Global Frequency Pilot Makes Big Splash on Filesharing Network

[nerd4hire]

Disclaimer: This is not to condone Illegal downloading of Copyrighted material. It is not offered to present information on how to do acquire the Global Frequency pilot illegally. It's a news story.

Basically the story goes like this. Warner Brothers signed up for a pilot to a proposed series based on the comic book Global Frequency. The pilot was made.

Buffy and Angel alumn Ben Edlund and Diego Guiterrez were involved.

Comic and Buffyverse fans were really hyped for it.

They made the pilot. Warner Bros pulled out.

Here's the thing though. It turns out the pilot was really good. Someone leaked a copy out via Bit torrent, and it's getting raves. Also it's getting downloaded in waves, and speaking of waves it's making them not just in our little Buffyverse community, but the filesharing one.

Here's a more complete story concerning that from the filesharing newsportal P2Pnet.net.

http://p2pnet.net/story/5363

 

[goldenboy]

What is up with the networks? There are seemingly awesome projects that get deep into production, then deep-sixed. You'd think in the wake of Fox's huge success with 24, they'd be chomping at the bit with stuff like this, but no...WB is just a nutty, rudderless little fringe network that's getting fringier.

Maybe they just thought it would be too expensive, risky to produce 13 eps, decided to completely corner the market on teen soaps instead...

Global Frequency was destined to be a TV show. It's structured like little (epic) self-contained, weekly episodes could be. The thing is, it's incredibly brutal, Tarantinoesque violent. Would have to be toned down quite a bit for broadcast TV.

Would be great if cable picked it up. Though I'd have to wait for the DVD's then. Couldn't they just do a little Firefly-style fishing expedition? Release the pilot on DVD, promote it to death on the Web and see what happens? Just dreaming though...don't actually claim to understand network marketing, economics.

As far as the downloading goes, the WB should be happy and flattered that there's such a buzz, not threatening legal action.

It's a nice dream to think of the Web transforming the TV, pilot creation process"”making the fans active participants in the creation of a new show...

 

[Xander]

It's a nice dream to think of the Web transforming the TV, pilot creation process—making the fans active participants in the creation of a new show...

Thats a good point, networks should offer pilots to everyone and encourage feedback. Could help provide a range of successful and decent TV.

 

[goldenboy]

The fanboys and girls are the most ravenous, faithful TV watchers. I guess there's just not enough of us out there to make the "cult" shows economically viable for the networks. They feel the need to tinker with and temper the formulae for mass consumption. Or, just avoid the headaches outright. But the teen soap business model is failing for the WB, isn't it?

Maybe they thought Global would be too "comic book", too cult, dunno.

I even liked the failed 'Birds of Prey" from a few years back. Good fight sequences. Could have developed into something...guess it didn't have the ratings.

I am psyched about Y: The Last Man. I actually like that comic a lot more that Global. That would make a brillant show too. Would actually have been relatively cheap to produce. But apparently it will be a film instead...

http://www.efavata.com/CBM/Ylastman.htm

 

[nerd4hire]

The WB in particular make decisions that defy rationality. Honestly they do stuff that makes the worst moves of Fox make sense.

When we first heard they cancelled out on Global Frequency, we gave them the benefit of the doubt, and assumed the pilot sucked. It seemed odd given the talent of the people who were involved, but we had no choice, but to believe they knew what they were doing. Now the Global Frequency pilot has leaked out, and it turns out it's great.

For a while people were thinking maybe the WB was moving away from Genre in general, but they're coming out with this one in the Fall called Supernatural, and all indications are it sucks like a hoover.

 

[Xander]

Well if they wanted to see how well pilots did on a mainstream level, couldn't channels have a "pilot night" say round February (or whenever pilots are done) and just broadcast the pilots. They could a) check the ratings and b) encourage feedback through I dunno, competitions? Perhaps get the chance to go on the set of the pilot's show you give really good and useful feedback for.

 

[nerd4hire]

Hell, I know I'd be there watching, for what that's worth, but you know what else they could do?

Even if they didn't want to allot a block of network time to pilots, there are other ways to check out audience interest.

Speaking of filesharing networks, they aren't just for pirates. There are legal uses. Maybe it's time the entertainment industry entered the 21st century, and explored them.

Viral advertising campaigns through filesharing networks have proven successful in the past. They don't just build word of mouth, they can be used to gauge interest in a particular offering by using auditing companies like Big Champagne to check out downloading activity. Bloggers review stuff like pilots. It's information. It could be useful information if they opened their ears.

Global Frequency is a great example. If they knew then, what we know now through watching Bit Torrent activity, and reading blogger reviews, the WB could have made a more informed decision (not that kind of thing has ever interested them).

 

[goldenboy]

Internet, cable, vid games have been eating away at the broadcast share of the pie for years now. The networks need some creative, innovative strategizers.

You guys are right that they've just barely tapped into the marketing potential of the Internet"”that it's not just a marketing tool, but a mood barometer. They should turn the Internet itself into the pilot, concepting, barometer medium, like you said, N4H.

Warner's has the DC Universe at its command. A built-in fan base for known quantities. I wonder"”after gauging online interest in specific properties"”couldn't they work on developing tele-movies, in place of pilots? It wouldn't have to be superheroes"”there are more earthbound stories that would translate well and have broad appeal"”Global and Y, for example.

Once they settle on the most likely success, produce the tele-movie. Then, promote the hell out of it on TV and the 'net. Try to make it an event. Then gauge reaction, ratings. If successful, order production on a series at that point. They could even release the tele-movie on DVD, make more profits that way. Seems like it could be more cost-effective than ordering a pilot, or 13 eps, then shelving it. I dunno...

I'm just thinking of "The 4400", for example. It started out as sort of a movie/miniseries-type event"”just a few episodes were produced. Now it's apparently a "real" series.