14 DAY TRIAL // Yahoo has announced that it will be creating a couple of half-hour comedy shows that will be premiered next year on Yahoo Screen.
The company is effectively entering the long list of digital platforms to create their own original series, AdAge reports.
This isn’t the first time that Yahoo has made an attempt to create such shows, but it is the first time that the company will be creating TV-style scripted series. The company seems to be hoping to follow in the footsteps of companies such as Netflix and perhaps to even transform Yahoo Screen into an entertainment landmark company.
The two series will each have eight episodes. One will be produced by Paul Feig, director of “Bridesmaids,” while the other will be directed by Mike Tollin (“Smallville” and “One Tree Hill”) and Bryan Gordon (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”).
“Sin City Saints” is the name of a comedy set in the front office of a fictional basketball team. The show will focus on a Silicon Valley millionaire who has always wanted to buy a pro basketball team but who finds himself in way over his head.
“Other Space” is a sci-fi show that is set in the early 22nd century when the human race has already checked out the entire Universe and didn’t manage to find alien life. A spaceship discovers an alternate universe and so they start exploring this new world that’s more dangerous than the one they live in.
Yahoo’s new original shows will premiere in full, which means that no one will have to wait weeks on end to find out how they end. Instead, binge watching is encouraged and will probably be practiced by many since the ideas of the shows sound enticing.
The company is reportedly planning to announce two more long-form shows in the next couple of months. Another two new shows are currently being produced with news anchor Katie Couric, who has recently joined Yahoo.
Firstly, Couric has been working on “World 3.0,” an interview series that will put the focus on people who are “hacking” life. The second show is called “Now I Get It,” and it seems like it’s going to be a news summary.
Yahoo also plans to offer some live programming after it partnered up with Live Nation to create a dedicated video channel on Yahoo Screen. Music performances and artists’ interviews will most likely be the focus.