Does the Future of TV Lie Outside of the Box?

Just wanted to throw out a quick post about a topic that my friends and I spent a few minutes discussing tonight: How much of the appeal of a television show theses days comes from the show itself or the 'extra' content surrounding it?

FOX's new hit show, Glee, is the perfect example of this. Sure, the show itself is fabulous, but a lot of the show's charm comes from the 'extras' surrounding it. Not only can you watch Glee live on television but you can download the music from the show on iTunes or tweet @ the cast members to tell them how much you love the show (or if you hate it). FOX even has "tweet-peats", which are repeats of that week's episode that air on Fridays along with cast members' tweets across the bottom of the screen. They've even worked with Hitviews and recruited their YouTube stars to promote the show in an original way. Because I love Glee, here's a example of what the Hitview partnership has created:

Essentially, FOX has created a new level of accessibility for this show, and if the ratings continue to build it seems like it will only be a matter of time before other shows amp up their 'extras' in an attempt to build an extremely loyal fan base that consistently tunes in week to week.