Hawaii Five-0 plans to let viewers decide the ending of its Jan. 14 episode.

Here is the news release from CBS.com:

FOR THE FIRST TIME, A PRIMETIME DRAMA ALLOWS VIEWERS TO CHOOSE THE ENDING OF AN EPISODE IN REAL TIME

For the first time in television history, a primetime drama will allow viewers to choose the ending of an episode in real time when CBS’s HAWAII FIVE-0 lets fans vote on CBS.com or Twitter during the East and West coast broadcasts, Monday, January 14, 2013 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The mystery begins on H50 when the team must investigate the death of an O’ahu State University professor. His Boss, his Teaching Assistant and a Student who he busted for cheating are all viable suspects.

To vote, after each of the suspect’s motives is revealed, viewers will be directed to CBS.com or Twitter to select either #theBoss, #theTA or #theStudent as the culprit, any of whom could have committed the crime. The votes will be tallied immediately and the most popular ending will become part of the broadcast. Separate voting will occur for East/Central and Pacific Time zone broadcasts. The three different endings will all be available at CBS.com after the broadcasts.

“I’ve always felt the most fun aspect of watching a mystery is trying to figure out whodunit,” says Executive Producer Peter Lenkov. “Now the HAWAII FIVE-0 viewers will actually get the chance to tell us who they think committed the crime and we will listen. I love that our dedicated and attentive fans will actually play a part in resolving our story.”

I’m unclear on the mechanics of how this is going to work with separate Eastern and Western airings (especially since the CBS statement doesn’t mention the Mountain Time zone, in which I reside), or what will happen if viewers in different parts of the country choose different endings.

###

Stuart J. Robinson, a college friend of the TV Tyrant, is a writer, editor, media-relations practitioner and social-media guy based in Phoenix.