Introducing 'newpeats'

Call it the illusion of originality. Instead of airing a plain old repeat that will get only so-so ratings, why not freshen up the original episode by editing out a little stuff, adding new stuff and calling the whole thing a "newpeat"? NBC plans just such a scheme next week with two previously seen episodes of "The Office" that have been re-cut into an hour-long show. From the WSJ:

In an age where old TV episodes are widely distributed online -- in some cases just hours after they air -- networks are struggling to attract audiences to the repeats on their schedules. The Big Four networks in decades past could count on a significant audience to turn up for reruns because there wasn't that much competition. But with video games, the Internet, DVDs sporting extras and the continued proliferation of cable all competing for their time, audiences expect something more.

Actually, repeats of "The Office" do relatively well compared with, say, "Lost," which has crashed so badly the second time around that ABC has stopped airing them. Among shows faring the best over the years: "Seinfeld," "The Cosby Show" and "Law & Order" - understandable, really, because they're not serials that require dutiful watching.