NBC proudly presents some must-smell TV

It’s an old chestnut that we haven’t reached “the future” until there are flying cars. But smell-o-vision is a sign that we’re nearly there, and it has arrived. NBC’s My Name Is Earl is offering what it calls a “scratch and sniff” episode. From what I’ve gathered, the idea hinges on “a special scented insert card,” available on newsstands and to TV Guide subscribers, that viewers scratch and sniff when prompted by the show. That’s my best guess, at least. No one has explained how this gimmick—the latest in a series of them designed to distract viewers from how dull Earl really is—actually works. But if it’s anything like the latter seasons of The Drew Carey Show, which employed similar dog-and-pony shows in lieu of effective writing, it won’t.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

April 24, 2007 in Kiefaber | Permalink