By the time 2004 winds up, Ansh would be shot dead. Before the year is out, Mickey Mouse has put his tentative foot in the country. And we are inching closer to the Indian Idol.

Jassi's promised makeover is still a month away, and Kaun Banega Crorepati didn't keep its promise of a return this year. The idiot box however did a fairly good job of keeping the couch potatoes glued with dramatic soapy twists, some real good stories and a handful celebs who latched on to the tube this year.

Here's a look at the on-screen highlights of the year -

Kyunki.... - a rape of sensibilities?
Ansh raping Gauri had hordes of fans, apart from screen mom Tulsi, breathing fire. The National Commission for Women condemned the elongated sequence shown on TV, and viewers were more disgusted over the chanting of hymns in the background than the concept of marital rape. Nevertheless, they returned to the serial to keep watching its many twists and turns.

Kkusum.... no fun without Nausheen?
One of Sony's best shows on air, it lost much of its sheen when Nausheen Ali Sardar bid adieu to it, preferring to move to Star Plus. Mansi Joshi Roy has been doing a competent job of playing Kkusum, but clearly the spark is missing.

Kaahin Kissi Roz....seven murders at one go!
The scriptwriters must have been sozzled when they penned the last episode of this one-time popular midnight thriller. How else do you explain seven murders for a quick wind up of the Sudha Chandran starrer, in September this year?

Karishma....the miracle that never was?
Yes, yes, it was still being aired in 2004. Throttled at birth by a lawsuit that threatened to kill it in infancy, this Karisma Kapoor starrer did nothing for either Sahara's or her own fortunes. But the channel gamely carried it to its logical 262 episodes, even bringing in comedian Jaspal Bhatti towards the end to prop it up. Is it still on? We don't know....please check with Sahara One for details.

CID....from one record to another
The intrepid B P Singh decided to take the longest running serial on Sony to another high. He took the entire team to Lonavala to create an episode shot in a single take - for a whole 110 minutes, aired during Diwali. CID's already in the Limca Book, and is on its way into the Guinness Book.

Kittie Party....the party's over
The men in this show gamely played second fiddle, while the eight leading ladies occupied centrestage. Kittie Party may not have raked in the ratings, but was a lively change from the soapy sagas for nearly two years. Worry not. Shobha De, who penned the show, is busy scripting another one for Zee to be launched soon.

Red Alert...bold or audacious?
Star News decided to plumb the depths of the call girl profession, and the celebs involved. A few feathers were ruffled when the channel found, in the course of its investigation, that some top TV stars too are involved in the activity. A top video model star was caught red-handed by the team on a secret camera. The debate on the ethics of airing it are however still being debated.

Astitva - luckier second time round?
Abhimanyu's second marriage after separation from Dr Simran provided the turning point in this long running serial, which has its own faithful fan following. Dr Simran too found herself in an emotional tangle with Dr Manas, a complication that is yet to find a solution.

Des Mein... - fast forward gimmick gone awry?
The serial changed directors when producer Aroona Irani opted out. Pammi who had disappeared from the serial had to brought in again to sustain the ratings, but Sangeeta Ghosh's reappearance still didn't help matters. Des Mein... saw 2004 through, but is unlikely to last the first quarter of 2005.

MTV - soap with no lather
MTV ka pehla TV serial, they called it. But Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi hasn't really fired the imagination of its viewers. The channel had pinned hopes on the Balaji Telefilms' show, thinking they could repeat the success of KMHZ if it clicks. So far, however, there are no signs of that.

Celebs turn anchors!
Shobha De, Karan Johar and Pooja Bedi were some of the prominent names on the celeb circuit who found platforms across channels to launch themselves as show hosts. Karan is the only one who seems to have clicked so far, thanks mainly to the Bollywood biggies he ropes in to chat with.

- By The Telly Chakkar Team