I Have Had A Good Idea
From time to time I have good ideas. I figure this is as good a place to share them as any. Here's tonight's idea:
There should be a television show in which charcters develop and plot moves forward and continues from episode to episode but for which multiple endings are filmed. Each episode would include several clues which could lead to the correct outcome but the outcome would be determined by people voting on who/what is the truth. Let me give an example because I can feel this general description getting out of hand already.
Let's say it was a show about a police unit (it could be anything but this will be simple). The police unit investigates a murder and during the investigation there are two, three, even four possible suspects. As the investigation proceeds the viewers would be watching and would be able to decided for themselves who was the actual murderer. The episode would end before it was resolved and viewers would be given 3 days (or whatever) to text in thier votes (or vote online or whatever) for who did it. Then, the begining of the next episode would be the conclusion of the previous case in which the characters on the show would choose to act based on the decision chosen by the majority of viewers. The next episode would proceed in much the same way. It would mean that over time the plot and the characters would have to change based on the input that the viewers had given. I mean, if they get it wrong over and over maybe a dectective would get fired or a villan could come back. Basically the intrest fo the viewers would be based on the excitement of actually getting to have input at the end of a who-dun-it.
That's my idea. What do you think?
p.s. It is really fun to type the word "case" case case case case. Try it.
Matt
5 comments:
Lemme see if I get it, using your example. Suppose the writers are intending that the Butler did it, but the viewers are thinking that it's Professor Plum. So next week they book Dr. Plum and put him in jail, but the stranglings continue until the viewers collectively figure out their mistake?
So the viewers dictate the beliefs and actions of a certain set of characters, but not necessarily the "objective truth" of the fictive world? Is that right?
Sounds good, but I get the feeling it might be tough to film new episodes fast enough to get new shows out regularly. But if reality TV can do it, why can't fake TV?
The really interesting application of this concept would be to have a West Wing-type show with a presidential election, and to see if more people end up voting for the outcome of that than they do for real elections.
Whoever made and distributed the after school specials back in the 70's and 80's tried this sort of thing with monthly serials. You would fill out a poll that came in your Wheaties or whatever and mail it in. It failed.
Technology being what it is today may have an effect on participation but I don't think Keiffer Sutherland wants this idea to come to pass. It would be a season finally every week. How could you prevent leaks?
Besides, there's not much on the tele that I want to see, or people I know really, that isn't covered by the History channel, Discovery, or, Versus.
Your idea might have enough appeal to bring itself to fruition but then so did scratch and sniff television in 1983!
The amusement park kiosk is a good idea. This one not so much.
"stewardesses" is fun too...
My team's amusement park kiosk idea was about a billion times better.
You're teams idea sucked. Just because it was "free market." doesn't mean it was fun or effective. I hate going to carnivals where you have to pay for every ride. You are ignoring the fact that there is a basic feeling of getting something for free (even if that is illogical) when you only pay once for admittance. And anyway... scoreboard!
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