Warner Bros. gives US viewers public beta access to TheWB.com video-on-demand service. Image: Warner Bros.
Media behemoth Warner Bros. has this week announced the official public beta arrival of its TheWB.com Internet service, which it describes as a premium, interactive, and personalised video-on-demand network that will deliver a wealth of original series material to online viewers.
First announced back in April of this year, and following in the footsteps of its established television equivalent, today marks the first time that TheWB online service has been officially opened for public use -- having previously been restricted to closed development through private beta.
Some of the high-profile creations that the ad-supported WB site will host include content from the likes of director/producer McG (Terminator Salvation, Charlie’s Angels), and writer/producer Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl, The O.C.), and many other prominent contributors.
Along with a selection of fan-favourites, the service will also offer premieres to original creations such as “Downers Grove” and “High Drama: Against All Oz,” which will be premiered on September 29 and October 06 respectively.
Those aforementioned Warner Bros. fan-favourites will include network-shaping hit series including Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Babylon 5, Firefly, Friends, Gilmore Girls, In Living Color, MADtv, The O.C., Roswell, and Smallville.
“TheWB.com is a new digital destination built from the ground up for the same 16–34 year-old audience that embraced The WB when it was a television phenomenon,” trumpeted Brent Poer, general manager of TheWB.com. “We have loaded the site with their favorite classic series like ‘Friends’ and ‘The O.C.,’ high-quality original programming and a wide array of sharing features, mash-up tools, and interactivity options to fit their lifestyle.”
To help deliver on that sense of user interaction, TheWB.com will also include “state-of-the-art” community and social networking tools along with editing and mixing features. Specifically, visitors will be able to “control, customize, reorder, re-edit and reinterpret shows in a very personal way.” TheWB.com service will also be bolstered by exposure through a dedicated Facebook application.
Some of the content distribution deals thus-far secured by the Warner Bros. Television Group include agreements with Dailymotion, Joost, Sling Media, TiVo and Veoh Networks, all of which will feature through TheWB.com’s programming.
Additionally, original and acquired series content confirmed for 2008 will include: Sorority Forever (Sept. 08 -- McG); Blue Water High (Aug. 27); A Boy Wearing Makeup (Aug. 27); and Whatever Hollywood (Aug. 27).
Other series listed for 2009 include: an Untitled Josh Schwartz Music Project; Rich Girl, Poor Girl; Exposed; Chadam and Joni & Susanna.
Unfortunately, TheWB.com is only accessible to users within the United States. Citing “complicated domestic and international entertainment laws,” Warner Bros. is encouraging its international site visitors to write to their “local government representative” in order to “fight this injustice,” so that one day fans from all over the world will be able to enjoy theWB.com’s content.
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