I was just reading about a drama being produced for BBC-One called ‘The Girl in the Café.” It was written by Richard Curtis, the screenwriter for “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love Actually”, “Notting Hill” and (I think) “Bridget Jones.” The show will air this summer as part of BBC’s celebration of African culture.

In the U.S., we cannot get BBC-One; we do get BBC America, but I tend to doubt it will air this program. On the other hand, with the sad state of sitcoms and other network fare, wouldn’t American audiences (who are fans of Curtis’ films) be eager to see this TV-movie? I would.

The answer? (You saw this one coming)—let me download the show on the Web. I’ll even pay for it. Given the difference in TV formats (PAL vs. NTSC), downloading the file makes sense.

Anyone listening?

Mike and I talk about Infinity's plans plus the impact of some new distribution models on content creators. Are we all going to be the next round of Dot.Com millionaires or just a bunch of pretty faces (and voices)?

Plus, is it true consumers are starting to realize network sitcoms are...well...not that good?

I am reading a lot about Major League Baseball’s lumbering plans to offer blogs (not sure if they will be by fans or players) and how the NFL is shifting gears to become more fan friendly on the Web, but the revolution will start in the minor leagues.

If you follow Minor League Baseball (and most people have better things to do), you already know it’s an exploding market. Yes, it has consolidated, but 20 years ago there were far too many teams, and now it’s down to a manageable two or three leagues in each division (Low A, High A, AA, AAA and Independent). There are three or four new sponsored stadiums/palaces being built each year in each league and there are serious owners spending serious money to draw fans looking for good entertainment at a fair price.

Minor League Baseball is the perfect place for the digital revolution to start. Every baseball fan wants to hear about future stars, especially if they are players on the way to help their team. And every team wants to build a base beyond their market to make their teams/stadiums a draw for baseball-hungry travelers. Check out the baseball fan blogs—many are devoted to minor league teams.

Each minor league team should have its games broadcast on the Web and offer a blogosphere for fans to put up stories, pictures and video. Any revenue they may think they will lose will be made up on merchandise sales. Baseball America, the bible for baseball nuts (like me) has a story in each issue about the painstaking care minor league teams take in crafting new logos and designing hats, t-shirts, etc..

This summer, I hope to have video from at least a few minor league games. I wish it were more; some summer, my wife and I will hop in an RV and cruise the country seeing as many minor league games as possible. and posting video, of course.

So, I am walking back to my hotel when I stumble upon a “news event.” Some folks from a new company—“I Know”—are handing out souvenir coins on Avenue of the Americas at 48^th St. Given the age and high-tech demeanor of the group, my hunch is it’s some sort of new Web content business. They plan on launching next week, and were excited that a random videoblogger (me) was anxious to shoot some footage of them (as well as ask questions).

The coin is cool and bears the slogan—“This coin is the key.” The website is up with some teaser material; it might not be totally live until next week. Check back.

I am a sometimes fan of CNET and its News.Com site. Back in the Dot.com heyday, when I lived in the Bay Area, I used to be a periodic guest on some of their TV shows. I like Richard Hart, ex of KRON and a number of how-to videos sponsored by Esquire we used to sell at our video store in Seattle.

Anyway, News.com has this wiki that asks people to add their comments about the future of TV. Yikes, everyone’s on board predicting its demise. And here I thought Mike and I were just being curmudgeons.