Fans of the web’s snarkiest MC, rejoice! Daniel Tosh, host and brain behind Comedy Central’s tosh.0, has just launched a new site for all things “Tosh.”
The site, appropriately named “tosh.0 blog,” features a slew of interactive features like a caption challenge, “rename the video” challenge, an iPhone app and featured tweets from fans. More than just a rehash of the show, the site aims to extend Tosh’s typically snide, endearingly offensive commentary on the mishaps and happenings of digital pop culture.
The launch of the vertical is actually a big step for tosh.0, explained Steve Grimes, SVP of Comedy Central Digital. Grimes was quick to point out that the success of the show drove Comedy Central to give tosh.0 its own vertical, a distinction shared by a small number of the network’s most popular shows like The Colbert Report or South Park.
The tosh.0 blog has taken advantage of the web more so than its cohorts. “It’s the back and forth that we’re seeing between the show and the online experience,” Grimes said. “The fact that the blog is feeding the show and the show is feeding the blog.” Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the show is geared towards the digital crowd, regularly featuring viral clips and online celebrities. “We really felt that, more than any other show, tosh.0 is where the fans are a part of the show,” Grimes said.
While Tosh doesn’t write every single post on the site, Grimes assured me that Tosh does have a hand in developing the content, including a weekly live tweet of the show as it airs. This is part of a way to distinguish Tosh (Daniel) from the show (tosh.0) as separate but related entities. This was crucial while Tosh put the show on hiatus for a brief comedy tour. During that break, Grimes said traffic to the blog increased without it being featured on Comedy Central. Grimes said the show’s Facebook Page now receives between 10,000 and 15,000 new fans every day.
Fans of viral aggregation sites like thedailywh.at might find some similar concepts behind tosh.0 blog’s approach. It is set apart, however, by the distinctive voice of its comic-in-chief and a renewed emphasis on social media interaction.
The site still needs to work out a couple of kinks, but head on over and let us know what you think. Is this a big step for Tosh and Comedy Central, or just another TV show site? Should Tosh be writing all the content? Is that impractical? Let us know in the comments below.
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