The premiere was 1.5 hours instead of the usual 1 hour program, and it subsidized this by, instead of the traditional commercial breaks, having the entire premiere sponsored by Sony Pictures, who hyped some of their upcoming films: All the King's Men, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Fun with Dick and Jane, among others.

I found the idea to be a strong one because, with a film buff like me, I had almost as much interest watching the commercial breaks as I did watching the show. Also, with a show that has quite a bit of critical buzz and high production values, being supported by in-depth film trailers was not a bad move. I don't have any figures as to what Sony paid for the spots, but I thought it was a great way in trying to market the advertising a little more directly so that fans who had the opportunity to fast forward through the commercials, as I did, chose not to and willingly watched them.

Do you think this is the trend that programs could go to in providing fewer commercials but longer spots that reach a very specific audience?