by Jenni Powell on September 18th, 2009
NBC’s Heroes is no stranger to web series, having had internet tie-ins since season 1. But what’s unique about this television/new media relationship is that each inception of the online counterpart has continued to push the boundaries in terms of how much crossover occurs between the main series and concurrent web series. It’s last installment, Nowhere Man, took a main character from the show, Eric Doyle (played by David H. Lawrence), continued his journey online, and then returned him to the main show to finish out his storyline.
In it’s latest incarnation, NBC plans to push the envelop even further by creating a number of multi-media elements to the new series including one-minute scenes airing online directly tied to the on-air story, interactive SMS synced to broadcast, a Heroes survival game, graphic novels for mobile devices, and a $25,000 sweepstakes which links the interactive story.
The actual storyline of the new series is still mostly wrapped in mystery but it will revolve around a carnival and the people with extraordinary powers that run it, including a new character introduced in the web series that will then appear on Heroes this season – the daughter to carnival member Lydia (played by Dawn Olivieri). Like her mother, Lydia will have a power of her own. An additional three characters from the series also play a part in the web series. (information via IGN TV) This “Carnival of Redemption” was a focal point of the promotion of Heroes at Comic Con, with a fully functional carnival being built across the street from the San Diego Convention Center.
by Marc Hustvedt on August 26th, 2009
Vampires, they’re so hot right now.
As fall TV season approaches and the networks start the media buying blitzkrieg to promote their new wares, a few networks have turned to web series to stoke the fanbase fires. The CW opted for a prequel to its teenage vampire drama, The Vampire Diaries, with a 4-episode web series A Darker Truth, which leads into the series premiere of the hour-long drama on September 10.
For the production of the A Darker Truth, they tapped Retrofit Films, the same shop that created four of the Heroes spinoff web series for NBC last year. Retrofit’s Tanner Kling and Chris Hanada directed the series. Cast members for the TV series, like stars Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev, are only used via clips and stills, with new web-only actors used for most of the show. Showrunner for the TV series Kevin Williamson (Scream, Dawson’s Creek) did not write the web version, instead staff co-producer Sean Raycraft did the honors.
by Marc Hustvedt on April 8th, 2009
The trailer (above) for the new Heroes web series Nowhere Man is out, as the series preps for its April 20th online release. As reported back in February, the series marks the fourth official web series installment from the popular NBC franchise, following Heroes: Going Postal, Heroes: Destiny and the latest, Heroes: The Recruit.
David H. Lawrence, who plays Eric Doyle on the network series, stars in Nowhere Man, which picks up where the TV show left off in the life of Lawrence’s Doyle, the Heroes marionette character. LA-based Retrofit Films, which created two of the Heroes web series (Going Postal and The Recruit) produced the series.
For more inside scoop on this check out Heroes creator Tim Kring’s talking up the new web series and his gushing love of Heroes fans worldwide.
