How ABC's 'Scandal' Gets 2,200 Tweets Per Minute
Feb 8, 2013, 22:45 IST
ABC screencapApproximately 132,000 tweets go out about Kerry Washington's ABC show "Scandal" in a one hour span. The show's January 31 episode was able to receive 2,200 tweets per minute, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The way they're getting those tweets is from a lot of cast help. THR reports the entire cast from Kerry Washington to Dan Bucatinsky will live tweet during the show using hashtags like #AskScandal and plot lines to generate online buzz. The result has given "Scandal" increased ratings in its second season practically solidifying the show as a mainstay show on the network (even repeat episodes are performing well). It's January 31st episode earned the series second-highest ratings ever and gave it its sixth consecutive week as the number one show at the 10 o'clock hour ahead of CBS' "Elementary" and NBC's "Do No Harm." And, that's good news for creator Shonda Rhimes considering her show "Private Practice" just took its final bow in season six and long-time ratings hit "Grey's Anatomy" is now in season nine. Though the 2,200 tweets of "Scandal" may seem like a lot, it pales in comparison to other shows. ABC Family's season 2 finale of "Pretty Little Liars" last March pulled in 32,000 tweets per minute, resulting in 645,000 at the end of the show's first broadcast. "Scandal" also isn't the first show to get its actors, or the network itself in on creating clever hashtags to gain viewers involvement on a second screen. AMC's "The Walking Dead" airs a buzzworthy hashtag for the night via "Talking Dead" aftershow host Chris Hardwick during a commercial break. "The Walking Dead" actor Norman Reedus has been counting down the days to the series return to fans. And, before it's long return from hiatus, NBC's "Community" faced one of the biggest tasks—keeping fans entertained through social media alone. It recently began promoting its season four return with the hashtag #TheHungerDeans in honor of the episode's direct parallel to the 2012 Jennifer Lawrence blockbuster "The Hunger Games." The cast from Alison Brie to Joel McHale get in on it, too. Any fan of the show on Twitter will be familiar with its long array of hashtags including #coolcoolcool #streetsahead and #sixseasonsandamovie.