Do you think that Epic Fu would be worth going on TV for a 30-Minute Show?

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Permalink Reply by tubejay on October 19, 2008 at 5:48pm

i was going to say that another thing that epic fu could do would be give commerical time to non-commercial sponsors, or open source, in the "commercial free" shorter update.

neither of these will be likely to happen any time soon, as i believe it's revision 3, not zadi, steve, or smashface, that decide which sponsors are part of the show. then again, zadi gives lots of time to open source, as part of the show itself, which is excellent.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Woolf on October 20, 2008 at 2:28am

Interesting thread. :) We've been developing ideas for a 22-minute or 44-minute version of the show (that's half hour and hour on TV, the rest is commercials :p). The show needs to grow and extend itself to other mediums, we just want to make sure that it doesn't lose the things that make it special.

Anyway, look for some news and announcements about the show in the next week or two. I wish I could say more right now, but it looks like we're headed for some changes whether we want them or not. :\

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Permalink Reply by Jhon on October 20, 2008 at 3:37am

I'm more like tubejay. It shouldn't be 30 minutes, at least not yet. The show is great quality, but would it really reach as many people as a TV broadcasting need? I'm sceptical bout it, but I would definitely watch it on TV... if i had cable of some sort at my apartment XD

And like tubejay said, the good thing about this show is the low amount of commercial. It's good ratio commercial/content we got here, let's not screw it up so quickly.

The thing is the format of Epic-fu is atm less likely to be one that gets a 30mins worthy show. If they modify the format so it has some discussion stuff, would be great. You know opinions exchanged.
So yeah 30 mins not yet and not in the format it is atm. But would totally be watching it anyway :P

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Permalink Reply by Alex V. on October 20, 2008 at 4:09am

But wouldn't a switch to TV cause all kinds of licensing problems with distributing the show internationally? You know very well what a scandal was between Viacom and YouTube.

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Permalink Reply by RevisionRocker on October 22, 2008 at 4:29pm

I understand what people are sayin'. I wouldn't want that many commercials and I would want them to definitly want them to keep control. I was just asking what peoples' reactions would be if Revision3 shows would go onto TV. Keep posting if you want to!

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Hawnt on October 23, 2008 at 11:45am

I love the online show as it is, but I would definitely say that Epic Fu would work very well on TV. The only thing that would worry me is the possibility of networks controlling the show's content, which could lead to its impact being lessened.

As it is, Epic Fu comes across as a show made by-and-for the exact people it is aimed at. It does feel like the people involved are in this game alongside us. It doesn't talk down to its viewers, and the element of intereaction is a fantastic thing. Would there still be such a level of audience participation? A longer show would work on TV, but I love the current format. How about a longer version interspersed with short editions, like iFanboy or Tekzilla?

Whatever happens, I wish everyone involved the best of luck.

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Permalink Reply by J.J on October 23, 2008 at 7:19pm

Having it available in many formats and on the web is a amazing thing. To have it on TV will bring some problems with the distribution, unless the show is on released in all formats at the same time.

A more extendend Epic Fu would be a cool idea, but I will like to always have it available on the net. As for other Revision 3 shows i think the idea of the whole show is that the distribution type is orientated to the kind of consumption the people have. I don't watch any TV, all my tv series and shows I watch on the computer.

So i guess Internet in all formats will be a best way of making content available to the public.

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Permalink Reply by Opus V on October 23, 2008 at 11:31pm

To last 30 min without losing the overal feel of the show i think it would have to have more hosts or multiple segments, maybe more "rave reviews", or "funetics"(sp) just 3 or 4 more time sinks. Add a video game review segment, feature 2 artists instead of 1, random skit, something where zadi isn't sitting infront of a computer desk? The videos for the 7 days without plastic were interesting. Basically everything i just said can be said in one word, variety. If that's done i'm sure a 30 min show would be just as entertaining.

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Permalink Reply by tubejay on October 24, 2008 at 5:33am

half zadi, half steve, half annie. no! annie's no longer there. also thirds, good idea though.

i think zadi may have jumped the shark if she devotes a portion of the show to sketch comedy performed by zadi. it would have to have really amazing writing, even then, dunno. epic fu is entertaining, and i like that, but its best quality is that it's informative. also, the only problem with steve doing 1/3 of the show, is they use him for comic relief so often. but steve's show too! works, so maybe that transition would be okay. quite possibly, really.

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Permalink Reply by ksawyer on October 24, 2008 at 2:11pm

I'm personally for way, way more Zadi comedy. Do the show regular now and fill it up with Zadi laughing as she accidentally on purpose flubs lines.

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Permalink Reply by 9swords on October 24, 2008 at 8:57am

I don't watch television but the show is definitely good enough

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Permalink Reply by ksawyer on October 24, 2008 at 2:22pm

How I reckon, there's very few web shows that could make a weekly spot on TV work. Ask a Ninja? Probably not. But Epic Fu could, if only because the Epic Fu formula isn't a one or two-bit joke. It's about the promotion of interesting ideas first and foremost. TV has a long history of shows like this. Just about every morning and late-night program is about promoting new products and people. It's just those shows operate on a much higher, more saturated level (the main problem being that most of these shows are designed to promote product, not ideas or thought). I learn more about the world around me from 7 minutes of Epic Fu than I do with a week's worth of the Today Show, but the roots of both shows are the same: promotion of others over oneself.

There would be two major obstacles so far as I see: Do they expand current segments or add new ones, and, what to do when money becomes involved. The first problem is solved creatively, the second legally. A lot of the stuff shown and promoted on Epic Fu is deemed okay by a largely understood on the internet "fair use" ideal (promotion=free use, basically) that doesn't necessarily translate to television broadcasts. Royalties would have to be paid to promoted bands, rights would have to be gained for using images, etc, etc, etc. Whether that's a problem or not, I have no idea.

What I would worry about is that the show goes on the air and within a few episodes is cancelled because the mainstream doesn't "get it." Or worse, gets buried at 1am on TechTV or something equally futile, and both ideas would dishearten the producers who have put years into this project. That would be tragic.

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