I was reading the listings and noticed this unusual idea for a programme
Casualty @ Holby City
Channel: BBC 1 North Yorks & Lincs
Date: Saturday 27th August 2005
Time: 20:20 to 21:20 (starting in 2 days)
Duration: 1 hour.
Something We Can Do: DoNation Special. James Redmond, Simon McCorkindale, Martina Laird, Matthew Wait, Ian Bleasdale, Susan Cookson. Interactive episode presented by Prof Robert Winston. With two patients desperately needing an organ transplant and only one donor, viewers get the chance to experience the tough decisions doctors face every day and have their say on how the episode will end
Whatever next!
I wonder how they are going to work that, is Robert Winston going to say 'cut' every 5 mins and walk onto set?!
I'm not quite sure how it will work either. I suppose for those who don't have access to the old 'red button' will just watch the episode as normal with the producers giving us their chosen ending. And then those who watch the episode via the red button will have a list of choices which continually pop up and then the viewers choose which one they want.
This Saturday, the BBC will air a special joint episode of its two medical dramas, Casualty and Holby City (BBC One, 8:20-9:20PM), that will invite viewers to take part in a phone vote that will determine the episode's ending. The special episode is part of a week-long BBC television, radio and online initiative, dubbed "DoNation," that is designed to highlight the issues around organ donation.
About two thirds of the way through the episode--which will follow two fictional characters, Lucy and Tony, who need organ transplants--the drama will be interrupted by a mini-documentary hosted by BBC science personality, Professor Robert Winston, which will explain some of the issues involved in organ donation and during which viewers will be able to decide which of the two characters should receive a transplant (the show's interactivity thus draws attention to the fact that doctors and surgeons frequently have to make such decisions, due to a chronic shortage of donated organs).
Viewers will cast their votes by calling one of two 0900 numbers (calls will cost 10 pence each), the totals will then be tallied by BBC Worldwide-subsidiary, Audiocall, and, in accordance with the results of the vote, one of two endings to the special episode will then be broadcast.
They've done this before for Comic Relief about 10/12 years ago. Instead of us voting the audience did, and it was a bit farsical, remember Charlie getting squashed flat by a bulldozer. And it was done with Terry wogan ('Do the right thing', anyone), but the drama was different each week. Again the audience decided the outcomes there, but it's nothing too new. Just the red button has been thrown in, in true BBC style.
They've done this before for Comic Relief about 10/12 years ago. Instead of us voting the audience did, and it was a bit farsical, remember Charlie getting squashed flat by a bulldozer. And it was done with Terry wogan ('Do the right thing', anyone), but the drama was different each week. Again the audience decided the outcomes there, but it's nothing too new. Just the red button has been thrown in, in true BBC style.
Oh, Do The Right Thing, completely forgot about that show!
At the time I remember reports about a Spanish soap opera where what happens next was decided by phone vote, except instead of choosing what pre-recorded clip to play, it was all done live!
That would be a plan! coronation street live episode was amazing. Audrey (or the character playing her) forgot her lines at least 20 times, and walked into a tree, which meant she couldn't be in the last scene! The whole hour episode was about the cobbles wasn't it!? I would love to see more live drama/soaps. Purely for the 'acorn antiques' aspect.
They've done this before for Comic Relief about 10/12 years ago. Instead of us voting the audience did, and it was a bit farsical, remember Charlie getting squashed flat by a bulldozer.
Good grief, I was starting to think I'd dreamt that!
