Each year, NMS descends on San Diego for Comic-Con, attending as entertainment and social media industry experts as well as representing a variety of clients. @NMSosphere's Moira Curran, Niki Mavico, Dan Williams, Courtney White and Meg Roberts were there in full force soaking it all in and assisting client initiatives. This post by Moira Curran is the first in some select coverage of the massive pop-entertainment phenomenon.
Every July, a convention takes place in San Diego that defines and celebrates what it means to be a fan. In its earliest stages, the event focused solely on comics and animation. But, as the years passed and its popularity grew, so did its scope. Sci-Fi enthusiasts and Gamers were soon descending upon the Gaslamp District and, in the last five years, COMIC-CON has emerged as a mainstream platform for movie studios/television networks to launch new projects and to recognize the fans that have made their existing properties a success.
Almost every offering at Comic-Con boasts an enthusiastic following – even films and series that have yet to debut (see: Avatar, Glee). But a few have broken out as standing convention favorites; these are the panels that fans stand in line for hours – and, in extreme cases, days – to see. For the Sci-Fi TV sect, it is Lost and (formerly, RIP) BSG. For tween girls (and many of their mothers), it is the Twilight Saga [not only do we have a slew of Twihards here at NMS, we also do some work with the film series.]
For a devout group of self-described Nerd Herders, the main event is Chuck. [Disclosure: NMS recently began working with NBC and, even prior, I counted myself among the show’s biggest fans.] In its three-year ‘Con run, the spy comedy has played to packed ballrooms and screaming attendees, all eager for the chance to see and ask questions of the actors who portray Chuck, Sarah, Casey, Morgan, Ellie and Capt. Awesome. In 2009, however, the panel was more than just a show-and-tell. It was an opportunity for Chuck’s cast and producers to thank the dedicated viewers who, very literally, saved their show – through online campaigns (spearheaded by Give Me My Remote and ChuckTV.net) and direct engagement of the show’s major sponsor, Subway.
After treating the crowd to an impromptu performance of “Fat Bottomed Girls” by JEFFSTER! (the show’s hilarious musical duo of Jeff and Lester), the panel went on to feature a video of star Zachary Levi and executive producers Josh Schwartz/Chris Fedak learning about their “unlikely” renewal and a Q&A with the cast, who repeatedly recognized the individuals and broad-scale efforts that contributed to their return.
“Sneak peeks” are commonplace at Comic-Con. But, because Chuck has yet to resume production (Season 3 is tentatively slated for a March 2010 premiere on NBC), there was no new footage to screen. Instead, Chuck did what Chuck does extremely well: give back to its viewers. Josh Schwartz used SDCC as a platform to introduce a new online hub for fan activity: ChuckMeOut.com. The site will offer viewers a steady stream of new, exclusive features throughout the series’ hiatus, including videos from the cast and crew, games, and posts from Chuck enthusiasts around the web. The page is also sponsoring a campaign to reach one million episode streams on NBC.com and is recruiting the series’ already vocal ambassadors to help introduce new viewers to Buy More, Fulcrum and the Intersect before the onset of Season 3. (The current tally, five days after SDCC, is 136,000 streams.)
If Chuck Me Out and the clear outpouring of fan appreciation at Comic-Con are any indication, the cast, crew, Warner Brothers Television and NBC understand the effort it took (largely online) to move Chuck from a show on the verge of cancellation to one that now has a new episode order, heightened awareness and escalating buzz – and they’re committed to keeping that momentum alive until 2010.
If the opinion of this TV snob means anything to you (which it should), Chuck has my personal stamp of approval. Give a few episodes a try, wontcha? There’s still plenty of time to catch-up before March. You won’t regret it – and the Chuck crew won’t forget it.