Doordarshan can be credited with occasional awakening to the cause of science on small screen. In fact the media in India seems to believe that science has few takers. But the overwhelming viewers’ response to Doordarshan’s ‘Turning Point’ and its consistent high TRP ratings seem to suggest that

science has few takers in media, not in the masses. Turning Point was the longest running science serial which fetched the Doordarshan several international awards. It was a well-packaged magazine programme produced in English, Hindi and regional languages. Imaging Science takes a cue from Turning Point and seeks to cruise on the same lines.

Production of quality science programme requires good understanding of science and decent grasp of film grammar. The fact is that there are channels which have science as the major chunk have attained good viewer-ship. Their reputation is built on well meaning programmes, communicating science easily and excellently. They have devised a format, which makes science interesting and entertaining. Indian Science programmes are striving for that. Imaging though has not reached those heights but it conveys something and holds viewers up to some extent.

Indian programmes have found an innovative way of involving a renowned film personality with intellectual appeal as an anchor person and hope the programme finds some identity. Imaging Science is anchored by film director Mahesh Bhatt. It is telecast once a week on DD News, DD Metro, and DD National Channels.

Imaging Science has four to five segments in each episode of about twenty four minutes. These segments deal with the stories on environment and astronomy in the ‘Mother Earth’, latest breakthroughs in ‘Milestones’, about health and medical science in ‘The Body’ and about earlier discoveries in science and technology in ‘Timetable of Technology’. ‘Future Watch’ and ‘Science Update’ are the other segments besides an occasional segment as ‘Question Time’.

Most of the science programmes originating from India however need to concentrate more on visual pattern and evolve a grammar conducive with the demand of understanding and level of the Indian populace. The key lies in continuance of ‘Turning Point’, ‘Imaging Science’ and many others on similar lines.