Yet another in a long line of multi-platform series is being whipped up, this time by NBC. The new daytime show, iVillage Live, will debut on NBC on December 4 at noon. iVillage is an online site for women that was acquired by NBC. The show will take place at the Universal Orlando Resort and will cover the usual daytime talk show stuff like family, parenting, health, beauty, etc. The series will also air on Bravo and on the iVillage.com Web site. In order to bring the online and televised aspects together, people will be able to chat online during the show and have the text displayed on a scroll at the bottom of the television screen. They can also text questions to the show on their mobile phones. Basically, it sounds like TRL, but for adult women. Episodes will also be archived on the Web site.

I have to say, I don't quite see the appeal here, and it's not because of my natural male aversion to daytime gab fests. The mish-mash of a live show mixed with the random text messaged thoughts of everyday people might work for MTV, but I'm not sure grown ups will really latch on to such an idea. It's all going to depend how they approach it, but based on the description of this show alone, it sounds like a messy attempt at synergy.

Well, maybe. Apparently the ratings for The Apprentice 5 haven't been that great, so NBC is trying to lure more viewers to the show with the possibility of a $10,000 prize each week. Turning the show into a kind of American Idol experience, viewers will be able to participate in the show and vote for who they think should be fired. So really, it'll be much more like real life. I remember when I was eighteen and applied at McDonald's but the manager wouldn't hire me until he asked fifty complete strangers on the street whether I should work there or not. It all makes perfect sense. Winners from all three time zones will be chosen each week. You can learn more about the contest over on NBC's site. The contest kicks off April 24 and will run to the end of the season.