technoculture314-09

A new television series, Reservoir Hills, is being advertised as New Zealand’s first interactive drama. Audience interaction is pumped up to the next level as audiences are able to actually interact with the characters on the television series and influence the characters’ actions.

This television series and what it sets out to do seem to be an extension of Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding theory. Instead of having traditional roles of maker=encoder and consumer=decoder, the consumer is able to exercise both powers of encoding and decoding. The audiences decode meanings of the actual television show, then begin the process of encoding as they text the main character Beth about what she should do. Although the producers of the show decide which text/idea to use for the next episode, audiences have more say in the plot of the story than ever before. Apart from texting, the show further invites audience participation with Beth’s Bebo. The production of a fictional character’s social networking profile (on a social networking site that is familiar to most, if not all, New Zealanders) is new and quite innovative because the character seems more “real.” This faked realness of the character has potential to close the gap of intimacy between the viewers and the show because Beth’s Bebo is no different from any other teenager, and sets itself apart from the Reservoir Hill’s homepage because it does not advertise the show. On the Bebo site, the main character actually writes blog posts and posts vlogs, and fans are able to “friend” her and comment on her posts.

Reservoir Hills has yet to be broadcast so no final word can be given on its effectiveness or the effects it will have on media. However, it does seem adequate to conclude that Reservoir Hills is a prime example of the fusion between traditional and new media.