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From fans' lips to television gods' ears

Feedback loud and clear on message boards

Erika Gonzalez, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 13, 2006 at midnight

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If you think teenage girls and entertainment reporters are the only ones spending hours on American Idol message boards, think again.

After judges on the Fox reality show recently praised contestant Chris Daughtry's "original" take on Johnny Cash's Walk the Line, online posters began buzzing that Daughtry had copied a cover of the song by the band Live.

Host Ryan Seacrest questioned Daughtry about the song on the following show and confirmed that the version was created by Live - one of Daughtry's favorite bands.

Likewise, Internet chatter questioning contestant Kellie Pickler's trademark naivete prompted Seacrest to confront the North Carolina native about whether she was legitimately clueless or putting on an act.

"That's a case of the show (producers) following their own buzz and moving it onto the show itself," says professor Bob Thompson, director of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television.

But American Idol insiders aren't alone. Thanks to the Internet, television executives can now "listen" in on what was once discussed on a much more intimate level around the office water cooler. J.J. Abrams, creator of Lost and Alias, has admitted to reading the boards. Former West Wing producer Aaron Sorkin has commented in them. And don't think the stars of the shows aren't taking a peek.

"I remember quite a few of the contestants would get on and read them for hours," says American Idol Season 2 finalist Kimberly Caldwell, now a co- host of Idol Tonight! on the TV Guide Channel.

Though Caldwell says she didn't alter her behavior because of what she read ("If you try to change yourself, you're going to be a disaster," she says), online commentators can rest assured that they're having some impact.

Consider Maureen Ryan, who writes a TV blog for The Chicago Tribune. When Ryan mentioned on her blog that Greg Daniels, creator of the NBC sitcom The Office, wanted the network to run an expanded season finale, fans created an online petition to support the effort. The result was Thursday's "supersized" season-ender.

Closing the loop

"What we've been seeing is that distance between the medium and the audience is closing," says Sarah D. Bunting, co- founder of the television-centric blog Television Without Pity, which attracts roughly a million unique visitors a month.

"And the Internet is at least partly responsible for closing the feedback loop. Twenty or 30 years ago, it was strictly a one- way street."

Bunting never imagined that TWoP (as it's more commonly known) would provide her with access to big-name television writers, producers and reality- TV stars. Started nearly eight years ago as a place to poke fun at teen drama Dawson's Creek, the site eventually expanded to include reviews of a variety of shows.

Before long, the site's snarky point of view was attracting such high-profile players as Nip/Tuck writer Ryan Murphy, who approached Bunting about an interview when he was working on the comedy Popular six years ago. Now Bunting says the staff regularly gets calls from key decision-makers.

"That's been a positive perk, but we also don't court it," says Bunting, who created the site with partners Tara Ariano and David T. Cole.

Bunting adds that executives who contact the site shouldn't expect special treatment. The writer recapping NBC's Third Watch agreed to do an interview with the executive producer only if she could be brutally honest. ("She hated the show," Bunting says.)

Clearly, TV executives are interested in reaching TWoP's audience, but Bunting is cautious about taking credit for having too much influence over programming.

"I think it's more of an Internet-wide thing," argues Bunting. "If American Idol had been on TV 10 years ago, it would have been received differently."

To gauge the influence of the Internet, TV-ratings tracker Nielsen has launched a service to measure TV-related discussion on blogs, message boards and other online community forums about new TV shows. The service started by monitoring online buzz on the top 30 new prime-time network TV programs announced a year ago.

"We gather it by date, source, even user name, so we can tell who are the most active people talking about a show," said Michael Kaplan, director of client services for Nielsen BuzzMetrics.

Though Kaplan says there appears to be some correlation between a TV show's buzz and its ratings, he acknowledges that some shows that garner a lot of attention online don't succeed on-air.

"When we started, Prison Break was the most-buzzed- about show and No. 23 was Martha Stewart's version of The Apprentice," says Kaplan. "Well, what people were talking about was how much better Donald Trump's show was (than Stewart's)."

Loyalty equals revenue

The networks seem to be embracing the idea of tapping the Internet as a tool. Many have launched their own blogs to build loyalty for shows.

Several of the actors from The Office write blogs, offering up such inside information as the fact that the show's ice skating rink-based episode was inspired by actor Steve Carrell's real-life skating skill. Rain Wilson, who plays overly eager paper pusher Dwight Schrute, even writes an online newsletter about fictional company Dundler-Mifflin.

HBO is taking the same route with its polygamy drama, Big Love, offering a blog written in the voice of one of the main character's three wives.

"We are absolutely focused on trying to figure out what content engages the fans," says Mary Baumgartner, vice president of product development and new media for HBO. "We're looking for things that aren't so obvious."

The cable network also started posting music credits for The Sopranos in response to requests on the show's message boards, and the site includes a glossary of mob terminology and a Google map tour of last season's action.

But Thompson says it's not just loyalty that the networks are after - they're also using their sites to create another revenue stream.

"In every case I've seen, there's been advertising on the network-sponsored sites," says Thompson, adding that the sites also tend to offer plenty of promotional products tied to the show. While browsing for information about The Sopranos, for example, viewers can click on a link to buy show-related cookbooks and DVDs.

The Lost Experience, an online game that ABC launched to provide viewers with clues to the hit show Lost, serves as another example. Viewers can "play" the game even while the show is on hiatus.

"This is a modern technical iteration of what is essentially a tie-in," says Thompson. "It's a creative way of disguising a promotion for the show itself."

While the game may help viewers get more insight into Lost plotlines, Thompson doesn't expect television to become completely interactive.

He points out that few online efforts to save poorly performing shows have succeeded. And he doesn't believe audiences really want total control over content.

"The thing we love about television is that it's so passive," says Thompson. "The great thing about TV is that you can come home and be half-asleep and someone else will entertain you."

Nothing but 'net

Whether you've missed an episode of your favorite show or just want to vent about an annoying character, the Web is the place for TV junkies. Here's a selected rundown of the best sites for fans of a few popular shows.

American Idol

BEST RECAP

TvGasm delivers a summary of the action with an extra topping of sarcasm. For proof, check out this sample bit from this week's Elvis-inspired show, which featured Priscilla Presley: "Yes, she may be the first lady of Graceland, but Priscilla has hardly aged gracefully. Her face has now become a barren wasteland of surgical excavations. A veritable Chernobyl of Botox and collagen."

BEST DEEP DISH

The site is a one stop-shop for Idol news - from song spoilers to interviews with ousted contestants to such interesting tidbits as how much judge Simon Cowell earns.

BEST BOARDS

It's hard to beat the Fox-sponsored site for breadth. And the fans that come here are so hard-core, even taking a small peek provides a glimpse into the voting process.

Lost

BEST RECAP

Entertainment Weekly's Scott Brown offers not only a nifty story synopsis, he also attempts to dissect the maddeningly mysterious show with humor.

BEST DEEP DISH

The Lost Blog provides possible spoilers, links to other Lost blogs and podcasts and plenty of conspiracy theories.

BEST BOARDS

This fan forum, which claims to be the largest Lost message board, attracts devotees who have created mathematical formulas and computer programs to help explain the show.

24

BEST RECAP

A painstakingly detailed account of the quick-moving show for those who don't want to miss a minute of the action. (The site offers a shorter summary for viewers who don't have time for a 15-page recap.)

BEST DEEP DISH

This site gives fans the Jacktracker - an interactive map that pinpoints Mr. Bauer's movements around Los Angeles.

BEST BOARDS

Although you have to register to participate in this Fox network forum, the site still gets the nod because it's well organized, provides users with a search function to sort through postings and includes an area to chat in while the show is on.

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