Television networks are in hot pursuit of a big Twitter presence, but none have gone so far as MTV. The network's long-running reality series MADE returned for its 12th season on Monday with a new name: MADE #DreamBigger.
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We know what you're thinking: "MADE is still on the air?" Apparently, MTV knows you're thinking that, too. The network is making a clear play for relevancy with the name change. To its credit, this is the first time that a network has been so blatant about its interest in social media buzz and we can appreciate that. But that's not all; as we've learned from many a makeover episode of MADE, change something on the outside and you're bound to make a few changes on the inside, too.
The show is graduating from cheerleader and breakdancer hopefuls of the High School set to focus their program on college students, post-grads and as the press release put it, "young adults trying to make it in the real world."
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It isn't a fresh idea to incorporate social media elements into the viewing experience, though all previous attempts to usher viewers to their feeds now seem subtle by comparison. Hashtags typically reserve a tiny bit of real estate in the lower third of the screen. But who needs chyrons when you can feature it right there in the title?
An MTV spokeswoman told Variety that the name change isn't just about increasing Twitter engagement, but also to reflect the creative changes that will be evident this season. You'll still find healthy doses of personal transformation and melodrama, though now characters will deal with issues like moving across the county, parenting, starting a business and confronting domestic violence.
Look out for such characters as a Fashion Stylist, a TV Host, a Celebrity Assistant, a Drag Queen, a Make-up Mogul and a Circus Aerialist—all people we often frequent in that "real world" that MTV is aiming to portray.
Check out the trailer for the new season of MADE #DreamBigger below. What do you think of the name and focus change? Do you think #DreamBigger will get folks tweeting about their circus-laden aspirations? Do you dream of being MADE? Let us know in the comments.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
