Laughter is the best medicine!

To get higher TRP ratings, mostof the general entertainment channels (GEC), including music channels, haveswitched over to airing comedy clips from Tamil films between 9.30 pm and 11 pmduring the last one year. A spokesperson of a leading media buying agencysays, ���������������������������All those channels which replaced daily soaps with comedy clipshave registered a remarkable rise in TRPs. Then came a 24-hour comedy channel. Others saw the potential and this month alone, two new comedy channels have beenlaunched. Now, all the other networks will also have a separate comedy channelas part of their bouquet.���������������������������Says Sujit Kumar, Director of SocialMedia India Ltd (SMIL), who are marketing Siripoli, ���������������������������Humour has alwaysinterested Tamil viewers, and we saw the potential for a full-fledged comedychannel and launchedit. The programming includes comedy film clips,comedy songs, candid camera and stand up comedy shows. The sole aim of theprogramme is to provide laughter and fun to millions of viewers across thestate.���������������������������According to a source close to a leading televisionproduction company, ���������������������������All the women-oriented daily soaps have shown adecline in viewership. Now, channel programmers are asking us to make comedysitcoms with lesser known film comedians and try out something new.���������������������������But as per advertising agency sources, what sells best is Tamil filmcomedy clips of Vadivel, Vivekh, Senthil and Goundamani, Nagesh and the goldenoldies ��������������������������� N S Krishnan, Thangavelu, M R Radha and Thengai Sreenivasan.Also, the comedy scenes of Kamal Haasan (Michael Madana Kamarajan,Sathi Leelavathi, Tenali), Rajinikanth and Vijay are extremely popular amongyoung viewers.There has been an unprecedented boom in comedy showson Tamil television and most of the anchors hosting these programmes havethemselves turned into comedy stars in Tamil films. In the last two years alone,nearly 20 people who were hosting comedy shows have graduated into comedians onthe big screen. The big two ��������������������������� Vadivel and Vivekh ��������������������������� aresaid to be doling out dates per day (rumoured to be charging Rs five to sevenlakh per day) making them India���������������������������s highest paid daily wage earners! Thereare also other comedians who have moved from comedy shows to cinema and arecharging Rs 1 lakh per day.Kollywood producers are laughing all theway to the bank, as two new comedy channels would mean a rise in the price paidto them for the television rights of their films. This is because the channelsare in a mad race to procure more comedy content. Says leading comedian Vivekh,���������������������������The launch of two channels exclusively for comedy augurs well for theindustry. Today, our lifestyles have become so stressful, that laughter hasbecome a therapy. And in these days of economic recession and meltdown, after ahard day���������������������������s work, comedy provides the much needed outlet for people tounwind.���������������������������