TVSquad

Do you like trailers? Does the idea of a quick wrap up of what you missed in previous episodes make sense to you? Are you a fan of clip shows, i.e. an episode devoted to highlights from past shows? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're likely going to be really happy about this: Eyelab has been re-editing programming into mini-versions of CBS shows for distribution online. TV Squad had a report about this a while back, but now it's fully operational. Take a look at this Real Hollywood Story/The New Adventures of Old Christine mini, which is posted after the jump.

It's pretty creative actually. They have been able to synthesize an episode of Big Bang Theory to a little more than 90 seconds. That's hardly a satisfying meal for most, but it'll give you a taste. Think about this Eyelab thing as tapas or appetizers. It's a sample of the bigger menu available on the network.

That's what CBS is hoping anyway. The Eyelab crew -- all under 30, if that's supposed to be a sign that computer/online techies are all Generation X or younger -- are producing 20-50 clips each week for nearly 200 web sites, including AOL, MSN, Juiced, CNet, Bebo and dozens that are part of CBS and its affiliates. The network believes that web surfers are of the YouTube bent, preferring short bites of video rather than a full episode. CBS is banking on the idea that a snippet of their shows are as satisfying as the whole episode, but only online. They still want you to tune in and watch their shows!

The Eyelab formula is not set in stone. There are highlights, yes, but these folks have a sense of humor, too. They've done promos with a twist, like the Slapfest sequences from How I Met Your Mother spliced together, and another that shows just how often David Caruso whips off those sunglasses on CSI: Miami. (In fact, it was some YouTube genius out there that first put a Caruso calvacade together.)

"The bottom line is we just don't want to create something that you can see anywhere else," said Ron Scalera, executive vice president and creative director for CBS Marketing. He recruited the Eyelab team -- all four of them.
It's too soon to assess the success of the Eyelab productions. Their work for Jericho put a spotlight on the show, but it didn't do much to boost the ratings.