If you've never seen world-class canoeing or handball, you'll get a chance in the next couple of weeks. Unprecedented 24-hour coverage of the Olympics will be available through live streaming and on-demand viewing on computers. During the last Games, Web coverage mimicked that of the television broadcasts - only finals of the most popular sports got any airtime. This time, more than 2,000 hours of live content and 3,000 hours of on-demand video will be accessible via sites such as NBCOlympics.com.
Has the internet finally surpassed broadcast television in reach and immediacy? An event of global interest such as the Olympics is the perfect litmus test - and you can be the judge.
Popularity in the blogosphere confers real power these days, the kind that translates into fame on and offline. A case in point is Food Lovers Guide to the Planet (National Geographic; Mondays at 8pm), a James Beard Award-winning TV show that focuses on people with a passion for food. It dedicates an episode each to four digital critics of the edible world.
One of the food bloggers featured is Hong Kong's Cha Xiu-bao (also known as Josh Tse). A prolific eater, blogger and photographer (his Flickr portfolio holds more than 13,000 photos - almost all of food he has consumed), Tse decided to write in English because he wants westerners to appreciate the breadth of Cantonese (and other) cuisine. It seems to be working. Among those inspired by his exploration is none other than Anthony Bourdain, who dined with Tse as part of his No Reservations series. We caught up with Tse for a quick chat (online, of course) about the making of his segment in Food Lovers Guide - which happened on one of the hottest days last year.
'That was some scorching heat!' he types. 'I was sun-stroked and dehydrated after filming all day in Nam Sang Wai - the armpit of nowhere and the closest place to the sun on Earth.' Watch Tse melt and meet the other bloggers - chef-groupie Pim, Australian Mark Lowerson and pastry chef David Lebovitz - on their food-obsessive journeys.
For more late-night fare, try Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Star World; Tuesdays to Saturdays, at midnight). The show is in its fifth year in the US and for the Hong Kong launch, three special episodes will be aired on consecutive days. The 1,000th show (Star World; Saturday at 9pm) features a spirited, face-lifted fitness freak Richard Simmons, Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives and musical guest Kid Rock. In the Sunday and Monday shows, the internet rears its head once again. In Sunday's episode, Kimmel features a YouTube video made by his then girlfriend, comedienne Sarah Silverman, singing about the joys of having sex with Matt Damon. On Monday, tune in to see Kimmel's elaborate counterattack involving a Speedos-wearing Ben Affleck.
