Making TV Real
TV Marketing Idea: Bring Fictional TV Series to Life
As Liam points out, people are really enjoying places where the real and fantastical meet. The most popular movies (Harry Potter), TV shows (Heroes) and commercials (Coke Happiness Factory) support this attraction. Interesting to me here is the common need for a screen, or lens, to experience this magical mix.
So, inspired by 1 ) transmedia storytelling like Mad Men’s Twitter kerfuffle and the Lost Experience 2) planned reality programming like The Hills and Improv Everywhere – I’ve been thinking about how broadcasters can better bring fantasy, or fiction, to real life.
Imagine you’re at an after-party in LA and the boys from Entourage show up. You might have a chat with Turtle or catch Vince flirting with an ex. Or you’re at a hot new Manhattan restaurant and the girls of Sex In The City are there – and skip out on the bill. They all seem to be in character, but there are no cameras to be seen.
Why shouldn’t our favourite fictional personalities from the screen make real life appearances? There’s definitely potential to add layering to their stories. But even uneventful appearances are sure to create buzz and speculation about next week’s episode. There’s no doubt fans would document spottings and share in social media. And you could even tip-off TMZ for some free coverage.
You’ve heard of Reality TV. How about some TV Reality?
HER NATURE HIS NURTURE 
I like your thinking SeanH…definitely in agreement with your points on your blog. I also like that term you coined: “TV Reality”…consider it borrowed (with attributions, of course).
I have observed for some time the rapid proliferation of “FAKE” CHARACTERS (http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/08/top-twitterers.html)…ie, fans just love a show/character so much that they start channeling that character’s voice. From Borat, to the Battlestar Galactica peeps, to Colbert, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, the list is endless (http://twitter.pbwiki.com/Fakers).
This observation only points to AN UNMET NEED THAT TV NETS ARE NOT FILLING. Fans want to live the life and talk to their favorite show characters, to them, these are “real people” who they would love to hang out with beyond the one hour weekly. Networks are missing a big opportunity to touch the fans via social media.
Thanks Aki! Completely agree about this unmet need.
Another proof point: for years we’ve heard celebs say that when they meet fans, many confuse them with the characters they play. That’s because many fans want to interact with those characters more than their actors. So why not let them?
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Thannks for writing this