Tell Tale Productions’ new web series Tall Ship Odyssey has set anchor on Discovery Channel’s website, marking the first time the specialty has used a website to market-test an idea.

The series (5 x 30 minute) follows Capt. Daniel Moreland, along with his family and crew, on a trip around the world’s oceans aboard the Barque Picton Castle. The series was developed with financing from the Bell Fund’s TV Development Online program and the Canada Media Fund and has a budget of $125,000.

After watching each episode online, viewers will have until Apr. 30 to answer a 10-question survey that asks them to not only rate the show, but to describe what they like or disliked specifically, who they watched the show with and what demo they are in. Based on that feedback, Discovery will make a decision about whether or not to greenlight the web series to TV.

Ken MacDonald, Discovery’s VP of programming, told Playback Daily that bowing the series online first gives Discovery an opportunity to provide unique content for its digital platforms and experiment with new content ideas.

“It also gives us the opportunity to continue to further-widen the circle of Canadian independent producers with whom we work,” he said.

According to MacDonald, Discovery has also implemented new commenting technology for Tall Ship Odyssey, which will allow viewers to leave comments at specific times during each episode. He said he believes this functionality will add context and value to those comments, while allowing the audience to see what others think during turning points in the show.

“It’s an opportunity to get instant and ongoing audience reaction, in a way that isn’t possible with television series,” Macdonald said.

For Tell Tale producer Edward Peill, who created the series Tall Ship Chronicles 15 years ago, revisiting the crew of the Picton Castle had been on his mind for a few years and according to him, “a no-brainer.”

“You take 45 people, stick them on a tall ship and send them off where they’re cut off from the rest of the world for weeks and months on end. It makes for good TV,” Peill said. “Mother Nature is a character as well. They [could be] having a great time and then she decides to throw something at [them] and everyone needs to come together and respond.”