For web-hipsters, March 17, 2007, marked more than just the standard St. Paddy’s Day debauchery, it also marked the end of The Show—new media wunderkind Ze Frank’s year-long experiment in vlogging.

The Show’s 3–5 minute “Daily Show-esque” webcasts didn’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but they did give industry folks and average Joes a better understanding of how Web 2.0 tools could (and should) be used to create interactive user experiences to build relationships and create advocates.

Unlike traditional television audiences, Ze’s 10,000-plus-daily viewers didn’t just sit back and get passively entertained. Instead, they became active participants—engaged contributors who submitted video show intros, defined show topics, and used Ze’s wiki site to collaborate on scripts for The Show’s “Fabuloso Friday” episodes. And Ze took part in the dialogue by using their clips, taking their suggestions, and responding to them on his blog and wiki, as well as The Show itself.

The Show’s successful model points to online audience-building lessons that big-time TV networks still need to wrap their heads around. So stay tuned, because while The Show may be over, Ze’s already diving into new projects, and whatever rabbit he pulls from his hat is sure to lead to the next new media trend.