"F*** IT, WE'LL DO IT LIVE"

It's no secret that the media landscape is changing. Sitting and watching television programs in real time is declining thanks to the internet, DVR, and smartphones/tablets. Much of the target market for   programs (young adults) do not prescribe to the typical "let's sit down and watch tv together" type of thing. Sure, we have our few select shows that force us to congregate around the tv (cough cough sporting events, American Horror Story, and How to Get Away with Murder), but we typically create our own tv schedule around our "hectic lives" and indulge in binge watching. 

Sidebar: Yesterday, I watched five episodes from Season 3 of Parks and Rec because I could. Thank you, Netflix. Today, I congregated around the tv to watch the Eagles game with some goldfish and mango slices, so there isn't much co-viewing going on. 

This spurred a huge shift in the television landscape. Enter Netflix and online streaming. Also, to mimic our binge-watching habits, things like TLC Bride Day plays nothing but Say Yes to the Dress on Fridays. Let's not forget USA's Law and Order: SVU marathons that occur at least four times in a given week. You sit down for one, you get up after six.

Networks have adjusted, however, and it's been really intriguing to see how they're trying to overcome these challenges. How do you garner big ratings when most programs can be watched with fewer commercials at a more convenient time online? For me, leading the way are Discovery and NBC and their creative live events.

Yes, I have interned for both companies. Yes, I am slightly biased. Yes, you're going to have to get over it.

Discovery was a trailblazer, thanks to Nik Wallenda. His Skywire Live was HUGE. Wallenda's journey across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope with no safety net induced so many uncomfortable feelings. It was shown on a 10 second delay, because the possibility of his death was so high. 

The program which aired on June 23, 2013 peaked at 13 million viewers, making it the highest rated live program in the company's history. Viewers in over 170 countries tuned in to the live event. It wasn't just a ratings success either. The internet was buzzing as 2.1 million tuned in to the online stream. Twitter nearly exploded with 40,000 tweets per minute. The show occupied 715 of the TV-related social media traffic that day holding seven of the trending topics worldwide.

Why did it work you ask? BECAUSE HE COULD HAVE DIED. LIKE FALLEN TO HIS DEATH. Fear of heights is widely experienced and this triggers all of those feels. Also, what's the point of watching it if you know that he survived? God, humans are sick. Watching live is the only way to fully experience the gut wrenching anxiety and fear. Plus, if everyone's tweeting about a program, you can bet my FOMO is going to kick in and I'm going to have to tune in. All hail peer pressure and group think, man. 

Wallenda's Grand Canyon trick made it nearly impossible for Discovery to not want more. Tonight, we get to live through the complete puke-inducing event again! This time, he's in Chicago. This time, he's walking over a city scape. THIS TIME, HE IS BLINDFOLDED. I'm already nauseous. I'm already sweating. I'm already wickedly excited. 

Let's ease your stomach by talking about NBC Universal's attempt to capitalize on live events. In 2012, the conglomerate announced it was going to recreate The Sound of Music. It wasn't going to be any special, however. The production was going to be live, vulnerable to all types of snafus. 

While the casting of Carrie Underwood undoubtedly drew in scores of viewers, the idea of live theater on television was enticing and intriguing. How were they going to transition between locations and scenes? What if there was an issue with a mic? What if someone forgets their line? So many concerns, so many reasons to tune in and see if it all worked. Plus, The Sound of Music is one of those classic musicals that families watch together, especially around the holidays. The viewing was a family affair. 

Whether you liked it or not, over 18.5 million people were just as curious. Ratings wise, the program was an enormous success. Critics were less enthusiastic, but their assaults were mainly on casting, not on production quality. The event garnered 449,000 tweets and occupied most of the trending topics. 

Hoping to capitalize once again, NBC announced less than a month later that they were going to adapt Peter Pan in the same way. It's set to air the first week of December and I'm eager, again, to see if things will fall apart. Also, much like my curiosity about Carrie Underwood, I have one eyebrow raised at the choice in casting. Allison Williams from Girls is Peter Pan. Interesting choice- I wonder if her daddy Brian Williams had anything to do with it. More exciting for me, though, is Christopher Walken as Captain Hook. I think he's going to carry the production, besides, of course, the incredible camera angles, extensive set, and.... FLYING via wires. Look! We've come full circle!