Fresh soaps, talent hunts, music and animation shows are the toast of the season on the Bengali beam. Alpha Bangla, ETV and Akash Bangla have either revamped their old shows or launched a few new ones to spice up TV viewing, while Tara Bangla is yet to unfold its plans.

Once Ek Akasher Niche (picture top), the Alpha Bangla mega-serial that spawned a chain of family dramas, wraps up its show this month, the popular 8-pm slot goes to Ek Din Pratidin from January 31. Revolving around the clash of traditional and modern values, between the aristocratic Laha family and the upwardly-mobile Gangopadhyays, the soap features newcomer Aparajita Ghosh Das. The line-up also includes a host of small screen stars like Parambrata Chatterjee, Rwita Datta Chakraborty, Sudipa Basu, Bharat Kaul, Kushal Chakraborty, Arindam Sil and Santu Mukherjee. Percussionist Bikram Ghosh has scored the music for Ek Din Pratidin.

A lavish two-storied set, along with a thakurdalan and an open courtyard, has been erected for the serial, while adjacent to it is a posh south Calcutta apartment.

Kidzee turns the spotlight on babies in February. In association with Zee Interactive, Alpha Bangla will run this baby contest for those in the age group of one to six. The winner will be crowned the Baby of ?05.

The channel is tossing up a weekly parent-child capsule, Aamar Ma Shob Janey, from March 6 every Sunday. Anchor June will pep up the show, with games and puzzles for three teams comprising a mother-child pair each.

Also on the anvil is Prosenjit Nayaker Khonje, a talent hunt across Bengal. The super star is scheduled to hop around and pick the best actors who will have the chance to share screen space with him. The hunt will be televised from end-March.

A regular feature on the TAM top-ratings list, ETV is revamping its music show Anek Diner Amar Je Gaan (picture center).

The research-based Rabindrasangeet programme anchored by Rezwana Chowdhury Bonya, with artistes from Bengal and Bangladesh, will sport a new format and greater interaction between the singers.

Also on the channel?s makeover agenda is Taraana, the children?s talent hunt. Singer Ritika Sahani will replace Antara Chowdhury, while the participants will have to belt out more theme-based songs. Here, the age bar has been raised from 10 to 16 years.

Apart from sporting a new look and logo, Akash Bangla is keen on exploring the digital animation arena, with Sukumar Ray?s Abol Tabol. A team of graphic artists, visualisers and animators are working out the 52-episode series comprising stories like Pagla Dashu and Chinepotka.