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‘Wednesday’ breaks records as most watched series

'Wednesday' makes it to 2nd biggest streaming week of all time

With 1.1 billion minutes watched each, there was a tie on the chart for third place…reports Asian Lite News

After a string of records broken on the streaming giant Netflix Top 10, series ‘Wednesday’ starring Jenna Ortega has arrived on the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 to do the same.

The Tim Burton-directed series starring Jenna Ortega as the iconic Addams family daughter was watched for nearly 6 billion minutes during the November 21-27 viewing window, during which it was only available for the last five days, reports ‘Variety’.

This marks the second biggest week of streaming ever recorded by Nielsen, following only the first full week of availability of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4, during which the series was watched for 7.2 billion minutes.

It’s also presumable that ‘Wednesday’ will best itself on the chart next week with the measurement of its first full week of availability. According to Netflix’s self-reported numbers, the series jumped from 341.2 million hours watched in its first five days on the streamer to 411.3 million the following week. There’s an obvious discrepancy due to Netflix and Nielsen’s differing measurement methodologies, but the trajectory will likely stay the same.

Along with ‘Wednesday’ and multiple weeks of ‘Stranger Things’, the list of biggest streaming weeks also includes ‘Tiger King’, ‘Ozark’ and ‘Dahmer’ — all Netflix titles.

In the No. 2 position on the streaming rankings for November 21-27 was ‘Dead to Me’ for the first full week of availability of its third and final season. The series was watched for 1.5 billion minutes during this viewing window, up from 1.4 billion the previous week.

With 1.1 billion minutes watched each, there was a tie on the chart for third place.

Like ‘Dead to Me’, ‘1899’ also had its first full week of availability, growing from 925 million in its first four days of availability. ‘The Crown’ had its third week on the chart since reappearing with the debut of Season 5. The final season of the royal drama dropped from the 1.8 billion minutes it had on last week’s chart, where it sat in the No. 1 position.

The Netflix movie ‘Slumberland’ took the No. 5 position with just under 1.1 billion minutes watched in its first full week of availability, an impressive feat given its shorter runtime compared to the TV series on the list.

Following at No. 6 was ‘Manifesta’ on its fourth week since the debut of Season 4 Part 1. The series was watched for 988 million minutes between November 21 and 27.

‘NCIS’ regularly rounds out the bottom of the chart, and this week took the No. 7 position with 811 million minutes watched. Similarly, ‘Cocomelon’ was at No. 10 with 702 million.

In eighth place was ‘Yellowstone’, the Paramount Network drama series that streams its older episodes on Peacock. Season 5 debuted on November 13, prompting fans to rewatch the first four seasons, which were viewed for a cumulative 736 million minutes between November 21 and 27.

At No. 9 was another movie: Christmas-themed ‘The Noel Diary’. With only four days of availability, the film was watched for 707 million minutes.

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Top audio series for vibrant evenings

A romantic relationship might flourish amid the soft cold of an overcast sky with a brief downpour. A unique series on PocketFM will feature stories of love, friendship, retribution, and joy. The top five audio series to recommend to your loved ones are:

Silent Love: An innocent 22-year-old girl-Tiya is going through intolerable levels of hardships. She is ill-treated by her step-mother and elder half-sister. One day, Tiya realises that she is sold to goons and feels helpless until Ashwath Aryan, the weapons king enters to rescue her. His entry brings a new twist to Tiya’s life. Ashwath is willing to do anything to save Tiya, so he presents a blank cheque to the goons and rescues her. Listen to this audio series and get to hear the rest of Tiya’s tale and seek answers to the questions.

Ek Ladki ko Dekha To: Anika, an 18-year-old who has never looked at men, suddenly realizes she is pregnant. The whole village of Manali begins to mock her for getting pregnant out of wedlock while Anika is startled at how it happened. Humiliated, Anika leaves Manali and relocates to Bengaluru and lives with her aunt. She gives birth to twins, while one gets abducted. Anika’s search for her six-year-old ends up with her landing up in Manali. Surprisingly six years later when Anika returns to Manali, she is loved and welcomed by everyone. While she is on the Listen to find out what changes the minds of the villagers of Manali.

Hukkum Rani Sa: Nikhita a Delhi girl who dreams of becoming an IAS officer visits her village to attend her cousin’s wedding when life takes a sudden turn. Her cousin elopes and puts Nikhita in a tough spot by forcing her to marry the groom who was chosen for her. To uphold the family’s respect she agrees to marry Ranvijay (groom), ending her dreams. Ranvijay, an angry young man was keen on marriage only to adopt his niece, whose parents died in an accident. The hatred between Ranvijay and Nikhita turns into love soon. Listen to the tale to find out how this love blossomed and what changed his mind.

Kashi: Set in the backdrop of Rajasthan the story is about a vivacious and bold girl Kashi who marries the guy of a Royal family Abhay Pratap Singh. The royal heir has been known for his pride and arrogance. Relationship drama ensues throughout the story but there is an element of thriller wherein Kashi foils the conspiracy of enemies who are plotting against the royal family. Will Kashi succeed in defending her family, and winning their trust and love? Tune into the show and find out Kashi’s tale.

Mistaken Identities: Neha’s step-sister dies three months before her wedding. Myra (step-sister) was married to Saransh, but due to her sudden demise, sister Neha was forced to re-marry Saransh. However, Neha was always in love with Saransh since childhood but never tried to intervene in her sister’s marriage life. This sudden development in her life has made her look evil with selfish motives. Will the truth be unveiled, will Neha find love? Listen to the show and find out more about it.

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Channel 4 to tell the story of Boris from Eton to No. 10

Prime Minister Boris Johnson resignation. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson is comforted by his wife Carrie and their children after delivering his statement in Downing Street resigning as the leader of the Conservative Party. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

Michael Winterbottom’s drama series “This England” starring Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, will bow on television network Sky in autumn 2022…reports Asian Lite News

As the UK awaits its next Prime Minister, a documentary based on the departing UK PM Boris Johnson is currently in early development at a leading television network. The four-part series with the working title “Boris”, will feature hour-long episodes, reports “Variety”.

Broadcaster Channel 4, in a statement accessed by ‘Variety’, said: “Through a combination of rare archive footage and with access to those with intimate knowledge of Johnson over the years… will hear from both his friends and enemies to reveal his true persona.”

‘Variety’ further stated that the series explore how the seeds of political rivalry began in the corridors of Eton where Johnson beat former Prime Minister David Cameron to the role of school captain, his campaign for becoming student president at Oxford, going on to examining his rise to power, from becoming mayor of London to UK Prime Minister.

As per ‘Variety’, Channel 4 chief content officer Ian Katz said: “However the story of Boris Johnson’s political career ends, he has done more to change Britain and the nature of our politics than any other recent political figure.

This landmark series will try to answer the question of what shaped the boy who wanted to be king of the world and how he grew to believe that he could escape the laws of political gravity.”

The series was commissioned by Channel 4 head of factual entertainment Alf Lawrie and commissioning editor of factual entertainment Tim Hancock and is a 72 Films production. Michael Winterbottom’s drama series “This England” starring Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, will bow on television network Sky in autumn 2022.

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The great Indian murder based on riveting novel ‘Six Suspects’

Ajay Devgn, who has produced the show, shares, “‘Six Suspects’, as a book, intrigued and fascinated me greatly. As an ardent fan of thrillers, I am looking forward to ‘The Great Indian Murder’ as it intricately deals with a common subject like class divide and revenge but with a lot of glamour.”…reports Asian Lite News

The trailer of the upcoming thriller series ‘The Great Indian Murder’ was released on Tuesday. The show based on author Vikas Swarup’s riveting novel ‘Six Suspects’ has been helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia.

It stars Richa Chadha, Pratik Gandhi, Ashutosh Rana, Shashank Arora, Raghubir Yadav, Paoli Dam, Jatin Goswami, Sharib Hashmi and Amey Wagh.

The show, co-written for the screen by Tigmanshu Dhulia, Vijay Maurya and Puneet Sharma, presents a gripping narrative which tracks the murder of a spoilt brat Vicky Rai, who is the son of the Home Minister of Chhattisgarh, Jagannath Rai, and the investigation that follows.

Six suspects surrounding Vicky’s murder come under the radar of the case’s investigating officers DCP Sudha Bhardwaj played by Richa Chadha and Suraj Yadav essayed by Pratik Gandhi of Central Bureau of Investigation. Using the Rashomon effect with aplomb, ‘The Great Indian Murder’ explores several versions of a single murder, a story that Sudha and Suraj weave through their investigations.

Talking about the series, director Tigmanshu Dhulia says, “While working on ‘The Great Indian Murder’, I was taken back to my love for thrillers and murder mysteries. Vikas Swarup’s ‘Six Suspects’ has been on my list of top thrillers, so envisioning it for the screen was doubly exciting for me. The story does an excellent job of blending mystery, murder and fate with a unique storyline.”

Highlighting the importance of each character in the story, he adds, “Every character in the series holds the fort with their characteristic individuality that adds to the raw eclectic feel of the series. It is unlike anything I have worked on before. It has been a great journey, and I hope the audience shows ‘The Great Indian Murder’ much love and appreciation. Disney+ Hotstar has been creating some path breaking content over the years so we couldn’t have better partners than them to showcase the show.”

Talking about her affinity for thrillers, Richa Chadha says, “Thrillers have always been an exciting genre for me – it challenges you greatly and stretches your capabilities as an actor. When I read the script for ‘The Great Indian Murder’, I knew instantly that it was a project I wanted to be a part of. There’s an intriguing story to tell here, and Tigmanshu is a brilliant director who was there for me and for the rest of the cast to guide and direct.”

She concurs with her director, “Each character in this series has an intense motive and justification for their actions – it is somewhat relatable, yet nerve-wracking. It is an exemplary example of thriller series writing which only Tigmanshu Dhulia could have pulled off. Can’t wait to see the audience’s reaction to it.”

Pratik Gandhi reveals, “I wanted to be very thoughtful about my next digital outing and ‘The Great Indian Murder’ and Disney+ Hostar seemed like the perfect choice. My character Suraj Yadav was a whole new challenge for me. He is someone who represents the law but never shies away from breaking it or mending it to ease his way.”

He adds, “This grey layer and his easy transition between the dark and light sides make him special and very human. I am extremely grateful to Tigmanshu Dhulia and Richa Chadha for constantly being by my side and helping me to interpret the character. Hope Suraj Yadav receives a lot of love and appreciation.”

Ajay Devgn, who has produced the show, shares, “‘Six Suspects’, as a book, intrigued and fascinated me greatly. As an ardent fan of thrillers, I am looking forward to ‘The Great Indian Murder’ as it intricately deals with a common subject like class divide and revenge but with a lot of glamour.”

Talking about his collaboration with Tigmanshu, he adds, “Collaborating with Tigmanshu Dhulia to bring alive this exhilarating thriller on screen was an obvious choice, given his phenomenal creation of some of the best thrillers in India. Disney+ Hotstar and I share a strong relationship and I relate to their creative ambition and ability to think big.”

Producer Priti Vinay Sinha says, “It’s been an adrenaline filled three-year journey from the day I acquired the rights of the book from Vikas Swarup to producing ‘The Great Indian Murder’ into a fascinating series with a greatly talented cast and crew. I am really excited to share our web series with the audience. Ajay and I partnering as producers under our banner ADF & RLE Media for the first time and working with Tigmanshu Dhulia and Disney+ Hotstar has been a dream run.”

Gaurav Banerjee, Head, Content, Disney+ Hotstar and HSM Entertainment network, Disney Star India, says, “We are thrilled to bring yet another powerful and genre-defining story with ‘The Great Indian Murder’. Starring critically acclaimed actors and helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, the series’ crossover of characters from different walks of life makes it a highly intriguing title that is sure to entertain audiences across the country.”

‘The Great Indian Murder’ will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar from February 4 in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Bengali.

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Weekend special worthy OTT series

Significantly, in 2020 Amazon Prime had released the first edition of Unpaused, which was lauded by the audience. The series is set to release on January 21…writes N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

For cinephiles like us, nothing can be more entertaining than the idea of watching a binge-worthy series on a lazy day. As the winter is yet to remain for some time now and also amid the looming threat of a pandemic, the best bet for a fun-filled weekend is being a couch potato. We have compiled a list of a few web series, slated to release this week across Netflix, MX Player, Amazon Prime and YouTube, that would be your absolute dose of entertainment.

Bhaukaal 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6tMSo7xF_c

The audience had loved it when once the ‘Mahadev’ of Indian television, Mohit Raina donned the cap of a fearless cop who was out to dismantle the nexus of crime and conspiracies. The second season of the show, which is based on real-life events, is set to stream on January 20 and the trailer has already been loved by the audience. In the new season, IPS Sekera would face the aftermath of his actions against the baddies in the first edition of Bhaukaal. The show also stars Bidita Beg, Siddhanth Kapoor, Pradeep Nagar and Rashmi Rajput, among others.

Detective Boomrah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TdT-Pr5G4Y

An all-new series on the list, Detective Boomrah is a detective thriller that would consist of different cases. The first case that the detective is investigating is the care of a missing man, who appeared mysteriously in a locked room of a heritage hotel and later jumped from the terrace to vanish in thin air. Several unique elements of the Indian culture, such as ‘sitar vadan’ and mythological references have been incorporated in the series. Storyteller-turned-filmmaker Sudhanshu Rai is playing the lead in the series while the other cast includes Raghav Jhingran, Shobhit Sujay, Ahmad Akhlaq Azad, Abhishek Sonpaliya, Manisha Sharma and Garima Rai. It is set for a January 21 release.

Ozark Season 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB3xj2BKgHs

The much-anticipated fourth edition of Netflix original Ozark is also included in the list of releases for the week. The new season will reportedly consist of 14 new episodes. As the last season of the thriller drama left the audience with a lot of questions, it would be interesting to see how the new season unfolds. The caption with the trailer read – No one gets out clean, triggering further speculation about the plot. The series stars Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz and Skylar Gaertner. The series starts streaming on January 21.

As we see it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_JA2JXM25Y

The Amazon Prime series is packed with eight interesting episodes, which would chronicle the journey of some roommates on the autism spectrum. How the young ones struggle in their tryst to make a career, develop friendship and romance forms the plot of the series, which is expected to be a wholesome entertainer. All episodes of the coming-of-age drama series start streaming on January 21. The cast of the series includes Rick Glassman, Sosie Bacon, Chris Pang, Albert Rutecki and Sue Ann Pien, among others.

Unpaused Naya Safar

https://www.instagram.com/shreyadhan13/tv/CYqWzivJKrg/?utm_medium=copy_link

The new Amazon Prime series Unpaused Naya Safar is a collection of different stories around positivity, fresh beginnings and optimism. The four stories weaved together are – Teen Tigada, War Room, Gond Ke Laddu, The Couple and Vaikunth. Significantly, in 2020 Amazon Prime had released the first edition of Unpaused, which was lauded by the audience. The series is set to release on January 21 stars Saqib Saleem, Neena Kulkarni, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Priyanshu Painyuli, among others.

Munich – The edge of war

Based on the international bestseller by Robert Harris. It is Autumn 1938 and Europe stands on the brink of war. Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Neville Chamberlain’s government desperately seeks a peaceful solution. With the pressure building, Hugh Legat, British civil servant, and Paul von Hartmann, German diplomat, travel to Munich for the emergency Conference. As negotiations begin, the two old friends find themselves at the centre of a web of political subterfuge and very real danger. With the whole world watching, can war be averted and, if so, at what cost?

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‘Lucifer’ tops most-streamed series of 2021

Interestingly, reflecting the diversity of the U.S. audience, roughly 15 per cent of the American viewers of ‘Squid Game’ watched the Korean-language original of the series…reports Asian Lite News

‘Lucifer’, a drama that debuted on the Fox broadcast network before becoming a Netflix show in 2018, topped Nielsen’s list of the most-streamed original series of 2021 in the United States, reports ‘Deadline’.

The 93 episodes of the series netted more than 18.3 billion minutes of streaming during the year, according to the measurement firm’s year-end report. That put it well in front of the 16.4 billion notched up by ‘Squid Game’, but the Korean phenomenon had only nine episodes on Netflix in 2021.

Interestingly, reflecting the diversity of the U.S. audience, roughly 15 per cent of the American viewers of ‘Squid Game’ watched the Korean-language original of the series.

In saving the show after it was cancelled by Fox, according to ‘Deadline’, Netflix established a precedent that it has occasionally followed with other acquired properties that become popular on its platform. (A recent example was the former NBC series ‘Manifest’, which racked up almost 20 billion viewing minutes last year with just 42 episodes.)

Three non-Netflix shows made the originals chart: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ on Hulu, ‘Ted Lasso’ on Apple TV+ and ‘Wandavision’ on Disney+.

On the movie chart, ‘Luca’ recorded a decisive win, gathering about 10.6 billion minutes of viewing. The winsome, well-reviewed Pixar feature, says ‘Deadline’, did not have a theatrical run last summer and was instead released directly on Disney+.

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