WE tv TO DEBUT INNOVATIVE "WatchIt With" FORMAT DURING "MARY MARY" ENCORES OF THE SHOW'S RECORD-BREAKING THIRD SEASON
New Format Allows Viewers To Experience Stars Erica and Tina Campbell's First-Ever Reactions to the Show Immediately Following the Debut Airing
NEW YORK, NY - March 13, 2014 - WE tv today announced that it will launch "WatchIt With," a new and enhanced on-air encore format that allows viewers to immediately experience the reactions of the show's stars to the night's premiere episode. "WatchIt With" begins tonight following the debut airing of Mary Mary, currently in its third and record-breaking season. Following the premiere episode of Mary Mary at 9 pm, "WatchIt With" debuts at 10 pm and captures series stars Erica and Tina Campbell experiencing the show for the first time. They will appear on screen in a picture-in-picture window for the entire encore - discussing what is happening on screen as the show unfolds.
"WatchIt With combines aspects of traditional reunion and after shows and takes it a step further by adding dimension through the fresh and immediate perspectives of the stars portrayed," said Marc Juris, WE tv's president. "This new format is designed to increase viewer retention and amplify audience flow to the network, driven by the authentic character responses to a show's premiere."
At times, the stars will pause the action on the primary screen and engage in a more detailed and lengthy discussion - in full-screen - before resuming the episode. "WatchIt With" repeats will be 90-minutes in length, with the extra 30 minutes consumed by discussion while the primary screen is paused.
Two episodes into its third season, Mary Mary has been a hit with viewers, averaging 1.3 million viewers per episode, a record for the series and up 67 percent from last season's 777,000 average.
WE tv will follow each of the remaining episodes of Mary Mary with "WatchIt With" repeats, and is considering using the format for other shows as well. The network offered select "WatchIt With" clips on its website during the first two Mary Mary repeat episodes this season and the pages were among the most popular on the site, driving triple-digit increases in page views to WEtv.com.
Mary Mary airs on WE tv at 9 pm on Thursday nights, and starting tonight will be followed by "WatchIt With" encores from 10 to 11:30 pm.
Mary Mary and "WatchIt With" are produced for WE tv by Entertainment One (eOne) Television and executive produced by Tara Long, John Morayniss, Eric Hoberman and Howie Miller. Lauren Gellert, SVP of original production and development, and Kate Farrell serve as the executive producers for WE tv.
Source: Source: Nielsen, Live+3. Mary Mary S3 td (2/27/14-3/6/14 Th 9p-10p), vs S2 (12/6/12-2/28/13, Th 9p/10p), P2+ 000s. Subject to qualifications by request.
About WE tv
WE tv (www.wetv.com) showcases and celebrates modern women who are bold, independent and taking control of their lives. Whether they are celebrities like Joan Rivers or Toni Braxton, or everyday women, their stories are as relatable as they are entertaining. WE tv's popular slate of fresh and modern unscripted original series includes the hit shows Braxton Family Values, Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? and Mary Mary, among others. WE tv will debut its first scripted series, The Divide, in 2014. Audiences connect to WE tv online, on demand and via social media. WE tv is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and is available in over 85 million homes on every major cable, satellite and telco provider.
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