I’m not sure if I believe that television in the traditional sense will soon be dead.
As a friend correctly pointed out yesterday, everything in media has a transitional fading out period and doesn’t just end suddenly. Having said that, the internet does make the idea of watching entertainment a whole lot easier and more accessible, and now in the ‘age of the mobile’, you can even watch stuff, well.....on your mobile.
Putting these two ideas together, Sony Ericsson has launched a music-based entertainment program called Pocket TV, which you'll be able to watch on your handset or on YouTube.
Pocket TV launched back in June and I have to admit is one of the funniest and entertaining shows I have seen in a long while. The show features interviews, live sessions and behind-the-scenes features with bands and recording artists and is free to download each week in five 90-second clips which stream to your phone via a WAP site (pockettvshow.mobi), five 3-minute clips which are available online, or a full 15-minute episode on YouTube.
What makes this very simple idea so effective is the quality of the content. Not too long or too short, the episodes sustain your attention and leave you wanting to watch more.
The show is hosted by cheeky new presenting talent Matt Edmondson who could well be the next Simon Amstell, along with a handful of other aspiring reporters who basically interview bands in a whole host of unique and hilarious ways including the closer than close Face Invaders (see the N-Dubz episode – absolutely brilliant) and Quiz in my Pants whereby the (male!) presenter quizzes the band... in his pants.
The show has featured some very ‘now’ bands and artists including The Veronicas, Daniel Merriweather, The Saturdays, The Enemy, Florence and the Machine, Peter Andre and Marilyn Manson to name only a few, and the format definitely makes a change from the bog standard interviews you may see on weekend television (though the blunt humour is very reminiscent of Popworld which ended in 2007).
t is practically impossible for the bands/artists to remain serious and straight faced during the daft style interviews, which is why you actually get to see a lot more of their personalities.
Pocket TV in addition to interviews, features short citizen journalist segments which cover general topics relevant to the youth of today including fashion, culture and film which is also presented in a rather humorous, enlightening and unique way, keeping the tone consistent. Giving viewers the opportunity to get involved, you can even upload your own video pitches to be used in the citizen journalist section and the best ones will then be filmed and featured.
People are increasingly becoming more reliant on accessing entertainment instantly and Pocket TV works so effectively because it is ultimately aiming to cater to young people’s habits of watching television via the means of Digital platforms such as the internet and mobile.
You can follow Pocket TV on twitter @PocketTVshow or become fans of the PocketTVshow group on Facebook which updates you on forthcoming guests and behind the scenes photos, news and goss.
Here’s a YouTube clip of the best bits so far.... Enjoy!