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.
Production
Creation
The series was inspired by U.S. President Barack Obama's May 2009 commencement speech to graduates at the University of 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," with the hope that 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."
Format
According to the show’s producers, Bump+ "is an experiment to see if a story where nearly four decades of angry rhetoric and political posturing have failed." "Viewers are encouraged to submit their own stories and comments" through comment pages and message boards on show's website. Also, producers say that viewers "will decide how our characters’ stories will end," since the writing team "will craft the final episodes based on audience feedback." 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.

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See Also

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