Indian television has gone through a world of changes since the first fiction TV shows began almost half a century ago. From the era of realism of Hum Log and Buniyaad to the over-the-top melodrama of daily soaps and reality, it has een some journey. Along the way, there have been several highlights, both good and bad. This includes some of the lowest-rated shows ever made, including the one that takes the dubious honour of being the absolute lowest.
The worst Indian TV show ever, a copy of iconic American sitcom
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is always a reliable metric to judge a program’s popularity and acceptance by the general public. Most shows and films get IMDb ratings on a scale of 1-10, which determine their quality. On that metric, the lowest-rated Indian TV show ever is a 90s comedy series called Hello Friends. The millennial show, which lasted only one season of 26 episodes, was a scene-by-scene copy of the iconic American sitcom Friends. But while Friends remains one of the most-loved TV shows of all time, Hello Friends – with its IMDb rating of 1 – is the worst Indian TV show ever.
The story of how Hello Friends came to be
Created by Ajit Pal, Hello Friends – just like the original Friends – was about six friends in their 20s living in a big city and navigating life. The show starred Simone Singh, Aparna Tilak, Maria Goretti, Cyrus Broacha, Nikhil Chinappa, and Anil Dimbri as the six friends. Apart from them, several known actors like Kunal Vijaykar, Mandira Bedi, Samir Soni, Kishwer Merchant, Bhavana Balsaver, and Eva Grover had supporting roles. The show premiered in September 1999 when five seasons of Friends had already aired. However, after just 26 episodes, it was cancelled. The original show, managed to outlast it by four years.
Other low ranked Indian TV shows
The IMDb ratings have plenty of other Indian shows that are in contention to knock Hello Friends off the perch. The much-derided soap Sasural Simar Ka is at the second spot with a rating of 1.1, while Ekta Kapoor’s Kahaani Hamaray Mahabharat Ki is also at the same spot. Other low-ranked shows include Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (1.6), Bigg Boss OTT (2.0), Kundali Bhagya (2.1), Saath Nibhana Saathiya (2.2), Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii (2.2), Final Draft (2.2), and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (2.3).
