• by Sheree R. Curry , March 15, 2006

Our show suffers the most from lack of awareness," says Yvette Lee Bowser, the creator and executive producer behind the UPN sitcom "Half & Half." So the 40-year-old, who has been creating sitcoms since the "Cosby Show" spin-off "A Different World" 18 years ago, beefed up that awareness by having the show's record executive character, Mona, create a real-life blog -- and listen to readers for how some show scenes should play out.

New entries for The Mona-Logue (www.themonalogue.com) appear minutes after each episode airs, with Bowser typing out each entry herself. "Television is becoming an entirely interactive medium," she says. "[Previously,] there was no way to talk directly to the audience and get their immediate feedback. [Now] I have people directly e-mailing Mona, a.k.a. me, with how they felt about the show."

E-mails to Mona, played by Rachel True, come from all over the world. Some fans want advice and some dish it out -- as "Mona" wrote in a Valentine's Day entry, "It's like having 30,000 personal therapists on speed dial!"

During May sweeps Bowser will take advantage of the Web's interactivity, inviting viewers to vote via the blog about how Mona's love triangle should play out. "It doesn't get any more direct than this," Bowser says.