themselves. Combining reality and scripted horror, this series features 13 contestants staying in a spooky house and forced to confront their deepest fears. Each week, a different competitor departs by appearing to die in an "elaborately staged" scenario. The last one standing wins $66,666.

MUMBAI: Big CBS Prime will kick off the show ?Dexter? from 9 July.

The show will air the first four seasons back-to-back from Monday to Thursday at 10 pm.

Dexter is based on the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, a South Florida native. Orphaned at the age of four and harboring a traumatic secret, Dexter is adopted by a police officer who recognises Dexter?s homicidal tendencies and guides his son to channel his gruesome passion for human vivisection in a constructive way - by killing those heinous perpetrators who are above the law or who have slipped through the cracks of justice.

A respected member of the police force, a perfect gentleman and a man with a soft spot for children, it?s hard not to like Dexter, a serial killer with standards. Although his drive to kill is unflinching, he struggles to emulate normal emotions he doesn?t feel, and to keep up his appearance as a caring, socially responsible human being.

"Dexter makes for a perfect show for our audiences, with the right ingredients - mysterious, dangerous, bold, a true thriller and it keeps evolving with every episode! Crime thrillers as a genre are known to have high viewership amongst Indian audiences who love to be challenged and enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes from not knowing what comes next. This show is perfectly packaged to be addictive and invigorating and will work excellently for audiences and marketers alike," the company said.