Should TV Networks Put Pilots Online For Judgement Like Amazon Is Doing? 128
An anonymous reader writes "EW debates how broadcasters might (and might not) benefit from letting the Internet help decide which of their pilots get series orders (like Amazon is doing with their new original content efforts). If NBC had posted its pilots online, would we have been spared 'Animal Practice'? It's an interesting idea, but not without faults: 'According to Nielsen’s research, the vast majority of TV viewing is still on a traditional set. Having pilots judged by online viewers would give networks a skewed sense of what might work in the fall — the entire broadcast schedule might be nothing but sci-fi shows, tween-lit adaptions and whatever Joss Whedon wants to do ... "If something isn’t picked up, for whatever reason, but people really liked it, that could be a problem," one network insider said. "Or if people hated something, and we pick it up — again, for whatever reason — you’re starting off on a bad note." ... Noted a major network programming researcher: "Great pilots don’t always make great television series." Conversely, if you’re a network executive, you usually don’t need millions of people to tell you a show sucks."
"traditional set" (Score:4, Informative)
I watch all of my TV on a traditional set.... through a HTPC running XBMC. All my shows grabbed using SickBeard on a server. It's like a massive DVR machine. Also just added NetFlix to the mix for Movies and Arrested Development.
Re:Don't need people to tell you? (Score:4, Informative)
I would disagree with this. Firefly is the perfect example - the ratings where horrible but the box set sales were phenomenal, I worked at a video store when it was released, it was one of the most profitable TV rentals in the store behind Sopranos. Farscape is another example... executives have no clue what to do with it because "it has puppets so it must be for kids" but then it also has adult plot lines - their answer: bury it. It probably would have done much better on DVD if they hadn't made the stupid choice of putting it on for $130-170 per season. Now it's $60 for the series and getting better reviews than SG1 which ran for 10 seasons + spin offs.
Granted sci-fi isn't for everyone - there are a LOT of stupid people out there who would rather watch reality shows but geeks consume content like no other stereotype I know ;)
The fact is that cult shows are breakout hits waiting to happen - they just need to be given the proper chance/venue/exposure.