MUMBAI: ?Really Cool Stuff? (working title) is the eighth original production to be announced by BBC Worldwide as part of the new commissioning strategy for its global branded channels, unveiled last September.

Blending science and factual entertainment, the fully funded format will premiere on BBC Knowledge (Asia, Africa, CEE, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Poland and the Nordics) and BBC HD (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America) next year. Dissecting the coolest things in the universe, the general knowledge show will be led by three British presenters alongside studio experiments and CGI and animations.
 
The 10 episode factual entertainment series from 360Production will tackle some of the world?s greatest mysteries from why cats have nine lives, to why we experience D?j? Vu and whether anyone could move fast enough to dodge a speeding bullet.

BBC Worldwide?s aim is to deliver 100 hours of original programming to its BBC branded channels by next year.

The company adds that this latest original production which blends science with factual entertainment, demonstrates VP of commissioning Tracy Forsyth?s commitment to work with independent producers and the BBC?s in-house production teams to create original and high quality television formats for the BBC?s international channel portfolio. Lucy Pilkington will act as BBC Knowledge executive producer, while BBC Worldwide will hold all commercial rights to the new series of ?Really Cool Stuff?, including global broadcast and distribution.

Created with an international BBC audience in mind, ?Really Cool Stuff? will take a magnifying glass to the world?s greatest and most intriguing natural wonders and examine quirky topics in bite size chunks. There will be a mix of presenter interaction, CGI, studio-based scientific experiments, demonstrations and expert input. Hosts Greg Foot (Physicist and adrenalin junkie), Fran Scott (biologist and practical experimenter) and Dominic Byrne (radio and TV broadcaster) will together debate, investigate and dissect a wide spectrum of topics including: "What is more deadly, a tornado or a hurricane?", "where do accents come from?" and "what is the loudest living thing in the ocean?"
 
Forsyth commented, "This high-energy, visually stimulating and incredibly informative series by 360Production, truly delivers a great mix of science and factual entertainment content in a fresh, digestible and returnable format. ?Really Cool Stuff? will answer some of those bizarre common-place questions you have always wondered about, no matter where you live in the world ? and this is one of the many reasons I believe the show will have wide-appeal with our international BBC audiences".

360Production creative director John Farren said, "Everyone at 360Production loves perplexing questions, funny answers, brilliant design and making things go bang. In this show, we get to do them all and can?t wait to share the results with audiences around the world."

MUMBAI: Consumers are increasingly taking control of their entertainment experience, multitasking while watching television, integrating second screen devices into their viewing experience, and viewing more Internet-based content, according to an online survey conducted by Accenture.

The survey was conducted in February and March, 2013, with 3501 consumers in six countries: Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US.

The third annual multi-nation ?Video Over Internet Consumer Survey?, found that viewers are multitasking with their laptops, phones, tablets and even books and newspapers, in growing numbers while watching TV. Overall, 90 per cent of respondents indicated they watch some video content over the Internet.

Accenture?s Media and Entertainment industry group broadcast lead Francesco Venturini said, "Consumers can?t just watch TV anymore. The rise in multitasking while watching TV suggests that scheduled programming, also known as Linear TV, may be losing its appeal for sophisticated users, presenting both challenges and opportunities for broadcasters and content providers."

Television Viewers Multitasking in Greater Numbers: The survey revealed that multitasking has grown substantially in the past year across all devices. In fact, more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of all respondents reported regularly using their computer/laptop while watching TV, up 16 percentage points from last year.

While numbers rose across the board on all devices, the use of tablets rose the most significantly - to 44 percent from 11 per cent -- despite their lower ownership rates compared to PCs, TVs and phones. The frequency with which consumers watch video content on tablets also has increased significantly.

Although multitasking activities are mostly unrelated to the content on TV, the survey indicates that the use of tablets correlates more closely with what consumers are watching than the use of laptops and smartphones.

The survey also indicates that the tablet is showing early signs of becoming a complementary companion device for multi-tasking consumers with 14 per cent using tablets for searching content and social media activities related to the TV program they are watching. Only 17 per cent of those surveyed use a tablet for activities unrelated to the content being viewed on TV.

"As the tablet becomes a key companion to today?s viewers, monetizing this second screen experience must be explored," said Venturini. "This is an example of over-the-top applications and convergence presenting the industry with new challenges.

Sophisticated Consumer Habits: The growing sophistication of consumers is also reflected in the high percentage of respondents who watch video content over the Internet (more than 90 per cent); the greater frequency with which they view movies, TV programmes and Video on Demand over the Internet on a device; and the correlation between the type of content they are watching and the device they use to watch it.

The number of respondents who watch video content over the Internet at least once a week on a PC/laptop rose to 65 per cent in 2013 from 59 per cent last year, according to the survey. During that same period, the number of respondents watching video content on a mobile phone or smartphone rose to 31 per cent from 24 per cent and the number watching video content on a tablet increased to 22 per cent from 14 percent.

Consumers have evolved in their use of different devices to match the content they are viewing. The data shows that more people are watching full-length movies and TV series on their PCs/laptops this year than last (47 percent compared to 41 per cent); tablet viewing also grew to 33 per cent from 27 percent. And, more consumers are viewing short video clips on their smartphones (49 per cent compared to 44 per cent in 2012), according to the survey.

Overall, the survey found greater consumer sophistication in the way in which they use their devices to match video content to their PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. In response, and in alignment with key digital trends identified in the Accenture Technology Vision, broadcasters and content providers should look to create "digital relationships" with consumers to improve interactions, develop better insights into individual consumer preferences, and deliver a more customized consumer experience.

Evidence of Confusion: TVs connected directly to the Internet remain the ideal method for accessing online video on a TV. However, consumers? preference for using connected TV for online videos has slipped from 36 per cent in 2012 to 31 per cent this year. And, the percentage of consumers who are not sure or don?t have a preferred method for accessing online video on TV has risen from 23 to 28 per cent.

The data suggests that consumers remain confused about the available options for accessing online video. While only 16 percent indicated a preference for an online connection through a set-top box, nearly a third (30 percent) reported watching daily online content this way.

Venturini said, "We would have expected consumers to have a better understanding of their options by now considering the sizeable marketing push by the television electronics industry to promote connected TVs. A big gap still remains between the availability of video services, content discovery programs and consumers? ability to access these capabilities."

Broadcasters Striking Back: The survey indicates that local and national providers are making progress in their battle with global content providers, such as Netflix and YouTube, to deliver video services over the Internet. The number of consumers using local online video service providers and broadcasters rose from 37 percent in 2012 to 40 percent in 2013, while global providers dropped by a similar amount.

Moreover, the survey reveals growing trust for broadcasters among consumers. Asked who they would most trust to offer a video over the Internet service on their TV screen, more than half (53 percent) of consumers surveyed said they would trust their traditional TV broadcaster - up from 32 percent in 2012.

"Broadcasters have been investing heavily over the past 12 months to earn consumer trust in the online world and provide new services across multiple devices. They have accelerated the delivery of their own content online and fundamentally altered their strategies to fit the rapidly changing marketplace, and in some cases introduced sophisticated hybrid TV offerings. Consumer trust for broadcasters is an indication that these investments are starting to pay off," noted Venturini. The sample is representative of the national population in each country except Brazil where the sample is more representative of the urban populations.

MUMBAI: Chef David Rocco?s food and lifestyle programming continues to grow. Breakthrough Entertainment has presold the celebrity chef?s newest lifestyle/reality series ?David Rocco?s Dolce India? to National Geographic Channels International (NGCI).

The series will premiere on NGCI?s Nat Geo Adventure channel in Australia, Asia, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Malta, and Greece.

A follow-up to the ?David Rocco?s Dolce Vita? and ?David Rocco?s Amalfi Getaway?, the Rockhead Entertainment-produced series now takes its star chef to India, where he will be a fish-out-of-water in a land he has never visited. Equipped with his Italian sensibilities, he embarks on a quest to challenge himself - and those daring enough to taste his fusion creations - by melding ingredients and techniques from his beloved Italy, with those he has never experienced before.

He is determined to raise the bar on his knowledge and expand his repertoire. With his reputation at stake and the potential for immediate failure in every episode, the obstacles David must overcome are greater than he has ever faced as a chef.

Breakthrough president of distribution Nat Abraham said, "What more ingredients can be asked for when an internationally renowned chef serves as our culinary and cultural tour guide through one of the world?s most exotic locations? As we?ve come to expect from him, David ups the ante by testing his skills to the limit. We?re thrilled to have National Geographic Channels International on board as a partner on this compelling new series."

MUMBAI: Al Jazeera?s sports channels, beIN Sports USA 1 and 2, is set to hit American TV homes beginning 1 August, said beIN Sports USA MD Youssef Mohammad Al-Obaidly.

beIN Sports will offer exclusive coverage of La Liga BBVA from Spain, Serie A from Italy and Ligue 1 from France.

Backed by the resources of Qatar Media Corporation and the global expertise of Mediapro, beIN Sports aims to provide unmatched experience to soccer fanatics in the USA.

?We are very proud to bring to the American community a new way of watching sports, a better way, where all platforms come together to provide a truly customized and totally unprecedented depth of interactive experience to the viewer," Al-Obaidly said.

The channel is being developed in partnership with Imagina US and has already secured two major deals with service providers.

"We are working together with Imagina US as our partner, and we are already in the last stages of negotiation with different providers, having secured two major deals so far that will bring the channel to subscribers? homes on August 1," he added.

Veteran American English-language soccer commentator Phil Schoen has joined beIN Sports USA. Schoen is expected to continue as the English-language voice of La Liga in the USA, when beIN Sports USA launches.