MUMBAI: Anthony E. Zuiker, the creator of the ?CSI? franchise, begins production on his first primetime reality series ?Whodunnit?? on US broadcaster ABC.

Cris Abrego partners with Zuiker for the new nine-episode summer alternative series, which is produced by Zuiker?s Dare to Pass and 51 Minds. The series puts 13 contestants? investigative skills to the test in a new mystery reality competition which airs this summer.

Each week players will use a variety of crime scene investigation techniques to meticulously uncover evidence that will ultimately reveal who among them is the killer. The interactive series will pit 13 amateur sleuths against each other in a quest to solve a series of puzzling murders. Some will form alliances and others will choose to go at it alone just to get them closer to the grand prize. The contestants will reside on a glamorous estate where each week they must solve a new crime in order to advance in The Game. Failure to solve the crime will lead to each player?s demise until only three are left. In the final episode, one player will unmask the killer and take home the $250,000 prize.

Zuiker said, "I?ve built a career telling crime stories, and if there?s one thing that I?ve learned, especially from ?CSI,? it?s that the audience loves to solve the mystery. ?Whodunnit?? allows everyday fans to be in the show themselves and get the chance every week to do what they love best, which is ultimately solve the case."

Abrego said, "?Whodunnit?? takes the best elements from the timelessly entertaining narrative form, the murder mystery, and infuses it with all the contemporary energy of a competition based reality show. The mystery fans who suddenly find themselves in the middle of an unfolding murder mystery won?t actually be playing for their lives, of course, but they?ll certainly feel like they are, and it promises to be just as engaging and suspenseful for the viewers at home."

MUMBAI: Big CBS Prime, an English male-targeted entertainment channel, is eyeing to strengthen it weekend programming with the launch of a special weekend property ?Maha Crime Sunday?.

Starting 21 April, the seven week special will air every Sunday from 8.30 pm-10.30 pm.

The channel, available in dual feeds of English and Hindi, will treat audiences to crime based shows selected from the key programming like 48 Hours: Mystery and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. ?Maha Crime Sunday? has been designed to suit the entertainment penchants of the male audiences in India.

Big CBS Networks business head Anand Chakravarthy said, "This special, is backed with the understanding that audiences seek gripping stories which are well delivered, and wish to move away from story lines and programming which are served to them frivolously and more flippantly. With this offering we handpick episodes, by theme, from two of our key shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and 48 Hours: Mystery to highlight social evils. We are confident that this programming innovation will work excellently with both audiences and marketers."

With films and television sharing a symbiotic relationship, ?Maha Crime Sunday? will see its first episode have actor Emraan Hashmi coming on board to reach out to its ?male audience for the promotion of his film Ek Thi Daayan. Ensuring mass appeal, each of the shows will be peppered with Indian content as Bollywood and celebrities takes on the shows to promote their films, where synergies exist.

The property will see the spot-light on a special cause. These will range from cyber crimes to crime against women to domestic violence to sexual abuse and violence.

Big CBS Prime will carry out extensive promotional activities for this fresh new property Maha Sunday Crime to increase its viewership. There will be wide on-air promotions and space in the advertising mediums including TV, Radio and digital.

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?.