Flash, Constantine, most talked about comics-inspired shows

By John Freeman on November 8, 2014

As social media continues to exert its influence on television viewing habits, trend tracking site The Wit.com has just reported on what new shows generated buzz on Twitter and Facebook last month.

While Tweeting and discussing a show while you’re trying to watch it seems a complete anathema to a grumpy old goat like myself, on a par with people using their mobiles in the cinema, these figures indicate such activity is more than a passing phase.

In October, While VH1’s Drumline: A New Beat was on top with some 152,000 tweets, two comics-inspired shows from the US made the top ten most-buzzed-about new shows, with the number of Facebook and Twitter comments during the premiere episodes (rounded up to the nearest thousand), broadcast dates and some helpful buzz words to provide insight into why these titles resonated with social media users.

The Flash – screening in the UK on Sky One – generated some 95,000 social media messages as the new season premiered on The CW channel in the US on 7th October. The spin-off of the series Arrow centres on the DC Comics superhero character Dr. Barry Allen, a.k.a. The Flash.

Buzz Talk: #FanPower #WOW #Excitement #GreatCrossovers

Constantine – available in the UK on Amazon Prime Instant Video – was another talked-about show, although reaction seems decidedly mixed judging from the hashtags used, netting 29,000 tweets and other public comments on its debut on NBC on 24th October. Reaction to the show, based on DC Comics’ character John Constantine, an enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending the world against dark forces from beyond,

Buzz Talk: #FanPower #NotAsGoodAsExpected #GreatLeadActor

• Visit TheWit.com to access more data on what shows are making waves across the globe

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.