Recently, I was reading something about how the publishing industry is attempting to integrate bibliophiles into their editorial process. Basically, amateur writers can submit manuscripts and novels to a bulletin board or e-mail list of people who have expressed interest in reading unpublished works. The people on that list then read the materials and make recommendations to the publishing house as to what should be published. In essence, the reading public (or a small subset of it) is taking the place of the gatekeepers of the publishing industry.
Yesterday, I was thinking that this could also be applied to the television market. Basically, production houses would make a pilot of a show, and then allow them to be reviewed online by television viewers (which is pretty much everybody on earth.) Those viewers would then give a thumbs-up or thumbs down.
It seems to me you could take this even further. Instead of actually shooting a pilot, content creators could just pitch the idea straight to Internet users. A TV producer might say, “Alan Alda is a retired bachelor living with his grown son and discovers that their couch is possessed by the spirit of a former Islamic dictator. Don’t like that? How about Johnny Knoxville and the black dude who was banging Martin Sheen’s daughter in the West Wing as co-principals at a school in the Bronx? Not interested? Okay, I haven’t figure out all the details, but something about aliens that turn radioactive when they eat too much peanut butter. Mad Men meets Small Wonder! A reality show about iguanas dressed as circus clowns!”
This is the future of television folks.
Hey, Wil, I’m real sorry about Gary Moore. He was so good on “Password”!
I doubt if you get that joke.
That would be a good idea for a sit com – A guy who always gets Gary Moore The Guitar Player mixed up with Gary Moore the Game Show Host. And he lives in a World where the Gary Moores are a constant subject of conversation! He’s completely out of touch with every one he meets! Everybody hates him! Hey, this could be really funny.
“Man, If only Gary Moore were here to tell us what we should do!”
“Yeah, his experience with Thin Lizzy really would have given him some insight into how to -”
“I’m not talking about the Guitar Player, you ass! I’m talking about the Game Show Host and his experience working with Carol Burnett!! GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!”
“Is it that guy again?!”
“It’s that guy again!!!
“Get the fuck outta here!!!”
Every episode ends with him getting chased down the street by an angry mob.
Some of my articles for Classic Rock are attached as samples of my Comedy Writing.
Remember on “The West Wing” when the President’s Daughter was kidnapped and The Black Guy and Brad Whitford were running back and forth all over the place like a couple of nincompoops? They were hilarious!
You know, I saw that season cliffhanger, but never saw the follow-up season. That chick is pretty cute.
I don’t even remember her. That show sucked.