[Note, this blog is being updated on the fly and edits are included in these brackets]
So, someone at NBC or WB or in some dark corner of some room, acquired the rights to the last 11 episodes of season 2 as opposed to the first 11. This is of course a problem since we have been watching season 1 in order during the CMM event.
NBC has stated that it is currently working to correct the problem. However, this likely requires negotiation, renegotiation, and the sign-off from every single person involved in the show who stood to receive residuals once the promotional period (given to the network where they collect revenue without paying residuals) ended. Therefor, it might be some weeks before that happens (if it happens).
On a positive note, we have always had a 3-week buffer between number of episodes to watch and number of weeks until the show returns. That means we can take some time off or not jump into season 2 of CHUCK right away. And that means we have a decision to make, and since I like for the fans to be involved in these decisions and not just a handful of us pushing the fandom buttons, I have a few ideas to toss out to you all and you can vote for or against them (or inject your own).
Disclosure time: These ideas come from discussions Wendy Farrington and I have had over a few weeks. Therefor, any other suggestion that might work better may still be out there, so share and if people like it, I will add it and credit you (please leave your name if you are posting anonymously).
1) Take at least one week off, on August 31st [September 7th is also an option now], [redacted]. This gives us a quick breather between seasons and affords NBC/WB an extra week [or two] to get the right episodes up on the site.
2) Same as point 1, but we rewatch all of season 1 on August 31st [and/or September 7th], starting at 9AM EST and ending whenever we finish. This will give everyone around the world the chance to jump in at some point and give us the chance to trend for longer than an hour (depending, of course, on participation).
3) Same as point 2 except we choose a select number of episodes (perhaps the top 3 or 5) and watch them at specific times during the day. This would give us a chance to trend longer provided that we have many involved.
4) On August 31st [and potentially September 7th], we put together NBC Viewing Parties and watch episodes from the second half of season 2 in groups of ten with different people volunteering to host (you need to have a pretty solid computer system to host a room without having pausing issues).
5) Your recommended option. :)
Sarah's death interrupted by a wedding.
Please comment (anonymous posting is enabled, but please sign with a name) and share with your friends so we can get as many comments as possible. We have about a 5-days before we have to have all options on the table.
i think point one is a good idea along with point 3, however fans outside the uk cant join nbc viewing parties which sucks. so number 4 wont apply to alot of people :/
ReplyDeleteWhat holiday lands on August 31st in the US? Labor Day is on September 7th.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of having multiiple viewing parties going on during the week we take off.It gives us the choice of different episodes, but it also keeps fandom active. If each party invites AT LEAST one new fan to join, it could be pretty succesful.
Viewing parties are a blast and I think if we could expose new fans it, they might enjoy it enough to stick around.
Lauren, unfortunately #4 leaves out anyone but those in the US and anyone who knows how to get around the restrictions.
ReplyDeleteOh, and #3 already has all the variables within #1. I probably should have clarified that a bit.
Thank you for your comment.
I thought Labor Day was on August 31st. Oops. :) Ummm.. well, then we have two weeks to play with. Let me edit that then.
ReplyDeleteWhat about using "www.ustream.tv" everybody that watchs #ChuckMeMondays makes an account then one person that has downloaded all the episodes puts it up and we all go to that account and we watch it and comment on it like we do on Twitter Please Check it out
ReplyDeleteI like option 2. As others have said everyone can join in, not just those inside the US.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of being able to jump in and out at different points during the day too, because I love all of the episodes, so don't mind which ones we watch, but might not be able to commit to watching at certain times of the day. So If it's back to back all day different people will be able to join at different times, and will be able to keep the trending going all day :D
"www.ustream.tv" I think Greg has a great idea lets do his Idea
ReplyDeleteIs ustream.tv legal? We cannot be promoting something that is not legal when NBC and WB are actively working with us on our fan campaigns.
ReplyDeleteSo, can anyone verify one way or the other?
I prefer either 2 or 3, so we'll hopefully be able to trend longer.
ReplyDelete#2. I like the all day thing and not having to worry about having to be there for a certain time of the day.
ReplyDelete-Imkeh
I would choose #1, taking off of Labor Day (I suspect participation will be light anyway) or...
ReplyDelete#3, viewing 3 or 5 of the favorite episodes during an extended evening. We could start at something like 7 or 8 Eastern and go until 2 am eastern to get a good range of US times, or start in the afternoon eastern to get our European friends in on the viewing.
Bucko27
Just ask NBC or WB if we could and if they say no then whatever and forget my idea. I just thought it might help out.
ReplyDeleteGreg, I thank you for the idea but I just don't think it will work as an "official" fan strategy. Mel or Wendy can comment on it but I have a feeling I know the answer. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat if we gave everyone Labor day off but asked them to stop at Subway for one meal and twit pic their sandwhich to #chuckmeout & @subwayfreshbuzz.
ReplyDeleteJoe has a point about Labor Day. I won't be back in town until late that night myself. Where I will be I can't get a good internet signal. I like #4, but again it would exclude a number of Chuck fans. I think #2 would be our best bet. Or a combination of #2 and #4.
ReplyDeleteShell
Right. We could always do something during one of those weeks and just take a break during Labor Day. Or just go to Subway on Labor Day. We could really promote that too. Labor Day is Chuck Me a Subway Sandwich Day!
ReplyDeleteMagnus, I am partial to #3. Although I would take off Labor Day because the participation could be light.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we can do an online poll to determine the top 5 S1 episodes that will be watched on August 31st. It would be a good way to continue the online awareness throughout the week until the "Chuck Me Out All Day A Thon". I know, groan. It's the best I could do on short notice.
Would it be totally outlandish if we proposed the idea to www.chuckmeout.com? Perhaps, they could run the poll on their website as a sign of "solidarity". If not, I would assume we could run the poll on Chucktv.net right?
It's a shame about #4 and non-US folks. It would have been cool to do S2 episodes as well. But c'est la vie.
Wishful thinking - if we had all the episodes available to us, we could do a "Chuck primer" for newbies. Get all the mythology episodes in there along with some of the best stand alones from S1 and 2. It would be a good way to get potential new fans ready for S3.
Vlad, I like it all. We will see what comes down the line today and what can be communicated to NBC this weekend. If we can somehow make it happen, it will likely happen. But, we also have to do it in the next 10 days or so. So, we might be limited in what we can organize that quickly. But keep the ideas coming.
ReplyDeleteNO PAUSE!!!!
ReplyDeleteLet's just open up a vote on what season 2 episodes to watch in the meantime and go with the most popular.
No pause in momentum. We just trended again!
Labor day Monday night some people will be around I think. We can vote a special episode then too.
I like the idea of having an all-day Chuck party, with people joining in whenever they can, but I bet if we had selected times to watch just the top 5 episodes we would have a better chance of trending. So I guess I like #3. I also LOVE the idea of getting a Subway sandwich on Labor day and twitpic-ing photos with #chuckmeout and @subwayfreshbuzz!
ReplyDeleteI believe Option #3 is best then #2. #4 as it has been mentioned doesn't help foreign fans. #1 might kill any momentum.
ReplyDeleteI prefer Option 2 or 3 - though I'm fine with the group concensus.
ReplyDelete--awesome_babe
Taking the 31st off of CMM sounds like a really good idea to me. Watching Seasons 1 and 2 without a break means we'll have to wait longer after 2.22 before 3.1. I like Option 2 or 4- watching Season 1 all the way through again will get us in the right mindset for 2.1, and gives us the most opportunity for particpiation, but we also won't be able to see the second half of Season 2 for awhile once they change the episodes that are up. Maybe watch Season 2 episodes throughout the day and end the day with a repeat viewing of the last 2 episodes of Season 1?
ReplyDeleteI like option #2 because it does give people time to jump in and out anytime they want to. I think we can get more reaction with people who are not really fans of the show yet. I also like the idea of taking off for labor day and buy a subway sandwich and twitpic-ing photos.
ReplyDeletePeople can easily take their own week off by simply not participating. Some people take their own breaks here and there but it seems like CMM needs stability now that we are trending again. We just got a ton of people so why mess with the schedule?
ReplyDeleteWe can always vote on the top episodes out of either season one or two as filler material and that would be a fun thing to do.
It would be strange to have people geared up for CMM finally and then not have CMM.
I think we should do the veiwing parties(anyone outside the US can use other ways to view)but we could use the momentum built up last week and keep it going =)
ReplyDeleteI say we take a week off from CMM Then pick a date to do a CHUCK-A-THON Either all season 1 as in option #1 or Specific Episodes as in option #2.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of doing subway on the labor Day holiday for a meal is an awesome idea. As part of that we could have fans tweet what subway item they got and include @chuckmeout and @subwayfreshbuzz to the tweet. I do not think it will trend but it will at least keep our presence on twitter.
No Pausing, why kill the momentium that you worked all summer to maintain. Have people host the viewing parties, with 3 episodes per party. Remember the host of the party can not leave or the vid will stall or rewind.
ReplyDeleteI vote for viewing parties. They are a tonne of fun!
ReplyDeleteIf you are outside the US and can't watch the episodes on NBC.com, you can still join the viewing party and chat while having your S1 DVD playing the chosen ep at the same time (either on TV or in another window on your computer).
I also like the idea of a CHUCK-A-THON, but I don't think you would trend with people popping in and out throughout the day, and it would be a harder to organise than your average CMM.
Viewing parties on NBC.com would only be for second half of season 2 episodes.
ReplyDeleteAgent Taylor, I am really liking the idea of a Labor Day Subway effort. We can do that no matter what everyone decides to do with the episodes.
ReplyDeleteI like number 4
ReplyDeleteAnd lets watch em backwards!
Though you shouldnt count my vote cuz I've seen them all a billion times and have them all on my computer. :)
No, no... watching season 2 backwards was my idea for if NBC could not get the first 11 episodes up in time. :) We can still do that, mind you.
ReplyDeleteI like #3 - pick 5 episodes and pick a 5 hour block of time to view. Then we can pick people up over the 5 hours and trend for a longer timeframe.
ReplyDeleteOn Aug 31st we should just watch top 3 episodes of Chuck Season 1. Then on Sept 7 we can watch Season 1 at our leisure however we need to tweet #chuckmeout and @subwayfreshbuzz and what episode it is we are tweeting. Then pick up Season 2 on Sept 14 2009. Hopefully by then Season 2 will be available on NBC.com.
ReplyDeleteI'm personally fond of number 2, because I really, really like TV marathons XD And I think it would give people a chance to jump in and out all day instead of only 5 hours.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I support the Labor Day Subway idea XD Even though I'll be on a camping trip when it happens, I think it would be a cool idea.
I really think NBC and WB would be OK with my idea with the ustream.com. why would it they it's helping them keep Chuck alive
ReplyDeleteI like any idea that gets the episodes playing at alternate times. I have never actually been able to participate in CMM since it is at 6 pm which is dinner time for me. If we do either of the suggestions of either the marathon or the chosen episodes, it still gives the the same buffer that is offered by completely forgoing CMM for a week or two. If absolutely neccessary we could always spread out the chosen episodes until they do get the first part of the season up. WHile this will make it so that we are a lot closer to the premier in the end, we could always up the number of episodes that we watch in those couple of weeks before the premiere. Watching two episodes a night in the weeks leading up to it could make it interesting and possibly keep CMO trending longer.
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, the more I think I like different strategies for different days.
ReplyDeleteAugust 31st - We watch 3 episodes that fans vote on from S1 (#3) --> A fan fave CMM. This will help us trend longer on a standard Monday evening and give TPTB extra time to try to work out the early S2 episode issue.
September 7th (Labor Day) - I like an all day rewatch (and of course the Subway idea is great) on this day because people actually have off work (#2) & it would be easier for them to pop in/out during the day. I know that many people will be on vacation so participation would be spotty, but that also means that it might be easier for us to trend. If TPTB can have Ep1 of S2 up, we could do a big push to cap off the day of S1 marathoning with the start of S2 at the normal time, 9pm EST. If we still only have the back half of S2, then we could cap off the day with Viewing parties...teaching people how to use the technology...not just for fellow Chucksters, but also to try out with their friends/family (since we don't have S2 DVD's to share).
Can you view/stream tv shows on ustream.com without incurring copyright infringement issues?
ReplyDeleteI love the 'Labor Day is Chuck Me a Subway Sandwich Day!' idea!
ReplyDeleteI like Option 1.
How about watching a favorite S1 episode? We could put a poll up on this website and vote on which episode.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Wendy says. We should watch the top three episodes from season one on August 31 (if we do that we should start the poll soon). We should have a marathon on September 7. We should have subway for lunch during the marathon.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I really like Wendy's idea.
ReplyDeleteP.S.
ReplyDeleteSomeone posted an anonymous suggestion just now, but in the wrong topic thread. I can only delete comments so, if you come back here looking for your comment, it is in the blog below this one.
I have all of Chuck season two burned to disc from my TV, so I already have DVDs without the cool stuff ( and frankly, crappy quality). I can get down with whatever suggestion that the group decides and certainly try to participate the best I can.
ReplyDeleteI like Wendy's idea along with the Chuck Me Subway Monday idea. yum :) I also own all the episodes from S1 & S2 and will do whatever everyone decides is best.
ReplyDeletebtw...Magnus, you are doing Chuckworld an incredible service with your blog and also an honor by involving all of us fans in the process. Thank you.
Wendy makes a very good point here:
ReplyDeleteI know that many people will be on vacation so participation would be spotty, but that also means that it might be easier for us to trend.
I could care less what episodes we watch or when, but to me keeping up the momentum each week is crucial. People have a choice NOT to participate on any given week, but they will not have a choice TO participate if there is no CMM....
I will wait another day or two to give people a chance to comment and then post a blog detailing options. I will also post a poll from which we can choose the top 3 episodes for August 31st viewing (should we decide to go down that route).
ReplyDeleteWe should hear from the people that have started #Chuckmemondays
ReplyDeleteI started Chuck Me Mondays, Greg. :)
ReplyDeleteI love Wendy's newest idea: Awesome! And Magnus you are the bomb for the work and passion you put into this. Chuck fan salute!
ReplyDeleteChuckster54
ReplyDeleteif we do viewing parties can we twitter as well?
Vote option 2(3) view some voted favorites of S1 and tweet. No lay off yet we just got back to trending