When in doubt, shell out

Primetime TV shows now have Bollywood sized budgets, but is that doing much good?

Money can buy attention, everyone knows. But the way television serials are shelling out the bucks on primetime, you'd think they have something in mind beyond that.

Just look at those TV serial budgets balloon: Dharti Ka Veer Yodha "" Prithviraj Chauhan, Viraasat, Aisa Des Hai Mera, Jab Love Hua, Pyaar Ke Do Naam:Ek Radha Ek Shyaam, Johhny Ala Re, Twinkle Beauty Parlour... the list goes on.

They're being given such off-tube publicity (a trend started by Crorepati and sharpened by Jassi and Indian Idol), it's hard even for TV agnostics not to notice.

Some are strong on the intrigue factor, such as Twinkle Beauty Parlour (SAB TV), or Saat Phere (Zee TV). Other teasers are to be found on hoardings across urban India too (is that Johhny Lever as Lalu?).

"The channels know that in order to get audience attention, they would have to get basics like channel distribution (prime frequency band) and marketing (off-air and on- air) both right. Hence the struggle to get better results in grand launches," is how Siddhartha Mukherjee, director, communications, TAM India, sees it.

According to Nina Jaipuria, VP, marketing and communications, Sony Entertainment Television, "Big budget launches and campaigns get more eyeballs or reach out to people who have been out of reach."

Ashwini Yardi, programming head, Zee Television, agrees that audiences must be kept excited about serials. She says, "By getting people to participate in a contest, Saat Phere highlighted the twist in the story that was about to take place."

The idea often is to get people at large involved in the show. For Jassi, Sony managed to get viral messages beeping from phone to phone, even as the protagonist herself made public appearances.

Now, the market has the spectacle of Prithviraj Chauhan and Virasaat, both on Star Plus, dipping into their bag of tricks to turn heads towards the TV screen. Both have recently had their big launches... to moderate response, going by the peoplemeter findings.

By TAM ratings, Prithviraj Chauhan managed a peak of 5.67 points and Pyar Ke Do Naam "" Ek Radha Ek Shyaam got 4.39, while Saat Phere's highest score was a little above six. Most of the others are in the 1-2 points range, while some don't even get that.

Sustaining viewership, of course, is quite another story. As they say, good advertising only kills a bad product faster.

Still, with the fight for eyeballs so intense, don't blame Sony for painting local trains in Mumbai with Boogie Woogie promos, don't be appalled to see stickers of Rusty from Aisa Des Hai Mera in cinema halls, and don't roll you eyes when Star Plus puts a chess queen on bus-stop shelters to get you to sample Viraasat.