Recently in Television Category

A few days ago we installed the second round of additions to the WIRED SCIENCE Facebook application (which I discussed first here). We gave the application more elements (10 elements, instead of 5), more compounds (55 compounds instead of 15), and I redesigned the quiz algorithm (and added one more question). Take the test again or install the app to see the new additions.

Although I just added the final touches to the application, the show is out of season and will not be coming back to PBS. The series was canceled, which is unfortunate, because the show had great potential to reach a younger audience for PBS ("young" meaning older than the Curious George crowd but younger than the older demographic). In addition, it had great social media potential (in my eyes), but needed some time to get off the ground (i.e. another season). Either way, we are in the phase of evergreening the site, shutting down the blog, and slowing things down.

The show's cancellation has me asking myself, where do social media strategies go when they're no longer needed? So far, the results of our most significant strategies are:

• a blog with over 200 entries and 600 comments
• a twitter account with 1200+ followers
• a facebook fan page with almost 600+ fans
• a facebook application with 12,000 installs

The Facebook application is especially interesting to me because it's the gift that keeps on giving. Since launch, the application has been averaging 100 new installs per day. This is with no paid promotional activity whatsoever. I don't expect this to stop anytime soon, because I don't think we will reach a ceiling going at this (slow but) steady rate of installation (considering the number of users on Facebook). I designed the application to be viral enough for it to self promote. I suppose I could turn those activities off if I wanted to.

For the blog, we have decided to stop all posting, write our goodbyes and leave commenting open for a few weeks. We will then shut down all comments, and leave the blog up for the sake of Google and reference.  I am not sure what to do with the Twitter account. It essentially was a machine for the blog and site updates, but with no more site updates, what else is there? I suppose the Facebook fan page can stay in place, however we'll probably put up a notice about the show and site saying farewell.

 I feel like I am divorcing or "putting out" a community I spent months building and nurturing. Now that we don't have the time and resources to support it, what's the best way to properly memorialize it? Any thoughts on what we (or any media entity using social media) should do in a situation like this? If situations like this are concerning for TV shows, should we even bother with such strategies, and just let the fans do it organically on the web?

The Boondocks, one of the more controversial animated series of the past few years has produced two episodes attacking your favorite TV network: BET. Both episodes appear in full below. Please beware of harsh language.

"The Huey Freeman Hunger Strike"

"The Ruckus Reality Show"


Comments:

• I like Dr. Leevil, even if I am not supposed to.
• I am amused by Tavis Smiley's cameo. Highly amused.
  
• I think Aaron McGruder is getting close to Dave Chappelle dangerousness, in terms of content. Not like that's a bad thing.
  
• I love to hate Uncle Ruckus.
  
• Word on the street is that BET asked Turner Cable (Cartoon Network owner) not to air the episodes because it reflects poorly on the network. Turner Cable denies this, and I can't find anything substantial to refute their claim.  Sounds like a rumor to me.
  

Questions:

• What happened? I'm not quick to believe this 'BET shutdown' rumor. That would give too much credit to BET. BET can shut down the Cartoon Network but they can't shut down Canada? Somebody else had a change of heart somewhere.
  
• Why is Reggie Hudlin (President of Entertainment at BET) credited as Executive Producer of the show if he is depicted poorly in the episodes? Is he not an EP anymore? If he is still EP, did he sign off on this?
• The network produces not one but two episodes making fun of BET and nobody says anything about it until it's time to air? The second episode is dirty with lower thirds, which seems like it went pretty far down the chain before somebody pulled the plug. I don't know, I just don't see The Boondocks spending money to produce two episodes knowing they wouldn't make it to air. Controversial content isn't supposed to make it to final production, it  gets stopped earlier in the process. I know these are the same people who had MLK saying the N-word last season, but still.
• Speaking of that MLK episode, what is with this protection of BET? We can't save Martin Luther King from The Boondocks, but doggone it if BET is sacred. Perhaps we need to look at Turner Cable a little sideways, hmm?
  

Stuff isn't adding up here. *rubs chin*

We are one step closer to Social Media Kind here at my job. Today we officially launched the Tavis Smiley Video Blog!

This is a pretty cool project I have had my ear on here at work. As many social media projects go, this is a work in progress, and we have many things lined up for Tavis' video blog. In the future, he'll be taking questions from his Twitter followers, and submissions from the blog itself. You'll also get an idea of what Tavis is like behind the scenes here on the lot on his show tape days.

Check out the first installment below. If you have any constructive feedback to offer, drop a comment, or shoot me an e-mail.