"Poking, tweeting, adding friends, commenting, everything is now related to social networks: networking is in the air. TV programs have definitely chosen to deal with it" observes Noële RIGOT, Research Manager at Eurodata TV Worldwide, and Anne RICHY, Media Consultant at IMCA (International Media Consultants Associés).

Thus, networking has been pasted to TV content, whether in the form of games, reality shows or fictions. The idea is to connect people to each other, unifying them with simple entertainment and a federative reality.

SIMPLE UNIFYING GAME SHOWS

This season, entertainment is still a hit genre. Whether we're talking about on stage game shows such as Ant & Dec's Push the Button (UK - ITV1) or Minute to Win It (USA - NBC), or even cooking programs. The goal remains the same: gather a large audience by entertaining and relaxing TV viewers. With conviviality and proximity, all these programs mix several ingredients essential to create a link with TV viewers, without forgetting a touch of challenge. A good recipe, following the example of Instant Restaurant (UK - BBC2) in which candidates have to create their restaurant in their own apartment.

GOING BEYOND DIFFERENCES

Entertainment shows definitely manage to bring people together whatever their differences, such as in Dancing on Wheels (UK - BBC3) in which couples of dancers are made of wheelchair users and celebrities. In the same attempt, the UK coaching format How to Look Good Naked developed a new version with disabled people entitled How to Look Good Naked ... with a Difference (UK - Channel 4). And in Tower Block of Commons (UK - Channel 4) social boundaries are broken. The aim is obviously to go beyond differences and discover what we all have in common.

WHEN REALITY REINVENTS FICTION

To create a closer connexion with TV viewers, fiction uses reality-style with fake docu soaps. Germany illustrates itself as the main player of this twist with for instance The Secret - Jetzt kommt alles raus (Germany - Pro7), which features people who find a secret in their personal surroundings.
Besides, many TV series now have derivatives online, following the example of the series Clem (France - TF1). Dealing with a teenage girl who hides her pregnancy to her parents, TV viewers can interact with Clem on her false Facebook account and follow her thoughts on her blog Le Blog de Clem. With How to Make It in America (USA - HBO), fans can follow the feeds of the characters on Twitter and Facebook.

ONLINE CONTENT CHALLENGES TV PROGRAMS

But if TV content relies on the Web, online content also challenges TV programs. The phenomenon If I Can Dream (USA) signs the start of a web reality rush and a real competition with the TV screen. First Hulu original web series, If I Can Dream follows during several weeks five young and aspiring talents trying to make it in Hollywood.
And when web content inspires TV broadcasters, the circle is complete: web series Married on MySpace is making the crossover to TV with a spin-off entitled Elle and Tito: the Married Life.
These strong and attractive shows mesmerize viewers. Technological evolutions are also a key factor of TV consumption growth. The proof is a daily viewing time of 3h12 in 2009 over more than 80 territories (i.e. 3 minute increase from 2008), consolidating the fact that worldwide daily viewing time continues to grow steadily.

NOTA (New On The Air) analyses the latest TV trends, cool formats and hot ratings with the "International TV Trends Season 2009/2010" Volume III. The next meeting is set in October 2010, on the occasion of the MipCom.

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