Old Post Re-posted: Guess who's back, tell a friend

So this was an old post from the old version of the blog pre-thesis.

I liked it and this new blog is currently lacking, so I figured why not resurrect it.

Here it is...
 

BBC just made a genius move.

Well, really they did this a few days ago but I was busy with other things.
 

Sherlock is a fantastic (at least in my opinion) TV that airs on BBC/PBS. I found it through a million recommendations from the nerdiest of my friends. They looooooved it. I got so annoyed listening to them jibber-jab on and on that I finally gave in and watched it on Netflix. They do the same thing with Doctor Who (I know, I know), but Sherlock was the shorter and easier one to catch up on.

If you aren't already a fan of the show, then this video wont matter to you at all. But to anyone who is a fan, you should probably watch it, like right now.

Here you go:

 

So why is this a genius move you may ask? For quite a few reasons.

• It is on YouTube which means it can be shared.
• Netflix is only available to those who pay. You can't share those videos. The same goes for almost any other way that you might watch the show. Amazon Prime, iTunes, TiVo, DVDs, illegally, whatever. And videos that you can share tend to be short clips or fan made and no one really shares those very often. The fact that anyone reporting on this can link it in is fantastic. So already we know this video is different and it is further helped by the fact that...
• It is not a promo.
• The problem with promos and trailers is that they just aren't enough. They show flashes and snippets that either don't tell you anything or tell you more than you wanted to know. The Sherlock promo that I found was annoyingly vague and not worth it. In general it is fairly uncommon that a promo is worth being shared, and when it is it's usually because of one little thing that causes...
• The Excitement Factor.
• When fans get pumped about their shows, they can really get PUMPED. It has been quite a while since we last saw Sherlock and Watson solving cases. Two whole years. That's like forever. Beneditch Cumberbatch has been busy with films like Star Trek and Martin Freeman has been occupied with The Hobbit (fun nugget of info: Cumberbatch has a few voice roles in those films as the Necromancer and Smaug). So seeing them both here again in a mini episode is very exciting. It is a reminder of the show we love without showing us old clips and a preview of what is to come without spoiling anything. It holds just enough back while simultaneously making you want more.
• It is for the fans.
• As I said, if you aren't a fan then this video won't matter. You'd have to be up to date on the show, but luckily you don't really have to remember much of what happened last time because the cliffhanger is big enough that you remember the gist. Before I watched the video all I really remembered was that Sherlock is dead but probably not really or the show would be over. So this great little episode was just for the fans. It will make them feel special, like they are a part of a Sherlock club or something. It even reminds you of Sherlock's birthday message, which I had totally forgotten about, that you wouldn't know about unless you watched. But it is still simple and basic enough that you don't need to be a die hard fan to understand the birthday reference or to like the video in general. It is for the everyfan.
• Good timing in every way.
• Lastly, this was timed pretty well. Desolation of Smaug has been out long enough that people who wanted to see it probably have and Freeman is still on the brain. It's during Christmas break/holiday when everyone will definitely be home and probably on their computer/tablet/phone/internet where they will come across it via the news, social media, subscriptions, or however. The show will air very soon (Jan 1 for BBC, not sure about USA/Netflix) so fans don't have to wait months and months after something like this. We can wait after a promo, but I want to keep watching after an addicting minisode. So basically there is enough time to spread it around before the show returns. Also, in terms of good timing, it is really pretty short. It's not like it will take up a ton of time to watch, which makes that even more effective in terms of sharing. Timing couldn't be better.

So I've gone on long enough. BBC is genius. Or the creators of Sherlock or whoever came up with this idea and put the wheels in motion. 

I'm excited. Are you?
  

 

[via scienceofdeduction-221b.tumblr.com]

-Danny
 

Bonus question: Can this small act be considered a piece of transmedia because it furthers the story?

Edit: No idea why the spacing is so odd. Can't seem to fix it...