Sab's new series and content plan

NEW DELHI: Around five to six per cent of the budget for every show on Sab is put aside for advertising and marketing that series, said Sab EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor.

Claiming Sab was the only TV channel in the world solely dedicated to comic series and the only one to earn a 500 per cent profit in the last five to six years, Kapoor said the channel had removed only two or three shows in the past five years and the rest continued to have a long run.

Speaking on the sidelines of a press meet to announce its latest sitcom ?Jeannie Aur Juju? starring funster Ali Asghar and petite Giaa Manek, he said that the channel had found that its weakest slot was the 8 pm slot since the adults - particularly the males - began seeing their TV only after 8.30 pm. This was the reason for filling that slot with a series that would appeal to children, ?Baalveer?.

He said that the channel always commenced its series with allotment of 104 episodes, but then increased this if the series proved popular.

?Jeannie Aur Juju?, which will be telecast from 29 October on weekdays at 9.30 pm, is the first series on this channel to be based on a foreign series: the supremely popular American sitcom of the 80s with a fantasy premise called ?I dream of Jeannie?. The show used to be aired in India, in the 90s, after being dubbed in Hindi.

The basic story is that of a pilot who finds a bottle on an island where his plane has crashed. On opening this bottle, he releases a beautiful genie who has been imprisoned in that bottle for 2000 years. The pilot already has a fianc? who is daughter of his boss, but this genie falls in love with him even as she fulfills his wishes, leading to some hilarious situations.

Sticking mostly to the original content and story of the show originally created and produced by the legendary author Sidney Sheldon, the Indian adaptation on Sab will suitably Indianise the situations, Kapoor said. He added that unlike the American series which had a different situation in each episode, the Indian series had been adapted to suit the daily telecast format.

Addressing the press meet earlier, he said "It is a romantic comedy and is sure to win hearts instantly. The concept will appeal to all ages and it?s a complete family entertainer. The kids would love the magic and mischief while the adults can relish the emotional layers and the humour. And all this is further enhanced by special effects and entertaining visual gimmickry."

Asghar said that though he took part in several reality shows as a stand up comedian, he found acting in series more difficult since it had to be a running story.

Gia and Ali are supported by a host of acclaimed artists like Kurush Deboo, Shoma Anand,Jatin Mukhi etc who play pivitol roles in the show.