Note: This little rant puts me in mind of the recurring Late Night With Conan O’Brien sketch, Pierre Bernard’s Recliner of Rage.

I want to talk about a very important topic. No, not the collapsing economy, the bailout plan or any of the so-called issues of the day. I want to talk about TV.

On Saturday, Battlestar Galactica fans who normally watch the show on the SCI FI Channel’s Web site, were left wondering ‘where the frak is the show?’

According to internet chatter, the network has decided to make online viewers wait eight days before they can see the current episode. Until now, viewers had to only wait three hours after the network airing to watch the show online.

So now, online viewers are forced to either buy episode 418 – “Deadlock” online at Amazon or iTunes, utilize more creative ways to find the show through peer to peer networks or streaming sites or… wait eight days to see the current episode.

Given that BSG’s fan base (geeks – of which I am admittedly one) are likely pretty tech savvy, you can guess what most of them are likely to do.

Why, in this age of readily available alternative viewing sources, would any TV network choose not to cater to their audience?

More importantly, why change the rules with only five episodes to go?

Until now, the network’s Web site allowed viewers to see the most recent three episodes for free (though you have to sit through advertisements) just hours after airing. This was the only way that many viewers who weren’t premium cable subscribers could keep up with the show.

Now the network is penalizing not only their online viewers (the freeloading leeches like myself who couldn’t afford to keep cable) but also the cable/satellite viewers who happened to miss the show and wanted to catch it online – an option that until this week, had always existed (at least since I’ve been watching).

That person has to now wait eight days to view the current episode. Which means that if said person wants to watch the episodes in sequence, and you kinda have to with this show, then they will have to either pony up cash to download it or constantly be a week behind.

It’s not like anyone is going to watch Episode 419 before 418.

An unintended consequence – alienating your fan base

By making viewers wait eight days, the channel has effectively crapped all over their biggest resource – fans.

A large portion of the show’s fans spend hours every week dissecting plot points, guessing at the show’s endgame, and talking all sorts of minutia that only a real BSG fan can enjoy.

This week, the network has effectively stopped many BSG fans from taking part in those online discussions, for fear of not wanting to see any spoilers. Okay, I’m probably being naïve here, assuming that most of the fans didn’t simply find the show minutes after it aired.

But still – bad move.

While some would say the network is giving away content and beggars can’t be choosers, I would argue otherwise.

This last minute move puts a bad taste in the mouths of all the viewers who feel screwed over. These are the people who buy the BSG DVD box sets each season even though they already saw every episode. This is a rabid fan base with strong feelings about their show. Yes, their show. There is a sense of ownership of this show that people have come to love. And that’s a GOOD THING. It’s a marketer’s dream!

These are the people who will convert others to check out the show on DVD and rent or buy it. They’ll get people to tune in to the spin-off series. They’ll be the people lining up opening day weekend for the inevitable BSG movie, buying the related merchandise. These are your fans!

And you’re holding them hostage for what? $2 per episode?

I was once in the camp of people who thought that the notion of reviving the 80’s series was a horrible idea. In fact, I didn’t catch on to the show until a year ago when some BSG fans urged me to give it a shot. I’m glad they did. I love it and haven’t missed an episode since. Until this week.

Bottom line, America? SCI FI network shouldn’t piss off rabid geeks who have long, long memories.

So, do fans have a right to be upset? Or should they just be happy that they can view the show for free. Or could you care less?

What say you?

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I don’t know what you thought, but it felt like this year lacked any commercials that will inspire water cooler talk Monday.

Many companies toned down their advertising approach, fearful of looking too extravagant or apparently, making people laugh during such dire economic times. Hence, several commercials attempted to capture some sort of nostalgic feel good buzz that Joe Consumer would associate with their product.

In other words, lots of boring commercials. Here’s what I thought to be the best and worst of the night.

The worst Super Bowl Commercials

Fast and the Furious – the crappy movie trailer
A cinematic first! A movie by douchebags, starring douchebags, for douchebags! If you are a huge fan of this movie series, please unsubscribe from this feed now.

The only thing missing from this ad – The ShamWow Guy.

Cash 4 Gold:
I thought those Cash 4Gold commercials were awful without a budget. What happens when you give them Super Bowl mounds of cash to hire some big names? Well, this craptacular ad. So bad it should be labeled a hate crime.

Coke Zero – Mean Troy
This ad is a play on the classic and cute Mean Joe Green, where Mean Joe tosses his shirt to a kid.  This updated version features Troy Palamayahoo (yeah, I’m too lazy to look up his actual name) of the Steelers. For his part, Troy did fine. The ad breaks down with the whole “Coke Lawyers suing Coke Zero because it tastes like Coke” ad campaign they keep trotting out like it isn’t the worst concept ever (which it is).  Hello? It’s the same damned company! Maybe it would work if the ads were funny, but they are as about as funny as a car crash. Well, a car crash not involving a drunken Hollywood starlet. Because, those are always funny.

Go Daddy – The Shower and Enhanced
It’s not that the commercials are sexist, which they are, it’s that they are just awful. If you’re going to be sexist, and risk offending a big chunk of your potential customers, at least bring The Funny. Go Daddy failed on so many levels.

NBCs House Ads
Heroes is suffering badly enough without having the cast break into song routines. You’d think that as the network is about to come back from their “winter hiatus” they would want to remind people of what’s good about the show, not associate it with cringe-inducing ads during the frakkin’ Super Bowl!

“Hey, let’s make even more people think we suck!”

E*Trade – Talking Baby
Who can forget last year’s memorable E*Trade commercials with the talking baby who threw up in one spot and hired a creepy clown in another? This year’s entry failed to deliver anything new or funny. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but I was hoping for something better. So in with the bad it goes!

And now for the Good Super Bowl Commercials

Hulu – Alec and Huluwood
Best ad of the night!
Hulu wins for using the always funny (well, maybe not to his daughter) Alec Baldwin, who reveals that television is actually an alien plot to turn your brain to goo. I never thought I would see such truth in advertising!

Firestone – On the road with the Potato Heads
The best ad not featuring Alec Baldwin is this one which might be the commercial with the most replay value in the weeks to come. Nagging wife + ad = hilarity.

Bud Light – the meeting

Usually Budweiser brings The Funny several times during the Super Bowl. This year they seemed to place more of an emphasis on the lame horse commercials in attempts to appeal to … well, I don’t know who, horse lovers. Anyway, this was their funniest ad of the night.

Bud Light – Swedish

Bud Light + Conan O’Brien = funny.

Monster.com – Need a new job?
Given the high unemployment rate and the recession, I was curious how Monster.com would deliver. They indeed brought The Funny with this inspired ad capturing a feeling many workers are all too familiar with.

Cheetos : Chester the Cheetah

This Cheetos ad would’ve been funnier if it involved bird feces.

Career Builder – Tips
Another job search commercial. Who among us hasn’t screamed a time or 500 while banging at their steering wheel at the prospect of spending one more day at the same job?

Which commercials did you like? Which did you hate?

If you missed any, check them all out at Hulu.

As always, thank you for reading,
David

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Content is copyright 2009 BloggerDad.com. If you are reading this on any site other than www.Bloggerdad.com or your personal RSS reader, then you may be reading it on a site which steals content. And would you trust a site like that?