The Minisode Sounds Promising

May 6, 2007

Youtube and its siblings have introduced the world to the 3 to 5 minute video and big media has noticed. Last week Sony announced they would start to produce 3 to 5 minute versions of old tv shows for the web. Some of the early shows will be TJ Hooker and Charlie's Angels.

Neither of these shows should have been 60 minutes in the first place, so I'm totally behind this. Sure, it's blatant money-grubbing but these shows will be fun to watch (assuming they're supported by advertising and don't cost money).

That being said, I'd rather see big media companies making original, well-produced minisodes. While there's some great comedy coming out of Acceptable TV and Super Deluxe, the production quality is (intentionally) low. I want to see something more.

The beauty of releasing content on the web is the lack of a programming schedule; shows don't have to fit into a grid. I see this as an opportunity to cut costs on critically acclaimed shows that didn't work with the traditional model, like Arrested Development. If the show had come back for a fourth season on the web, they could have done 30 ten minute episodes. This would have shaved costs significantly and their young viewer base would likely have followed (I know I would have).

It seems just a matter of time before big media tries something like this. Asynchronous content delivery allows for so many options and we're likely to see some great innovation over the next couple years. I have a feeling some of the riskier ideas out there might survive just a little bit longer.

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