videos
nov 16
2007

quarterlife

An hour after the weekend has started, I finally got around to watching this week's internet sensation: quarterlife. If you haven't been paying attention, it's a video series appearing on MySpace (profiles!) that users will supposedly be able to control the outcome of. Though it's from the creators of My So-Called Life and Thirtysomething, it reminds me more of Reality Bites than anything else (right down to the misuse of the word irony). NY Mag interviewed the lead actress (say it with me: Bitsie Tulloch -- you're gonna hear it all the time now). Karina gave the first episode a thumbs down, but rumors are still circulating that NBC might pick it up. My opinion? It kinda sucks and I love it -- both at the same time. UPDATE: In the comments, Colin links to an amazing MTV promo for something called "The Spot" from 1995. And whaddya know, NBC actually bought quarterlife in the few hours since I wrote this post.

8 comments

It kinda sucks and I don't really love it, but it's interesting to see that about three years later there's a "professional" version of the concept that was Chasing Windmills was diving into.

It's only the beginning of TV 2.0.

posted by Aaron at 7:27 PM on November 16, 2007

I...kinda like it.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?

posted by Gavin at 8:36 PM on November 16, 2007

flashback

posted by colin at 12:53 AM on November 17, 2007

Hey, cool, somebody stole the script of "What About Brian" and put it on the internet.

posted by Bill K. at 11:20 AM on November 17, 2007

I think it's pretty awful, but I feel bad saying so, b/c I saw the creator, Marshall Hershkovitz, give a talk about the show a couple weeks ago and he was really sharp & engaging.

He's almost as excited about the accompanying site as he is by the show itself -- he sees it as a focused social networking site for young creative people.

posted by robin at 5:57 PM on November 17, 2007

Good idea, boring execution, dull storyline.

posted by taulpaul at 11:03 AM on November 18, 2007

Actually, I think the definition of irony was one of the few things that Reality Bites got right! See 2a here.

But it does have in common with Reality Bites a script that makes you feel embarassed for the writers. Eek! Almost as scary as obnoxious commenters who link to dictionary definitions.

posted by lauren at 12:19 AM on November 20, 2007

I really don't know why this deal really irks me. Maybe it's NBC's presumption that you can take a show meant for online distribution, and put it into a prime time slot, at their convenience.

The creators obviously wanted this deal, so whatever. They need to get paid, I get it.

Will someone call me when somebody launches an online video series that is meant to be online. It's like they're taking a banner ad and printing it in a newspaper. Blah.

posted by taulpaul at 1:17 PM on November 20, 2007




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