Sunday, January 14, 2001		Television

SUCCESS has its downside. With most of its prime time cornered by Kaun Banega Crorepati, Star Plus is busy promoting alternate slots. Shagun, which should have found an evening airtime has been consigned to the 2.30 p.m. afternoon slot Mondays to Thursdays.

The serial revolves around the story of two cousins, Aradhana and Aarti brought up in an extended joint family and very close to each other. The major difference between the two is the way they preceive life. Aarti is confident and outgoing and believes she can reach out to the stars. Aradhana, on the other hand, is depressive and thinks that nothing ever goes right for her.

An unforeseen twist rips apart the traditional family drama when the man Aarti is in love with falls for Aradhana. Therein, begins a new tale of mistrust and betrayal between two girls who were once the best of friends.

Though the serial has a predictable storyline, in parts it still holds viewers’ attention mainly because of good performances by Surabhi Tiwari and Sweta Agarwal who play Aarti and Aradhana. Worth a dekko.

Keep counting. Here’s yet another gameshow which may not make you a crorepati but it promises to fill your house with gizmos.

Whirlpool Mera Magic Mera Home on Zee TV, Sunday 11 a.m., anchored by Ruby Bhatia tests the awareness levels of the homemaker, in the context of her home and the world around her.

The gameshow based on the monopoly format consists of multiple rounds and has three contestants pitting their skills to reach the final round.

The winner will compete for a jackpot prize comprising four top-of-the-line home appliances — a frost-free refrigerator, a fully automatic washing machine, microwave oven and air conditioner.

"The show is a recognition of something that society takes for granted — home-making," says Ashok Bhasin, of Whirlpool India.

The adorable little blue folk are returning to Cartoon Network! Enter the magical realm of the Smurfs daily at 12.30 p.m. They’re a group of little blue people who are only three apples tall and live in mushrooms.

Looking after the little people is the 543-year-old Papa Smurf who is constantly called upon to solve problems with his magical powers. His bungling apprentice, Brainy, though has other ideas as he tries to solve problems without the old man’s supervision.

Evil Gargamel is out to rid the world of all Smurfs but his spells always backfire. Smurfette, the only female Smurf in the village, was created by Gargamel to stir up conflict in the village. She has all Smurfs at her beck-and-call.

Others who confound the confusion include Vanity, the resident interior decorator; Lazy, who sleeps through a booming earthquake; Handy, who is incredibly good with tools and gadgets and Greedy, always busy grabbing someone else’s food.

Don’t miss this fun and frolicking series which has as much for kids as adults. It would have you smiling from start to finish.

If Star News can lay it out, so can Zee. Every weekday morning at 7.30 a.m. the channel has anchors Roshan, Smita and Nasir serving up Breakfast with Zee with spicy numbers like Chatpati Khabbar and Garam Masala.

The show kicks off with the Lifestyle which incorporates travel, cookery, trends, fashion and some home tips. In Dil Se people come and tell you a funny incident in their lives.

If that doesn’t lighten up your mornings, you could consider warming up to people like Maria Goretti, Alyque Padamsee, Sophiya Haque, Kader Khan and Moon Moon Sen who talk, talk and talk on Celebrity Chat.

The trouble with this and other breakfast shows is that they all look contrived with a misplaced sense of joi-de-vivre. Seen one you’ve seen all. After all, how many breakfasts can one digest!

This January, Animal Planet kicks off an all-new programming block that brings exotic tropical island critters and fuzzy arctic animals into viewers’ homes every week.

Wednesday Wilderness beginning January 3 every Wednesday, 7.30 p.m. goes inside the burrows, beneath the water’s surface and up into the treetops for a candid account of animals behaviour and natural environments around the globe.

The programme is an intimate look at how mammals, marine life, birds and lizards live, breed and fight for survival. Viewers travel to some of the most famous animal and unusual habitats in the world for a look at how animals adapt to their environments.

From visiting the crocodile-infested waters in Jamaica and hanging out with koala bears in Australia to swimming with the colourful cuttlefish, viewers get a new perspective on familiar species while meeting up with some unique animals. An exciting and rare animal safari to kickstart the new year.

Best friends since childhood and roommates since high school graduation, party girls Romy (Sorvino) and Michele (Kudrow) are two carefree young women living in Southern California.

When they hear about their upcoming high school reunion, they take stock of their lives and find they have very little to brag about.That forms the basis of the hilarious Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Star Movies January 14, 9.30 p.m.

To compensate for their apparent lack of achievements, they decide to reinvent themselves, concocting fantasies of wealth and success to impress their former classmates.

Romy and Michele arrive at their high school reunion fully prepared to fake their way to acceptance. But their well-rehearsed charade takes an unexpected turn when former classmate, Heather Mooney who knows their real stories shows up. And then starts the real fun in this uncomplicated comedy.

— Mukesh Khosla