The J brigade gains ground on television

How long will the run of K last? Difficult to answer given that week on week, it is the same lot - be it Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki or Kasautii Zindagii Kay - that leads the show on C&S television. This week (November 30-December 6, 2003), it's Kasauti's day out with the show pushing the epic Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi to No 3 in TAM's C&S Top 100 with scores of 10.5 and 10.1. (Source: TAM Media Research; base population: C&S 4-plus, all India).

Kyunki and Kahaani alternate each other in the Top 10 with the leader Kasautii occupying a couple of in-between slots as well. Indeed, the run of K extends right up to No 12, with the No 11 and No 12 slots occupied by Kyunki and Kahaani with 8.9 and 8.6 respectively.

Against this backdrop, the K-brigade seems to be firmly entrenched in the minds of viewers with habit taking precedence over anything else. However, one crop that has emerged over time is a clutch of J-soaps - Jeet, Jaaduu and, of course, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. They stand out not just by virtue of their initial alphabet but also due to the differentiated content.

Jassi is the story of a less-than-ordinary-looking, middle-class Punjabi girl, who battles every prejudice at a fashion house, where she is employed, to emerge the winner. Jeet, on the other hand, is the story of a dashing, young professor Vikram Mall and his trials and tribulations at the college he teaches, while Jaaduu projects TV personality Aman Verma in the familiar role of anchor, not of a gameshow, but a magic show.

These shows are as distinct from each other as apples are from oranges and more so, when compared with the K contingent, which exhibit a marked homogeneity in content, and to a certain extent in the audience they target. "That is natural," points a senior media planner based in Mumbai. "The top K-lot emanates from one production house, while the J-shows are produced by different producers, are targeted at different audiences, positioned at different time bands on different channels."

Jeet is a weekly from Rose Movies, promoted by Goldie Behl and Shristi Arya, who burst on to the scene with the late night Lipstick on ZEE TV. It is telecast at 9.30 pm on Fridays on STAR Plus while Jaaduu, the Aman Verma-hosted magic show, is STAR's first programme in its fictional block STAR Shanivaar on Saturdays at 7.30 pm. Jassi, is Sony's top rated daily show, telecast at 9.30 pm from Monday to Thursday.

Their performance in the Top 100 for week 49 (November 30-December 6, 2003) in the base population of C&S 4-plus, all India, is as follows. Jassi enters the Top 100 four times at Nos 42, 43, 44 and 48, Jaaduu comes in at No 65 with TVR of 3, while Jeet comes in at No 74 with 2.8.

Collectively, these shows may not be on top of the charts, yet they maintain a dignified presence on television. As Pintoo Guha, who runs a production house titled Film Farm and has produced the first series of Chausath Panne, Dil Na Jaane Kyun on ZEE TV, says, "I don't think it is a factor of K or J. Not all K-shows are doing well and the same goes for the J lot. Jassi is doing well for Sony while Jeet isn't as far as STAR Plus is concerned. At the same time, you have a Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand and Sanjivani that are doing well for STAR. It is content that counts and how much it works with the audience, how the channel has positioned it as well as the extent to which it is prepared to back the show," he adds.

In the end, whether a challenger emerges from the throes of J or for that matter, D or S or A is academic. At the end of the day, it is innovation and freshness that will separate the winner from the laggards. © 2003 agencyfaqs!