ben silvermanThere’ a new series being produced.  It’s a form of entertainment that will combine television programming with the web and social media.  The backers behind this new venture are established media giants.  I believe it will either be a game changer or an idea whose hype was bigger than its content.

THE PLAYERS

Ben Silverman
Producer and Television Executive
Founded Reveille Studios in 2002 and produced such hits as The Office, Ugly Betty and The Tudors.

In 2007 he became Co-chairman of NBC Entertainment.  In 2009 NBC chose not to renew his contract.  I’m guessing the network was disappointed with the ratings under his helm and expected to see the kind of genius he displayed at Reveille. The reason for his departure from NBC matters little, because Ben Silverman landed on his feet- as most smart, savvy, eye-for-talent network executives do.

barry_dillerBarry Diller
Media Executive
Does he need any other introduction?  He was Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, Chairman and CEO of Fox, Inc. and CEO of USA Broadcasting.  He’s now Chairman and CEO of IAC InterActiveCorp, an internet company with over 50 brands including Ask.com, The Daily Beast, Evite, Excite, Match.com and others.

elisabeth_murdochElisabeth Murdoch
Chairman and CEO of Shine Entertainment
Shine is one of the largest British television production companies with a string of hits such as, The Biggest Loser, Masterchef goes Large and Gladiator.

THE SET UP
Elisabeth Murdoch knows media, and her company Shine Entertainment not only produces mega hits, but has created franchises for those mega hits across multiple platforms.  At a recent NATPE conference (National Association of Programming and Television Executives) she firmly stated that television executives needed to stop whining and get on board with the new entertainment model.

“We in the television business have to catch up with what our audience is doing.  Social networks are a tool with which we can tell our stories. And like moving pictures was to radio, you can decide not to embrace social media, but I predict that before the end of this decade to do so would be akin to resisting Technicolor.”

NEW GAME/NEW ALLIANCES
In July of this year, Ben Silverman landed on his feet by forming Electus, a television and digital media Production Company with Barry Diller’s IAC/InteractiveCorp.

New_MTV_LogoElectus then teamed up with MTV to develop and produce the first-ever multicultural, interactive telenovela titled Pedro & Maria.  This is a modern-day Romeo & Juliet where viewers will have the opportunity to vote and decide the direction, characters and story lines.  The show will run across the web and television, while being networked into Twitter and Facebook to further allow audience interaction with the series’ direction.

America Ferrera from Ugly Betty fame, will executive produce the series with her production company, Take Fountain.  And Procter & Gamble Productions, with its long history of producing soap operas, will also have a hand in the production. (Can’t wait to see the credit roll on this one.)

GETTING IT OUT THERE
It’s not enough to be on TV, the web and social media. Distribution is the next logical step both financially, and in creating a programming franchise.  That’s why Electus and Elisabeth Murdoch’s company, The Shine Group announced a distribution deal for all of Electus’ programming.

SCORE CARD

Are you with me so far?

    • Ben Silverman, Ex Co-chairman NBC, teams up with Media Mogul Barry Diller and creates Electus.
    • Electus teams up with MTV
    • Electus and MTV team up with America Ferrera
    • America Ferrera teams ups with Proctor & Gamble Productions
    • Electus teams up with The Shine Group to distribute the programming worldwide

In other words, there’s a lot of muscle behind this machine.

MY THOUGHTS
Many individuals and companies are already producing interactive series and programming for the web, but on paper, and in press releases, Pedro & Maria seems unique.  Why? Because the players behind it bring the necessary ingredients for success:

Ben Silverman –  produced a string of hits that were outside the television programming norm
Barry Diller – owns internet companies that are making money
Elisabeth Murdoch –  has success in programming, distribution and multi-media
MTV – is a brand name
Proctor & Gamble Productions– has produced thousands and thousands of hours of successful soaps

It’s clear that in the very near future most of the population will not be sitting around waiting and watching ‘appointment television’.  Entertainment will reflect our ‘got-to-have-it-now-while-I-do-twelve-other things” lifestyle.  Entertainment will be on demand.  BUT, whether we get our entertainment how we want it, when we want it, or whether we can change the beginning, middle and end of our entertainment choices, we still want to be entertained.   The platform may change, but the one thing that will never, ever, never change is that people want good content.  I repeat, they want to be entertained.

In a world where there are 1000’s of entertainment choices, I think Pedro & Maria could make it because it is surrounded by a group of people who understand how, when and where we want to be entertained.

Tell me what current web series I should be watching?  I’d love to know what you think.