NBC beams in Rosario Dawson's Web thriller 'Gemini Division'

NBC is taking another swing at making Web TV work, this time with sci-fi thriller "Gemini Division," which will feature Rosario Dawson as an NYPD cop in the future:

When Sara's fiancé is killed, she discovers a microchip in her engagement ring that sets her on a journey into a biotech underworld filled with genetically fabricated life forms called Simulants. She locates the Gemini Division, who are trying to reclaim all the Simulant chips and eradicate these rogue terrorists.

"Gemini" will arrive at NBC.com in 50 four-minute episodes this summer, along with a partner series, "Wake Up Dead," a comedy about zombies. Gemini will be partly live action, partly animation. The only trailers I can find are a pair of sub-30-second teasers someone posted on MySpace.

Count me as a fan of mutant DNA underworld stories. The recent hit video game "BioShock" is one, except it takes  place in the 1940s, so it's all mechanical mutant bad guys instead of electronic ones. But still.

"Gemini" promises a feature that's coming to be standard issue with online TV efforts: an ARG (Alternate Reality Game).

NBC describes the "Gemini" version as a "completely immersive and interactive online world filled with bonus content and new mysteries to unravel."

OK, fine. But am I the only person who thinks that the production companies get a little more excited about "bonus content" than we do? "Bonus" usually implies that the free goody has some sort of monetary value, when what they're talking about is stuff like a 40-second clip of Dawson blasting at a giant bionic sewer Rabbit. Which could be cool too, I guess.

Comments

[RangerSergeant]

The show synopsis and cast and crew list was finally leaked: geminidivisionfiles.com

[GreenScreenCinema]

I don't think this show is going to go anywhere. They completely botched the launch. The promo videos on their site are getting fewer views than my lawn. Check out my analysis of Gemini Division's Botched Launch at www.greenscreencinema.com

[Marsha Sorce]

Do not work for Alex Reed and Stan Rogow because they won’t pay you. My fiancee Pete Evans worked around the clock for six weeks on their crappy show Gemini Division and now they won’t pay him the $14,720 that they owe him for his time and effort. Pete missed out on nearly all of his time with this son this summer and this is how they repay him? I don’t know how Stan Rogow, J. Alex Reed, and Duane Loose can live with themselves after what they have done to Pete and our family. They must truly be evil people with no souls! We will be lucky if we can manage to keep our home without that pay. Stan, Alex, and Duane you will have to live with this for the rest of your life, and I will make sure you never forget what you have done! KARMA will make you and those close to you suffer endlessly for what you have done to Pete and our family. Stan Rogow, J. Alex Reed, and Duane Loose your horrible actions will come back to you three fold until you make this right and PAY PETE EVANS every penny that he is owed!

[Deleted: The Game]

Its so important for the interactive TV genre that Gemini Division puts on a good showing. This is the kind of innovative product that exploits the interactivity of the internet and changes the lean back viewing experience of traditional TV into something far more engaging. Its success would bring much needed attention to the indie interactive web scene.

Signing Rosario Dawson is a great choice, a neo sci-fi plot is a great choice, the one gripe I have though is geo-blocking the show limiting it only to a US audience, I think its a cop out and a failure to fully embrace the internet. NBC, why get only half pregnant?! In mitigation, I suppose with a huge marketing budget, Gemini Division does not have to rely on viral distribution like indies do. And it probably has found revenues in international distribution.

$1.75M is HUGE for the web TV world but my hope is that a nice chunk of that is allocated to marketing (and you can count Rosario’s paycheck in that) to bring attention to the nascent interactive web series genre … indies like ours will gladly ride this coat tail.