Technology has proven to be both boon and bane to the television entertainment industry in the last few years.

The speed at which networks, producers and writers have had to adapt to the avalanche of digital developments and social media labyrinths has boggled the cyber-collective. There is no longer a sure-fire spin formula for new shows: Expensive, well-placed commercials and eye-catching billboards cannot guarantee ratings numbers. Even splashy high-profile celebrity names do not mean that people will tune in.

Through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, information and opinions are exchanged and shared at an almost instantaneous rate, and viewers are no longer content to wait for the reviews to come out in print or on traditional media outlets before making up their mind. There’s just too much choice out there to waste time.

Tonight’s premiere of “Lost Girl" on the Syfy network is a triumph of great television through digital technology almost two years in the making. Premiering in Canada in September 2010, produced and shot in Toronto and starring a talented cast with huge collective experience, but little south-of-the-border exposure, Showcase Television recognized immediately that they had a show on their hands with great potential as Canadian ratings soared ... but that’s where it would have probably stayed if not for the power of the Twitterverse and social media.

Asked about the influence of social media on the success of “Lost Girl” -- which follows the adventures of Bo, a human-raised succubus who discovers her heritage as a member of a hidden world of supernatural beings -- series stars Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried and Zoie Palmer were unanimous in their agreement that the global buzz about “Lost Girl” had spread and grown mostly in cyberspace.

As they responded to the question over conference call on Tuesday, it also became clear that social media had helped the cast members to become connected with their fan base in a way that would not have been possible even five years ago.

“We're actually quite lucky to have an executive producer who is quite media savvy,” explained Holden-Ried, who plays Dyson, the wolf-shifter and police detective (tweets as @krhkicks) “And he kind of learned early on, I believe from some of his other series or that's he's been involved with, about how influential Internet and media exposure can be. So he actually hired some people who he knew were quite ... who functioned well in that world…”

In particular, Kris gave props to @VampirePhile, who has been amazingly supportive of the show on all social media platforms.

Anna Silk, who plays Bo, the title character, (tweets as @Anna_Silk) added: ”There's been such an outpouring of support for the show. I mean people that follow us on Twitter and various things, they really are big fans of the show and really care about each character and each relationship.”

Expanding on her Twitter usage, she explained: ”Whenever I tweet, there's one girl in particular who always writes back within, usually a minute. Now if she doesn't, I start to get worried about her. I think she's in France, and I was like, 'Where is she? She hasn't written back.' I start to get worried, because the response is so quick. It's really great.”

Anna and Zoie (who jokingly accused Anna of stalking her own fans) both sent their love out to @smellycat1304, who is just fine and still extremely enthusiastic about her “Lost Girl” tweeps.

Playing Bo’s other love interest, Dr. Lauren, Zoie Palmer (tweets as @ZoiePalmer) was very excited about what social media had done for the show.

“I think it's been pretty great," Palmer said. "It's overwhelming, but it's been exceptional ... having the ability to interact with people who watch the show is kind of thrilling for us too, to be able to have that kind of feedback and to get a sense of how passionate the audience have been. And they have been very much so ... it's been great to actually be able to be a part of their response to it.”

Last spring, on the suggestion of Showcase Television digital promoters (tweet as @showcasedotca), many of the key cast members of “Lost Girl” took part in a week of open-to-the-public Twitter interviews.

Besides Anna, Kris and Zoie, Rick Howland, who plays Trick, the intrepid proprietor of the Dál Riata pub (tweets as @Rick_Howland) and K.C. Collins, who plays Dyson’s partner in crime-fighting, the oh-so-suave siren Hale (tweets as @kccollinsworld) spent an hour or so online answering questions and Tweet-chatting with fans of the show.

A resounding success, the experiment cemented loyalty of the global fanbase of this smart and sexy program, who have continued to spread the word around the world about their Fae-vourite show.

“Lost Girl” (Season 1, Episode 1: "It's a Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World") premieres tonight on Syfy at 10 p.m. ET.