BuzzMachine

Bittersweet: One more episode of IdolCritic, but the last . . . for now. More to come on different fronts. In the meantime, savor Liza:

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Melinda gone? How could it happen. Mary C. Matthews, producer of Idol Critic, explained it to me in email: “Did we really expect a nation that voted GWB in TWICE to at least choose an American Idol wisely?”

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Liza Persky’s latest take on IdolCritic and Barry Gibb’s teeth:

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I’ve just invested in Black20, an energetic and creative new small-TV company that is sure to grow big. Virginia Heffernan wrote a great piece telling their story so rather than try to tell it again, I’ll just say go there. And go watch some Black20 videos. These guys are talented, funny, ambitious, smart, and tireless. I’ve just invested in the studio of the future.

Other investors and amounts aren’t being announced — sorry, Staci, Rafat, Om, and Liz.

I have been blathering a lot about exploding TV. But I am putting my money and time where my mouth is with my own small video venture — so far producing IdolCritic and PrezVid — and with my investment in Black20. The new means to produce and distribute — contrasted with the incredible cost of the old ways — opens up incredible opportunity. Keep an eye on the guys at Black20.

For a special American Idol, we have a special two-part edition of Idol Critic Better than ever:

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Sanjaya’s gone and Liza’s shocked and disappointed and relieved. Watch to the very last punchline; I won’t ruin it for you; just watch.

And thanks for the reviews Idol Critic is getting. A sampling from the comments:
* MUCH MUCH MUCH better than the actual show.
* I LOVE this show…..I wish IDOL were on eveyday so we could hear what the IDOL CRITIC thinks.
* I LOVE this show. You’re wrap up is better than that “the Soup” Show on E!
* This is the best YET! I’d rather watch this than IDOL.
* Persky knocks it out of the park again…Brava!
* I agree with Joy and Wonder. I LOVE Idol Critic, but how am I going to get my Liza Persky fix when Idol is over?! She needs a spin-off.
* Give this woman a TV show, for God’s sake!!!
* Liza + snarky = FABULOUS!!!
* You all have totally renewed my interest in this dawg-awful tv show, which I now tune into for 90 minutes each week. I really think that without watching Idol Critic each week, I probably wouldn’t even remember that Idol is on their 15th season…not sure if I should thank you for that…

And from none other than Liz George, the Barista: “Liza Persky is my new best friend. OK, online anyway.”

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Sorry I’m late but the latest IdolCritic is here. Enjoy!

After being preempted twice by Anna Nicole Smith, my friends at 39 Second Single are finally going to be on Weekend Today this morning; just saw the promo.

: LATER: Well, it’s sorta silly that they took a fun, entertaining show and turned it into a faux-serious trend story: women who date and blog. That’s morning TV for ya. But Liza Persky, the star, and Mary C. Matthews, the producer, come off great and my friends get publicity. So long as they spell the URL right!

(It was through 39 Second Single on Blip that I discovered this talented team and recruited them for IdolCritic.)

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The moment you wait for every week: The new Idol Critic is here.

Being on the road and bandwidth-challeneged, I didn’t get a chance to watch the latest Idol Critic. Just did. It’s great. If we do say so ourselves. This is Liza’s best. I won’t ruin any of the punchlines. Just watch.

Frank Barnako has nice things to say about my newborn video effort, Exploding Video, and its first two shows, PrezVid and IdolCritic:

I’m an always looking for a simple idea with big possibilities. The Drudge Report is one of them. One or two guys, constantly scanning the Web as uber-editors looking for sexy, funny, provocative, inside, and shocking stories about money, politics, sex, and entertainment.

Now, Jeff Jarvis and Peter Hauck have launched two online video shows: PrezVid.com, which follows the 2008 campaigns by aggregating video clips from YouTube.com, and a fan show, IdolCritic.com.

Liza Persky, a TV talk show producer, is the talent on the weekly videoblog about America’s favorite TV show. She’s no Amanda Congdon, but at least seems to know what she’s talking about, even if it just a TV show. If you’re an “Idol” fan, while Perksy’s remarks may amuse or anger, you probably can’t hear enough about the show.

Which leads me to one of IdolCritic’s really good ideas. The site has links to Idol-related news, information, EBay-items, Amazon-available products, and blogs. This is such a natural think to include, and useful. Further, since EBay and Amazon have affiliate programs, it’s possible that if IdolCritic visitors make some purchases, Persky/Jarvis may make a few bucks.

Jarvis is convinced that old and new media must involve their readers, by nurturing and supporting communities of interest, even if the focus is a TV show. The Idol site invites people to submit their own “Idol videos” (whatever THEY are), and of course comments are welcome - if few and far between: only 20 after a month, some not so positive. There’s also no evidence of uploaded video.

Jarvis and Hauck are on to something. As Jarvis told PaidContent.org, the cost of doing something like this - anything - is zip. “My son is my Webmaster. I’m editing the video myself, as you can tell. It’s so damn cheap to get started,” said Jarvis. He and Hauck are taking their cues from the front pages of newspapers and conversation at water coolers. They’re showing it only takes eyes, ears, and a little money to set hooks for peoples’ attention. The cost is so low you can afford to try a bunch of ideas, and if one hits, you’re successful.

That was kind of my reaction when Howard Lindzon launched Wallstrip.com. You can do more-than-acceptable video programming with equipment available at Best Buy and, in Wallstrip’s case, talent behind and in front of that gear. Anybody can do Web video now, and every day it seems there’s another portal, video sharing site, or wanna-be Internet TV network that wants your content, and some are willing to pay for it.

What a country.

Yes, I think it’s possible to start something new with TV and so I’m doing it to learn it.

Maura Welch, Boston Globe business blogger, says about Idol Critic:

Jeff Jarvis and Peter Hauck have launched Idol Critic, a blog that “gives you the water-cooler buzz about America’s favorite show.” I like the host Liza Persky. Great example of how social media is changing TV and how TV and your computer are mashing up.

Here are other examples from my life where my computer deploys to the living room:

* I often watch 24 at the same time I read live updates to Dave Barry’s blog. The show is much improved that way.
* Since I usually watch 24, I catch up on Heroes (which airs at the same time) by watching it when I have time on my laptop. If I watch Heroes on TV, then I catch up on 24 on my laptop.

Right. And you don’t just watch. You gab about it. You share, recommend, review. That is the real concept behind Idol Critic.

If I started Entertainment Weekly today, it would have lots of Idol Critics from lots of people all around what we used to call the audience.

: LATER: Wow. Frank Barnako at Marketwatch has nice things to say about the endeavor.