Reality Series to Hit the Web in 2010
What do American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Got Talent have in common? For starters, they are all reality TV contests that give the average Joe or Jane a chance to compete against each other in the hopes of making it big. These shows are not only popular among the talented (and untalented) hopefuls who wait in endless lines for the opportunity to audition, but they are also popular with their sponsors because of their loyal audience following.
In early 2010, the creators of American Idol, Simon Fuller’s company 19 Entertainment, will debut their first online series, “If I Can Dream”. Similar to American Idol, the series will feature five hopeful musicians who will be filmed Big Brother style (aka 24/7) as they live together in their Hollywood home. Footage from the house will be streamed on the show’s website, and fans will have the ability to interact with the show via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. With that, if watching the show online isn’t enough for you and you want to submit an audition video, all you need to do is visit “If I Can Dream” on MySpace (the show’s official social-networking site) and upload your video. Additional sponsors involved with the series are expected to include Ford, Pepsi, and Clear Channel.
I’ve got to hand it to 19 Entertainment. They are really thinking out of the box and testing the limits of emerging media with this one. While the concept seems like a simple one, it will undoubtedly take a lot of promotional effort and buzz building for it to take off like American Idol did on television back in 2002. That being said, if the series does catch on with consumers how long will it be before the web truly becomes a destination for original programs? I can already see premium broadcast channels like HBO developing their own original web programming – all for a small subscription fee to make it worth their while.
2010 looks as if it will be a great year for advances in emerging media, particularly if concepts like “If I Can Dream” catch on among the general population. It will be interesting to see if videos from this web-based series become as viral as that of the infamous rendition of “She Bangs” by famed American Idol contestant William Hung. Only time will tell…
