NBC Learns How to Surf, Finds Girls and Cool Kids

There's a glimmer of good news for television viewers frightened at the prospect of wall-to-wall reality shows come this spring. Groundbreaking producers Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (Once and Again, thirtysomething) are transferring their Internet series, Quarterlife, to NBC. It marks the first time a show has migrated from the Net to TV. Originally developed as a pilot for ABC in 2004, Quarterlife stars Bitsie Tulloch — of Lonelygirl15 — as a gossipy blogger. It currently streams on MySpace and Quarterlife.com.

Herskovitz and Zwick filmed 36 eight-minute episodes that NBC will combine into a six-hour series, airing as early as next spring. Although the series employed union workers (Teamsters, SAG members, you name it), Quarterlife had been able to continue production without fear of retaliation by the Writers Guild because it plays on the Internet. But that could change if the duo decides to make more episodes. Says Herskovitz, ''It seems to me the Writers Guild will be extremely wary about allowing productions to continue on the Internet when it's possible they could become TV shows.''

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