HD makes it possible for a person to have a clear picture on a larger set…but I wouldn\’t take that to mean that HD programming should be \”big TV\”-centric. What HD really provides is a clearer picture. How many people, when they first experience HD, say, \”It\’s like being there!\” or \”It\’s like looking through glass!\” I think this gives us our starting point: what would a person rather see in person than on TV?

Sports:

Sports programming has been mentioned by everyone, but it has its own hurdles, namely that ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT are already doing it to one degree or another. So if you\’re going to do sports, you must do them BETTER. One weakness of all of these channels (except TNT) in their HD sports programming is that their picture isn\’t remarkably sharp. TNT actually does a better job of presenting sharp picture in NBA games than ESPN does, in my opinion…so I prefer TNT. Make sure your picture dazzles the eyes. Second, these other channels are now using HD cameras, but they aren\’t using them any differently than they used the old SD cameras. Why not get Steven Soderberg to audit traditional sports coverage and suggest new HD-friendly camera placement, angles, etc? TV makes everything look like it\’s on TV, while HD makes you feel like you\’re THERE. Yet you rarely see shots in the tunnels (basketball/football/hockey), wide shots of BOTH huddles (basketball), the view from the owner\’s box, etc., in HD sports programming. Why not? I like the IDEA of skycam, but it\’s usually poorly executed. As I understand it, this is because it is a very complex rig to operate. Why not make it simpler? Place a chip in each player\’s jersey that the camera can always \”see.\” Then the camera operator can simply click on which player or players they want the camera to focus on. Now the camera operator just has to \”fly\” the camera…and you have movie quality aerial shots.

Thats it for traditional sports. Now lets move outside the box to the fun stuff. Who doesnt love sports turned on its ear? Im from small town USA, and some of my favorite memories are of when the Harlem Globetrotters, donkey basketball, etc, came to town. Its always more fun that you expect it to be once youre there. With that in mind, why not

Youve already done Flugtag, cliff diving, etc. Now take the next step. How about American Gladiators? It was reality TV before reality TV was cool, and seeing it in HD would be appointment TV! How about battle of the network stars or battle of the (basketball/baseball/sports) stars? Fly competitors out to Hawaii, cover their trip, and all winnings go to their favorite charity. How about a Million Dollar Golf Challenge between Tiger Woods and _______? Golf looks much better in HD, but there are just not enough cameras to capture it all. Create a new event where the pro can strike the ball, and immediately we see a split screen of the golfer, the golfer hes competing against and the ball as it flies through the air. Have Charles Barkley host and walk with the golfers, chatting them up as they play. How about coverage of the Running of the Bulls? Get great images, interviews, etc., then edit it (its not something that you need to broadcast live), add graphics and youve got a strong HDNet Sports Special Event. The Tour de France would be great, with the first 10 or 15 stages prerecorded (so you could edit and intersperse interviews and special interest stories, a la the Olympics) and the last 5 or 10 stages broadcast live. Speaking of the Olympics, they SOUND like a good idea, but if you saw NBC/Universals coverage of the last Olympics, you already know the challenge there: WAY too many venues, not enough cameras. Besides, NBC owns Olympic coverage through the year 3204. Finally, what about Rugby? Everyone who sees it live falls in love with it, but on standard TV you cant see much of anything. Its got the live appeal of soccer, but with plenty of scoring, and NBA fans will pick up the offense and defense very easily.

Traditional TV:

I like what youre doing with picking up cancelled shows that had a cult following and rebroadcasting them (Dead Like Me, Jake 2.0), but I fear that you wont have a true hit on your hands until you actually pick up the show AND start producing original episodes. Heres a thought: NBCs Thank God Youre Here is a brilliant idea, but they are butchering it. Between a host and judge who act like they dont care (David Allen Grier and Dave Foley) and the fact that its in SD, the show isnt exploding. Theyll probably try it again next season, then let it drift off into oblivion. Pick it up, and create new episodes with a new host, with HD coverage to make it feel even more raw and improvised. Or better yet, bring back Whos Line Is It Anyway?. Improv comedy, when done well, is a sight to behold live, so it would be the same in HD. As for stand up comedy, its a good idea, but take it a step further, with interviews before and after comedy sets, stories about the comedians lives, etc.

I wouldnt recommend simply following the HBO model (because youd come off as a second rate HBO), but they do understand one thing: they arent on network TV, and they dont have to live by network rules. Art Mann presents, Bikini Destinations and Get Out! are all good examples of this. How about a scripted weekly show at 10:00 or 11:00 at night, something along the lines of Melrose Place, but with the ability to live outside the network censors when the need arose?

Places that are fun LIVE:

Auto Shows, Broadway shows (this is actually a really good idea), music concerts (youre doing a great job of this), Vegas shows, all are truly enjoyable live, but barely passable on TV. What about a show called While Youre There, where the host(s) spend the entire episode (or two, or three) in a certain city, mapping out a perfect day? The day could be detailed, hour by hour, on your website, driving viewers there (and giving you the opportunity to partner with businesses in the city). As for amusement parks, it feels too much like a novelty to me. Sure, mounting a camera on the front of a roller coaster would be coolthe first time. Then what?

Music programming:

I work in sales in the music industry, and Im a music fan. I go to concerts and make a good living. The reason I say all this is to highlight that I dont have a zillion dollar audio system to go with my HDTV. I think that the more HDTVs that are sold, the more households that will be true of, which means that while concerts are a good idea, they arent the perfect idea for HD programming. Id warn against overprogramming.

Branding SERIES:

This is the most important point. You should always brand as many windows of time as possible. I know that you are branding whole nights (Sunday = Music, Monday = Sci Fi, Tues = News, Friday = mature programming, etc.), but what about branding SERIES of shows? For example, you have several sci fi shows that run throughout the week. Every sci fi show and every ad for every sci fi show should lead with HDNet Beyond Presents You could have HDNet Sports presents (you may already), HDNet Family presents, HDNet Sports Plus presents (for American Gladiators, Flugtag, Million Dollar Golf Challenge, Wacky Celebrity Sports Challenge), HDNet Curtain Call presents (Broadway shows, Auto Shows, Vegas Shows), HDNet music presents (already doing this), HDNet comedy presents (stand up comedy, whos line, etc.) HDNeTravel presents (While Youre There, etc.), HDNet After Hours presents (for late night programming thats not safe for the kiddies). Schedule the SERIES, not the show, so your viewers know that every Saturday at 7:00 they can watch an Out of Bounds Sports show, or every Monday at 7:00 they can watch HDNet Beyond. When you run out of Jake 2.0 episodes, you still have HDNet Beyond.

However, we have invested in all HD gear, and while it\’s a challenge to actually get our producers and EP\’s to shoot in HD because all they\’re thinking is \”small screen.\”

The hesitance of producers & directors to use their tools to their fullest ability typically stems from their crews not wanting to learn a \”new camera.\”

Eventually these people will either step up and invest the time and energy in learning how to get the most out of the tools available to them, or they\’ll wash out of the business as more capable people come up.

I spent many a Saturday afternoon watching \”the wide world of sports\” on ABC. One of their strengths was that they spent time on \”weird\” sports.

I think that would work well, though it\’s not cheap to send crews around to find those sorts of sports.

I\’d also ask for bicycle racing, but that\’s mostly because the DirecTV feed of VS leaves a lot to be desired…

Looks like something Cuban should consider. Robert Randolph rocks!

Content/Programming that is a sure fire winner? Music! But you don\’t need to do the same old tired \”music video\” or \”concert series\”…. how about a show that gives viewers what they want about their favorite artists? A mix of in-depth interview (not VH1 style) with the artist\’s music…. performed raw. Bootlegger\’s Style……

I am a principal with an Austin-based production company, Hecho en Cine. This past fall, we set out to create such a show – in HD. When Robert Randolph came through town, he and his crew were nice enough to give us full access before, during and after the show… check this out to get a taste:

http://v3.blastro.com/bootleggersbanquet.html

How does this grab you for a new HD-Net series???

Another is these reality talent shows: ie..amerca\’s got talent,american idol, show\’s like that could use the sound upgrade

I have the baby steps of a new show of this type , email me for details