Networks might want to think about being more outspoken in regards to their online scheduling.
Yesterday I sounded the alarm that something fishy was going on with Modern Family. It was unclear whether or not ABC was planning to post any of season 2′s episodes online. Our first indication that something was up came from All Things Digital’s report that creator Steve Levitan wants to keep Modern Family offline. The second clue was the fact that ABC appears to be treating Modern Family differently than the rest of its shows online, offering fewer episodes for it than the others.
Glad as I was to watch Modern Family’s premiere from the safety of my computer, the uncertainty I feel about whether or not this trend will continue makes me uneasy. Networks have gotten really good at posting their shows online. Generally, every episode gets posted a day or so after it airs and five episodes are available to watch at any given time. Networks rotate through the season until it ends, but viewers always have the five episodes most recently aired to watch. It’s great, and I find it hard to believe that such a process could have any negative effect on a show’s success. If anything, isn’t it reaching out to an even broader TV audience? I would never have gotten into Modern Family if it hadn’t been accessible online, and that goes for a lot of other shows I love, too. Aren’t there more people like me out there? (Bueller?)
So why leave us hanging? Are you afraid we’ll leave you if we know too much? We won’t! In fact, we’ll probably choose to stick around with the first network who lays it all out on the table, because the best relationships are built on trust and we want to trust you, network TV. We want to know what shows to expect online and when. So come on. Help us, help you.
