The future of TV? Fans react to NBC’s bold strategy to market new comedy
- NBC is being praised for implementing an innovative marketing tactic
- It comes after the release of the new sitcom, St. Denis Medical
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NBC was widely praised by fans after sharing the first episode of new comedy series St. Denis Medical directly to TikTok in a bold marketing move.
The mockumentary, which follows overworked doctors and nurses working at an underfunded hospital in Oregan, premiered on November 12.
To tie in with the release, NBC uploaded the entire pilot episode to its TikTok channel on November 16, splitting it into three bite-sized parts.
The bold new move did not go unnoticed by fans, who were quick to praise the network and tell them they would continue to watch the show.
They also predicted that this marketing technique could be the future of television consumption.
Caitlin wrote on LinkedIn: “NBC published the full pilot for their new comedy show on TikTok.
St. Denis Medical premiered on NBC on November 12
To tie in with the release, the network uploaded the entire pilot to its TikTok channel
‘No fancy edits, just St. Denis Medical split into three parts. And people watched it!
“This was more about clever promo for a traditional show, BUT it reminds me that I really think TV mini-series will be the next big boom across platforms, not just YouTube.”
They continued, “We’re seeing hints of it on creator-led shows that dominate multiple platforms (Chicken Shop Date, Subway Takes, Boy Room Show, Paloma Diamond’s ’80s series), and it will continue to grow.
“These are all pre-existing TV formats (think talk shows, 00s MTV shows) that have been reimagined for new audiences on a smaller screen.
‘People want to watch TV! They also just want to watch it on their phone.’
On TikTok, others were just as excited.
“The way I’m going to follow you now because you posted the ENTIRE episode,” someone commented.
Another wrote: ‘Ty for posting this, for some reason I only like watching it on TikTok.’
The bold new move did not go unnoticed by fans, who were quick to praise the network and share that they would continue to watch the show.
‘The full episode??? This is amazing,” said a third.
A fourth posted: ‘Thanks for posting the first episode. I appreciate it and will keep watching.”
Created by Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, St. Denis Medical stars Goldbergs actress Wendi McLendon-Covey and In Living Colors’ David Alan Grier.
Fargo’s Allison Tolman, Superstore alumni Josh Lawson and Kaliko Kauahi, and American Gods’ Kahyun Kim also make up the main cast.
NBC split the episode into three bite-sized chunks for the TikTok release
The Sex Life of College Girls actor Mekki Leepe completes the line-up.
The sitcom airs weekly on Tuesdays on NBC and the first season consists of 18 episodes.
The premiere drew nearly 4 million viewers upon its launch on November 12 and was recognized as the number one scripted program of the entire evening, making it the highest-rated premiere of a scripted broadcast without an NFL lead-in in nearly two years.
A week after the release of the sitcom’s first episode, NBC reported an impressive cross-platform viewership of 7.4 million.