In the past I've written about how in certain cases, a character-blog for a TV series can be a great way to build excitement for the show. And with the summer season comes another prime candidate, the USA Network series Burn Notice. The series follows a spy who, in the middle of finalizing a deal on foreign soil, calls in to clear the deal, and discovers that someone has issued a Burn Notice on him, meaning he's been fired. Now being fired when you are a spy is a bit more complicated, since the government immediately wipes out any record of your existance. Our hero, Michael Westin (played by Jeffrey Donovan) has to find a way to try to put his life back together, get some money, figure out who he can trust, and also find out who burned him.
The series so far has basically been your standard private-eye fare. But the ongoing subplot to Burn Notice is Westin trying to figure out who put the Burn Notice on him. The series pilot ends with Westin returning to his apartment in Miami to find the front door open, and the apartment littered with pictures that someone had taken of him at various spots throughout the course of the episode, with a 'Welcome to Miami' brochure sitting in the middle of the pictures.
And this would be the perfect jumping off point for a character-blog for Burn Notice. Between episodes, USA could run a character-blog where Westin details the detective work he is doing to try to find out who got him fired. If the network is smart, they could give the readers just enough to give them an idea of where the plot is headed, without giving it away, or penalizing viewers that don't read the blog. USA does have a writer's blog set up for Burn Notice, but so far it only has one entry, and of course they don't allow comments. They even have a blog for one of the characters, Fiona set up, but it too only has one post, and doesn't allow comments. VERY dumb.
Or if USA wanted to REALLY show they get it, why not create a profile for Westin on Twitter, and have him post his findings 'in real time'?
In the end, a character-blog and/or Twitter page for Burn Notice would be a great way to build excitement about the show, and generate discussion among fans. Which will lead to more excitement, and more viewers.
Tags:The Viral Garden, Marketing, Burn Notice
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