During the corona lockdown, BlackLemon.Tv streamed 8,500 minutes of live programming: unique content, upbeat shows and engaging entertainment for audiences stuck at home. It was, says one of the platform’s founders, Andreas Phylactou an incredible achievement given the circumstances. Especially in that BlackLemon.Tv is the island’s very first web tv platform.
Like its namesake, black lemons (actually a type of lime, and a favourite all over the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East), this online tv channel aims to spice up our viewing: “Black lemons,” says Andreas, “are one of the favourite local products, full of qualities with a special twist! And that’s just what we’re doing!
“The need to create this platform came from three factors,” Andreas reveals. “The lack of quality and versatile productions which interest younger audiences, the fast pace of modern life, and easy and direct contact with technology. It’s a digital alternative to content consumption; a platform with no limits, no restrictions and no rules – a place where both imagination and creativity can be free!”
Which is very fitting, given that the platform was formed by a group of local creatives – filmmakers, writers, actors and audiovisual specialists who know just what younger audiences are after, and how viewing habits are changing…
“We launched in June 2016,” says Andreas, “the first and only local channel with a variety of content and genres. And though,” he notes, “there are many similar platforms around the world which are more genre specific, BlackLemon.Tv is the first on the island to create the versatile productions which are lacking in the mainstream media. It was time,” he smiles, “for a new player to arise, to shuffle the deck and change the way things are done.”
And what that means is an online platform that hosts unique programming. Shows such as Pe Mas Ta Llion the platform’s flagship product, in which Artemis and Andria chat about, discuss, comment on and “the good, the not so good and whatever needs talking about”; Geekout, hosted by Ivy and Frixos, and billed as “a show which covers all your geeky needs, from discussions, news, debates, trivia and all the hot topics from the Geek universe; and The Laughing Mouflon Show, in which outspoken stand-up comedian Constantinos Psillides expresses opinions on current news, cinema, technology, environmental issues and even pineapple as a pizza topping!
But it’s not just the programming which makes BlackLemon.Tv unique: all the content is streamed live and then available for download or streaming. “Each of the shows has a specific time slot,” says Andreas. “So viewers can either watch live or find the programme at a later date through the platform’s social media and website playlists. Live streaming takes place on Facebook and Vimeo and – from the autumn – also on YouTube: “By September,” says Andreas, “all our shows will be streamed live on all three platforms.”
It’s the television of the future, a way for audiences to watch and rewatch their favourite shows and – at the same time – interact with the presenters. Yes, unlike conventional programming, live viewers can directly interact with their favourite hosts: asking questions, raising issues, and – to a certain extent – driving the content.
“Online viewers have more needs,” says Andreas. “They have specific demands, and that often makes things a little more challenging. It requires devotion and flexibility both from our hosts and our crews.”
Filmed in the main in the BlackLemon.Tv studios, the shows are shot by a dedicated crew, ranging in number from one to six. “There’s no hard and fast rule about how each show is shot, or how many people are required,” Andreas explains. “Each episode of each show has different needs, and though you’ll always require at least one person who’s responsible for the artistic production, and a member of the crew who can manage the technical aspects – commonly referred to as the producer and the director – at BlackLemon.Tv we’re mostly multi-taskers: each wearing multiple creative hats. And this was especially true during Covid-19, when a host was often responsible for creating, producing and directing their content.”
BlackLemon.Tv responded to the lockdown not only by upping their content, but also by collaborating with local filmmakers and theatres. “During the corona period we formed two new collaborations,” Andreas discloses, “bringing our viewers an extensive list of Cypriot short films, as well as a list of past theatre shows.” But that’s by no means the last of the innovations…
“The coming months are going to be a bit of a frenzy,” Andreas laughs. “We’ve already grown far bigger and faster more than we initially imagined, and we now have all sorts of new collaborations in the works: shows on arts, on motherhood, on sports, entrepreneurship, science, history and lifestyle.
“We’re currently at the point when BlackLemon.Tv is ready to leap forward. We originally aimed our programming at younger viewers, those who were after something tailor-made to their needs rather than material for mass consumption. But now we’re ready to grow our demographic both upwards and downwards, adding shows that appeal to a wider range of ages, interests and languages.
“Unlike a traditional tv channel,” he adds, “we’re not limited by language: we can produce and distribute programming which appeals to all sectors of the population; we’re multi-lingual people in Cyprus, and that needs to be acknowledged.”
What began four years ago as a simple idea is, today, a platform that’s being watched and enjoyed by thousands of regular viewers. And while there’s still a long way to go, says Andreas, BlackLemon.Tv is now looking to build on its early successes: actively seeking investors and creating a dedicated app.
“The original idea was to produce and distribute short series of high quality that anyone could enjoy from any digital device, anywhere in the world. Four years on,” he concludes, “I think BlackLemon.Tv has surpassed our highest expectations!”
For more information, visit http://www.blacklemon.tv/ or the Facebook page ‘Black Lemon TV’
