Full Seasons On Netflix!

The way we experience a show’s progression and story arch has not changed much since the advent of television. While technology has improved the way we access the programs, we must still wait a week to watch new episodes. This model works for many shows that have had full seasons without any major fluctuations in ratings, but for other shows it may prove detrimental. This Sunday, May 26, Arrested Development will have a chance to test the new model for Netflix, where full seasons will become available all at once. 

 

Arrested Development began airing in November of 2003 on Fox to rave reviews from critics and a little over six million viewers. In the show’s third season, the numbers significantly dropped for the final episode to about three million viewers. Despite a myriad of rumors regarding the show’s future, Arrested Development was cancelled and essentially put on the back burner until recently when the show’s creators and Netflix decided to release a final, full season exclusively on the Netflix website. Now the question is, will Arrested Development succeed with this new business model? I am leaning towards absolutely. According to Netflix, television fans enjoy what they call “Binge-Viewing” where audiences spend hours watching full seasons in one sitting. This binge-viewing model is ideal for Arrested Development because while they did not experience a great run on network television, their cult audience revealed themselves by contributing to the explosion of DVD sales the show experienced. Those DVD sales show that there is a huge audience for the show that may actually prefer experiencing the opportunity to watch the full season whenever and however they desire.  

Netflix has experienced great success with other programs previously released under this business model. Most notably the show House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, was reportedly a success when its first full season was released in early 2013. There is no telling how well House of Cards actually performed, since Netflix won’t release the official numbers, but it did well enough to earn a second season which signifies that people enjoy binging on full seasons on Netflix.

Read More

The Second Screen Experience

Midway through any given television show, I find myself looking at my phone and having to rewind the program to see what I missed. Usually, the culprit is Viggle. Viggle has been a part of my routine for about five months and provides its users with a unique way to earn rewards while watching TV. For example, if Batman Begins were airing on ABC Family right now, you could check in a-la “Shazam”, and wait for the points to rack up. If it was a featured program, you could answer trivia for extra points, which could then be redeemed for prizes, like the $25 Best Buy Gift Certificate I received last month. Viggle is not alone in providing a second screen for television viewers, the Team Coco App also provides extra content synchronized with the broadcast of every episode. The content could range from extra videos to behind the scenes content. Second screen experiences are on the rise and can provide great ways for increased exposure to your market and a new way to sell ad-space.

 
 The Guardian posted an article providing statistics relating to the “second screen.” They provided several resources outlining some of the statistics for example, a study released in October 2012 by IMRG (UK’s retail industry association) that said 80% of smartphone owners used their device to browse for a product after seeing it on TV. 81% of tablet owners and 73% of laptop owners also use their device while watching television. These numbers are relatively large, so it doesn’t surprise me that Samsung has recently acquired a second-screen start up in order to develop this particular bit of technology. This, in my humble opinion, will improve the television experience. Our species has been multitasking since even before the iPhone, it’s about time we jazzed up the television watching experience. I’m ready for minority report to become a reality...sans "Pre-cogs".

Read More

NORMAN BATES EXISTS!

--UPDATE-- (I fixed the link. It goes to the trailer now)

So, I wrote about the casting of one Freddie Highmore to portray the Hitchcock character famously played by Anthony Perkins. This production has finally released teasers, but I haven't seen them yet since I'm in class, but I'm sure they are good.

Check it out. BATES MOTEL TEASER.

Read More

It's All About AD Revenues Baby

The transition from traditional television to web-based programming seems to be gaining momentum. In a recent update, Deadline.com addressed findings from a survey of 50 AD buyers, which revealed that in 2013 the overall U.S. spending for advertising would grow almost 5% compared to previous years. This is great news for television right? Well, it may not be as simple as one may think.

Read More

National Associations and the Half-Blood Prince

Industry associations are wonderful creations that provide a not-so-silent guardian for those who belong to them, so, since I intend on becoming a part of the film and television community, it is only natural that I look into these associations. The associations I feel strongly about are the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA).

Read More

J.J. Talks Mystery

My first experience with J.J. Abrams, came from my obsession with the show LOST. LOST was a television show that revolutionized how television was experienced. Before, it was thought of as a medium for cheap laugh tracks and never ending dramas. LOST turned television into an event outside of the screen. It became a community where LOSTies (as they called themselves) would get together and discuss theories about the show. Because of LOST, I decided to check out other J.J. classics and have grown fonder and fonder of his work, as time has passed. This fondness led me to J.J. Abram's TED talk entitled "The Mystery Box."

Read More

How to win an Emmy

When I first realized I wanted to work in television, and dreamed up the program I wanted to produce, I immediately thought: "Where can my program have the most impact." I thought about the various opportunities and choices I had as far as the channel where I would want it to air. I know it seems like a strange thing to wonder before my show gets piloted, but I think it is important to know what you can get away with on the air and what environment the characters in my show would inhabit.

Read More

Dexter's BACK!

FINALLY! Dexter has returned to my life, and it was glorious (Spoilers ahead.)

Read More

Cable Box Gaming? WHAT?!

While surfing the web, I stumbled across something that caught my undivided attention. This particular article described a world where console gaming was a thing of the past, and video games could be accessed via cable box. I was not really enthralled about this news. I do see the positives, but I feel like there will be negatives to this as well, as far as gaming goes.

Read More

Bates Motel Strikes Gold

I rarely get excited about programs based solely on their casting decisions, but every once in a while I get surprised. With movies it's a bit easier because there are usually more movies based on other things that have existing characters. For example, I was thrilled to hear Heath Ledger was selected as the Joker way back in the day because in the comic books, he was more of a demented serial killer as opposed to Jack Nicholson's campy lunatic, and I felt (based on Ledger's previous work) Heath was the right talent to pull off the "real" Joker. Television programs are usually (hopefully) original ideas that allow casting directors to hire based upon what they imagine the character looks like. So when I heard not-so-little-anymore Freddie Highmore was chosen to reprise or "preprise", if you will, the iconic role of Norman Bates from the Hitchcock classic, Psycho, I was absolutely elated.

Read More

Revolution Pilot

Well, today was the premier of the new J.J. Abrams project "Revolution." I decided to give it a watch, because I am a fan of previous Abrams work. Although I don't really like to put too much faith in a man based on his previous achievements, I've enjoyed many of his to give me some hope for Revolution.

Read More

And the winner is...

Well, it seems as though none of my previous selections for America's Got Talent won. Although, I'm definitely not disappointed because, to be honest, I've never seen anything like it in my life. The winner was...

Read More

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!

Welcome!

So, my goal with this blog is to comment on all aspects of entertainment. What I plan on doing is voicing my opinion on anything and everything entertainment. I will serve as a reviewer and provide an insight on projects in development. There are so many things happening in the entertainment world, and only a few things are getting national press.

Read More