Startups as Sitcoms? Try These Shows

What would viewers think if startups were the inspiration for TV shows?

Image: Lorenz Tim / Shutterstock

It was probably only a matter of time before a TV producer decided that Groupon—whose chief executive Andrew Mason has his own in-office outhouse after all—was ripe fodder for a sitcom.

Entertainment Weekly reports that among the comedy pilots picked up by CBS is one that partially takes place in the Los Angeles "headquarters" of the daily deal startup, which is actually based in Chicago. The show, called Friend Me (and, no, we don’t get why it sounds more like a show about Facebook either), is described as follows:

Twentysomething best friends Evan and Rob move from their hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, to Los Angeles to begin their exciting new lives working at Groupon. Evan is having trouble breaking his old slothful habits and, rather than go out after work to explore LA and meet new people, prefers to play online poker with his buddies back home. Rob has different plans and is determined to drag Evan, kicking and screaming, along with him.

A geek and an extrovert teaming up as buddies does not blow us away with its originality, but we look forward to the hilarity that will hopefully ensue at pretend Groupon. And while Groupon is not in any way involved, we think Andrew Mason making a guest appearance could be good for all involved. Meanwhile, here's our thoughts on some other startups that could be must-see TV:

Bones: The Facebook Edition—Now that Facebook has made the Facebook Timeline mandatory, what about a crime drama that would have a Mark Zuckerberg-inspired character playing the role of forensic anthropologist for those who vanish, leaving only their Facebook profiles rather than bones for clues?

Thrillist Falls for Jezebel—In the spirit of Moonlighting, viewers get taken on a "will they or won't they" journey that tracks the exploits of an editor from the guy-centric startup Thrillist, which alerts faithful readers to new bars and restaurants and to stimulating blogs like “I am friends with sluts.” In the pilot episode, one of the men-behaving-badly bloggers meets a female scribe from Jezebel, the just-as-raunchy girl power blog aimed at women.

Surf's Up—What exactly happens when there’s a sofa surfer you’ve never met before sleeping in your living room? That’s the premise of this new reality show inspired by Couchsurfer, the not-for-profit turned for-profit B corporation that has generous hosts opening their doors to global adventurists. Watch out Jersey Shore.

Spotified—Streaming startup Spotify already has the name that lends itself to TV—there’s a certain tabloid feel to it that suggests paparazzi—so now it’s just a matter of developing a story line for this song-streaming startup. In this show, a lawman played by Justified's Timothy Olyphant goes after digital pirates who are stealing music and movies. Watch the capture and prosecution of a 16-year-old who claims she innocently sent her friends the latest from Justin Bieber without knowing it was stolen.

Anyone with doubts about TV and startups not mixing should consider the case of the tequila brand Avion, which was around before it became part of the story line on Entourage but has certainly benefited from the tie-in.