CBS to Develop 'Micro-Series'

20/01/2006 - tvtechnology

CBS will conduct an experiment starting Jan. 24, when it launches "The Courier", a series of short episodes that will be broadcast during commercial breaks of its primetime programs.

Sponsored by Pontiac, "The Courier" follows a mystery man named "iiro" who races against time to uncover clues and perform a sequence of death-defying tasks in a desperate attempt to rescue his kidnapped wife. The premiere, a 60-second episode, will air on Jan. 24 and will be followed by six 40-second episodes to air over a nine-day period (excluding Saturday, Jan. 28 and Tuesday, Jan. 31), concluding Wednesday, Feb. 1. A 30-second commercial for the Pontiac Torrent will be featured at the end of every micro-episode and the Torrent will also be integrated into three of the seven "The Courier" broadcasts.

The targeted audience for the new series is not television broadcast, however, but cell phones and Web users; immediately following the network broadcasts, "The Courier" will be available for streaming on cell phones on Verizon's V Cast service, as well as on CBS.com. Additional details, including a second, interactive storyline with its own set of clues and an opportunity to enter a sweepstakes to win a Pontiac Torrent will be made available on CBS.com.