Water-Cooler Programming Can't Exist When Viewers Drink Bottled Water
Looking for water-cooler TV programs? First, find the water cooler and all that goes with it.
If you are working from home more these days, it's tough to talk about TV shows in the break room.
Netflix is making such conversation even harder. Its new "House of Cards" looks to push the idea of time-shifted -- or time-sensitive – programming even further. The complete first season of the series, which is a spin on a British show, is now available to Netflix subscribers.
You want to talk about the show with your friends? Well, you know where to go these days. It isn't in real time, and probably won't deliver much liquid. You need to go to your favorite social media area -- Facebook, Twitter, or maybe GetGlue or Viggle.
Even then where do you start, or end, talk about a 13-episode season? Perhaps you can talk about an entire season as if it was just one episode. But, of course, your friends then need to do some heavy screening -- or you'll need to issue spoiler alerts. In fact, if the Netflix model takes hold, the term "spoiler alerts" will probably have to be renamed with more attitude -- something like "you-are-so-yesterday alerts.”
Viewers have been moved to watch shows based on ratings success press releases from traditional networks. Everyone loves bigger numbers. But Netflix has said it won’t play this game. We won't clearly know how many viewers watch a Netflix series. Is that the shape of things to come?
Did a particular episode of a show get 2 million, 7 million or 18 million viewers? And what does that mean in a country of some 314 million?
CBS and other networks are already thinking about less-urgent ways than standard ratings to gauge the value of a TV show's performance. They are looking to persuade analysts to observe all viewing -- live, time shifted, and otherwise. This is closer to where Netflix wants to go
Looking for water-cooler programming? Take a look at the bottle of water you just took a swig out of. Everyone can find their own particular way to quench entertainment thirst.
WAYNE FRIEDMAN
Wayne Friedman is West Coast Editor of MediaPost.
Recent TV Watch Articles
-
TV Distributors Looking For More Programming Control, Possibly With Some Big-Media Approval May 21, 9:56 p.m.
DirecTV and Time Warner Cable are two traditional TV programming distributors kicking the tires at Hulu. ...
-
When News Twists In The Wind, TV Show Up Faster & With More Detail May 21, 12:24 a.m.
Seemingly minutes after a massive tornado hit, an MSNBC news image showed a speedboat sitting on ...
-
Big TV Broadcast Development for 2013-2014: But Where Is The New Reality? May 17, 9:37 a.m.
Good news for those who still believe in broadcast network television: There some 52 new shows ...
-
2013 TV Upfront Conclusion: Harder For Viewers To Avoid Commercials May 16, 7:40 a.m.
TV commercial overload: It's not over yet.While the TV industry works out its online and digital ...
-
Where Do TV Broadcast Networks Fit In A La Carte Programming? May 15, 9:58 a.m.
It may be no coincidence that Sen. John McCain's bill to revamp most of the modern ...
-
Will You Fail TV's test... Or Will TV Fail You? May 14, 9:56 a.m.
Take a TV test. TV networks still believe your positive results are crucial for their fall ...
-
Upfront Nerves: Digital Executives On Edge. TV Executives? Calm Before The Storm May 13, 1:57 p.m.
Pre-upfront time media executive nerves are on edge.Senior media agency executives are telling major digital video ...
-
Can Cable Or Digital Content Networks Provide Relief For TV's 'Failure Tax'? May 10, 4:41 p.m.
Failure tax? Is that what marketers continue to pay to TV broadcasters? Yes, according to Mel ...
-
McCain Bill Would Upset The TV System -- In Theory May 9, 11:01 a.m.
If Sen. John McCain has his way, the whole broadcast/cable eco-system will be turned upside real ...
-
Sharing Media Content: Still Good For Friends And Maybe Even Content Owners May 8, 2:16 p.m.
BitTorrent, the file-sharing service that has a bad rap because its technology gets mentioned in the ...
Be the first to comment on "Water-Cooler Programming Can't Exist When Viewers Drink Bottled Water "
Leave a Comment