Mumbai: Colors is ending original programming in the afternoon band, a trend that has spread across the other Hindi general entertainment channels as well.

The only original show at the 1 pm slot, Na Aana Is Des Laado (one of Colors? oldest fiction properties), has its final airing on 27 July. The show is based on the issue of female foeticide.

Colors has decided to air repeats of its primetime shows during afternoons after 27 July.

Though the channel said that Laado is coming to its logical ending, the ratings tell another tale. As per TAM data (provided by Hindi GECs), the show was averaging less than 1 TVR.

Colors weekday programming head Prashaant Bhatt said, "We do not believe in stretching a story unnecessarily. We are happy with the recognition and appreciation that the show has received so far and believe that it is time to wrap up the show. Drawing curtains to this fiction show makes us proud about having created such a bold series and we promise to continue to innovate and experiment in our future programming as well."

In an attempt to beef up its afternoon programming, Colors had taken three of its fiction shows - Laagi Tujhse Lagan, Hamari Saas Leela and Laado - to the afternoon slot from 3 October last year.

Laado, which used to air Monday to Friday at 10.30 pm slot prior to that, was replaced by Bigg Boss Season 5, while Havan replaced Hamari Saas Leela at 7 pm. As per the channel?s strategy to improve weekday viewership, it took its popular show Veer Shivaji from weekend band (Friday-Saturday, 8.30 pm) to weekdays (Monday-Friday) at 8.30 pm.

Colors had also replaced Laagi Tujhse Lagan to the afternoon slot. Poor ratings, however, forced the channel to take Hamari? and Laagi? off-air in December and January respectively.