NBC makes the leap, but does anyone care?

[by Todd] Suffering from a tail whipping this season, America's fourth-place network NBC has decided that maybe getting interactive is important. For more than two hours Monday, the network's honchos droned on about their more than 100 interactive offerings for this fall.

It is the sudden realization that consumers are using the Internet to get their entertainment, that lead to the plethora of offerings, according to NBC CEO Jeff Zucker.

"We all know the power of television to connect with viewers and have an impact like no other medium. Now we're seeing the power of the web to capture those viewers, extend the television experience and build communities and a level of engagement like nothing else out there."

Just now seeing that are you Jeff? Wow, that's visionary of you. And aren't we really admitting that television DOESN'T "have impact like no other medium?"

It's hard to figure out how much quality is hidden beneath this layer of dust, but here are the details according to several articles.

The big announcement was the launch of a new site for NBC called DotComedy.com (wow, stunned that domain was available). The broadband channel will be home to streams of NBC's comedy fare ranging from SNL and Late Night with Conan O'Brien to Leave it to Beaver and The Munsters. (No, seriously.)

The interesting element will be that NBC plans to let visitors create their own content through podcasts and mashups. No word if there exists a means for this content to break through on air.

The other potentially smart move was the creation, or pending creation, of FirstLook sites for all the NBC networks. These sites will be used to debut new series before they appear on air. Finally someone has noticed that a groundswell of viewer support can be more important than good reviews.

Among the other announcements:

• The Office will have 30 webisodes, with separate story lines from the real show. They start this summer.
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent gets an online game ahead of each episode. Solve the murder before the episode airs and you get registered to win a grand prize, of the sponsor's choosing.
• An online comic book to compliment the new series Heros, created by Tim Sale who's done Batman illustrations.
• Tina Fey's new show 30 Rock is about creating a Saturday Night Live type of series. Online they'll post the comedy sketches that are only glimpsed on the show.
• Losers from The Biggest Loser will have video blogs of their weight loss efforts. The winner among these losers, as selected by the online audience, gets on the show for their shot a fame by humiliation.
• Deal or No Deal viewers can submit audition tapes to be a suitcase model. (Big burly guys need not apply?) AND the banker starts a blog.

Let's hope the Banker's blog gets a substantial make over from the drivel this season. I'm not sure I can handle too many more pearls like this post:

From these contestants with their constant whining.  "That's not enough money, Mr. Banker”.  "You're so mean, Mr. Banker”.  Duh. Don't they get it?  It's my job to get them off the show with as little money as possible.  That's what I do.  Seriously.

Don't even start with me about their little stories about their little lives.  If I have to hear about another "deserving” teacher, I'll hurl a bucket of bile right out the Bank window onto the stage.

That must be some of that engagement power "like nothing else out there" that Mr. Zucker was promising.