Colors records highest ratings, beats all channels

NEW DELHI - Riding high on the success of its recently launched adventure reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi - Level 2, Colors is leading the general entertainment channel bouquet with a record gross rating point (GRP) of 325, almost 50 and 70 points ahead of rivals STAR Plus and Zee TV, respectively.

The channel has recorded 325 GRPs for the first time ever since the show’s launch in July 2008. In the last 59 weeks, not a single entertainment channel has crossed 325 GRPs. While STAR Plus is at 323, Zee TV is at 281, Sony at 142, Imagine 141 and STAR One 100, said a press statement by Colors.

“We are very excited with the response to ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi - Level 2′. The number of viewers enjoying this show has almost doubled this year and stands at a very encouraging number of 12.6 million that walked in as the show began. We hope to continue the good work and keep bringing exciting concepts and shows to entertain our audiences,” Ashvini Yardi, head (programming) of Colors, told IANS.

Hosted by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, the show went on air Sep 7 and opened with a spectacular rating of 4.37 and for the rest of the week the average rating was 4.11.

Shot in Cape Town, “Khatron Ke Khiladi 2″ has become more dangerous with participants performing daredevil stunts. Thirteen celebrity women, including Shweta Salve, Rosa Catalano, Carol Gracias, Sushma Reddy, VJ Anushka Manchanda, Bruna Abdullah and Nauheed Cyrusi, are competing with each other to win Rs.5 million as prize money. Each of them has a male partner.

In the last 10 weeks, Colors has occupied the No.1 position six times. Star Plus was on top the rest of the four weeks.

But the adventure series has yet to surpass the popularity of the channel’s popular drama “Balika Vadhu”. The serial about child marriage still tops the chart with an average rating of 5.95.

After making a record with the show, the channel bosses are hoping to hit an all-time high with the third season of “Bigg Boss 3″, which will go on air next month.

Though “Bigg Boss” is among the most watched reality shows on Indian television, the latest version featuring Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan will see the show surpassing last year’s popularity, said Colors TV channel CEO Rajesh Kamat.

“After the tremendous success of ‘Bigg Boss’ last year, we want to take it to even higher levels this year - in ratings, in novelty and in appeal. With Mr. Bachchan on board, we strongly believe that ‘Bigg Boss’ this year has all the ingredients to surpass its last year’s popularity,” said Kamat.

Amitabh, 66, who created waves in the TV industry as host of superhit game show “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, is making a comeback to the small screen after a gap of four years.

His role in “Bigg Boss” has been defined as that of a ‘Pop Philosopher’. Amitabh is to bridge the gap between “Bigg Boss” participants and viewers through contextualising events, simplifying emotions as well as analysing developments that happen within the “Bigg Boss” house.

While “Khatron Ke Khiladi” is the Indian version of international adventure show “Fear Factor”, “Bigg Boss” is the Indian version of popular British reality show “Big Brother”.