The future of Internet TV?
A couple of weeks ago, Heather asked us Beehivers what we were obsessed with. At the time, I had nothing. But tonight I stumbled upon "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," a three-part Internet series (13 minutes apiece) starring Doogie as an evildoer who blogs -- and sings.
My favorite part is it's a musical. But it's also very funny -- much in the same way the puppet Dracula musical bit in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" was very funny.
The bad news: it's only up for free till midnight Sunday. So go, watch it, do it. Do it now.
More background: Joss Whedon, creator of the TV version of "Buffy," was looking for something to do during the writers' strike. He writes about it here.
The latest: Free till Sunday, each of the first three (and subsequent) episodes will be available for download on iTunes for $2. And they're making a DVD.
How I heard about it: I have a wife who listens to NPR. Read the NPR story.
My thoughts: I'm still not sold on the whole TV-on-the-Internet thing, but I enjoyed this. Despite audio problems (we hooked my wife's PC laptop to our 42-inch Vizio -- impressed with the resolution at that size, btw -- but had to use the computer's limited sound outlet), I guess I'm more open to new entertainment avenues than I was yesterday. How bout you?
Comments:
That's interesting going to have to check that out, especially since it's free to download. What's their not to believe in the tv on internet thing, I mean it's already a reality with Hulu (http://www.hulu.com) and FreeTube (http://www.freetube.us.tc).
Check out the first for just streaming television shows on demand, while the second is actual television over internet. You need to have windows media player or flash installed to use it though. Still I think tv has finally arrived on the internet, and not just videos but actual streaming.
Posted by: TVSpy at July 20, 2008 1:33 AM
Ok, even Josh Whedon was obsessed with Dark Shadows.
When asked "whatya gettin' geeky about?" every red blooded amerikan shoulda said....
http://www.darkshadows.com
Anyone who'd ask (no one's ever asked...I don't understand)
would hear a story of me playing guitar/hanging out/ditching work on the grounds of Greystone Manor(just above the Sunset Strip) in the late 80's. Seeing their was a film crew there, me asking the security guard what was going on, and him telling me that a mini-series re-make of Dark Shadows was in the making there and me getting all shiver-ey.
wait, what was the blog entry about?
Posted by: blake at July 20, 2008 2:13 AM
Just watched it and enjoyed it. TV on the internet... yeah, it's here.
Posted by: marcel at July 20, 2008 8:29 AM
I downloaded the acts from iTunes and I loved it. The ending kinda took me by surprise, but I still love it.
Posted by: Kyle Lowe at July 20, 2008 11:53 AM
i guess what im saying is, the internet is a different medium than tv (and the print newspaper, for that matter) ... so how we watch things (read things) is going to be different. so since the distribution method is different, we have to assume the product is going to have to be different.
im not sold on watching the same tv programs on the internet, when it works best on tv. after all, that was the medium for which it was created.
so internet tv -- shows created just for online. are they going to look drastically different than regular tv shows? does "dr. horrible" look that different?
the content fits that bill.
what going outside the studio system allows these artists is a chance to experiment with less-mainstream fare. this wouldn't fly on tv, because it doesnt fit in a pre-marketed box.
the internet does allow for niche outlets. blogs are the perfect example.
so, maybe thats the route that online entertainment (and news) producers take.
we'll see.
Posted by: will at July 20, 2008 1:22 PM
Will, I think we are still at the cusp and anything is possible. When TV first came about there were similar proclamations that it was just "radio with pictures"... for a while there were also predictions that TV was going to be the death of the movie industry.
This "new" media of the internet however does have a certain anarchy about it that doesn't have to follow any particular "mainstream standard"... nor is the output dictated by the "few" as it used to. Audiences are picking content to consume at their convenience and taste is as varied as the Sahara has sand.
The probability in time is that the share of the entertainment buck is probably going to have a wider spread than it used to.
Posted by: marcel at July 20, 2008 4:08 PM
As a 'Broadway Gay' like you, Will, I LOVED Dr. Horrible!
But I still don't like being stuck in front of my comp watching long programs. I like the freedom of movement allowed with a TV. I can grab a soda while craning to watch, I can use my remote to pause, I can shift around on the couch...unless we can all set comps up to our 42 inch Vizio's, I'm not sold.
Tho I did absolutely love Dr. Horrible. I watched for the first time "How I Met Your Mother" on an airplane trip, and Neil Patrick Harris is just an amazing comedic actor.
I want to hear the patron saint of musicals, Mr. Donald Munro, chime in with his thoughts on this internet musical. Donald?
Posted by: Stephen at July 20, 2008 4:26 PM
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