MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports is set to launch a bi-weekly comedy series Full Toss, a satirical take on the functioning of a fictitious cricket organisation.
The 26 episode series will go on air during India’s tour of South Africa on Star Sports, starting 22 November, during the innings break of the 2nd One Day International between the two sides. It will be showcased every Wednesday and Monday thereafter at 9:30 pm.
The series is produced by Eagle films and directed by Rajiv Mehra, the same team behind many movies and popular sitcoms like Office Office and Zabaan Sambhal Ke. Renowned actors and some of the most popular names in Indian television today will play characters portraying officials of a fictitious cricket organisation.
ESPN Software India MD R C Venkateish said, "We intend to provide diversity and cater to focused audiences in India with reality shows, light hearted spoof series and chat shows in addition to our staple diet of world class live coverage of sporting events. With Full Toss, ESPN Star Sports extends its line of programming to include cricket-series of a new kind to reach out to larger audiences in the country."
Full Toss director Rajiv Mehra said, "Full Toss is not just another weekly soap but a sitcom with cricket as the setting. Each episode of the series will feature a new story that will appeal to audiences across ages. A sootradhar will be the pivot for the series that will spoof issues faced in the cricket world that mass audiences in a cricket crazy country like India would relate and empathize with."