TV + Internet = TV 2.0
This summer, I’ve been watching the summer “fill in” show called Treasure Hunters, on NBC. It’s a reality show that involves teams searching for treasure. Rather than eating worms and raw pig innards like some reality shows, they need to use clues that are Americana based in their quest for a cool million bucks. The whole thing is rather entertaining, and I’ve been enjoying it over the last few weeks (and wrote about it here).
The real point of this article isn’t the show, but how it has successfully mixed both the more traditional media of television, with the new media of the internet. On the show, the teams all have a cell phone, and a notebook computer. Through some exclusive deal I’m sure, the teams are always looking up something on a partnered search engine. They haven’t showed it, but the notebooks are better connected than WiFi, so probably they have EVDO cards in them to connect to the cellular network. The host also appears in video format on the cell phone at strategic intervals. It’s also a little weird to see the teams calling each other asking for hints and directions. This all combines to be the most high tech reality show I’ve seen.
I recall a study that many television users were watching TV while surfing the ‘net. I’m sure we’ve all done this from time to time. Supposedly, this is even more common among the younger males which are one of the harder groups for advertisers to reach, but one of the more important.
While Treasure Hunters has only had mediocre ratings, the one stand out is the companion web site. Sure, it has the exclusive video clips, and coming attractions that we’ve come to expect. It also has the recaps of the show, and the info on the teams. Where it really stands out is that there is an online contest. Each week there is a puzzle to be solved, all leading up to a $200,000 prize for the online component of the treasure. Reportedly, this all ties in so that the online winner will appear on the live Treasure Hunter finale.
NBC smartly also set up a discussion board for the show. With two hundred big ones on the line, folks are actively trying to get the loot. From asking for help on puzzles, to exploring cryptic meanings of show references, to reverse engineering contest web sites to find the missing prize pieces, let me tell you this is one active community of television watchers.
I don’t think I’m going to be winning any treasure too soon. It’s still up in the air if Treasure Hunters is going to be returning for another season. However, the take home point is that is definitely is possible to create a compelling companion web site experience to a TV show. Of course, this has been done before with ABC’s “Lost,” for example, but it took a longer to evolve to have some depth. Forget Web 2.0 (the most overused phrase of the year), the real action may be in TV 2.0. If this is the new age of internet tie ins to TV shows, than I’ll be tuning in more next season, both with the remote, and online.
--Jonas
The real point of this article isn’t the show, but how it has successfully mixed both the more traditional media of television, with the new media of the internet. On the show, the teams all have a cell phone, and a notebook computer. Through some exclusive deal I’m sure, the teams are always looking up something on a partnered search engine. They haven’t showed it, but the notebooks are better connected than WiFi, so probably they have EVDO cards in them to connect to the cellular network. The host also appears in video format on the cell phone at strategic intervals. It’s also a little weird to see the teams calling each other asking for hints and directions. This all combines to be the most high tech reality show I’ve seen.
I recall a study that many television users were watching TV while surfing the ‘net. I’m sure we’ve all done this from time to time. Supposedly, this is even more common among the younger males which are one of the harder groups for advertisers to reach, but one of the more important.
While Treasure Hunters has only had mediocre ratings, the one stand out is the companion web site. Sure, it has the exclusive video clips, and coming attractions that we’ve come to expect. It also has the recaps of the show, and the info on the teams. Where it really stands out is that there is an online contest. Each week there is a puzzle to be solved, all leading up to a $200,000 prize for the online component of the treasure. Reportedly, this all ties in so that the online winner will appear on the live Treasure Hunter finale.
NBC smartly also set up a discussion board for the show. With two hundred big ones on the line, folks are actively trying to get the loot. From asking for help on puzzles, to exploring cryptic meanings of show references, to reverse engineering contest web sites to find the missing prize pieces, let me tell you this is one active community of television watchers.
I don’t think I’m going to be winning any treasure too soon. It’s still up in the air if Treasure Hunters is going to be returning for another season. However, the take home point is that is definitely is possible to create a compelling companion web site experience to a TV show. Of course, this has been done before with ABC’s “Lost,” for example, but it took a longer to evolve to have some depth. Forget Web 2.0 (the most overused phrase of the year), the real action may be in TV 2.0. If this is the new age of internet tie ins to TV shows, than I’ll be tuning in more next season, both with the remote, and online.
--Jonas
posted by digitaldoc at 9:08 AM
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