Television
webisodes on the rise
A handful
of network television shows have experimented with the web-and-mobisode
format in recent years, including 24, Battlestar Galactica,
Lost and The Office. With the exception of Lost:
Missing Pieces, however, the writers involved were not financially
compensated as their efforts were considered “promotional”
devices for the respective shows. Lost, meanwhile, originally
announced a series of mobisodes in November 2005, but was delayed two
years as contractual issues were hammered out. Ironically enough, Missing
Pieces began “airing” on Verizon Wireless and ABC.com
just as the strike by the Writers Guild of America commenced, which
had compensation for web-content as a central issue. The resolution
of that strike in February, however, outlined an acceptable pay structure
for such endeavors, paving the way for additional online content.
24
is apparently the first to re-enter the webisode fray, with Rookie,
a series of five-minute video shorts following a young CTU agent named
Jason Blaine. “It’s sort of like what CSI is to
CSI: Miami,” the actor, Jeremy Valdez, who portrays Blaine
told CNN.com.
“It’s something similar, yet different. It definitely has
its own legs.” FOX has apparently gone to great lengths to make
the webisodes as “official” as possible, tying the Salazar
drug czars from Season Three into the action, licensing such 24
staples as the ticking-clock, split screen format and the music of score
composer Sean Callery, as well as utilizing the Emmy-nominated cinematographer
from the original series, Rodney Charters, to film them. “FOX
wanted to make sure we kept the look and feel of 24. They want
it to be part of the franchise,” Charters said.
FOX is
not the only network ready to jump back into the webisode universe however;
NBC announced
in April, for instance, that new webisodes of Chuck, Heroes
and The Office will be available on NBC.com
beginning in July. With the writers strike over-and-done, it appears
the networks are truly ready to expand their television content exclusively
available on the Internet, yet another sign that the revolution is indeed
under way.
—Anthony
Letizia (May 1, 2008)
