User:Squillante37/Bump The Show

Bump The Show (BUMP+) is an interactive web series launched in January 2010 from Yellow Line Studios. The show uses a 'reality' format and follows the stories of three women facing unintended pregnancies.

The show aims to address and influence the debate surrounding abortion; the premiere date was specifically chosen to coincide with the thirty-seventh anniversary of historic U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which granted American women a right to abortion. The show's format is unusual in that it requests viewers comment and participate on its website in message boards with personal stories and feedback that will affect the outcome of the series.

Creation
The series was inspired by U.S. President Barack Obama's May 2009 commencement speech to graduates at Notre Dame "to find ways to communicate about a workable solution to the problem of unintended pregnancies." BUMP+ aims to be a "neutral platform for that discussion" by leaving character's fates open-ended, including final decisions on whether each story's pregnancy will be terminated. The show's creators believe this will foster discussion with "authentic stories, honest communication, and – hopefully – a continuing dialog," rather than "political argument and rhetoric." Its "primary goal...is to enable a real conversation about the issue of abortion beyond the political and religious drama that dominates the national debate."

Broadcast dates
The series pilot premiered online on January 22, 2010, and thirteen additional episodes are scheduled for release on Mondays and Thursdays from February 1, 2010 to March 15, 2010.

Plot
The series follows three women who share the same doctor. The characters include a "conflicted military wife," a "fame-seeking sorority girl," and a "free-spirited mother of two" who are each unexpectedly pregnant and undecided about whether they will carry their pregnancies to term. A reality show producer follows each of them as they move toward decisions about their pregnancies.

Reception
Bump+ has earned praise for its innovative premise, with Beliefnet writing that "'Bump+' is one more example of how traditional, scheduled programming on TV is being left in the dust for more cutting edge, interactive, thought-provoking entertainment on the web." Online media site NewTeeVee praises "solid production values for its budget of a few thousand dollars — especially a very authentic doctor’s office set that was constructed on a soundstage — and an intriguing cast who help to make the show relatively compelling," while criticizing "the overly-meta inclusion of the reality series framework." The series' moral content has been criticized by a number of pro-life blogs for what is perceived as ambiguity about the morality of abortion.