Television broadcaster Sean Hannity has broken new ground in the commercial age for using crowdsourcing for a show’s backstory.
Hannity acted in several segments of a live, four-hour presentation in New York City on Friday of “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”
The “soft launch” was designed to harness social media to represent the characters and catch viewers tuning in to the show.
Hannity and his crew filmed video of the characters interacting with everyday people.
The actors represented the original 1970s cast, led by Frankie Muniz and Lisa Whelchel.
They appeared with a real alchoholic named Andy Krell to discuss drinking habits. Krell said he got to know John Randolph (played by ‘Facts of Life’) by getting his job as a school janitor.
If you’re wondering, the characters are still together. Will & Grace’ actor Sean Hayes played the role of Tucker.
Other celebrity guests joined to discuss the future of the show. Those included Dirty Dancing’s Jennifer Grey, “Thriller” actor Michael Jackson, and comedian Kathy Griffin.
All of the stories will be available to see on the social media account of HandmadeTV’s Sean Hannity.
The series will air Thursdays in October on C-SPAN.
Watch a clip of the “Good Morning America” studio audience watching the program.