Over the last week, broadcasters have announced new online strategies that challenge the traditional way in which new series and content are launched and consumed by their viewers. Car Share, a new six part comedy starring Peter Kay will be shown in full on iPlayer before airing on BBC1. This is part of the Beebs 12 month trial to launch up to 40 hours of programming on iPlayer. In addition to this, new ITV2 sitcom Plebs is ITV's first original commission to premiere online ahead of its linear broadcast. People have the opportunity to buy and view the series online for 99p. Now, the advantage of these strategies is that they appeal to audiences who enjoy consuming content in their own time and in bulk instead of waiting for instalments. Another advantage from the broadcaster's point of view is that they are able generate buzz ahead of the linear TX; the content will be typically seen by the online and social media savvy, who are likely to spread the word about the content. It also allows the broadcasters to gauge the general response which might have an impact on their strategy for the programme going forward.
It all sounds good right? Well, not everyone is positive about this new approach. Kay Mellor, the writer of BBC1s The Syndicate has said that she wouldn't be happy if one of her programmes was made available online ahead of television. Her reasons were that she writes for television and feels that her programmes should be enjoyed in front of the TV sans any technical difficulties, buffering or other interruptions. A bigger reason was that the overnight figures that you get from a television debut is what a lot of the industry look at as a mark of success. An advance online premiere might perhaps take away from those overnights.
What does SceneTV think? Being and advocate of new and diverse talent and perspectives, this strategy is welcomed. It might just open the doors to even more up and coming directors and writers with new stories to tell by creating a new and exciting platform where their work can be showcased and tested in front of a large audience. For example, BBC Three have announced that they are to commission six drama shorts exclusively for the iPlayer over the next two years. Working with the BBC's drama production unit, they will seek out new writing and directing talent from the across the UK to create films, building on the channel's exisitng Feed My Funny scheme.
However, could this then result in broadcasters shying away from placing what they would consider 'risky commissions' on traditional television and using their online platforms almost as a dumping ground to satisfy the constant calls for more diversity? This does not sound likley. These online platforms play a huge role in broadcasters'overall brands and with the constant move towards online and social media strategies, this is an area that will continue to receive investment. It's likely that that on-air campaigns will be used to drive more traffic to these sites so that more people in the UK become aware of the online programming available to them.
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