Rotten Tomatoes: The TV Show
Summary: The Rotten Tomatoes TV show is a weekly, syndicated, half-hour program that delivers sharp critical reaction, witty commentary, trailers, and interviews with exciting filmmakers for the casual young adult movie enthusiast.
Background: RottenTomatoes.com is the premier online destination for movie ratings and reviews. Readers currently use the web site for three primary functions:
Quickly gauge the critical reaction to movies through the Tomatometer rating system.
Quickly dozens of reviews from professional film critics
Discuss and rate movies on the web's largest movie community
It appeals to a broad population of entertainment enthusiasts who, more than ever, are savvy and skeptical to an increasingly marketing and celebrity-driven entertainment marketplace. RottenTomatoes.com gives readers early and accurate critical reaction from dozens of professional film critics; the readers, henceforth, become informed recommenders to the rest of the moviegoing population.
A Rotten Tomatoes TV show extends the online brand into a larger medium. It provides a witty, but passionate sensibility to a field crowded by lightweight celebrity shows (Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight) and fare aimed towards the older crowd (Ebert & Roeper, Inside the Actor's Studio).
Like the readership of RottenTomatoes.com, the Rotten Tomatoes TV show will provide a fast-paced, no-holds-barred rundown of the critical reaction to the latest theatrical releases including the most-pointed jabs from the critics and moviegoers.
The Opportunities:
Expand Rotten Tomatoes from an online phenomenon to a mainstream-accepted brand that holds powerful sway over the marketing of movies and home video in a manner similar to "Two Thumbs Up!"
Provides additional valuable original video content for use online.
Provides greater leverage for obtaining content exclusives (trailers, behind-the-scenes) for use on-air and online.
Adds a visible personality and figurehead to the Rotten Tomatoes brand.
The Core Audience:
18-49 young adults (primarily 18-34) of both genders. Entertainment enthusiasts who watch at least one movie a month, buy at least one DVD a month, and are generally aware of the hot current and upcoming movie titles. These enthusiasts are passionate about consuming movies, but are turned off by the celebrity-driven, over-hyped marketing delivered by the current slate of entertainment shows.
What else do they watch? ESPN SportsCenter, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park, The Chappelle Show, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Nip and Tuck, Lost
What do they NOT watch? Broadcast Network TV, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Inside the Actors Studio, The celebrity drivel on E!
Segments:
Roundtable (12 minutes): It's Politically Incorrect + TNT’s NBA Halftime Show for the movie going crowd. Find a funny, compelling personality to act as moderator/circus-wrangler and three or four strong personalities who have some relevance to movies and entertainment (e.g. Elvis Mitchell, Trey Parker, Wanda Sykes). Each week would rotate between different participants, but we would only use a rotating pool of 10-20 regulars who are informed, entertaining, and relevant to our audience.
The first half of the segment would consist of the "Tomatometer Wrap-Up". The moderator would roll a highlight reel from the week's new theatrical release and would voice over with the most interesting film review quotations from Rotten Tomatoes as well as the Tomatometer score. This would be followed up by a brief conversation/debate by the roundtable participants about the movie. Each of the major new theatrical releases would be covered.
The second half of the segment would be open to any hot button movie-related topics of the moment: Are the Weinsteins leaving Disney a good thing? Is Tom and Kate all a publicity ruse and will it affect the box office for Batman Begins and War of the Worlds?
Filmmaker Couch or Satellite Interviews (5 minutes): Brief interviews with important filmmakers (directors, screenwriters, producers, actors) while avoiding the celebrity-driven talk show booking-regular pattern that floods the currently available shows.
Questions and Issues
How much participation/credit/creative control if any do the Rotten Tomatoes and IGN team have?
Is this a syndicated show that's packaged and produced by a company of Rotten Tomatoes choosing or do we give the treatment to an existing cable network to run with the ball?
What's the next step in refining the concept?
The show needs to have strong enough viewpoint and not be afraid of open criticism. At the same time, it integrates a lot of typical talkshow/entertainment magazine content from advertorial driven shows like Access Hollywood. How do we get good content/opportunities from the studios without sacrificing an independent editorial voice that appeal to our savvy audience.
Target advertising audience
Premiere of ROTTEN TOMATOES: THE TV SHOW online now. Honest opinions plz: it's no longer my baby: Fresh or Rotten? http://www.alivenotdead.com/stephen...
Hey old-fogeys: How much of an improvement is Twitter versus .plan(s) of old...? http://www.bluesnews.com/plans/1/
November 2, 2009
October 1, 2009
September 1, 2009
August 1, 2009
July 13, 2009
June 2, 2009
May 1, 2009
April 1, 2009
March 1, 2009
February 1, 2009
