When Twitter Accounts Become TV Shows

The more ideas and the people who conceive them have access to distribution, the more likely that better concepts will surface and monetize those enterprises skilled and insightful enough to promote them. JL

Paul Sawers reports in Venture Beat:

 Transforming a bunch of tweets into a TV show for prime-time viewing helps demonstrate the democratizing nature of self-publishing platforms. They’re used as market validation tools to test whether an idea has legs. And companies often use this data and traction to gain the attention of bigger players in the business realm.

Video has been a core component of Twitter for some time, with a number of products — including SnappyTV, Vine, and Periscope —  attracting broadcasters, journalists, and amateurs alike. But what about when Twitter accounts are transformed into actual TV shows?
Very British Problems, a Twitter account set up by freelance journalist Rob Temple with the sole purpose of poking fun at British habits and customs, has garnered north of 1 million followers since its inception in 2012. And it has just been greenlighted for a short TV series by U.K. broadcaster Channel 4, after it was optioned by London-based production company Alaska TV last year.
It will be interesting to see how a Twitter account that publishes nuggets such as “Suddenly remembering your tea and necking it like a massive, lukewarm shot” and “‘That Friday Feeling’ = tired and drunk,” will translate into a televisual feast.

Debuting later this summer, the three hour-long episodes aim to “unravel the complexities and awkwardness of the British psyche,” according to executive producer Chris Fouracre. And it will do so using the real lives of “our best-loved comedians and personalities.”
Indeed, some big-name stars have signed up to appear on Very British Problems, including James Corden, who recently replaced Craig Ferguson on the Late Late show.

From Twitter to TV

While this is the first time a British broadcaster has launched a TV show based on a Twitter account, the move isn’t entirely without precedent elsewhere.
Launched in 2009, the Shit My Dad Says Twitter feed gained millions of followers thanks to the humorous tweets of writer Justin Halpern who posted amusing comments uttered by his father.

Warner Bros. produced a sitcom loosely based around the tweets, though the show was cancelled by CBS after six months, 18 episodes, and generally poor reviews.
While transforming a bunch of tweets into a TV show for prime-time viewing might not be the best idea, it helps demonstrate the democratizing nature of self-publishing platforms. Twitter helps budding writers and creatives get their ideas out there, but the public’s reaction ultimately decides what’s hot and what’s not.
It’s similar to how crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo are being used. Yes, they’re useful for attracting capital, but they’re also used as market validation tools to test whether an idea has legs. And companies often use this data and traction to gain the attention of bigger players in the business realm.
Vine’s videos have helped create online celebrities from mere mortals, with six-second looping skits pushed out to millions across social media, leading some to secure their own place on traditional TV too. With 1 million followers, Very British Problems already has a potentially big audience before filming even begins, though whether passive followers translates into active viewers remains to be seen.