To encourage people staying at home for Christmas: A 4-day television special?

[skip fox]

A stay-at-home special of X-number of hours/day from 23 Dec. to the 26th with singers, comedians, actors, songs and skits &c. on all major stations.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

1. Like a Jerry Lewis Telethon...

And maybe a “tip jar” to help some charities caring for less fortunate peoples.

[brooklynite]

3. Most people didn't watch the Jerry Lewis telethon.

[mwooldri]

10. IMO the "telethon" would have to have blanket coverage.

Also a long history. Jerry Lewis telethon had a long history but had coverage issues as the "program" itself was syndicated and not backed by any of the Big Three/Four broadcast networks. In the UK the BBC's Children in Need telethons are still going because they have coverage on the main channel plus spillover coverage on other BBC TV and radio networks - and BBC channels still get 1/3 to 1/2 of all viewers in the UK. When the ITV telethons happened it was in an era of three/four channel TV and even the BBC gave plenty of plugs to their fundraising efforts.

In other words it was in your face, you couldn't ignore it. Easy to do in four channel land. Not easy today as there's way over 57 channels and nothing on...

In today's media world one would have to have all the "Big Four" (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox) participating plus involve their sister channels plus social media involvement at the company level (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc) plus other prominent online outlets and streaming services. Even then, one could flip over and watch sports - the kind of thing that didn't help the Jerry Lewis telethon at all. Which means - live sporting events would have to be involved in any new telethon.

In other words, this is a big ask. I don't know if it can be done.

[brooklynite]

11. The other problem is: what is the programming...

If you intend to keep the entire country indoors for four days (you're already starting behind the 8-ball; think of how many people HERE will happily say they've "cut the cord&quot you would be programming that would appeal to everyone from millennials to retirees, and urban Blacks to rural Hispanics.

[Hugin]

13. I will unashamedly admit I watched the Jerry Lewis telethons to the bitter end.

I even contributed to his cause a few times.

It was very much as you say, though. There was little choice as my folks were too cheap to buy cable.

Yes, for such a thing to be successful in modern times. It would have to be a wide scale multi-media campaign.

[Jirel]

15. That "big ask" would drive people out of their homes.

What a way to torque off anyone who’s an atheist, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, etc. or just plain under retirement age. Sure, let’s preempt their favorite shows for forced religious-based holiday “cheer.” You’ll have record numbers tuning out in favor of recorded/pirated shows, video games, and leaving home to do something more interesting than the equivalent of watching a Jerry Lewis telethon that died for good reason. It’s not like there is any shortage of Xmas pap already on that day, or available in people’s own collections.

[Hugin]

9. A reversed Telethon might bring in more viewers...

Say, viewers call in every hour for a chance to win some big prize.

Heck, if they gave away a month's supply of diapers, you might get the Tangeranus himself calling in to compete.

[3Hotdogs]

2. Is Elvis gonna sing Blue Christmas?

I'm in.

[In_The_Wind]

4. He's sings ...

[underpants]

8. A really, really, Willie nice Christmas And may it be a lot more green than blue

[Tanuki]

5. People might still go to each other's homes to enjoy watching the big show together.

[JI7]

6. Nobody cares about all that . People already have much more entertaining things to watch anytime

they want . I wouldn't watch it and I'm not going anywhere .

[underpants]

7. Can we have Mariah on every hour

All day long?

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. "...and here's your Master of Ceremonies, that Madcap Master of Mirth

and Merriment, the man who put the 'holy' back in 'holy shit!', the Winner of TWO Noble Prizes, the Man Who Shagged Stormy Daniels, the man who put the FUN back in FUNeral, Your Favorite President and Mine, DONallllllllllllllllllld TRUMP!!!..."

Might need some work. I'll get Mark Burnett on it.

[Jirel]

14. Something like that will not appeal to significant numbers of people

under 65. Variety shows and telethons are things of the past for a reason. I and a lot of friends would shoot the TV before watching something like that.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

16. Because the homes they'd otherwise visit don't have TVs?

Most people already spend many hours watching TV, whether in their own home or visiting someone.

While this kind of four day special is an interesting idea, the major networks won't even consider that, and it wouldn't keep anyone home who is otherwise planning to go somewhere.

I suppose descending on everyone's home and locking them in for those four days might help a little, but once the locks come off the idiots will still do what they want. And then be very, very surprised when someone in their group gets sick, and grandma dies after three weeks on a respirator.