Opinion: The Seasonal Shows Hit Formula On Indian TV

Seasonal shows have always been trendsetters in Hollywood. Viewers have been attracted to the cult shows and the characters that got popular over time, and this is how curiosity and the over-zealous attitude of viewers created a demand for the stories to continue after a break with new seasons.

As the saying goes, Where there is a demand, there will be a supply!!

So arrived the innumerable seasonal tales like Friends, Baywatch, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family and many more!! Slowly, Indian Television, especially Hindi TV started formulating its concepts based on this seasonal idea.

One of the most successful seasonal shows in Hindi TV has to be the cult weekender supernatural show Naagin. As of now, Balaji Telefilms has created as many as 5 seasons. Even though the overall acceptance level of the very recent seasons has been below par, the show, on the whole, has been a huge success. There are presently talks of Naagin 6 happening, but we have no confirmed information on the same right now.

The success of Naagin did force makers and broadcasters to think about more ideas that can keep alive the curiosity of yesteryear tales, shown with new packaging in the living rooms of the masses.

Hindi TV has in recent time seen a big list of shows that have returned on a seasonal format. After Naagin, Ekta Kapoor brought back the love tale Kasautii Zindagii Kay to generate curiosity. The same can be said about the complicated love tales like Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka & Ishq Mein Marjawan. The seasonal formats have not been restricted to love tales. The social drama shows like Sasural Simar Ka, Saath Nibhaana Saathiya have also found takers. Even the biggest cult show on Hindi TV related to child marriage, Balika Vadhu is back with its new season.

The concepts around fantasy and supernatural drama also saw many shows beefing up with newer plots in the new season like Baalveer Returns Brahmarakshas 2, Nazar 2. The recent time has also seen comedy spreading its wings into the seasonal format with Wagle Ki Duniya – Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey.

Also, Somy TV’s most sought-after love tale Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi was renewed for a new season too.

The popularity of the old characters and plots only reiterate the trust and warmth that viewers have in these shows. Backed by strong demand for the older popular concepts to come back, it is certainly a blessing in disguise for broadcasters and makers to engage their creative think-tank to come up with newer plots, that bear a striking resemblance to the original crux of the concept.

The seasonal returns of older concepts will also give the viewers a breather from watching the long-drawn dramatic tales which were in vogue a few years back. Youngsters of today, like the pacey formats, and find it tough to bind themselves to anyone show for a long time. Of course, we have the engaging formats of cricket and other sports holding center stage once in a while, which affect the numbers of Hindi TV shows. This mindset of the common man has been taken into account, with broadcasters slowly realizing that the days are gone, when Hindi TV used to have many shows running for years. Having said that, we have long-running shows even today, and they are certainly in the elite group of popularity too. But guess the swift shift mindset of humans has been given its due by the seasonal returns.

The seasonal returns have always been there in the reality format with shows like  Indian Idol, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Super Dancer, SaReGaMaPa, Dance Deewane, Bigg Boss, Khatron Ke Khiladi and many others, showing the way for the fiction shows too to find it strong foothold!!

Hail the Seasonal formats, has to be the order of the day!!