ABC is introducing a new feature aimed at “encouraging viewers who stream their favorite shows online to make the experience more social”. Right, like we needed encouraging to talk amongst ourselves.

This Saturday, according to MediaWeek:

… the network will launch ABC Social: Episode Commentary on ABC.com. The new tool allows Web viewers to add their two cents by commenting on the show in an adjacent window to the left of the site’s video viewer. Users can log in to this feature using their Facebook accounts and can instantly share their personal commentary with their Facebook friend circles if they so choose.

ABC is using this week’s premiere of the sci-fi remake V to kick off ABC Social—as the show’s debut episode will be the first to incorporate the functionality starting this weekend. To make ABC Social more compelling—and to stoke the passion of sci-fi fans—the site will include commentary from V executive producers Scott Peters and Steve Pearlman. ABC plans to include such “insider” commentary alongside other shows down the road—potentially including commentary from actors, network executives and show staffers, journalists and even bloggers.

Executives at ABC see Social as a differentiator in an increasingly cluttered online video landscape, according to Alexis Rapo, vp, digital media, ABC Entertainment. “This definitely allows us to engage with a deeper, broader audience,” she said, comparing the experience to the “DVD extras” model. “It’s so wide ranging in terms of the commentary that might be available. We have lots of interesting ideas keep coming into play.”

Why bother?

ABC is testing inserted ads within the stream of comments within the ABC Social feed. “We think this is going to be a compelling opportunity for our advertisers,” Rapo said.

Ah yes, of course. The search for the mighty dollar.

The notion of providing extended commentary is appealing, especially for SciFi fans — the BBC has done a sterling job of catering to that community with its DR WHO CONFIDENTIAL companion series to the rebooted DR WHO, which takes fans behind the scenes. But we’re unconvinced that a social stream is needed, especially one with ads.

All very fashionable, we guess.

Tags: abc entertainment, Facebook, sci fi fans, scifi fans, social, web viewers