We’ve already been seeing commercials for the upcoming Stephen King series Under the Dome, which will be airing on CBS, and this particular King adaptation has been coming together remarkably fast.
Because many King stories are so lengthy, they’re often better off on TV where they can play out over a longer timeline. This is what created the modern horror mini-series with Salem’s Lot, which aired on CBS in 1979 because it was stuck in development hell as a theatrical film at Warner Brothers.
When Dome makes its debut on CBS on June 24, it will also be trying out a new way of distribution. According to the official press release, Amazon and CBS have a licensing agreement where you can have unlimited access to episodes from the show four days after they first broadcast. This service will be exclusively available through Amazon Instant Video.
As you just read onTG, we did a story about how Netflix is encouraging binge watching for their new series House of Cards, and perhaps this is another similar idea that CBS hopes will catch on.
Today’s generation wants to see their shows and movies at their convenience, and now you can enjoy Under the Dome four days later “on hundreds of compatible Amazon Instant Video devices including Kindle Fire HD, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Wii U gaming console.” You’ll be able to buy and download Under the Dome episodes at Amazon Instant Video.
As Brad Beale, the Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon, noted, “We’re excited to be able to offer this highly-anticipated series at no additional cost to Prime members.
“Adding a current season major network TV series like Under the Dome to the Prime Instant Video library so shortly after its live airing enables us to increase our exclusive selection of great TV shows and give customers access how, when and where they want to watch it.”
So while it remains to be seen if this will boost the popularity of Dome when it’s ready to roll on June 24, Amazon is clearly trying a new way to get the show out there, because much of the industry is looking towards streaming as the way of the future. We’ll soon find out if it works wonders for Under the Dome and House of Cards, and if viewers will enjoy binging out on both.
