Twitter and Fox on the Fringe

Monday, August 31st, 2009 by Frank Reed

Twitter and Fox on the Fringe

Fringe Not sure what you should do with Twitter? Are you hearing that it’s the most important breakthrough since breathing but not sure how to take advantage of it? Well, you may need to stop listening to everyone and think a bit outside the box like Fox is doing to inject some new life into a re-run of the edgy TV show, Fringe. Of course, this type of show is probably a perfect place to run this kind of experiment. PC World writes about the TV and Twitter convergence.

Fox has come up with a new way to get viewers hooked into watching repeats of two episodes of the TV show Fringe. On Thursday at 9 p.m., the penultimate episode of Fringe will be accompanied by Twitter commentary from two of the show’s cast and producers.

During the episode, a scroll bar at the bottom of the screen will provide insight from cast members Josh Jackson and John Noble and producers Jeff Pinker and J.H. Wyman. Dubbed “tweet-peats,” the Twitter messages will also be available online and viewers can participate and ask questions.

I have been intrigued by Fringe promos on Fox in the past during sports broadcasts but have not made the move to give it a try. This might actually make me take a look though. While it may seem ‘gimmicky’ it falls in line with most things as they relate to Twitter and its applications. No one has had this kind of capability in the past so why not experiment? If no one has done this on network TV (if they have please let us know) then it will be hard to screw up!

In addition to the Fringe Twitter treatment Fox will run a similar format for a re-run of the show Glee immediately following the show. While I have no idea whether that show has a chance or is simply on lie support and looking for a boost from this Tweetment of the show it again falls into the category of “Why not?”.

Here’s how to play along

If you want to get involved in Fox’s “tweet-peats,” all you have to do is follow the show Fringe on Twitter (http://twitter.com/FRINGEonFOX) and Glee (http://twitter.com/GLEEonFOX). The question streams from users will be moderated, so not everybody’s tweets will be aired.

Since I am probably the only person on the planet to not DVR anything I may or may not be there because Thursday night is also the start of the college football season. After all, Twitter’s powerful but not omnipotent.

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17 comments on “Twitter and Fox on the Fringe”

Ginger Says:

September 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 pm

When I watch television I’d like to see the program, concentrate on the program, and not be inundated with superfluous trivia such as the content of the Twitter being shown on Fringe. This format does not allow the viewer to see the movie. I simply decided to change the channel, as did most of my friends.
Debbie Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 12:20 am

I hated every second, and am about to stop watching a show I love. It was NOT at the bottom of the screen, it took up half the screen, never ended. It must include a way to stop it or I will stop watching FOX altogether.
Len Cyca Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 12:27 am

I have just changed channels. Twitter on fringe was just too much to take. I have never seen anything quite so distracting and irritating. It covered two third of the bottom of my High definition image and made it unwatchable. Too bad, fringe was an interesting show. What are you guys thinking !!
rose Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 12:32 am

I was curious about the show. Then the twitter blocked the lower half of the TV screen. Wanted to turn know how to get rid of it. Instead changed the channel. Adding TWITTER to the show is extremely annoying. I don’t want to look at INANE converstations……. STUPID idea.
Annoyed Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 12:46 am

Twitter messages on my TV !!! Without asking for it? I’ll stop watching. Great job Fox! Way to lose viewers.
worstever fringeshow Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 10:13 am

I wanted to watch it but the stupid vapid twitter crap was covering the screen. It sucked and I probably wont ever watch fringe again in fear that they will start that crap again. … that was totally stupid, If board drunks want to see their stupid on screen they can go to MTV.

just to be clear …. twitter fringe sucked.
Suzanne Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 11:45 am

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been so angry with a show’s producers/creators. Whoever thought up this dumb idea of “tweeting” ON AIR should be fired immediately.

I have not missed an episode and was SO excited to sit down to watch the show. At first, I thought it was a technical mistake and that it would go away in a few seconds. Sadly, we ended up switching and watching a Grey’s Anatomy repeat becuase the tweet were just SO ANNOYING on the screen. First of all, who gives a crap what these yahoos think? I tuned in to watch the show, not read tweets (I can go to twitter and follow anyone I want). Second, if you have to put anything on-air during any type of show, please have the decency/courtesy to make is small enough so it doens’t take up 1/3 of the screen.

So my ire is two-fold. Who decided we had to suffer from the tweets in the first place and why were the darned things so BIG on the screen.

Please, please, please…someone who’s a bigshot at Fox…MAKE THE TWEETS GO AWAY!!!
97kstar Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

STOP the stupid, annoying tweets, or I will turn the channel!
Mike & Julie Swain Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 9:24 pm

If you continue to use TWITTER while we’re paying for a Cable Channel, we WILL stop watching ANY PROGRAM that utilizes this as a GIMMICK !

Stop this and let us enjoy what we’re paying for ! ! !

Put this back on the web where it’s free ! It’s annoying and distracting to what we use to consider as enjoyment!
debra metzler Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 9:25 pm

I can’t even see the screen. Half of the action is gone. If Fox continues this, I will NEVER watch it.
johnette epps Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 9:30 pm

If I wanted to read twitter, I’d turn on my computer. I pay for cable to watch TV. Stupid idea. Please don’t show twitter on my TV viewing again.
Richard Says:

September 4th, 2009 at 11:05 pm

Need to stop the twittering on youyr shows. It is very annoying to see it at the bottom of the screen. If I wanted to use twitter or see other people using twitter, then I would go on the Twitter.com site. This was going to be the first time I have watch Fringe, but becuase of your Twitter, I change the channel. Same thing with your Glee. If Fox is going to keep this up, I will stop watching Fox programming.
Barbara Hill Says:

September 5th, 2009 at 12:22 am

If Fox executives want to see their tweets on screen, they should change their name to twitter TV. Nothing on TV has ever annoyed me more. The advertisers should ask for refunds.
Dave Says:

September 5th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

I wanted to watch Glee….but I couldn’t take all the crap with that Twitter poo so I turned it off. Thanks for ruining what I thought would be a good show. I’ll never watch it again now.
Sandy Says:

September 6th, 2009 at 5:11 am

I hate hate hated the Twitter crap taking up a big chunk of my screen. Couldn’t read it anyway, the text was so small. I turned Fringe off because it was so unwatchable. And endured it with Glee that I had recorded on DVR because I hadn’t seen it yet. It was so canned and fake. Please STOP and never do it again or I will make a point to never watch another Fox 11 show again.
Katrina Says:

September 8th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

I have enjoyed this program very much until this Twitter started. When I watch a program, I want
to see it and not some words getting in the way. We actually gave up and didn’t watch the entire
program. I will try once more but it it’s there, you have lost a viewer.
stephen Ward Says:

September 17th, 2009 at 11:36 pm

it totally blowed, when will execs understand ” don’t touch my content”

There is technology out there thats way better suited.

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