by Subhash K Jha

Reality TV touched a peak on 10 March when Sony Entertainment's prized premium product Fear Factor and Kandy Floss went on air.

These two non-fiction programmes are being seen by the Channel as a decisive Friday fortune-turner. The show already a huge success all over the world puts celebrities and lay-persons in unbelievably fearful situations.

Sony's head of on-air programming Anupama Mandloi is upbeat. "In Fear Factor you get to see things that are frankly unimaginable. For instance in our inaugural episode we had Sveta Salve who's really scared of reptiles. She consented to get over this fear and gets into a glass case with reptiles.

You just sit with your heart in your mouth as you watch them because you know you won't be able to do it yourself. It's an adaptated format. But we've gone Indian completely. There's a lineup of approximately thirty celebrities.

And you see them in a completely new avatar, you see them stripping down their inhibitions to face their most secret fears."

'The Friday Factor', as Sony calls it, is going to big. " It's Friday viewing, so a lot of men and kids will watch. I think it will definitely be a clutter-breaking show on television," says Anupama.

Adding to the fuel in the Friday Factor would be CID which is now an hour –long show from 10 pm every Friday.

"This is followed by Ekta Kapoor's Kandy Floss. The reason why we're telecasting it so late is because it's a behind-the-scenes peek at the television industry. Perhaps the content is not palatable to kids.

We're following the format of E-News and other international shows that come late night and give adult insights into showbiz. Kandy Floss attempts the same. The fact that Ekta Kapoor has access to everyone in the television industry should help the show."

Sony's Friday Factor and Kandy Floss have the Channel extremely hopeful. "The idea is to provide completely new entertainment on Friday. Right before Fear Factor at 9 pm there's Deal Ya No Deal."

The Channel is very pleased with their new host Mandira Bedi who replaced Madhavan. Says Anupama, "She's brought a completely different personality and glamour to the show. It will add to the Friday flavour of different entertainment. We're very excited about re-launching our Fridays. We've come back with the slogan Shukra hai shukravaar hai."

Rohit Roy who participated in Fear Factor was very excited about the show. "It was great shooting for Fear Factor. What an amazing experience to work with such an organized crew. Everything to the last detail was worked out in advance.

All of us who shot together were friends. So it was like a party in Malaysia. The thrill was incredible. I want to go back at least one more time on the show."