Lately I haven’t watched a lot of television, for a couple of years actually now I think about it. But, thanks to my handy satellite dish and DVR (Sky+ for the locals) I do keep up with some of the latest geek viewing.
This is lucky because Ben over at Blogging Experiment has got a meme started that combines your fave TV shows and blogging. What geek could pass up that?
post one lesson bloggers can learn from their favorite TV show. Each person then tags another 5 people and the chain continues.
OK, let’s have a think. What can I learn from my current viewing on the telly tubes?
Battlestar Galactica
As a kid I loved the original, for me it was the Star Wars TV show that never was. The new series is more grown up (sexy Cylons!).
What can bloggers learn? Careful how you mess with a winning formula.
First there was Galactica 80, a terrible idea that I shudder to think about even now, the characters found earth and the stories became educational and full of kids. We tuned in to watch space ships shoot each other and instead were given super kids playing basket ball. Woeful.
Then there was the new BSG series reboot at the end of Season 2 where they settled on a planet and called it home. I actually enjoyed the New Caprica storyline but many fans were appalled and felt betrayed. Many said the writers were changing things just to mess with the fans heads. For many the whole idea was a fleet of spaceships trying to find Earth and battling the Cylon enemy, this was too big a change and not what they signed on for.
If you are considering a radical shift in your blog, think carefully. Would it be more appropriate to start a new blog for a different audience rather than disenfranchise your current readers? You might well believe you are doing the right thing but it could be a disaster unless you explain the changes well. It is so easy to just stop reading (or viewing) and many will not give your new scheme a chance.
Journeyman
Journeyman is a new series where the main character travels through time helping people. Kind of like a new version of Quantum Leap without the body snatching.
What can bloggers learn? Sometimes you can be too niche.
I love the how but apparently not enough people agree with me. They have chosen not to buy more episodes, effectively killing it before it got going. Fans are trying to petition for a reprieve but even the writer isn’t optimistic.
Sometimes even the best implemented ideas do not garner a massive following. You have to work out what success means for you, is it a small but passionate fan base or a huge but more loosely affiliated audience?
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Heroes
Heroes is a TV series about ordinary people who discover they have extraordinary abilities.
What can bloggers learn? If you build anticipation, make sure you deliver.
With each episode of the first season the anticipation and expectations about the finale built. Excitement was at its maximum right up to the supposed climax … which turned out to be a huge disappointment. Fans were very upset and the boards were alight with a backlash. The new season started badly too which added to the bad vibe in forums. Personally I can forgive the poor season 1 finale and actually enjoyed what I have seen of the second season, but many fans see it as fumbled opportunity.
I always recommend under promising and over delivering. Many bloggers want to create excitement, anticipation and hype. Just remember that huge expectations require massive rewards. Can you deliver the goods to live up to the build up?
Those are my lessons from favorite TV shows. What are yours? Do you agree with me or disagree? Do you hate my choice of viewing? Share your thoughts in the comments 🙂