Television: It’s not just for watching anymore. The sitcoms and dramas that viewers love have become companions to social media. Twitter and Facebook chatter have become a part of the viewing experience. And networks are making the most of this new television-viewing trend.
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There are many types of satellites orbiting our Earth that provide functions that enable us to communicate in several ways – one of them enables us to be entertained on a large portion of our planet. Let’s look at how they help.
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If you had to choose politics, films, or sports, which one would spark your social engagement? Where and how do you discuss your interests with peers? This article will explore the viewership and social media engagement of this year’s three biggest media events so far: President Obama’s State of the Union Address, the Golden Globe Awards, and Super Bowl Sunday.
As President Obama gave the State of the Union Address on January 24, 2012, the nation was feverishly tweeting; Nielsen reports that nearly 38 million viewers tuned in from their homes. Throughout the speech, more than 760,000 tweets went out discussing the speech. Topics of debate revolved around energy, education, and the big topic of the day: jobs. Interestingly, 548 members of Congress shared their tweets, too.
Facebook also was active. It saw 321 posts from members of Congress. The two posts from the White House got more than 12,000 Likes each. For the rest of the Facebook conversations, the most common words counted included:
● Budget – 50 times
● Jobs – 35 times
● Energy – 21 times
Between jobs and energy were four other, more popular terms. One may speculate that the Facebook crowd has a different hierarchy of interests than the Twitter crowd.
On January 30, The President of the United States sat down and had a conversation with folks from all over the nation in a Google+ Hangout. This marks the first time in history the White House has been involved in an online conversation.
Before this unprecedented event, more than 227,000 people either submitted questions or voted on the ones they wanted the President to answer. Millions of people asked very diverse questions via YouTube and Twitter. Some chosen questioners got to speak live to the President. See the video at the White House Blog.
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Less charged, but still with its own brand of politics, 16.9 million people tuned in to the 2012 Golden Globes. Long before the event, several sites and blogs went up trying to make predictions before the January 15 awards show.
Each nominee had a Facebook page, and if one were to judge by the number of fans, the winner might have seemed clear. Merkle Connect, a customer-relationship management company, predicted that The Help would win due to its popularity (611,792 Likes versus the second highest – War Horse – at 257,940). Exploring the engagement factor – how much the fans are talking about each – The Ides of March had the highest at 14.4%, with The Descendants and its 2,534 fans being the second-most engaged at 13.1%. In hindsight, the predictions were wrong. But then again, the Golden Globes are not decided by popular vote but by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association®.
On Twitter, the sponsored hashtag #GoldenGlobes got more than 1 million mentions that evening. Radon6, a social media monitoring company, reported that there were 9,502 mentions per hour leading up to the broadcast, 250,000 mentions in the first hour of the awards, and 727,199 during the end of the ceremonies.
The controversial returning host, Ricky Gervais, received 34,855 mentions that Sunday. Radon6 calculated that 65.2% of those mentions reflected a positive reaction to his offbeat humor, even as the live guests did not seem to appreciate it.
Missing was any engagement of nominees, hosts, or members of Congress.
As for the Super Bowl, Nielsen dubbed it the “most viewed telecast in US Broadcast history,” citing 53.3 million household views. Pat McDonough considers the Super Bowl to be in a category of its own, saying that it transcends sports because of the entertainment value of the commercials. People tuned in throughout the game.
McDonough is right. All over the web, there are how-to’s for throwing a Super Bowl Commercials Party. Even our neighbors to the north, who had no skin in the game, watch for their own reasons – more than 70% of Canadian fans polled, admitted to holding off bathroom breaks in favor of watching the Super Bowl’s commercials.
What it looks like from the social media angle is that most engagement also revolved around the advertisements. In fact, advertisers worked so hard at their craft that HootSuite did a study on which were most effective. For those that integrated with social media (via Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and others), they measured volume and analyzed it against things like sponsored keywords, usernames, and search results.
The results showed that the more interactive the advertising, the more consumers would engage. They dubbed the winner, Coke, which enabled you to watch the game with the polar bears via Facebook.
What does this analysis say about us?
It shows who we’re talking to and what we’re saying:
● In politics, it is a combination of peers and the politicians themselves. We want to be heard, and we want our issues to matter.
● In entertainment, we are talking to each other and sharing our sentiment.
● In sports, it looks like we are engaging with the sponsors and a little bit with each other. It’s partly about the game but mostly about the party.
It shows who is talking:
According to a 2011 analysis by Ignite, Facebook’s demographics break into 60% women and 40% men, with the largest age group being 45 to 54 years old. Twitter’s male-to-female ratio is similar, at about 58% male and 42% female, with the largest age group at 35 to 44 years old; but it is followed very closely by the 25- to 34-year-old age bracket. YouTube is also in line with 52% women versus 48% men and close to evenly distributed from ages 25 to 54. While we don’t have specifics for the engagement of the three events above, it is interesting to see where the largest engagement was and who was most likely there.
Whether you love it or hate it, reality television is a staple in the entertainment industry. Aside from accruing big ratings from viewers who like to see “real” people interact on television, reality TV shows are economically lucrative to networks and production studios. They require less money for set building, paid performers, and equipment. And, because of the high ratings the shows garner, the networks make more in advertising money, which then enables the funding of non-reality dramas like Law & Order, House, and Modern Family. This article outlines a history of reality TV and how it went from a few programs to taking over the silver screen.
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Before it was ever called reality television, the first shows that focused on nonscripted people and situations started earlier than the 1990s. Candid Camera, Alan Funt’s practical joke show that debuted in 1948, is now considered the first show with a reality premise.
In 1973, PBS debuted its first “reality” show, An American Family. This show followed a loud family living in Santa Barbara, Calif., in a 12-part series. The show explored subjects like divorce and homosexuality, which were typically not broached on national television. The show was successful, drawing more than 10 million viewers.
In 1989, a new show emerged that quickly became a cult classic that showed real police officers fighting crime throughout the United States. COPS debuted March 11, 1989, and was considered groundbreaking television.
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A common belief is that, in 1992, MTV aired the first unscripted television show. Although at the time, those words were never even used to categorize The Real World. This show was the first to put 7 college-aged strangers in a house to “stop being polite and start getting real.” The series took place in cities throughout the United States including cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, and many other urban areas.
MTV took the success of The Real World on the road in 1995 with Road Rules. This show also gathered together young strangers, but put them in an RV to travel across America, following a set of clues to find the grand prize. Road Rules began the long trend of reality shows that put contestants on a mission that ended with a prize for the winner.
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Almost a decade after The Real World, Survivor, the first network megahit reality show, debuted in 2000 and officially gave reality television its place in the spotlight. The show chronicled normal people on a desert island fighting to survive and remain. At the end of each show, contestants (and viewers) were on the edge of their seats waiting to see who would be voted off the island. The winner received a $1 million grand prize. Survivor became a huge success that began the endless stream of reality shows and was soon followed by another hit, Big Brother.
Fox gave reality TV a try in 2001 with Boot Camp, which put 16 civilians in a military boot camp to see who would survive the longest. Contestants were put through drill instructions and missions. After being sued by Survivor creator Mark Burnett, the show only lasted 1 season.
The next big adventure-type reality show to hit the airwaves was one of the most popular, The Amazing Race, which became a fan favorite even though it only garnered approximately 10 million viewers per week.
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After the commercial success of Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race, networks and producers began looking for even more ways to profit off the reality television phenomenon. They found it with the beginning of talent reality shows.
Fox led the pack with the hugely successful American Idol, which debuted in summer 2002. During the season finale, 50 million viewers tuned in to see which young singer would become the nation’s first American Idol. The show sparked a series of new reality competition shows including America’s Next Top Model (2003), Last Comic Standing (2004), Dancing With the Stars (2005), America’s Got Talent (2006), and So You Think You Can Dance (2006).
Donald Trump took on reality television with The Apprentice in 2004. Rather than showcasing talent by singing and dancing, The Apprentice put young business people and entrepreneurs in teams to compete against each other in real-life business situations. The losing team had to join Donald in the boardroom where someone was fired each week, similar to Big Brother and Survivor.
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Reality television would not be complete without a bit of romance thrown in. Fox took the 1st leap into reality romance with Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?, in which 50 women competed for the chance to marry a multimillionaire. What followed was Temptation Island, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Average Joe.
Celebrities (especially those who needed a jump start to their career) were next in line for reality television success. Starting the trend was Ozzy Osbourne and his family in MTV’s The Osbournes, which premiered in March 2002. After the success of The Osbournes was realized, all celebrities seemed to break loose. MTV launched Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica (2003), featuring Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. The show chronicled their lives as newlyweds, hoping to show how this celebrity couple could lead a “normal” life.
Up next was Fox’s The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie traveling the country doing their daily routines. The show made them some of the most well known stars of the time. The Anna Nicole Show followed the former Playboy girl as a single mother, and soon after, The Surreal Life took the Real World concept a step further by bringing a group of celebrities together to live under one roof. The VH1 channel soon became the hub of nearly all celebrity reality television shows.
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After celebrities and dating, networks – especially cable channels like TLC and Discovery – began hosting a huge group of reality makeover-type shows. Trading Spaces, While You Were Out, Clean Sweep, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, A Makeover Story, What Not to Wear, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Pimp My Ride, and The Biggest Loser were just some of the most popular makeover-reality shows.
Cable networks also took makeover to the family life with shows like Supernanny, Wife Swap, Nanny 911, and Secret Life of a Soccer Mom, as well as showing viewers a different side of family with Little People Big World, Jon and Kate Plus 8, and the Real Housewives series.
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Reality television has come a long way since the inception of COPS and The Real World. While reality shows were once thought to be a trend, nothing illustrates, “I’m here to stay” more than when the category of Best Reality TV Show Host was added to the Emmy Awards in 2008.
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March came in like a lion and with it comes March Madness. March Madness is the culmination of college basketball at major and not-so-major schools across the nation. The NCAA runs this single elimination tournament in an effort to determine the best teams though it’s also a fantastic bit of entertainment.
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Sixty-four teams battle it out for the coveted top spot. Who will win? Who will lose? In theory all 64 teams have a shot of winning the NCAA national title. All regions of the U.S. have a basketball team in this race, and teams are assigned to their home courts based on a draw.
The Associated Press (AP) has anointed Kentucky, Syracuse, and Kansas as the top three teams. Unbeaten Kentucky is a “runaway No. 1 for the seventh consecutive week” in the AP poll with 63 first place votes.
Syracuse is second with only “two first place votes” in the AP poll. Coming in behind top ranked Kentucky and Syracuse are:
● North Carolina
● Missouri
● Duke
● Ohio State
● Michigan State
● Marquette
● Michigan
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Jeremy Lamb, the only holdover from last year’s the University of Connecticut team, may not be enough to help the struggling Huskies. Kentucky’s Anthony Davis is another story. Davis leads Kentucky in scoring, rebounds, and blocked shots. As a key player on Kentucky’s offense and defense, he’s worth keeping an eye on.
Davis may not be alone in the March Madness field as Kansas’ Thomas Robinson averages “17.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.” Bleacher Report’s only reservation is the possibility that Kansas will be knocked out of the tournament early. If Kansas stays in, Robinson “will be on the All-Tournament team for sure.”
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Bring on the Pain!
Last year’s March Madness had no shortage of injuries. St. John’s D.J. Kennedy tore his ACL in a game against Syracuse. Another member of the torn ACL club was Abdul Gaddy of the University of Washington. Although Gaddy was out for the season, his team won the Pac-10 tournament without him.
Broken bones knocked a number of players out of the Tournament. Chris Singleton of Florida State broke his foot while Georgetown’s Chris Wright injured his hand, though luckily not his shooting hand.
Yahoo’s Scott Allan sees March madness as aptly named. Allan’s top 5 upsets are:
From buzzer beaters to upsets, March Madness is the definition of unpredictable. In 2003, Maryland’s Drew Nicholas “nailed a desperation 3-pointer to put away UNCW” in the first round.
Duke’s, Grant Hill launched a pass at Christian Laettner down at the free throw line during 1992’s Duke v. Kentucky game. Laettner shot a jumper to win the game.
We are bound to see a crazy March this year and with so many possibilities, the All-Stars stand to gain a stellar MVP. Study your statistics, make those brackets and get ready for an extended stay by the television because March Madness is just around the corner.
There’s something about seeing beloved television characters each week that creates a bond between viewers and entertainment. This may explain why it can be so devastating when a great television show is cancelled. This article looks at 10 shows that should never have been given the red light.
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Arrested Development
Viewers still have not forgiven FOX for cancelling the Emmy-winning Arrested Development after 3 seasons. Starring Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, the show focused on the quirky characters of the Bluth family. Filled with inside jokes and a dysfunctional family, the show left most viewers in hysterics on a weekly basis.
Aliens in America
Contrary to what the show’s title implied, Aliens in America painted a picture of the awkward high school years of being a teenager, but showed it in a multicultural way. Viewers learned that every culture has geeky teenagers. The fact that it was produced after Sept. 11 also helped viewers understand why diversity was so important. Yet the CW network gave Aliens in America the ax in 2008 after 1 season.
Firefly
Even though FOX’s Firefly was cancelled after 1 season, the show garnered support from fans and critics alike. The show featured a renegade group of characters on a spacecraft in an unknown galaxy, 500 years in the future. Much was expected from this space-Western show, which may have debuted too early for network executives to realize its value. Viewers responded though, and DVD sales of the show soared; in 2005, the show was turned into a feature film, Serenity.
Veronica Mars
This teen detective series ran for 3 seasons before being cancelled by the CW. Veronica Mars was a jaded young female detective, a cross between Nancy Drew and a Law & Order investigator. The show won several Satellite Awards, Saturn Awards, and Teen Choice Awards, and had a loyal fan base that cared about the show’s characters. Despite those qualities, Veronica Mars went by the wayside.
Freaks and Geeks
NBC debuted Freaks and Geeks in 1999, and the show immediately became a cult classic. This breakthrough series featured a cast of characters living in suburban Michigan in the early 1980s. The show epitomized what being an awkward adolescent was all about. The dialogue was penned by Judd Apatow, the popular screenwriter of Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Viewers loved the poignant and humorous show so much so, that when NBC cancelled it after 18 episodes, 40,000 people subscribed to a fan website demanding it be released on DVD.
My So-Called Life
Speaking of series about teenage angst, another show cancelled during its prime was ABC’s My So-Called Life. The show featured Claire Danes and Jared Leto and their adventures as a young high school couple. Fans loved Danes and were devastated when the show was cancelled after the 1st season ended on a cliffhanger.
Dead Like Me
Viewers enjoyed SHOWTIME’s quirky approach to life and death while watching the main character, George, work with a team of grim reapers after he is expectantly killed on the first day of a temp job. Even though the show was written in an artful and funny way, SHOWTIME cancelled the comedy after only 2 seasons. Fans of Dead Like Me were given a movie (released straight to DVD) to close out the series.
Sports Night
Penned by award-winning writer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, Social Network), Sports Night chronicled the behind-the-scenes working lives of a group of executives on a cable sports show. Sports Night was an instant hit with great actors, affable characters, intelligent writing, and just the right mix of humor and drama to satisfy viewers. However ABC cancelled the show after 2 seasons due to poor ratings.
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Wonderfalls
FOX’s Wonderfalls was a quirky show about a sales clerk who converses regularly with the objects in her store. The show developed a following before FOX cancelled it after only airing 4 episodes of the 13 that were created. Lucky fans were able to see all 13 episodes on DVD and have said they just didn’t want the show to end. Producers tried to get Wonderfalls to air on another network with no success.
Roswell
The WB series Roswell introduced viewers to aliens and human interaction with young and likable characters. The show took place on the site of the 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, N.M. Years later, it was discovered that the aliens who landed on earth in 1947 are living among the Roswell community members. After 3 seasons, this modern-day X Files was cancelled, much to the chagrin of its loyal following.
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Despite great writers, talented actors, and engaging story premises, some of the best television shows were cancelled. Fans are still reeling about shows like Arrested Development, Wonderfalls, and Freaks and Geeks. In any case, the 10 shows above are just some of the classics that should never have been given the ax.
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Television shows have undoubtedly changed greatly over the years and children’s programming is no exception. According to a UCLA study that measured what children value in television, researchers found that fame is the No. 1 value emphasized by television shows popular with 9-to 11-year-olds; a dramatic change over the past decade. Let’s take a closer look at how things have changed over the years.
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Space Battles
The final frontier has always been a fascination for children and these shows provide all the intergalactic action the younger set craves.
Then: Battle of the Planets
This children’s show started in 1978 and ran until 1985. It was an animated program that followed five intergalactic kids on their adventures to keep Earth safe. With special powers, they were specifically adapted for the job. The program was hailed as the ideal show for the “post Star Wars” generation.
Now: Clone Wars
While Star Wars may have been big back when Battle of the Planets was playing, kids today have a whole new trilogy based on the Star Wars theme. This includes the movie Clone Wars, which was later turned into a popular television series in 2008 and is still going strong today. In it, Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda lead Jedi knights in a battle against the Separatist droids.
Slapstick Comedy
From the Three Stooges to Tom and Jerry, slapstick comedy has been a part of children’s programming since the beginning. But it’s become slightly more sophisticated over the years. . . or has it?
Then: Ren and Stimpy
This odd pairing of a crazy Chihuahua called, Ren and his cat sidekick, Stimpy, entertained children from 1991-1998. The show based its humor around things like litterbox jokes, hairballs, farting, and a slew of other disgusting antics that tend to make kids laugh. The duo tackled many crazy adventures that helped to propel the show into a seven year run.
Now: Spongebob Squarepants
Currently on its 9th season, Spongebob Squarepants is the No. 1 rated television show for 2-to-11-year-olds, and has been for 10 years now. The show’s humor tends to focus on characters getting hit in the head, farts and other disgusting themes much like Ren and Stimpy before it.
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Kids Being Kids
Teens will always live more interesting lives on screen and many television shows aimed at capturing the attention of kids based on that lifestyle. Here are a couple of shows that play into the on screen dream life of teens – generations apart..
Then: Saved by the Bell
Back in 1989, six high school students attending Bayside High were some of the hippest teens on screen. The show dealt with life as a jock, a geek, a feminist, a fashionista, a trouble maker and a model type – an interesting mix of kids who were constantly getting themselves into sticky situations.
Now: iCarly
This hip new show really appeals to the growing Internet fame of youth via YouTube and other platforms. Carly sets up her very own online show where she shares everything from recipes to interviews. The show covers the life of young Carly who lives with her older brother and primary guardian, as she navigates the waters of adolescence. Based on unexpected fame and a typical high-school experience, this show may be meant for teens but it’s also appealing to a younger demographic.
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Shows that Spanned the Decades
Of course, not all shows have been replaced over time. While it is rare, there are some programs designed for kids that qualify for their own Then and Now comparison.
The Simpsons
Premiering in 1987, this animated television show has turned into the longest-running scripted show in all of television. Some (including President Bush) have said that American family values should be more like the Waltons than the Simpsons, but the public seems to love the offbeat, dysfunctional family. Not strictly for children, it has become a show viewed by all ages over the years.
Sesame Street
Aimed at a younger age group, Sesame Street started as an experiment to see if television could be used to teach children, back in 1969. Since then, over 500 celebrities have appeared on the show which covers everything from counting letters to learning manners and proper social behaviors. The show is now produced in more than 30 countries and is viewed by over 82 million children worldwide.
Children’s shows may have changed over the decades but the basic ideas are often the same. Slapstick humor will always appeal to kids and high school trials will always be interesting to those who are about to enter high school or who suffer through lesser dramas on a daily basis. While much has changed, you could say television has simply adapted to the times.
