It`s romance over reality on television these days

New Delhi: Imagine TV`s `Swayamvar` seems to be losing its charm. `Ratan Ka Rishta` - the third season recorded the lowest ever ratings for the debut episode of the show, while Sony TV`s romantic drama "Bade Achche Lagte Hain" emerged a winner when both shows hit the small screen the same day.

Both shows went on air Monday, but at different time slots. "Bade Achche Lagte Hain", which has brought back two of Indian television`s best known faces - Sakshi Tanwar and Ram Kapoor, back to the tube, garnered a television rating point (TRP) of 1.5. While the third season of "Swayamvar" on Imagine TV lagged behind with a 1.2 rating, according to data provided by audience measurement agency aMap. This is the worst ever rating for the "Swayamvar", where a celebrity gets to choose his or her life partner. The first episode of the first season of "Rakhi Ka Swayamvar", featuring controversy queen Rakhi Sawant as the prospective bride, mamaged a record-breaking TRP of 3.5 for Imagine TV. And the debut episode of the second season "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega" with Rahul Mahajan got a 2.4 rating. It is possible that the non-controversial nature of Ratan, popular for her show "Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo", has led to this drastic dip in the TRPs. The first episode of the show, which aired 8 p.m., saw the introduction of the 16 prospective grooms. "Bade Achche Lagte Hain", which was aired at 10:30 p.m. on Sony, was quite simple in its execution - and seemed to be a fresh offering from TV tsarina Ekta Kapoor. A romantic saga of two individuals - a business tycoon in his late 40s and a working woman in her late 30s, the show explores love after marriage. IANS