05.04.2006

Business , Commentary

Microsoft Goes Back to the Storyboard: The Snarky Version

I'm stumped by Microsoft's latest move. Apparently they're in the early production stages of developing a spate of TV-style shows, according to a recent report from Ars Technica. This is somewhat of a revival of a past failed attempt in the late 90s to try and make MSN more like AOL. Forget for a moment that AOL has been struggling for the past five years or so and is hardly a company that any business should model itself after. Ignore the fact that Microsoft isn't renowned for creativity, particularly in this arena. Nevermind the fact that they've already failed at this before (MSFT attributes its past failure from poor timing since internet users then didn't have high-bandwidth connections).

This time around, confident that the time is right for re-introducing us to Microsoft broadcast programming, they have teamed up with Ben Silverman whose broadcast portfolio includes flops such as The Restaurant and Celebrity Cooking Showdown and also for butchered recreations of the terrific British sitcoms, Coupling and The Office.

Like I said, I'm stumped. Microsoft goes back to the storyboard via Ars Technica.

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