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Posts tagged as “Survivor”

Is NBC killing television?

Is NBC killing television?

Yesterday’s Leno-primetime announcement shakeup led to various online articles on the subject.
Such as an article by the co-writer of Leno’s autobiography (yes, I know that doesn’t make much sense) on “how Leno won again.”
EW is also explaining the 101 on why NBC is doing the move.

Still, the move is clearly a gut-punch to fellow TV writers as Shawna points out.
Temp X has also a post up explaining how NBC is actually run by aliens.
Don’t be fooled by their moronic attitude!

Meanwhile, ABC is also considering merging TV divisions.

This leads me to this shocking question:
Is NBC killing television?

Or rather: Are Dumb and Dumber slowly destroying original content?

The merge-move and Leno in primetime makes perfect sense business-wise.
After all, it cuts cost, and the show will most likely do better than what is currently on at 10PM.
But is it a good entertainment-move?
Me think not.
Is NBC really going to destroy the 10PM slot because of their failed shows from this fall?
Sure, “E.R.” will be gone soon, and so will be “L&O:SVU”. “Enemy” is out and the rest of the shows are sadly pointless.

But stop blaming all your problems on crappy shows.
And stop replacing said crappy shows by even worse shows!

Making new with old is good for some stuff, but faking new with old is far from creating “new” content.

Be original for frak’s sake!

If everyone would pull a Zucker, and every network would simply remove dramas from the 10PM slot, original primetime content would be swallowed by clones of clones of clones of shit.

How did CBS become number one?
By making “The Golden Girls 2: Touched by a David Letterman”?

No, by banking on some island-reality-show and a revolutionary procedural.
I’m not saying find the next great cash cow or cool reality hit.
This craze is gone.

Don’t hang on to the past, look towards the future.
For instance, find original stuff that can successfully make the bridge between TV and the Internet.
Don’t just dump money on “Nude Dance Competition with Your Pets XI”.

To be honest, The Leno Show will probably do well, but don’t think that means we want more talk-shows in primetime instead of solid drama.

Think with your brains, not with your wallet.

I have faith that CBS will pull out “CSI: My Ass”.
I’m hoping though that FOX/ABC will wake the fuck up and seize this great opportunity to be the underdog; bringing alternative, groundbreaking content to this 10PM slot.

Don’t ruin this for us, guys.
Please.

Interact like you're not a potato

CBS is clearly embracing online video content.

After last week’s deal with YouTube, the Eye has launched today its own “social viewing rooms”.

The “Watch & Chat” section is still in Beta.
I just tested it with Survivor.
For now, it seems that you cannot create your own viewing room, and only 2 are available for a given show. It probably will change when the fully fledged version of the social room is launched later this year.
People join the room and are given the ability to chat, and also sorta interact on the video. You can throw for instance a tomato at the video, or even an Intel logo (gasp!). Think WLM winks but put on screen.
Also throughout the episode (about one every 5 minutes) is a little quiz question about the show.
Soon to come are polls and more interaction.

Still, I’m not yet ready to give up my HD Survivor (or for that matter any other HD CBS show) for some basic interactive features.

CBS is definitely trying to gain online momentum by offering somewhat original interactive options to its viewers.
Whether or not it will succeed in bringing home a solid viewer base…
Well, we’ll have to wait and see.

Since we’re talking about CBS and Survivor, we must talk about Jeff Probst.
Heard about that new show he’s trying to bring to the network?
It’s called Live Like You’re Dying and it seems to be a “Make a Wish” for adults, on TV.
Terminally ill patients will have the opportunity to live “the last adventure of their life”, living out their personal dream.

As you might expect, opinions are starting to diverge on whether or not the show should exist at all, let alone be broadcast on national television for the world to be entertained by.
I for one think it should not be put on TV.
It’s one thing to make a foundation and help people fulfill their dreams, it’s another to put it on prime-time for entertainment value.
Although an idea to erase that “entertainment purpo$e” side of the show would be to give all the money acquired by the ads shown during the program to a charity.

The pilot should be shot around January (after Survivor’s 18th season’s filming is over) for a TBD air date.

The tribe has spoken


How awesome was last night’s 2-hour (!) Survivor Season Premiere?
Okay, it wasn’t that great I admit. Forests and stuff suck on Survivor, but still.
Survivor in High Def? I’m in 100%.
HD for this show makes things so much more enjoyable.
Even the crappy credits were great.

The challenges seemed pretty repetitive though, and all took place on the same huge plain with hills.


I hope they change the location once in a while because otherwise, it’s going to get real old real fast.
Notice the Emmy-wining jogging made by Probst on the lower left corner there.

Exile Island (why Island exactly?) has a nice new twist this year were you have a choice between Comfort (this week, an apple) or a Clue for the wherabouts of the Hidden American Immunity Idol (James!).

I must agree with Probst on one thing. It seems that this year’s castaways are the dumbest survivors ever.
The choices made during the team selection?
Eliminating one of the strongest component of the team first?
Nominating a 26-year old guy, and the one that raced selfishly ahead at the first challenge to get immunity for himself, as the team leader?
Partying over being Number 2?
Not finding the Idol with the easiest clue ever?
Regretting having chosen the Clue rather than Comfort?
Wow.

Next week, Sugar is going to need a Kleenex according to Probst.

I also just learned two things:
First, Wendy and Lisa are preparing a freakin’ OST for Heroes! I love Original Soundtracks (Giacchino et McCreary ftw), and I also like a lot Heroes’ music.
It won’t be like that crappy mix-tape that came out earlier this year, it will be real original music!
The other news is that the first ax has been freed, therefore canceling the first show this fall. That was fast! It won’t come as a surprise to you that the network that canceled this show was…wait for it…FOX!
Oh, and the show I’m talking about?

Do Not Disturb.

So much play on words one could make…