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UKTV will copy Amazon, ask viewers which shows it should make
When it comes to choosing which new TV shows to make, British broadcaster UKTV is taking a leaf out of Amazon and the BBC's playbook. The company behind Dave, Really and Watch will produce pilot episodes of shows, asking users of its UKTV Play on-demand platform to vote on which one should become a series. Emma Boston, the executive behind the scheme, believes that the move will enable the company to take more risks and produce shows that'll cater to different audiences. Recombu is also reporting that the company has asked Sky and Virgin Media to share detailed ratings data in order to help UKTV produce more tailored content. Presumably the company is looking at Netflix's vast reserves of viewing data with envious eyes.
Vote for which new shows Amazon should give the green light to
Amazon may be fighting with Hachette and Disney, but it's still got enough energy to try and beat Netflix at its own game. The bookseller has announced its third pilot season, asking members of the public to determine which of five new original TV series will be given a full series by Bezos and his chums. This time around, three comedies and two hefty dramas will be screened on the retailer's website on August 28th in the US and the UK, of which the most praised and watched will arrive on Prime Instant Video in due course. If you're excited at the prospect of playing armchair TV executive, we've prepared a print-out-and-keep guide for what to expect.
Cell-Mate headset provides hands-free calling, removes dignity
When it comes to testing out new and exotic technologies, nobody holds a candle to Team Engadget. Good thing, too, because that candle, held too close to the Cell-Mate headset, might set your hair on fire while you talk on the phone -- and nobody wants that. Yes, for $14.99 you too can own the iPhone accessory demoed at CTIA that some describe as "Velcro, a curved wire and a plastic pad," and make handsfree calls at will. Bluetooth, shmootooth -- those little chatty thingamabobs are hard to pair, battery life is a joke, and they make you look like a crazy person when you're talking on them. The Cell-Mate doesn't make you look crazy; it makes you look like MacGyver's not-so-bright nephew. The video is embedded in the continuation of the post. Once you see it, I think you'll agree that the Cell-Mate is, in fact, Velcro, curved wire and a plastic pad... plus a little thing we like to call "comedy gold." Thanks to Paul & Sean at Engadget for taking one for the team.
Pole poll: Your pick to make a Wii pole dancing 'game'
Okay, here's the deal. Remember Peekaboo Pole Dancing, the company which, back in May, confirmed its intent to make a pole dancing game for Wii? It still wants to – only according to MTV Multiplayer, it doesn't actually have anyone to make or publish the thing.Peekaboo rep Simon Kay even went as far as to say, "Please feel free to give a shout out to any developers or publishers who want to give this a crack." So, who exactly should said shout be given out to? There's no guarantee that they'll listen – let alone actually say, "Hey, that's a great idea!" – but we'll be sure to deliver it the next time we speak to your top pick. The virtual voting booth can be found after the break.[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Hopper join cast of Deadly Creatures on Wii
In news of the weird getting weirder, THQ has announced that actors Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade) and Dennis Hopper (Blue Velvet, lots of stuff where he plays a creepy guy) will voice the two lead two human characters in its Wii-exclusive Deadly Creatures."The scorpion and tarantula are like two actors meeting up for a gun fight," Thornton said in a press release. The release makes no mention of whether Mr. Thorton or Mr. Hopper have actually seen the game, but the latter said of it: "Gamers are really going to love Deadly Creatures." We'll love it more if you promise not to huff nitrous and call us "mommy," sir.[Correction: Thornton and Hopper will voice two human antagonists in the game, not the bugs. But they are antagonists.]
