Twitter Plans Reality TV Competition Series

NEW YORK — Twitter, the Web site that asks what everybody's doing, says it wants to be doing a TV series.

The social-networking service said Monday it has teamed with Reveille productions and Brillstein Entertainment Partners to develop an unscripted series based on the site, which invites 140-character postings from members around the world.

The show would harness Twitter to put players on the trail of celebrities in an interactive, competitive format.

The producers call their proposed series the first to bring the immediacy of Twitter to the TV screen.

"Twitter is transforming the way people communicate, especially celebrities and their fans," said Reveille managing director Howard T. Owens, who expects the new project to "unlock Twitter's potential on TV."

No further details were made available on the show's format or when it might hit the air.

Reveille's scripted entertainment includes "The Office" (NBC), "Ugly Betty" (ABC) and "The Tudors" (Showtime), plus reality programming that includes "The Biggest Loser" and "American Gladiators" (both NBC).

Brillstein Entertainment's credits include "Real Time with Bill Maher" (HBO), "The Sopranos" (HBO), "According to Jim" (ABC) and "NewsRadio" (NBC).

The San Francisco-based Twitter, which was founded in 2007, is one of the Internet's fastest-growing sites. A recent Nielsen report found that unique visitors to Twitter skyrocketed from 475,000 during February 2008 to 7 million a year later.

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On the Net:

http://www.twitter.com/

Comments

[Richard Gerber]

Twitter the movie is already in production http://twitterthemovie.com/ follow on twitter @Auditions @Extras @TheMovie

[Mustang Sally]

ZZZZZZZZZZ­ZZZZZZZZZZ­ZZZZZZ....

cue in: {the sound of crickets chirping}

[Tim Barnett]

Well.. I have to say.... a partnership between Twitter and the makers of "The Biggest Loser" seems like it might work!

[hellisonfan]

Twitter < Pet Rocks

[swanie]

Twitter is a fad! It will not last !

Real people do not twitter. Most things OF ANY IMPORTANCE cannot be said on Twitter.
.

[JLRoberson]

Okay, this is the point at which Twitter doesn't just jump the shark, but jumps ON the shark, up and down.

[AuntiepoppyCock]

Ever seen a shark in a trance?

[mick7191]

Twiiter is still around?

[JScott]

So how will the show be, 140 seconds?

[KevinHallShow]

Twitter is great. I'd love to be involved in the competition. Follow me at www.twitter.com/kevinhallshow or @twitter in the program!

www.kevinhallshow.com

[JohnnyAutomatic]

there's your proof of how empty Twitter is

[Mustang Sally]

Or not.

[OhComeOnNow]

Oh, LOL. I had to reread the URL. I thought it said kevin_is-shallow

[JustJoy7]

I hate the word Twitter. I hate the word Tweet. It's like a little bug that crawls under my skin every time I hear those two words...which means the crawl is non stop. All the TV stations are giving themselves up to twitter and will suddenly one day realize that they have lost their usefulness to something called TWITTER. Go figure. They will follow the trend of newspapers of late...useless.

I say away with twitter and all the other similar mindless fads.

[Budokan]

Lame. But about what I would expect from both Twitter and television.

http://kennethmarkhoover.com

[nicole473]

Uh, just what we need. One more mindless, craven, stupid reality tv show.

[DeeW]

yawn.

I use to like twitter - but now it's overblown ... and very slow. And ... overblown.

[Canadiannie]

Sounds awful - thanks for the warning

[teron678]

Twitter is for losers ..... nuff said ..