NBC's Unusual Move Towards a Brighter Future

Can unlikely media tactics be used to turn the fortune of a new TV show and a network around? This is what NBC hopes for, presenting the new-to-TV drama, Quarterlife. This is not just a typical struggling show attempting to boost NBC's poor ratings. Interestingly enough, Quarterlife began on the internet as 10 minute webisodes. Current internet audiences can be found on MySpace.com and YouTube. Now, a year later, this drama has been altered to to fit an hour- long slot, making it the first prime-time drama pulled from the Web to TV!

This is not the only unusual strategy being used by NBC to help it keep up with it's thriving competitor networks. Mashable: Social Networking News, also reports that to boost audience numbers, NBC has formed a partnership with MTV, allowing this cable station to present Quarterlife's first televised premier. Hopefully, this will better capture the younger demographic that NBC has had a hard time targeting in the recent years.

I think this PR move is is clever for NBC. Although they are not necessarily considered in 'crisis mode,' it is clear that they have had a tough time attracting audiences and keeping up with their major competitors. Perhaps this is the refreshing media tactic that the network has needed. Even if people are not interested in the show, they may be interested in the potential new wave of internet webisodes turned TV episodes. I know that I would be willing to check it out just for the 'innovation' factor. We all know that TV is changing, and it is not unreasonable to think that this may be the future for TV. It is unsure how this show will actually play out on television, as there is yet to be a significant internet following. However, it is understood that scripted internet content is very new, and has yet to catch on. If it does fail as a TV show and is unable to turn NBC around, there are still plenty of planned hours for Quarterlife's on the Web.