Commentary

MySpace Meets Charlie's Angels

The retro TV trend continues online. Sony Pictures Television this month begins serving up bite-size versions of shaggy-hair era shows including “Charlie’s Angels” and “T.J. Hooker” on MySpace. Called the Minisode Network, the new service offers condensed versions — told in three to five minutes — of 15 shows mined from Sony’s TV library.

The Minisode lineup, which also features “Starsky & Hutch” and “The Partridge Family,” is expected to have an exclusive run on MySpace for a few months before being syndicated to other Web portals. A stand-alone channel for the Minisode Network is a possibility in the future.

The move highlights efforts by major media companies to retrofit aging assets for a new medium while providing social networks with licensed content. Earlier this year, YouTube and Joost both added kitschy classic TV shows including “Gumby” and “I Spy.”

Cable channels such as TV Land have already shown that there’s money in catering to boomer nostalgia.

Sony says the minisodes will be monetized with brief brand messages upfront and 15-second spots during videos. It also plans to experiment with ads of different lengths and formats to run with the repackaged shows. Given the content, can snack food sponsors be far behind?

Next story loading loading..