Interactive TV

I recently read an article that talked about how the Syfy network was making an aggressive push to bring a whole new level of interactivity to their network through the use of smartphone apps.

Article: http://adage.com/article/special-report-tv-upfront/syfy-bets-social-tv-suite-interactive-shows/240820/

The article speaks about two upcoming how’s that will air on the Syfy network in the coming months. The first is called "Helix," which the article says is "a sci-fi thriller from "Battlestar Galactica" creator Ronald D. Moore, focuses on a team of scientists investigating a possible disease outbreak in an Arctic research facility and trying to protect the world from annihilation." The show will have a app that accompanies it that viewers can download and use to explore the world the characters live in and can find clues as to what’s going on in the show.

The second show is a reality series called ”Opposite Worlds," "where 20 people are broken into two opposing teams -- one to live in a simulation of the past, the other in an imagined future. The future in this series is a utopia where every wish can be granted with a push of a button; the past is a constant struggle for survival. Each week, players compete in a series of challenges to determine who lives in which period."  The interaction aspect comes into play with the addition of "gifts" that viewers can send the people on the show in an attempt to affect the outcome. It has been likened it to a real-life "Hunger Games". I think that these new levels of interaction will be very cool but I’m not sure if it will take off.

Do you think interactive TV is going to be the next big thing for entertainment?