TV and Twitter, increasing viewing experience

Years ago when the idea of interactive TV was first introduced, it seemed impossible that we could watch a TV programme and have a separate conversation with our friends all at the same time. Most of us developed a culture of speaking through the ads and reverting to silence when the programme resumed or we would wait for the next day to go over last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy with our friends or colleagues.

Fast forward to today and the same people you watched those early episodes with are the same people you connect with in real time on Twitter. What is great is that you do not have to be real life friends to be part of the conversation because you can simply follow your favourite TV shows on Twitter. Some South African favourites include #GreysAnatomy, #IdolsSA and #GameofThrones.

So how do you know which programme to watch when there are so many to choose from and loads of sporting events too? High volumes of tweets on a particular subject and hashtags spark a Twitter Trend, which acts as a flag alerting you of popular topics on Twitter in real time. This is great for those times when there are too many great TV programmes to chose from - now, you can follow them all on Twitter and channel hop depending on the conversations. Many fans of popular shows like @GreysABC have even opened accounts such as @GreysWetpaint and @YoureaGAfanif. These fan groups keep each other in the loop, with news on upcoming season premiers. Fan groups also leak stories about new cast signings.

Even if you're not a fanatic but just enjoy a show, you can follow the official hashtag, such as #GreysAnatomy; #SAIdols or you can keep up to date with the latest cricket score whilst watching the Tour de France.

Twitter enables you to watch your favourite TV programme and gives you a platform on which to share your thoughts and comments and connect with other fans.