Month: April 2007

The narrative relationship between the Ghost Whisperer TV show and their new websiodes looks interesting:

Explore the world as seen through the eyes of an earthbound spirit with GHOST WHISPERER: THE OTHER SIDE, an original scripted online companion series to CBS’s GHOST WHISPERER, streaming free of charge on CBS’s broadband channel innertube (www.cbs.com/innertube) starting today on www.cbs.com/ghost. 

Every Friday, fans can watch a new episode of GHOST WHISPERER: THE OTHER SIDE, a unique web series that shows the spirit world from the perspective of an earthbound spirit, Zach, who searches for answers regarding his recent death.   As Zach learns to navigate around the spirit world, he meets an array of ghosts who teach him how to intersect with the land of the living.   The character of Zach will make a special appearance on the second season finale of GHOST WHISPERER.

GHOST WHISPERER: THE OTHER SIDE features Zach (Mark Hapka), the young earthbound spirit seeking answers regarding his death; Danny (Matthew Alan), a friend of Zach’s who Zach holds responsible for his death; Sarah (Robin Hines), Zach’s temptress and teacher in the spirit world; Sam (rapper DNA), a spirit who entertains and enlightens Zach; The Shadow Spirit (Graham McTavish, “Rome” and the upcoming “Rambo IV”), a ghost from the Dark side; and fashion model Taylor as Katie, Zach’s girlfriend.  The web series is directed by Claudio Faeh (“Coronado,” “Hollow Man 2”). 

GHOST WHISPERER: THE OTHER SIDE is sponsored by Saturn and will feature the all-new eight-passenger Saturn OUTLOOK Crossover, the vehicle that strikes an ideal balance between style, size and capability.  To learn more, visit www.saturn.com/outlook.

I really like it when a sub-character or a different part of a primary narrative is explored (though the motivation is usually one of IP conflicts not art). The only problem I see with this implementation is the webisodes are…well…I hate to say it…not that well done. And geez, how many car advertisements are we seeing with all of these online extensions to major television shows? Are car manufacturers the only ones that see the light?

Source: http://allyourtv.com/pressreleases/cbs/2007/march/ghostwhisperer03302007.html

Here are some great “web 2.0” web TV betas that are buzzing around at the moment:

• * UStream: 24 hour live streaming to the web. Rather than precorded moments, you get it live.
• * Kyte.tv: Well designed site that makes creating your own channel, polls, slideshows etc so easy. You can watch put video all over the web and on your mobile too. Addictive. Great explanatory video too.
• * Joost.com: I’ve spoken about this before. It is the one by the creators of Skype etc. They say they combine the best elements of the web with TV etc. A great explanatory video here too. The only thing I don’t like about Joost, is their very public selection of people to test it. Either you care about my opinion or you don’t…and right now Joost doesn’t give a hoot what I think of it. They’ll ask me, I suppose, when they’ve designed everything they think I want…Either do testing in private or public – there is no in between.

This looks interesting:

The automaker [Toyota] has fittingly teamed with the Warner Bros. series Smallville for an integrated transmedia campaign via Saatchi and Saatchi, Los Angeles, that breaks tonight and will include on-air comic book creative from DC Comics in the form of content wraps during breaks in the popular series.

Content wraps replace regular commercials and instead offer content related to the TV show it interrupts. In this case, the 120-second wraps will run once per episode for five weeks and are created by DC Comics artists and the Yaris is integrated into the content.

The storyline of the show is carried through the wraps during the breaks. Called “Smallville Legends: Justice and Doom,” the campaign will drive viewers to an online game at CWTV.com/justice, in which players must answer questions about Smallville episodes.

The campaign will also have street-team distribution of game clues in selected cities and a national contest in which the grand prize is a 2007 Yaris.

Source: Steve Miller, ‘Toyota Takes a Drive to Smallville’, Brandweek, April 19