Listening to TV Shows
About 15 years ago when I first started listening to audiobooks, I quickly went through my local library’s selection, and found myself forced to listen to all sorts of dreck. This was of course before the advent of Simply Audiobooks, and the area I lived in (Ithaca, NY) didn’t have a local audiobook store. Listening to one particularly horrid collection of short stories, I found myself thinking about TV shows in audiobook format.
At the time, Cheers was a hit show on TV, and was heavily dialogue based. I imagined that a pure audio track from that show would still be fun to listen to. If I had already seen the show, so much the better. With well-known characters, it would be easy to visualize the scenes regardless. Recently I tested the approach, and taped the audio for an episode of Seinfeld. Listening to it later in my car, sure enough, I enjoyed it immensely.
It seems like this would be a good area for audiobook publishers to get into. I suppose someone here should look into it as well. I’m not sure how many shows this would work for. Certainly I think I’d enjoy “Everybody Loves Raymond”. It would be too complicated trying to listen to “West Wing” or “CSI”.
I’m just writing about this here on the off chance that some day this sort of audiobook becomes a popular phenomenon. So in case you, dear reader, are reading this ten years or so from now and TV track audiobooks are a big thing, it was MY idea. Erect a statue or something. At least a plaque…
August 7th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
When I was in my first year of university I didn’t have a tv, but I discovered that my radio picked up one of the tv stations. I used to listen to it sometimes and enjoyed it a lot.
I’ve thought about it off and on since then and even taped (onto a cassette tape) a Thomas the Tank Engine 30 minute episode for my kids who I am slowly getting addicted to audiobooks too.
I’m sorry to say this, Sanjay, but you don’t have the monopoly on the idea – though it is a good one!!
August 8th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Thanks for shattering my dreams Linda. I’ll go work on my idea for putting Webster’s Dictionary into audiobook format.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:48 pm
Now THAT is something I haven’t thought of – and it is a good idea. You should run with it!
August 13th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
I’ve heard some of Monty Python’s Wuest for the Holy Grail and Life of Brian on cd and it was just as funny especially if you’ve seen it. So it can be done and work.