Todd VanDerWerff On Netflix's Model Of Delivering An Entire "Season" Of TV Instantaneously

With Netflix getting into the original content market, they have decided to use a new kind of television distribution model: making an entire season available all at once. Although we’ve had TV-on-DVD and streaming options for more than a decade, those options only existed after the season had aired over the course of several months. Now, people are free to watch a season at their own pace without the option to view it “collectively” at a scheduled time with other viewers.
The A.V. Club’s Todd VanDerWerff examines what this new distribution model could mean for the future of TV. It in many ways affects the very nature of the medium, transforming an episodic art form into one similar to film.*
TV has often used real time passing to reflect time passing in-series. 30 Rock this year followed the election cycle. Buffy and Community take place over the course of a school year. Of course, not every show does this (LOST’s passage of time required viewers to pay very close attention), but the weekly passage of real time allowed viewers to discuss the show together in the time between episodes. VanDerWerff looks at these behaviors and wonders how an instantaneous distribution will affect how TV shows are made and watched.
*Interestingly enough, I’ve complained about how some people are trying to change the film medium to be more like television. For a prime example of a film-trying-to-be-a-TV-show, check out Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Or better yet, don’t. Very little in that movie made sense, and the filmmakers promised that we’d get the continued story in the sequel.

The A.V. Club Reviews Community's Fourth Season Premiere

At long last, Community returns tonight. It’s been a few months shy of a year since the last episode aired, enough time for most viewers to approach the brink of insanity, as we learned that creator/show runner/series voice Dan Harmon wouldn’t be coming back (a development nearly everyone declared to be the worst thing since cancer) and, later, that Chevy Chase was leaving the show (a development most were pretty ok with). Even myself, who enjoys the show and supports its mission to deconstruct tropes and genres but have never been a die-hard fan like so many of my TV-loving friends, can’t wait for it to return tonight. But will it still be Community? The A.V. Club’s Todd VanDerWerff explains that, while everyone involved still is dedicated to turning out a great product, and mostly succeeds in doing so, without Harmon, the show is different. Not bad, but not Community. I guess we’ll find out for ourselves tonight.

io9. Examines The "Nerd Episode" Of Crime And Medical Procedurals

io9. examines various crime and medical procedural show episodes that (poorly and unintentionally hilariously) address nerds and nerd culture.
My new goal: write a spec script for Community or Childrens Hospital that intentionally poorly understands how Cons, video games, and fetishes work.

Wish You Could Play the Community Video Game? Now You Can

Someone has created a working version of the Castle Hawkthorne game from Community.  Cool.  Cool cool cool.

Good TVeets Con 2012 Day 2

Good TVeets Con 2012 was a resounding success!

Showrunners vs. Networks and Manager vs. Creative Showrunners

The A.V. Club’s Todd VanDerWerff examines the role of the showrunner in TV in light of the recent news about Sony ousting Dan Harmon as showrunner of Community.  He examines how showrunners have to both guide the creative direction of their shows as well as manage its production, and how these two forces can work together or oppose each other.  It’s a very interesting examination of why some shows work, some don’t, and some develop cult followings.

TV Tropes Has An Inspector Spacetime Page

And it’s pretty extensive.

Cool.  Cool cool cool.