Rotten Tomatoes coming to Current TV
The popular online destination for movie buffs is moving to TV, but will still rely heavily on users to do the reviewing.
Rotten Tomatoes, the popular online destination for movie buffs, will premiere in all its television glory (TomatoMeter and all) Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. EST on Current TV. The 30-minute show, which is hosted by Brett Erlich and Ellen Fox, will run weekly in that time slot where the hosts will discuss and review three movies.
Although the movie review space is crowded, Erlich and Fox believe their show is different from the competition. Both hosts told me in an interview on my Digital Home Podcast that while the basic premise--reviewing movies--isn't unique, bringing the audience in on the reviews will help distinguish their show.
"Users will be able to upload a three-word review of a movie and we'll create a Webcam ensemble with all those together where the community will review the film," Erlich said. "Users can even send in haiku reviews of the movies and the best will be picked and played on the show."
Once the Rotten Tomatoes team receives those contributions, producers will post assignments for the next week's show, asking viewers to go see a movie and record a Webcam review or haiku. Each week, the assignment will change, but users will always need a Webcam to participate.
Erlich said the "Rotten Tomatoes Show" will be "fast-paced." It will be, he said, a "comedic journey through the week in cinema."
After airing on Thursday nights, "The Rotten Tomatoes Show" will be made available on Current's show page, as well as on the Rotten Tomatoes home page, subsequent to the airing. Though there's currently no finalized schedule, the show will be made available on iTunes in the near future.