MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC has unveiled a lineup of shows that include the new holiday variety special ?A Michael Buble Christmas? on 6 December, ?The Sing-Off Holiday Special? on 5 December and ?William and Kate: Inside the Royal Marriage? on 13 December.

In addition, NBC will bring back the traditional tree-lighting special ?Christmas in Rockefeller Center 2011? on 30 November while also featuring ?The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now?? .

Likewise, the network will once again honor the United States armed forces as World Wrestling Entertainment in conjunction with NBC, will air the fourth annual holiday special ?WWE Tribute to the Troops" on 17 December.

Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas? airs on 20 December celebrating the season with a two-hour special that features ?Saturday Night Live? holiday sketches including material with Alec Baldwin and the infamous troublemaker Gilly played by Kristen Wiig.

?The Sing-Off Holiday Special? will be filled with holiday and
inspirational songs performed by the winning groups from all three seasons, a compilation of lead singers from season three, a collegiate ensemble and special guests.

??William and Kate: Inside the Royal Marriage? will offer a new look into the royal couple?s first months of marital life. ?The 85th Anniversary of the Macy?s Thanksgiving Day Parade? which airs on 24 November is a look back at 85 years of one of America?s greatest holiday traditions. The special features the floats, balloons and performances that make the show one of the most watched spectacles every year.

NBC will also air films, including the premiere of ?Dr. Seuss? Horton Hears A Who!? as well as ?National Treasure: Book of Secrets? on 25 November and ?Bee Movie? on 26 November.

The traditional holiday classic, ?It?s a Wonderful Life?, will air twice again this season on 3 December and in its annual Christmas Eve slot on 24 December.

MUMBAI: Star has acquired the rights for a slew of shows for India including ?Pan Am? from Sony Pictures Television.

Star India senior VP, GM English channels Saurabh Yagnik confirmed the acquisition saying that other shows that have been bought recently include ?The River?, ?Missing? with Ashley Judd and ?Charlie Angels?.

Interestingly, ?Charlie?s Angels? was cancelled by US broadcaster ABC after just four episodes. The re-boot of the 1960?s series failed to gain traction.

Yagnik said that acquisitions have to make business sense. "We look at a show from the point of view of the cost, from the aspect of whether it will generate interest among viewers. The shows will air on Star World. We have to decide when to launch them."

?Pan Am?, starring Christina Ricci, centres around the iconic airline Pan American World Airways during the early 1960s. The story begins in 1963 and focusses on the pilots and stewardesses working for the world-famous airline.

?The River? from Steven Spielberg, meanwhile, is a paranormal/adventure/horror series that will debut during the 2011?12 television season on ABC as a mid-season replacement. Eight episodes will be produced for the first season.

The show follows the story of wildlife expert and TV personality Emmet Cole. Emmet set course around the world with his wife, Tess, and son Lincoln, while filming what would become one of the most popular shows in television. After he goes missing deep in the Amazon, his family, friends and crew set out on a mysterious and deadly journey to find him.

?Missing? is an action drama show. The story is about a worried mother played by Judd, whose son disappears while on a summer internship in Italy, takes it upon herself to travel to Europe and tracks him down. She is a retired CIA agent and uses every means necessary to get her son back.

The show also stars Cliff Curtis, Sean Bean and Nick Eversman.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster HBO will kick off the show ?Enlightened? on 10 October, which is positioned as being a blend of comedy and drama.

The show stars Laura Dern ?Rambling Rose? who plays Amy Jellicoe, an executive at a global conglomerate; she has been her own worst enemy for most of her adult life. Her self-destructive choices, both at home and at work, have resulted in a very public, humiliating nervous breakdown.

After an extended stay at a treatment center in Hawaii, she returns to her fractured life, determined to lead a more enlightened existence. But her newfound noble intentions only ratchet up the drama, wreaking unexpected havoc on those around her.

Dern stars as Amy in the series, which she executive produces along with Mike White who also co-stars, writes and directs. After undergoing a traumatising workplace setback, Jellicoe begins questioning her role as a top-tier executive at her multinational corporation. On a forced mental health retreat, she experiences a dramatic transformation that inspires her to adopt a new attitude in
her private life and at her company.

But upon returning to the office, Amy discovers that her new enlightened outlook is unwelcome and even threatening to her co-workers and loved ones.

White said, "There are so many anti-heroes populating TV series right now, I wanted to do a show about someone who is dysfunctional and far from perfect, but whose impulse is to do good and try to be the best person she can. Amy is living a very ordinary life, but her relentless drive to make her world better makes her unique - and in a way, dangerous. I also wanted to a write a show that was centered around a woman, but wasn?t a dating show. Amy has a lot more on her mind than just her romantic life - and I hope people will find that relatable and refreshing."

Dern said, "Amy is a mass of contradictions, a woman of good impulses who often does the wrong thing, a woman who wants to make things better but sometimes produces the opposite result. As she tries to decide what?s really important to her, she tries to live a deeply authentic life, but her passion and honesty often backfire, making her efforts to change herself and her world far more complicated."

MUMBAI: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and producer dick clark productions (dcp) bring the 69th edition of the Golden Globe Awards on 15 January 2012.

The show will again air live on US broadcaster NBC from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The show will recognise achievements in film and television.

In addition, Dick Clark productions will produce the live pre-show and the main show along with the HFPA.

Prior to the awards show, NBC will broadcast the live pre-show featuring full coverage of the red-carpet arrivals.

Nominations for The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards will be announced on 15 December.

Produced by Dick Clark productions in association with the HFPA, The Golden Globe Awards are viewed in over 160 countries worldwide. The 2011 Golden Globe Awards earned the event?s biggest overall audience (17.003 million) since 2007.

MUMBAI: What‘s it like to be Muslim in America? US broadcaster Discovery‘s channel TLC will look to answer that question with the show ‘All-American Muslim‘.

The show kicks off in November 2011. It will delve deep inside the rarely seen world of Muslim Americans to uncover insight into this little known-and often misunderstood-community. The show brings audiences inside Dearborn, Michigan, a mid-sized industrial city that is also home to the largest mosque in the US. 

Following the daily lives of five Muslim American families, each episode offers an intimate look at their customs and celebrations, as well as the misconceptions, conflicts and differences they face outside-and within-their own community.

TLC GM Amy Winter said, "‘All-American Muslim‘ is a perfect fit for TLC, inviting viewers into a world they might not otherwise experience. Through these families and their diverse experiences, we will explore how they blend their values and traditions with everyday life in America, providing insight into their culture with care and compassion."

The show continues TLC‘s focus on storytelling and authentic real-life characters. The families on the series are sharing their biggest celebrations and their unexpected challenges, giving viewers unprecedented access into the American Muslim community.

The families featured in the series share the same religion, but lead very distinct lives that often times challenge the Muslim stereotype.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster WE tv has announced that it has greenlit a new, one-hour show centered around actress Shannen Doherty ?Beverly Hills 90210?, tentatively titled ?The Shannen Doherty Project?.

The eight-part series will showcase her relationship with photographer Kurt Iswarienko as they meld and intertwine their dynamic lives. 

Viewers will witness the challenging, comical, and dramatic moments that ensue when two people ? with two different backgrounds ? come together, bringing along their own sets of opinionated friends and family. Their complicated, and often hilarious, journey also includes wedding preparations, a house tragedy that may end in lawsuits, and the next chapter of the actresses burgeoning career.

The series begins production next month and will premiere in the first quarter of 2012 on WE tv.

WE tv senior VP, original productions and development John Miller said, ?Shannen?s relationships and life experiences make her a riveting personality to watch. This is an opportunity for audiences to get a rare sneak peek into the real Shannen, who has been notorious about guarding her private life. Her situations are fam iliar and is what will make this series stand apart from other celeb-reality shows. It?s what WE tv does best ? present stories that showcase the wild ride of modern day life from a woman?s perspective.?