With the fall TV season getting started, TiVo.com has set up a little game for TV watchers who think they have the intuition to predict what shows will hit and which ones will miss in the ratings. Basically, it’s like fantasy football except with TV shows.
Tivo’s “Build Your Own Network” Game allows you to choose from a variety of primetime TV shows and slide them into a set lineup. When the ratings numbers are posted, you’ll get to see how your shows are doing. They’ve set it up so you can share your picks on Twitter and other social networking sites.
Since some shows premiered this week, the game is already under way. I set up my lineup earlier this week. I'm told that players are scored based on ratings and some other factors. In setting up my lineup, I found that there was no set value on the shows. The only limit is the scheduling. Whatever you can fit into the schedule is up for grabs. So with the exception of a few new shows that look promising, I went with safe picks, choosing series that have been airing for at least a couple of years and have proven to be ratings winners. I think it might’ve been a little more challenging if we had had a set amount of “dollars” or points that we could use to purchase the shows, with the higher-rated shows costing more than the new series or lower-rated shows (including most of the cable shows, which tend to perform lower in the ratings). Or maybe I’m speaking too soon. I've only been playing the game for a few days but I'm already seeing the results of some of my picks thanks to the premieres of Glee and So You Think You Can Dance. It seems like fun and with so many season and series premieres set to take place in the next couple of weeks, it’s still early enough to get into the game!
