Amazon Fishbowl - the wave of the future

Amazon has launched Fishbowl presented by UPS and Cingular starring Bill Maher. This is the wave of the future, inter-active on line - basically in this format a step - up (but not a big one) from QVC - TV, a half-hour talk show format featuring wisecracking interviews of guests who shamelessly plug their products. (Just like they do on the MSM but you cannot order their products by the button).

The weekly program featuring the brightest stars (?) in film, music, literature, and television. New episodes will premiere each Thursday this summer at 8 p.m. Pacific Time and can be seen anytime here

On this week's show, Bill (who for some unaccountable reason some Americans find funny) interviewed Dean Koontz, author of the new thriller The Husband, and Ward Serrill and Darnellia Russell, the director and one of the subjects of the upcoming documentary The Heart of the Game. He also talked to the Dixie Chicks, who performed two songs from their latest album, Taking the Long Way. In addition, Sopranos star Steve Schirripa surprised an Amazon customer in New York with a UPS Special Delivery of his new book, The Goomba Diet.

The show in Shockwave Flash Video represents the marketing skill and technical savvy to create a watcheable program. You bet that Rupert Murdoch, Turner, Microsoft, Google, and eBay are closely watching to see if Maher's show can convert sales or at least increase Amazon's formidable audience.

It will maybe take 2 years to settle down but I am convinced this is the way forward for low cost easily delivered consumer products.... and the Dixie C's are fantastic but "Fly" is still the best.

How did sales go on Amazon after the first show on June 1st? Jeff Bezoz knows but he won't be telling anyone.

See the show here

Get tickets for the show recording in Hollywood here