Fox 'Twee-Peat' Proved Bulky, Offered Lessons: MediaPost Publications

Fox 'Twee-Peat' Proved Bulky, Offered Lessons: MediaPost Publications

With the rise of social media, broadcasters are eager to prove their programming can adapt. In Fox’s “twee-peat” experiment last week, the network aired reruns of “Fringe” and “Glee” with Twitter feeds at the bottom of the screen. Both featured comments by actors and producers involved.

Each tweet had to be vetted for suitability to run on a broadcast network, which resulted in some unplanned delays. It also turned out that viewers of the “Fringe” repeat were not as enthusiastic as those who watched the third airing of the “Glee” pilot.

What did Fox learn? “For the first repeat of a show, especially a show like ‘Fringe,’ I wouldn’t do an intensive Twitter experience on screen [again], because it’s the type of show where you are searching for clues,” and are focused on the show itself, says Joe Earley, Fox executive VP. Also, the Twitter stream on “Glee” was more of a success because “Glee” talent had already established Twitter accounts and a group of followers, but “Fringe” personnel had to establish a presence on Twitter especially for the episode.