Part of the NBC 2.0 philosophy has been to put cheap programming on air as a measure to cut corners and save money. Even before the writers' strike this has meant a string of programs that are “unscripted,” such as cheesy game shows and of course the requisite fakeality nonsense. So taking quarterlife, a Web 2.0 based online show/online community from the creators of thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again, and sticking it on TV doesn’t seem like a big stretch.
The show, which makes its TV debut Tuesday at 10 p.m. (WNBC 4) and moves to Sundays at 9 p.m. next week, aren’t going to be new since they have already been available on the internet. And since most of the people who would probably watch the show have probably seen it on the internet, it may not be the best of strategies for NBC. (Can you say narrowcasting vs. broadcasting?)
Still, compared to what they have been foisting upon the North American viewing public, like the two hour Ford ad known as Knight Rider or the insipid My Dad is Better Than Your Dad, the tale of a group of twenty-somethings dealing with life online and off line seems like a breath of fresh air. Plus, it isn't a bad show.
