In what has gone from a growing trend to a necessity, many networks have begun to premiere new shows online ahead of schedule, in an effort to drum up additional interest in their new shows. Two weeks before its prime time debut, Awake, the new mind-bending drama from NBC, is available for viewing online and on demand.
Earlier this month, NBC announced it would be premiering Awake on March 1 – moving the low-rated series The Firm to Saturdays. That was followed with the first seven minutes of the pilot being made available – then NBC apparently thought they might as well just put the whole thing up.
It’s not the first time NBC has given audiences a sneak peek at an upcoming show. The network did the same with their Steven Spielberg produced Broadway drama Smash, while Showtime and Starz did so recently with House of Lies and Spartacus: Vengeance, respectively. It’s hard to tell if the policy to let the premiere out of the bag early has yielded any significant upswing in ratings, but the benefit is certainly not lost on those eager to tune in.
The buzz on Awake has been building since it was first announced last year, but the series was met with a significant delay when the production went on hiatus so that the writers could sharpen the scripts and improve upon the overall storyline. Although the stoppage kept the program from hitting the airwaves sooner, it may have only helped to further piqué interest from curious fans.
No doubt, the Golden Globes brought in by Awake executive producer Howard Gordon for his hot Showtime drama Homeland have made him an asset to NBC; providing a much-needed spotlight on new programming for the beleaguered network. Additionally, the program comes from Kyle Killen, who brought the critically acclaimed, but little watched Lone Star to FOX. Right now, Killen’s pedigree is enough to get the show going, so hopefully it won’t be met with the same fate as his previous effort.
Take a look to see if Awake is something you’ll be tuning in to see. Right now, it looks as though the series is certainly unlike anything else on NBC, which could be very good news, indeed.
Watch the pilot episode of Awake below:
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Awake premieres Thursday, March 1 @10pm on NBC.
Source: NBC
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its gonna be a sad, depressing and thought provoking shows… it should be for movies not for tv shows…
Wait. Why can’t television be sad or thought provoking?
Looks OK to watch, but it’s seems obvious that he is in a coma living two lives that seem so real. conscious mind does not know what the unconscious does. He is living a life unconsciously.
I considered that same thing at the very beginning of the show. Shades of Ashes to Ashes… kinda.
Sure, that’s possible, but doesn’t the fact that it’s the first thing to spring to mind suggest that maybe that ISN’T what they’re going to do with the series? Just because something SEEMS obvious doesn’t mean that’s actually what they’re going to do with it.
Personally, I’m hoping for an epic surprise completely out of left field for the finale.