"Should be a ratings winner," says Exec.

Brainsnap has learned that television network ABC has a new reality-TV show planned to commemorate TV Turnoff Week, a growing underground celebration which takes place this year from April 25 to May 1.<
Executives at the struggling network have been scrambling for some time to find innovative content that will grip the zeitgeist. Ed Cathrube, Chief of Corporate Strategy at ABC, thinks they've finally hit on a winning formula.

"We think it's cutting edge. This is a phenomena barely on the edge of popular consciousness. With the decline of network viewership in recent years, it's easy to see that the public is dissatisfied with standard prime-time fare. We've found a way to tap into that latent dissatisfaction."

The program will follow a group of ordinary Americans as they forego TV, DVDs and video games for a week.

"It will be dramatic. It will be excruciating. It will be human pathos of the highest degree. In short, it will be great TV!"

Although ABC has offered assurances that all participants joined voluntarily and that medical personnel will be on hand at all times, some experts question the potential health effects on the subjects.

"Certainly this is a risky experiment. It's no joke to say that [a week of television deprivation] is pushing the envelopes of human endurance," says psychiatrist Seth Cephaloupolus. "But really, networks are forced to do just that as they get more desperate to hold onto audiences."

Asked about the increased opportunity participants would have to join in outdoor activities or read literature, Dr. Cephaloupolus responded with a cautionary note.

"Who knows what will happen once the numbness of continuous media exposure wears off? I wouldn't be surprised to see irrational behavior, such as anger, regret, or the canceling of cable subscriptions."

Typical television viewership is four hours per day. TV Turnoff Week, now in its 11th year, represents one part of a wider effort to combat the factors behind of obesity, heart disease and attention deficit disorders, as well as provide for a cleaner 'mental environment.'

Despite the buzz generated on the street, advertisers have reportedly balked at the show's unconventional subject matter. Still, ABC's Ed Cathrube is optimistic about his network's prospects.

"Nothing mediates reality like television, and we're trying to bring you the most immediate media yet."

External links:
TV Turnoff Week's website [1]
Adbusters TV Turnoff section [2]