eBay makes a bid for television

So TV shows make webpages to augment their coverage (MSNBC), provide more information about their show (Monster Garage), or just provide information (Reality Shows–I won’t provide any links to these). I think it is good marketing no matter if you like it or not. In fact, the technologies have merged so well that I expect a show to have a website and am pissed if it doesn’t. But will this work the other way around? eBay thinks so.

eBay and Sony think that we will tune in to watch Ahmad Rashad and Molly Pesce talk about things for sale on eBay. Ahmad is just the kind of guy you want to host your show after doing the oft celebrated “Celebrity Mole”, and Molly Pesce was awesome in, uh, she was great in that show about the, ah…who the hell is Molly Pesce?

Personnel aside, why would one want to watch stuff from the Internet on sale on TV? I’ll tell you why. Shows such as “Antiques Roadshow”, channels such as HSN and QVC, and the shows I watch while I’m cramming a 12-pack of soft tacos into my 8-pack-limit stomach–infomercials. There’s no denying why these shows are on the television. They work.

These shows feed off hope. Hope that the Alf plunger you bought at Woolworths in 1988 is now valued at $1000. They feed off the need to buy. The need to buy that cubic zirconia-studded bottle opener you’ve had your eye on at The Dollar Store. They feed off–drunks. Innocent drunks who go out, pound Irish Carbombs all night and end up with an electric food dehydrator and pasta maker two weeks later.

Maybe it’s not a bad idea after all. The pilot won’t go on until Fall of 2004, if it happens at all. If it fails, I won’t be surprised. If it turns out to be the best thing on TV, you heard it here first.

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