Last month we reported that web-to-TV drama "Quarterlife" had a less than stellar network TV debut. After the first episode drew disappointing Nielsen numbers, NBC canceled the show and moved the remaining episodes to cable channel Bravo.

So why doesn't a lage online following mean success offline? I can think of two reason. First, many media consumers on the Internet are just that, media consumers on the Internet. Yeah, they want more episodes of their favorite shows, but they want to keep consuming that content their way: via the web on sites like YouTube or BitTorrent. Which until online video monetization is figured out, may not really be feasible (a single episode of a scripted drama like "Jericho" can cost in the millions of dollars to produce).

Second, and perhaps more significantly, social networking tools have provided a means for people to organize more quickly and effectively around a shared passion than we've seen in the past. We noted last month that Facebook has been used to organize large political rallies and successful online fund drives, and we saw the same phenomenon in this year's US presidential elections. Specifically, Ron Paul supporters were able to use the web to effectively organize around their candidate and dominate coverage on online social media sites like Digg and YouTube, as well as raise a ton of money. But just like with the TV shows, that online movement didn't translate to offline support.

Simply, online tools have provided a way for a small group of impassioned people to make a lot of noise.

What do you think? Are there any other reasons why strong online numbers haven't translated well to the TV? Do you think Internet fandom will ever be ready for primetime? Share your thoughts in the comments.

3.9 million viewers far outstrips the number of viewers the show attracted on MySpace. The top rated episode of Quarterlife on MySpace (episode 24) had 557,000 views over 3 months. That's an impressive number for a web-based series, but still a far cry from 3.9 million viewers. In fact, the total 4.3 million plays for the entire series on MySpace is only just above the number of viewers that the show pulled on TV (and that's plays, not unique viewers). The latest episode of the show, uploaded February 8, has just about 45,000 views.

Clearly, NBC was hoping that buzz on the web would translate to buzz on the tube, and along with traditional promotion and critical reviews (which were positive for Quarterlife), the show would do well. But it could be that they over estimated the power of the web buzz. Consider that Quarterlife's official MySpace page has 14,000 friends, while this clearly unofficial fan-made profile for Grey's Anatomy, a true TV hit, has over 20,000 friends. While Quarterlife's debut was a bomb by TV standards, it might not have been so bad by web-to-TV standards.

As Media Life Magazine points out, though, this was an experiment that likely didn't cost much for NBC. So look for more web-to-TV programming in the future.

What web-based shows do you think could make it on the traditional airwaves? Diggnation? Rocketboom? The ScobleShow? Let us know in the comments below.

"Some episodes of 'Quarterlife,' a drama about a group of good-looking people in their 20s, have yet to attract 100,000 video views, according to combined view counts from MySpace’s video site and YouTube," writes Brian Stelter. "The low traffic numbers are significant because the series has been touted as the first television-quality production for the Web, as well as the first to be introduced online as a warm-up for its network debut." We reported in November that NBC was in talks with Herskovitz about "Quarterlife," and the network will begin broadcasting the show as a one-hour drama starting in February.

Earlier this year, Mediaweek reported on the success of Michael Eisner's high-profile scripted web show, "Prom Queen." Halfway into its 80-day run, the show had racked up 5.2 million views -- 3.7 million on MySpace, which was promoting the show. But its 90-second length doesn't leave much time for advertising on a traditionally ad-support medium.

Even Herskovitz wasn't impressed by Prom Queen: "'Prom Queen,' at its top, was doing 300,000 views per episode," he told the New York Times. "Three hundred thousand views on television would be quick death, but that’s just the way the world is right now for scripted content on the Internet. We’re trying to change that." But can he?

Everything needn't look so gloomy for scripted shows on the web. Clips of scripted bits from television are some of the most popular videos on the Internet. Before NBC moved it's famous "Dick in a Box" to Hulu, it racked up millions of views on YouTube and TVGuide even called it the funniest video online. Amateur parodies and live performances of it on YouTube are still getting more views than shows like "Quarterlife."

That indicates that scripted material can perform well on the web (further, look at the success of early scripted web shows like Ninjai or Homestarr Runner). However, just like not every show will do well on the TV (how many did NBC cancel last year?), not every scripted web show will be a hit. But due to shorter formats, quicker response times, and smaller production budgets, not every failed show need be a studio-sinking disaster, either. That means studios can feel more free to experiment with more radical formats and ideas on the web and see what sticks. I think the future is bright for original, professionally-produced web video content.