MUMBAI: CBS will launch a Pontiac sponsored "micro-series"-a serialized short film that will run in 40-second segments over the course of nine days. It will also be available online and on mobile phones.
The first episode, The Courier, kicks off on 24 January with one-minute installment in the first act break of CSI: Miami after 9 pm. The Courier will be 60 seconds, with subsequent episodes running for 40 seconds. The finale airs 1 February during Criminal Minds.
CBS Corp. is planning to use precious commercial space in its primetime slot in a bid to get viewers hooked on a TV show designed entirely for mobiles. The strategy comes as major networks want to convert their massive mainstream audiences into loyal mobile viewers. If the plan works, viewers will be drawn to the show's website to download the rest of the season.
The micro-series follows a mystery man named "iiro" who races against time to uncover clues and perform a sequence of death-defying tasks in a desperate attempt to rescue his kidnapped wife. Further information about "iiro" and his adventures will be available on CBS.com via rich video and text components.
In addition, CBS.com will offer a second, interactive storyline with its own set of clues, which offers viewers the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a Pontiac Torrent. The Courier will feature a commercial for the Pontiac Torrent at the end of each micro episode. The Torrent will also be integrated into three of the seven Courier broadcasts.
The series was created by producer, animator and conceptual designer Pete Pepe and is produced by Plum Productions and Sam Swisher.
Fox was among the first networks to develop a micro series specifically for cellphones when it created a downloadable spinoff of its hit show, 24. But, that show was confined to the web and was mostly an experiment.