Everyone's talking about user-generated this and web 2.0 that these days, but we honestly never thought we'd see the day when ordinary couch potatoes would have direct control over a show while it airs. Viewers of the new Finnish TV show "Accidental Lovers," (pictured) will be able to determine plot outcomes -- such as whether the characters break up or fall in love -- via SMS (they can leave snarky comments on-screen, too); think of it as choose-your-own-adventure TV. We're not sure if that means that there will be a select number of options, or if the creators of the show will resort to just airing the show live -- we're assuming the former. Either way, we're guessing that this idea could descend into wikitorial-esque chaos pretty fast here in the US, but of course, it's quite possible that those civilized Finns will be able to conduct themselves with much more grace than we ever would.
[Via
CNET]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
spaceman @ Dec 14th 2006 7:54AM
You must be joking! Finns hardly censor anything! Believe me, I live in Finland!
red wedge @ Dec 14th 2006 8:10AM
Grace? Civilised?
You've clearly never been to Finland!
Erick @ Dec 14th 2006 9:09AM
Ever hear of Improv? This could totally work, improv actors respsonding to a majority rule outcome of SMS votes. Could be neat. You ever sit watching a show and think, Dang, they should do THIS...well, now you could have some influence.
Think, "Whose Line is it Anyway" Improv of only short skits, from ideas given by the audience (better live in the audience, by the way...they ahve to sensor the GOOD stuff for TV, been there, fun stuff) but with longer story lines trying to stay somewhat along a shows premise...I think it could be really fun.
navamske @ Dec 14th 2006 9:39AM
It would be kinda cool to have some say in how a show Finnishes.
Mrfreezie @ Dec 14th 2006 10:36AM
We already have(kind of) that sort of thing here in America.. It's that lonelygirl15 "saga"(for lack of better words). They have had fans help form the plot line for a while now.
jesse @ Dec 14th 2006 12:51PM
Are you sure that isn't Zach Braff, it sure looks a lot like him.
finbred @ Dec 15th 2006 3:23AM
No, it's our very own Lorenz Backman
http://www.juontajat.fi/bin/gallery/viewer?i=60&s=1
Nelg @ Dec 15th 2006 4:06AM
Wtf, I live in Finland and I've never heard of this.
We don't censor anything, but I guess there should be some admins behind the publishing of those messages, otherwise the screen will flood with "show some tits". Oh well, just another reason for not watching TV.
Christian Kent @ Dec 18th 2006 4:46AM
Guys, this concept was done in Australia 16 years ago.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_The_Blood_Run_Free
CK.
docsharp01 @ Mar 31st 2008 9:32PM
Excellent article and comments about the Finnish TV shows.
http://www.1-satellite-tv-facts.com