Macgirl Media Pick of the Week: GJB FTW!

So most readers know I'm a big fan of the tv show LOST.  I was thrilled to find at the start of the new season that Jorge Garcia (Hugo Reyes on LOST), had started a LOST podcast with his girlfriend Beth.  We already enjoy his musings on his blog "dispatchesfromtheisland.blogspot.com" here at TDL, so this addition was exciting news. 

Having listened to all of their podcasts so far, I definitely recommend listening for any LOST fan to get a different perspective into the show.  The idea of the podcast:  they both read and review each episode SCRIPT as it arrives, and discuss their thoughts and theories.  Then, after the episode has aired (often months later), they record a follow up to the earlier discussion, noting changes or differences in how the scenes looked in the show verses how it read.  There is a healthy dose of commentary and cute banter.  I enjoy listening to both of them, and am glad they took on this project.  It definitely had added to my overall LOST experience.  So check them out!  Geronimo Jack' s Beard is a fun trip into the LOST universe. (be sure to check out the great artwork and theme music too, donated by friends and fans.)

Macgirl Media Pick of the Week: LOST!

If you have been following the fantastically-complex and sci-fi thrilling series LOST, you know what is coming on February 2nd. It will be the two-hour season opener to, sadly, the final season of LOST.   Yes, the ABC series (also produced by JJ Abram's Bad Robot Productions) will come to an end this year. 

I have mixed feelings about this being the final season.  I am glad that series writers and producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (along with many others) will be able to complete the story arc and tell the complete story.  On the other hand, they have opened so many cans of worms, introduced so many compelling characters, it's hard to believe just one more (fairly short) season will leave us feeling satisfied.  I hope I am wrong.  To help tied you over until the series premiere, here's a link to the recap for Seasons 1-5 on iTunes.  Enjoy! 

ABC Has Online Video Figured Out

Last week Nielsen released the first look at the Top Ten Most Watched Network TV Shows Online. It looks quite clear that ABC is the runaway champ in online viewing, taking seven of the top 10 spots. NBC's two marks on the chart are #2 with Saturday Night Live and Heroes at #5. The top-ranked show, Lost, had 1.425 million online viewers. CBS had one show on the chart, Survivor at #9.

What is it about ABC that makes them so dominant in online viewing? Well, first a note about the numbers. As reported by TV Week, the figures do not include views from hulu.com, arguably the most popular network-sanctioned video website. If hulu was included, it would be safe to assume NBC's numbers would increase, although I doubt it would change the number of NBC shows on the list: Heroes and SNL would probably simply rank higher. 

ABC's dominance is especially noteworthy since their slick web player requires an additional plugin download. Common belief today is requiring a download is the kiss of death for any video-related website, but ABC shows that if the video and audio quality is there, people will do it. And admittedly, ABC is in a better position to require a plugin than say, The Digital Lifestyle.

It also doesn't hurt that ABC is home to Lost. For fans, if you miss an episode it's imperative that you get caught up before next week, and there's only one place to do that in lovely HD online: ABC.

LOST book club on iTunes: weak corporate tie-in or great idea?

Visiting the iTunes store today brings a new link (see above) to the Lost Book Club. What's that? It's a collection of books referenced, seen, or quoted in ABC's drama Lost. The executive producers aren't promising any great show-related revelations will come from reading (technically listening to) the books, but it is an interesting new way to build a community. Lost fans are a pretty devout group facing a long drought until the next season kicks off. This could be a great way to help them feel connected during the downtime, and it's certainly a more worthwhile endeavor than playing the awful LOST game for the iPod.

The cynic in me wonders though, why is it an ABC show (owned by Disney, who happens to have a single largest shareholder with the last name Jobs) that's trying this audiobook tie-in. It's a little strange (well my library friends will be up in arms) that while the characters in the show actually read the books, this tie-in encourages you to skip all that annoying reading and simply listen instead.

The easygoing side of me says it's no big deal, and it's just a nice way to promote a product (actually the books and the show). The old-man side of me wonders though, couldn't we come back from the brink of civilization a teensy bit by actually reading these books instead?

Nah.. go back to bed, old man.