While the theatres were shut and people were confined to their homes during the COVID-19 lockdown, it was the television and the OTT (over-the-top) platforms that generously ensured the entertainment quotient. Apart from television channels, OTT platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hotstar+Disney, too, streamed a host of movies and series, including latest movies, shows and seasons, and engaged the audience for a chunk of 2020. Here is the list of top five television and OTT shows that have become popular this year.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 4: Bigg Boss Telugu’s tagline — ‘Entertainment like never before’ — has lived up to its meaning. Hosted by actor Nagarjuna, Bigg Boss Telugu season four has entertained crores of audience across the Telugu states, every day for more than three months. As reported earlier, the show has recorded the highest TRP rating with 18.5, which is the highest among all versions of the reality show available in different Indian languages. The show, which started with 19 contestants, ended recently with Abhijeeth Duddala bagging the title winner, while Akhil Sarthak came second as the runner-up. One of the finalists, actor Syed Sohel opted out of the show with the prize money of Rs 25 lakh to put to rest the allegations of committing a scam in the finale.
Sam Jam: This celebrity talk show is hosted by actor Samantha Akkineni on the OTT platform Aha. Known for her witty questions on the show, Samantha manages to make the celebrity guests reveal some unknown facts about themselves, as they open up to her. So far, the show has featured actors Chiranjeevi, Vijay Devarakonda, Allu Arjun, Saina Nehwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Rana Daggubati and Tammannah Bhatia as guests. It was at this show that Baahubali actor Rana revealed to Samantha that he was seriously ill and had 30% chances of death. Aha is an online platform for Telugu content and is owned by producer Allu Aravind.
Dance Plus: After three months of airing teaser promo, the Telugu version of Dance Plus, a dance competition reality television show, started in December last week. The show, which is being aired on Telugu channel Star Maa, features six judges and 12 contestants from across the country to showcase their performances. The show also has Mumaith Khan, Baba Bhasker, Yashwanth, Monal Gajjar and Anne Master as the judges. Renowned anchor Omkhar is hosting the show.
All is Well: Hosted by popular Telugu anchor Suma, this OTT show on Aha started during the lockdown with the view to spread positive news from across the country. The show had various segments, the highlight being the video call with celebrities, who would share some good things that happened in their life.
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - The Next Singing Icon: The ongoing season of the Telugu version of the Indian musical reality show started during the lockdown in the month of August 2020. The show, which is being aired on Zee Telugu, is hosted by a popular anchor Pradeep Machiraju and has a lot to offer to the music lovers, as they introduce a series of new talented artistes on the show. Yasaswi, a budding singer on the show, has become quite popular with the Life of Ram song that he sang from the movie 96. The video of him singing on the show alone has garnered more than 24 million views on the youtube.
Watch : Performance of Yasaswi in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa here :