SUMMARY: Will you ask a few friends to privately watch a 25-minute pilot episode of a prospective TV show? Send me your email address via this form if you are willing to help. Subscribers can find guidelines below.
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How can we fix civil society?
In the past, the American public discussed ideas in the town square and in newsprint. Starting in 1980 when CNN was launched, cable TV emerged as the primary medium with the consequential polarization and degradation of the quality of civil discourse. Then came the internet (1994) and social media (2004), which has splintered Americans even further.
My operating theory is that if we care about restoring an authentic “center” for civil discourse, there will have to be a counter-attack on the turf that has been divisive. Thoughtful people who care about the health of democracy cannot just surrender the television landscape. Democracy needs better TV. The implication is that we need to develop better TV programming, rather than simply lamenting “Oh no! Look at the lowest-common denominator drivel! Witness the outrage run amok!”
As loyal readers know, I’ve been working with a dozen military veterans to develop a few TV programs that will strengthen civil society. So far, the networks and streaming giants have been skeptical of the idea. And I don’t blame them. Airing controversial shows is a huge risk to their brands.
How can we convince them? (I need your help here).
Thanks to support from industry stars Michael Cascio and Darren Feher, we put together a pilot episode of a show that we think could truly reshape how Americans engage with controversial issues and with one another. We shared it with industry partners. They are still skeptical. They said: “Wow, It’s a damn fine show, but do you have any market data?”
So here is my ask to you: Will you ask a few friends to privately watch a 25-minute pilot episode of a prospective TV show? We need a thousand people (who have never heard of us) to complete short pre-watch survey, watch the pilot via a private web link, and then complete a second post-watch survey. That’s it. Send me your email address via this form if you are willing to help. Subscribers can find guidelines below.