MUMBAI: Encouraged by the good performance its reality talent hunt Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 has been putting up on the rating front, Zee TV has decided to give an extension to the programme.

A revamped version of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa will immediately follow the Challenge series, which will be over by the first week of March 2006.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Zee Network VP Ashish Kaul agreed that the decision was inspired by the good ratings. However, he added that it was a well-thought out decision and not a knee-jerk one.

"Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is a year-long property for Zee. Unlike the talent hunts on other channels, it never takes a break. Since the Challenge series was about to end, we were planning to launch a new series. Then this thought came up that, why not a new format for the same show. Hence, we have now decided to retain the property in the same time slots," says Kaul.

Zee TV is expected to make a formal announcement about the launch of the new format and the promos will be breaking by 10 February. When queried about the details of the new format, Kaul said the channel was in the last stage of finalising the details. However, he reveals that the new format will give a chance to the contestants who have been voted out of the Challenge series.

"We have received an amazing and overwhelming response to recall contestants who have been voted out by public voting. We have decided to give another chance to our ousted contestants. Zee is in the process of fine-tuning details and will make an in-show announcement in the next few days," he says.

As already reported by indiantelevision.com, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 has helped Zee TV to reach the number two position in the General Entertainment Channel (GEC) rating in All Day parts. In the last four week period, the show scored an average TRP of 3.53, ahead of the Sony reality talent hunt series Indian Idol which scored an average TRP of 3.31.