'Boo' is back on Sony, this time for kids

The original dance show - Boogie Woogie - is set to come back on Sony this weekend, replacing KBC

Sohini Sen | Mumbai | December 3, 2013

The original dance show of Indian television is all set to come back on Sony. Boogie Woogie is making a comeback on December 7, 2013 at 8.30 pm.

The show which made dance a way of life for many and made Javed, Naved and Ravi household names 17 years ago is hosting a kids championship this time. It will be on the 8.30 pm slot on weekends, replacing Sony's biggest property Kaun Banega Crorepati after its current season.

"We have had very successful reality shows - Indian Idol, KBC etc. Boogie Woogie was our trademark dance show. We have seen the success of other formats, we have seen that dance as a reality format has become popular. When we own the best and original brand, then why not now!" said Gaurav Seth, Senior VP and Head of Marketing, SET.

Produced by R&N Productions, Boogie Woogie Kids Championship will see the same judges showing how to break into a jig. The camaderie and banter between these three are likely to continue.

However, some things may not continue as the format has been tweaked a bit. Instead of the original format of having weekly specials, Boogie Woogie this time will have the same kids participating for the whole season. They will try out different dance forms and styles - from hip hop to Bharatnatyam, from jazz to crumping.

What will not change is the non-voting pattern. The elimination would still be decided by the three judges as there would never be any voting for the kids on the show.

"We didn't want to include or introduce any voting in Boogie Woogie. We believe this is fair because then the one with the talent gets to go ahead, and not the one from a particular region or one who looks cute etc. These three are a laugh riot when they work, but the one thing they are dead serious about are dancing. So, you know that they will never compromise on the standards for that ever," said Aloka Guha, VP & Head – Non-fiction Programming, Sony Entertainment Television.

The trio shared interesting anecdotes about the show from previous seasons and explained how the concept of their trademark 'Boo' came along.

Naved explained," When we were in college we realised for every performance, be it dance or music, people would 'boo' some groups who were not up to the mark. That was a way of discouraging them. And we wanted to turn this around. That is why 'Boo' on our show has a positive connotation."

With 16 contestants from across the country, chosen from over lakhs of auditions, the show is set to make a mark once again. The kids are of the age group of 7 to 13 years and are fluent in different dance forms.

The show will be hosted by two people this time - Sargun Mehta and Rakshit Wahi. This season will also be shot at a new set with a new theme music, keeping the essence of Boogie Woogie alive. The show will span around 15 weekends. The winner along with the trophy will also win Rs 10 lakh prize money.

Sneha Rajani, Senior EVP and Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television said, “We are delighted to present Boogie Woogie Kids Championship which will be launched at the 8.30-10 PM weekend slot. The show that has been the genesis for all dance reality shows in India is back with a fresh format. This season promises to be bigger and better as we present an eclectic mix of 16 electrifying dancers whose sole aim will be entertaining our viewers with their outstanding performances. We assure you a season of wholesome fun and entertainment.”

Gaurav Seth added," We will keep the stars of the show, the kids, up front and the judges who are famous for their filminess. The strategy is to keep upfront Boogie Woogie. The brand is already known so we just have to play it up a bit. So across radio and television we sill use the new jingle. Big impact ads on the day of launch has been planned."

In digital media Sony plans to create apps to help people connect with the contestants. There will be a way to dance out and record and send the dance moves. Since the channel worked on the insight that Boogie Woogie taught a lot of people to dance and prepare for office parties, society dance nights, school functions, they decided to work on that. So this year, they will be rolling out a range of dance workshops in malls and resident welfare associations etc. There will also be flash mobs in malls on the weekend of launch.

According to Javed Jaffrey, "At least 100% of the people who grew up watching Boogie Woogie will come back to watch it. Because it is not a show any more, it is a culture. It is a part of the life. Boogie Woogie is dance, dance and dance."

Sohini.Sen@BestMediaInfo.com

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