Appointment to view TV

A while ago I mused about TV reviews becoming previews with the advent of iPlayer. At the time I recall there being a lot of noise about the coming of ‘on demand’ TV and how it would be the death of appointment to view TV. Well this might not relate to everyone but is certainly a growing phenomenon.

I am an infrequent user of iPlayer and 4OD. I only really use them when I really need to. I hardly download TV shows to watch and have taken to the box set DVD with low level enthusiasm. What I do do is Sky+ just about everything I’m following from MadMen and 24 to Charlie Brooker’s Newswipe and Heroes. A month or so ago I was chucking a late night shift watching Comic Relief while working and little and I got side tracked on Twitter. Using the #hashtag and twitter search I was able to identify who else was tweeting about #comicrelief and commenting on the sketches and gags. Coupling that with Twitterfall, which is a realtime feed of tweets that can be divided in to categories by search term, I was able to single out a feed for variants of comic relief and take part in the conversation. This added a fascinating realtime insight into the live show, kinda like watching it with mates but more so, more honest, mildly geeky but still with a community feel.

After a few days I forgot about it until I started to catch up with 24/Heroes/MadMen, or whatever, on Sky+ and suddenly wished I could share my shock/surprise/incredulity with a co-watcher but then realised that by time shifting  my watching I was reduced to posting a single tweet or facebook upadate to a bunch of people who had watched the show days earlier. Hardly a virtual watercooler moment.

Now we don’t have to wait to get to the watercooler to discuss Doctor Who, we can do it online when the show is on. We can comment as the action is occuring and there is no need to wait. I’ve got cold water in my fridge… damn, there is beer in there somewhere too, you don’t get that at work.

Appointment to view TV is alive and kicking and the watercooler is dead… at least the one in the office is!

By the way… I’m watching the tralier for Ashes to Ashes and I can’t wait for next monday!!!