Cancelled TV series "The Beautiful Life" thriving on YouTube

Ashton Kutcher's TV drama "The Beautiful Life" cancelled by CW after only two episodes for poor ratings, is doing well on YouTube.

According to CNN, the five episodes combined have been viewed about 2.7 million times in the three weeks they have been available online in their entirety.

... "Now that the airing of the episodes on YouTube has been as successful as it has been, there are conversations about continuing with the show in some form or fashion. We haven't had any discussions with the CW about bringing the show back, but anything is possible," Kutcher's partner Karey Burke said.

While YouTube hosts a vast amount of old television shows and original Web series, this is the first time a cancelled television series from the United States has moved onto the platform and is as much an experiment for YouTube as it is for Kutcher.

Movie studios starting to push online releases before DVDs

Sony Pictures and Showtime are starting to move up the digital delivery of select content so that you can get it online before you can walk into a store and purchase the DVD. DownloadSquad reports.

For instance the film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs comes out on DVD next week, but it's also ready available for digitla rental if you have a Sony TV or other device. Lionsgate is making the latest season of its Showtime TV series Weeds available online a week before it's available on DVD.

Of course, web sites like Hulu have been offering free, ad-supported episodes of broadcast TV shows within 24 hours of the air-date for a while now. And some cable shows are available for download from services such as iTunes shortly after broadcast. But premium content like Hollywood movies has usually been available either at the same time as the DVD release or later.

Read full article.

CCTV debuts online TV, video portal

One month after the government's war on illegal video-sharing sites, CNTV.cn, China's first-ever State-level online TV station, officially launched Monday, spearheading the government's latest attempt to overhaul the online video market that has been marred by copyright issues.China Global Times reports.

... Internet users can watch programs broadcast by all channels by downloading a video client Cbox. All programs are free of charge and support high-definition mode.

Read full article.

Related: - China shuts illegal video sharing sites

Ashton Kutcher's Beautiful Life lives again on YouTube

Fortune Brainstorm Tech reports that Ashton Kutcher's TV series on CW with Misha Barton, and Elle MacPherson, The Beautiful Life , which was canceled after only two episodes, will come back to life on the Web at youtube.com/user/TBL and good news - the videos are not geographically blocked, at least not the first two episodes-, they are viewable by international users (thank you AK for that!).

I really enjoyed the first two episodes and was shocked and disappointed that it was canceled. It's a good thing this was Ashton Kutcher's project because he knows a thing or two about producing on the Internet.

A show on the life of models in Manhattan has such an appeal and the acting was great. It made no sense that it was canceled in the first place.

According to Fortune Brainstorm Tech, "the Web venture will be funded by Hewlett-Packard and get distribution help from YouTube. Kutcher’s Katalyst Media plans to post a total of five episodes online and keep them there for six months. Two episodes are up already, three coming next week.

If the show draws enough engaged viewers, it could live on – either as an online-only show or back on TV." That would be such a great victory for Kutcher and his cast. Take that CW!

UK's Channel 4 on YouTube with full length TV shows

Channel 4 has become the first broadcaster worldwide to make full-length TV shows such as Skins, Hollyoaks and Peep Show available via a YouTube Channel, in a deal that highlights the shift in viewing habits from the television to the computer screen.

[via The Guardian]

HBO to offer True Blood, Entourage online

HBO, which has kept tight control over what content it offers online, announced today that it will stream True Blood, Hung, Entourage and other series online for free to subscribers as part of Comcast’s On Demand Online trial set to begin this summer.

HBO and Cinemax will offer 750 hours of TV and movie content to subscribers online through Comcast.net and Fancast.com at no additional cost, with additional content added over time.

[via Video Business]

PBS launches offers shows in streaming

PBS (The Public Broadcasting Service) turns 40 this year, and on Tuesday it gave itself a gift that just might make it feel young again, writes the LA Times.

PBS' new video portal (pbs.org/video) allows online viewers to stream an array of its best-known shows over the Web. The new site gathers more than 130 episodes of nearly 20 programs, including marquee fare such as "Frontline," "Nova" and "Masterpiece Theater." PBS says thousands of hours of programming should be available to users by the summer.

From Switzerland, videos don't show. Blank. Not even the usual message "this video is not available from your country".

BBC iPlayer now available on Mac

The BBC has created a version of the iPlayer that works with both Mac and Linux computers, reports BBC News.

The two systems, which have been able to stream BBC programmes via the iPlayer for a year, will now be able to handle downloads.

The iPlayer is the BBC's online media player that lets viewers stream programmes for up to seven days after broadcast or download and watch them for up to 30 days.

All smiles as web shows come of age

With cameos by the likes of Jeff Goldblum and the directing bite of David Lynch, Hollywood know-how is helping the best web series win audiences to rival mainstream TV shows. The Guardian reports.

Two and a half years since LonelyGirl15 first appeared, web series are the hottest new format in Hollywood. No longer amateurish or user-generated in feel, the latest crop of webisodes are slick productions. Many boast celebrity involvement.

... Already the most successful web series can attract audiences of more than a million. Plus, it's never been easier for a show to reach its audience - posted on video sharing sites such as YouTube and social-networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo (a particular boon for independent producers who don't have access to traditional means of distribution).

NBC.com Releases Extended Office Episode

In case you didn’t get enough of Thursday night’s episode of The Office rather than NBC airing a supersized version during the usual broadcast, the network is releasing the “producer’s cut” on their website, complete with extra scenes that didn’t make it into the official episode.

[via Blend Television]

BBC One and BBC Two will be streamed on the web

UK television fans who love programmes such as Merlin, Strictly Come Dancing and Top Gear will be able to watch them live on the internet from next week, according to Mail Online.

BBC One and BBC Two will be streamed on the web and will be accessible on www.bbc.co.uk and on internet-enabled devices such as mobile phones.

Internet Video in Korea Eclipses the DVD

Warner Brothers will now start renting moves over the Internet two weeks before they are released on DVDs, making South Korea the first market in the world where movies will appear online before they hit the store shelves.

[via Bits]

BSkyB launching online TV service

BSkyB is putting some of its most popular channels on the Internet with the launch of a subscription-based online television service, but has yet to secure agreement with Hollywood studios to offer their product online, COO Mike Darcey said Monday.

[via The Hollywood Reporter]

Californication to stream two weeks before premier

It's getting hard to keep up with all the TV shows that will shows that will premier online before their air dates. Here's another one, Californication.

According to Underwire, "both Dexter and Californication are slated to premiere Sept. 28 on Showtime, but viewers can use the appropriately chosen password "Lady Killer" to watch either premiere until then."

Related: - Showtime offers "Dexter's" premier online - before TV air date

NBC offers Lipstick Jungle online before premier on TV

According to TVSquad, fans of Lipstick Jungle will be able to watch the first season of episode two on NBC' website, before it premiers on TV September 24.

BuzzSugar points out that Lipstick and Knight Rider are just two of the shows NBC is premiering this way: Chuck, Life and 30 Rock will also be up on NBC 's website a week before their premiere dates.

Related:

-- NBC puts it all out there early online - "We want to make (programs) available in as many ways as we can so we can get fans," says marketing NBC chief John Miller. "If you don't embrace people's behavior, you can be lost by it."

-- Showtime offers "Dexter's" premier online - before TV air date

-- Imdb.com to offer free viewing of "Lipstick Jungle" and "30 Rock" before their first air date."

-- Hulu Launches Fall Lineup, Premieres Before TV Broadcast

CBS to offer HD TV shows online

CBS Interactive is launching the CBS HD Gallery on CBS.com, allowing users to watch full episodes of CBS shows online in high definition.

The mini-site will include full episodes and clips of CBS programs such as Big Brother, CSI, Survivor, How I Met Your Mother, The Amazing Race and The Big Bang Theory.

[via C21media.net]

Gossip Girl to Stream Online Again

When Gossip Girl returns to the air on Sept. 1st, new episodes will also be available on the CW’s web site for ad-supported streaming.

CW took Gossip Girl off its site in an effort to boost television viewership, but it failed to have the desired effect.

[via NewTeeVee]

NBC offers fans webisodes of popular shows

During the summer, NBC is sending fans to its Web site to get their fix of their favorite TV shows.

Starting July 10, new Webisodes from The Office will be available in online-only weekly episodes.

Sci-fi show Heroes is also getting in on the webisode game, with a trilogy of online-only episodes launching on July 14.

[via PRWeek]

Disney Gives Away '"Nemo", Online For Free

Disney will be offering films online for a week after they air on ABC as part of its Wonderful World of Disney franchise.

Included are "Finding Nemo," "Monsters Inc.," "Haunted Mansion," "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," "Princess Diaries 2," "Freaky Friday," and "Peter Pan."

[via Sillicon Alley Insider]

BT Vision charges for BBC content

The BBC reports that BT has started to charge users of its television service who want to watch on-demand BBC content.

"BT Vision users could previously view programs like EastEnders for nothing, but must now sign up to the £3-a-month ($4.70) TV Replay subscription to see them.

BT said that, while the same content was available on PCs, it could be seen in "top quality" through its service.

The BBC said it was happy the shows were being provided through BT's "lowest possible subscription tier". The on-demand programs available through BT Vision can also be found online through the BBC's iPlayer. "

BBC to broadcast live on the Internet

The BBC yesterday announced its flagship BBC1 channel will be be broadcast live on the internet 'within months', reports Daily Mail.

"It means that, for the first time in the channel's 44-year history, people will not require a television set to watch it. ... Viewers will simply need a computer and internet broadband connections to see every single one of their favourite shows as they are broadcast.

The long awaited move, emulates a similar decision by ITV last summer."

Cable Networks Put More Content Online

As advertisers continue to demand the greater accountability and demographic targeting that the Internet offers, cable networks have adapted differing strategies in dispatching content online—posting “extras” or full-length episodes from their old and current TV series, creating new shows or launching entirely new Websites.

[via Broadcating & Cable]

The Social Benefits Of Converting TV Viewing Time To Web-Surfing

If you’ve ever lamented the time you’ve spent watching television sitcoms as wasted, Clay Shirky has an idea that may cheer you up about the future. As people spend more time online, Mr. Shirky suggests, they’re converting useless sitcom-watching hours into more productive endeavors. Buzzwatch reports.

In other words, spending one’s free time editing a Wikipedia entry does more for society than watching that “Seinfeld” episode with the “puffy shirt” for the eighth time.

Mr. Shirky, a technology pundit and New York University adjunct professor, recently published “Here Comes Everybody,” a book on how the Web and social-software tools that help people organize and collaborate are changing society.

... Of course, as Buzzwatch has learned—and as some readers have no doubt experienced—it’s amazing what you can get done on a laptop while watching a sitcom at the same time. Hear, hear!

BBC BRINGS PROGRAMS TO ITUNES STORE IN U.S.

BBC today announced that for the first time BBC AMERICA programming will be available for purchase and download from the iTunes store in the U.S. [via The Futon Critic]

"Making BBC programming available on the iTunes Store is key to the strategy of BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, in securing the broadest possible distribution for its huge range of television content. This new offering allows BBC AMERICA's viewers to further engage with the channel's hit shows and delivers highly addictive programming to a new audience."

Golden Years of Television Find New Life on the Web

Within the last few months, television distributors have opened up their libraries of classic content online, making thousands of episodes of programs like “The Twilight Zone” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” available free. The New York Times reports.

"On Monday, Warner Brothers is expected to add a new twist, announcing the rebirth of the WB broadcast network as an Internet destination and offering programs like “Everwood” online.

In putting old episodes online, broadcasters are tapping into the “long tail” of niche content that the Internet has monetized. While executives are reticent about the costs involved, and while syndicated and DVD sales remain dominant sources of revenue, the repurposing of long-dead shows is creating another new revenue stream for distributors."

ITV to sell classic shows on iTunes

ITV is to make a range of classic programs including Brideshead Revisited and Inspector Morse available for sale through iTunes.

The deal, which will be the first time that ITV has made TV shows available for sale via a third-party website, will see more than 260 hours of archive shows made available via Apple's iTunes UK store.

[via The Guardian]

TBS To Mac Users: No Seinfeld For You!

Silicon Alley Insider reports that TBS, which has broadcast "Seinfeld" for years, has started putting episodes online - for Microsoft Windows users that is.

That's really interesting, because following the writers strike and running out of new shows and episodes to watch online, I've been watching Seinfeld and about three weeks ago, all the Seinfeld videos on YouTube were removed. "We're sorry, this video is no longer available" was the message that appeared. It happened before my eyes, maybe because of the TBS move.

Mac users can always head out to Tudou.com, the Chinese are huge fans of Seinfeld and not Microsoft-centric.

CW plugs "Gossip Girl" stream

Reuters reports that CW Network has announced that episodes of its series "Gossip Girl" will not be streamed on CWTV.com when "Gossip" returns Monday.

The first 12 episodes of the season, which will remain on the site, were made available free to viewers about a week after their original airdate.

CW is trying to avoid being a victim of its own success: "Gossip" has proved to be a big draw online , with each episode said to be generating hundreds of thousands of streams. Episodes routinely rank among the most downloaded on iTunes, which also will continue to offer new episodes.

CW is taking the counterintuitive step of limiting "Gossip" to test whether its online window is cannibalizing the TV audience.

BiTorrent to get films and TV content with embedded ads

The Sydney Moring Herald reports that Australian broadcasters will be offering full length TV series and films online, using new technology which releases them onto dreaded peer-to-peer networks such as Bit Torrent and eDonkey - but with embedded broadcast-style TV ads.

Retro Television Network Launches Web Site

Retro Television Network launched a Web site featuring detailed descriptions of RTN staples like "Happy Days" and "Cheers", a complete list of station affiliates and a large picture of Robin Leach from TV series "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" on the welcome page.

[via Broadcasting & Cable]

CBS gives shows new feel with online clips

Star-News reports on Eyelab, a small division within CBS Corp. - all of its workers under 30 years old - whose job it is to slice and dice the network's programming and distribute it online.

"Eyelab produces some 20 to 50 clips each week and gives them to nearly 200 Web sites like AOL, MSN, Juiced, CNet, Bebo and dozens that are part of CBS and its affiliates. The idea is to draw attention to the TV shows, by using a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed independently."

"CBS believes strongly most computer users prefer short material to watching a full episode of a television program. People might spend 40 minutes on YouTube, but they're watching two-minute clips", said Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive."

This is so untrue for viewers outside the US where full length shows are not available either on TV, on the Network websites or Hulu.com. European and Asian viewers watch full length shows - sometimes an entire season in one session - on video sharing sites. Because there is no other choice.

When will US networks address the global issue, deal with the Internet? Or Hulu.com could come up with a pay-per-view model. We would gladly pay to watch legally. US TV series have a huge following outside of the US.

Related articles:

-- US TV series become outdoor entertainment for South Korean youth

-- In South Korea, peer-to-peer video services have exploded. Laptops are the gateway to entertainment

-- Korea in the Grip of U.S. TV Series Fever

-- Seeking options for watching TV online (legally) from Europe

Catch up with your favorite returning series with ABC's Start Fresh: Quickies

ABC is rolling out short summaries of other shows this week, aiming to get people to turn to the network’s Web site to get caught up with shows that have been on hiatus.

The videos, called Start Fresh: Quickies, recap “Brothers & Sisters” (returning April 20), “Desperate Housewives” (April 13), “Grey’s Anatomy” (April 24), “Lost” (April 24), “Samantha Who?” (April 7), and “Ugly Betty” (April 24).

[via TV Decoder - Press release]

As usual, for US viewers only.

March Madness On Demand Killing CBS' TV Ratings

As a whole, according to Sporting News, TV ratings for the four day period to start the Tournament were down 9.4%. Not only that, but 13 of the 16 windows had lower ratings in comparison to last year.

"CBS averaged a 4.8 national rating, down from a 5.3 in 2007. Much of this was due to the fact that a handful of the games aired on Easter, but it very well could have been that everyone was watching online.

The numbers that CBS tracked for March Madness On Demand (MMOD) were absolutely staggering. The online views for CBS' game center were up 129% and racked up 3.3 unique visitors per day.

There were so many viewers in the first few days that by Saturday, the total of 3,375,451 hours of video overtook the total from 2007's entire tournament by 659,215 hours.

Also worth noting was fans use of the "Boss Button" within MMOD. The fake fake spreadsheet feature was clicked on 2,190,488 times."

Related:

-- Office madness

-- Making millions when the boss isn't looking

Showtime Streams 'Tudors' Premiere On YouTube

Showtime is using new media to showcase its historical re-telling of the Henry VIII tale.

The pay TV channel will stream the premiere second season episode of its drama The Tudors tomorrow March 27 on YouTube, three days prior to the show’s March 30 debut on Showtime.

"Showtime will air an edited, TV-MA version of the series on YouTube, marking the first time a cable network has aired a original series episode in its entirety on the popular social networking site."

[via Multichannel News]

Warner Bros. to launch free streaming episodes of older series - in 5 minute segments

Warner Bros. Television Group plans to resurrect The WB television network in the form of a new Web site. On the site, whose working title is wb.com, users will be able to catch free streaming episodes of all WB-produced series airing on the net during its 1995-2006 run, including "Gilmore Girls," "Everwood" and "What I Like About You."

... Each episode will reportedly run 5 minutes, with 10 installments slated. Sources said wb.com will have a beta launch next month, with a major rollout planned for this fall.

[The Hollywood Reporter via TV Tattle]

Watching TV Online

According to The New York Times, "the most popular television shows tend to be the most-viewed online as well. Episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” have been streamed more than 26 million times on ABC.com in the last six months, adding the equivalent of two full ratings points to each telecast.

“Heroes,” “Ugly Betty,” “CSI,” “House” and “Gossip Girl” are among the other online hits, analysts say. Just how many shows are being streamed is unclear because there is no widely recognized version of the Nielsen TV ratings for the Internet yet.

... Some people pay for episodes via Apple’s iTunes Store and Amazon’s Unbox service, but many more appear to be watching streams of free, advertising-supported episodes on Web sites."

NBC Finds More People Watching Full Episodes

NBC released new research today that it says shows a large chunk of its online audiences are watching full-length episodes of programs.

NBC found 77 percent of its NBC Rewind player users were streaming shows as a complement to TV viewing, with most saying they were catching up on missed episodes.

[via NewTeeVee]

Television's affair with the internet

With the ubiquity of broadband, should TV program makers view the net as a friend or foe? More of a partner, according to The Guardian.

"Long-standing assumptions about the bitter rivalry between TV and the internet are being swept aside as Britain's terrestrial broadcasters venture more online TV on demand, streaming content and near-live simulcasting via the web.

While for most viewers broadcast TV remains quicker, easier and higher quality than most online offerings, more people are using the net to catch up on or rewatch their favourite shows, scheduling their own programme of content sourced from the major broadcast outlets.

... Where viewers go, broadcasters must follow. Initial debates focused on the fear of cannibalisation across platforms, but talk soon turned to the idea of touch-points: rather than eroding their traditional base of TV viewers by increasing the number of outlets and opportunities a potential viewer has to engage with media sources throughout the day, broadcasters stand to develop larger audiences."

YouTube Plugs in HBO

HBO has inked a deal with YouTube to create a signature channel on the video-sharing site to air highlights from some of the premium cable net's most popular shows—Entourage, The Wire, Flight of the Conchords, Real Time with Bill Maher, Extras and Def Comedy Jam, among them.

Most notably, however, will be full-length episodes of HBO's newest hit, In Treatment, as well as Habla y Habla, the net's in-depth look at what it is like to be a Latino living in the U.S.

[via E! News]

NBC and CBS offer vintage TV episodes online

According to Newsday, NBC and CBS have just announced free streams of vintage TV episodes on their Web sites.

NBC.com's "The Way Back Wednesdays" will show: "Miami Vice," "Emergency," "Buck Rogers" and "The A-Team

NBC-owned cable channel sites SciFi.com. ChillerTV.com and SleuthChannel.com plan to start vintage streaming this month with: "Tek War," "Night Gallery", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "Swamp Thing," "Kojak" and "Simon & Simon".

CBS Television Classics will include: "The Twilight Zone," "Hawaii Five-O," "MacGyver," "Star Trek" and "Melrose Place."

They will all have commercials.

NBC's Way Back Wednesday streams are not yet online. CBS' Television Classics are already available. But when I click on play, I get a voice message saying "This content is currently unavailable". So I'm not sure if that's because I'm trying to watch from Europe or if there is a problem this morning. Will try again later.

BBC Plans iTunes TV Deal

The BBC plans to sell some television shows in the United Kingdom through Apple's popular iTunes store, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"The deal is likely to serve as test as to whether many British viewers are prepared to pay to download TV shows over the Internet. If successful, the BBC might expand the arrangement, the person said.

The BBC currently makes most of its shows available for download free in the U.K. for one week after they have appeared on television. Its main commercial competitor, ITV PLC, has also put many of its shows online.

Initially only about 10 different drama and comedy shows will be sold on iTunes, which doesn't currently have any TV shows from British studios, the person said. It isn't clear which shows will be available."

The networks are streaming ahead

When the networks first put their product in cyberspace for streaming, there was concern that the viewing on PCs would cannibalize the regular TV audience. Not to worry. The Denver Post reports.

"The research that we have done shows that it's additive," said Jeff Gaspin, NBC's digital-content chief. "Of course, there was some concern that, as you increase the number of streams of these shows online that it might cannibalize the on-air audience, but it's just not the case. Everything we have seen said that it helps people catch up."

In the case of "Heroes," by the time the ninth episode rolled around, the network posted the first episode online and it drew a crowd. Gaspin assumes "if they are watching the first episode, they are learning about the series, and there's a good chance that they will then catch up with the series on air."

... Whether streaming becomes a profitable goal in itself, or a way to direct the audience back to the primetime TV set, remains to be seen. For now, it may be time to get your feet wet. "

"Streaming is a fad, and a bad one at that"

An article in The Denver Post reports on how the networks are offering primetime episodes in streaming - more on that here - but what's entertaining are the interviews of skeptics who say streaming is a fad, and a bad one at that.

"Phillip Swann, president and publisher of TVPredictions.com, believes "streaming is not the future, not in any kind of long form."

Swann belongs to the old school that insists PCs are for work, TV is for entertainment (!), and the twain don't meet.

"All the networks trying to put their programming online are going to fail," Swann maintains. "People are simply not going to sit around on a computer and watch television. For 30, 60, 90 seconds they can see some guy hit himself in the head on YouTube, but they won't sit for a whole half-hour of "Two and a Half Men."'

"Do people really want to watch 'Desperate Housewives' on a 2.5-inch screen when they just bought a 56-inch screen?" he asks.

To him, "all these efforts to try to make a TV out of a PC and a PC out of a TV have consistently failed. It's trying to put a square peg in a round hole."

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

Picture of Yokai via we-make-money-not-art.com

Viacom to offer 13,000 clips of 'Daily Show' online

According to The Los Angeles Times, Viacom's Comedy Central channel today will unveil a website for "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart".

"Rather than providing just a sampling of the program's fare, as Viacom and other TV networks have done for years, Comedy Central is offering the works: about 13,000 video clips representing every minute of the show since its 1999 inception."

[via Techmeme]

Networks start to offer TV on the Web

A very good article in today's IHT by favorite NY Times columnist David Pogue, on US network's offering television on the Internet.

Pogue describes the many options available (for free or for a fee) enabling (US) viewers to watch television on their computers.

Here in Europe we cannot access what US networks' distribute online (when you connect your IP number is identified and a message pops: "for US viewers only"). So Pogue's article is an interesting read because he has tested the options available, points out where the technical glitches are, describes where ads are being placed and how long they last, all things we can't try out from our end in Europe:

-- FOX Fox's effort is labeled "beta," and it shows; I ran into glitches on both Mac and Windows computers.

-- There are some ads, and you can't skip over them. Fortunately, compared with regular TV, the online ads are scarce indeed. At each break, you generally have to watch only one 30-second commercial.

-- NBC An ad or two appears at the beginning of each episode, at the end and at the regular commercial breaks in the middle.

I only disagree with his statement that:

... Almost nobody wants to watch TV on a computer screen

As here in Europe (and in Asia) we are such avid viewers of TV online.