Syfy's new TV show/video game Defiance, which premieres April 15, is just a sampling of what the
network has in store for social TV, according to an article in Ad
Age.
The network pitched advertisers at its upfront on April 10 that
its upcoming programming slate would include interactive elements to encourage
viewer participation, according to the article. Syfy president David Howe said the network would begin hosting
quarterly multimedia events starting next year for series such as Helix, Opposite Worlds, Unbreakable
and Dominion and miniseries Ringworld, the report said.
Sci-fi thriller Helix,
from Battlestar Galactica creator
Ronald D. Moore, follows a team of scientists trying to prevent a disease
outbreak; Syfy plans to use its Sync app to allow viewers to check out the series'
research lab while the show is on air, according to the story. The second-screen experience is called "Access
Granted" and will provide clues to Helix's
secrets, the story said.
Syfy is developing a reality competition series, Opposite Worlds, in which two teams of 10
people each live in two separate simulations, one of the past and one of an
imagined future, the story says. As the series airs live, viewers are invited to interact by
sending gifts and deciding who lives in which era.
The network's other interactive programming includes
Unbreakable, an unscripted endurance
race where viewers can Skype with contestants; Fandemonium, a six-part docuseries featuring chats via Google
Hangouts; Cosworld, which will
feature visiting video blogs about cosplay; and a Web series following the
winner of The Jim Henson Creature Shop, according to the report.
Also in development is a horror series with Jamie Foxx that will allow viewers
to choose the ending, the story said.
