AWESOMENESS BOLSTERS ORIGINALS WITH TWO NEW REALITY SERIES,
THE CLICK AND DATE DROP, IN REMOTE PRODUCTION
My Dream Quinceañera at Home Special and New Spinoff in Development,
Plus 100+ Brand-New Episodes and Pop Culture Segments
Across Multiple Awesomeness Series
Share it: @AwesomenessTV
LOS ANGELES—May 4, 2020—Awesomeness, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS, today announced the greenlight of two brand-new original series in remote production, created to entertain today’s Gen Z audiences. The Click (working title) follows several strangers in quarantine from different walks of life as they form new connections, and Date Drop is a new twist on speed dating that takes place entirely over videoconference. Production is underway on both series, with premieres scheduled to roll out in June on the AwesomenessTV YouTube channel.
In addition, Awesomeness is developing two new YouTube projects based on its hit My Dream Quinceañera (MDQ) series: My Dream Quinceañera at Home (working title), a three-part multiplatform special that involves fans in planning the ultimate at-home quinceañera celebration with two MDQ stars; and The Sweet Life of Honey, a new spin-off show following MDQ star Honey Robinson. Both shows will debut in May.
Following are additional details on Awesomeness’s new shows:
· The Click (six episodes): An AwesomenessTV original docu-series, The Click follows multiple quarantined strangers from all over, as they make new and intriguing connections, while tackling their new normal. Feeling as if they are living under one roof, the group will use a video chat platform to learn about each other by participating in a variety of activities that will potentially spark romantic relationships. Tara Cole is Supervising Producer.
· Date Drop (six episodes): Pushing the dating format into today’s world, six YouTube influencer contestants will meet their potential companions via videoconference "gallery mode" for a series of speed dates to find their perfect match. At any moment, the dater could “hang up” on a particular contestant, eliminating them from the game. Christopher Babers serves as Supervising Producer. Marta Palley is Associate Producer.
· My Dream Quinceañera at Home (working title, three episodes): In this three-week digital journey, fans will follow two My Dream Quinceañera stars who missed their big day in the works amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On a mission to celebrate virtually, cast will seek interactive fan input on party planning elements including voting on their party dress, hair and makeup looks, and the chance to join the cast in a virtual dance practice. The finale will culminate in a virtual quinceañera that will air in June, featuring surprise guest appearances. Tara Cole is Supervising Producer.
· The Sweet Life of Honey (three episodes): The series will follow My Dream Quinceañera star Honey Robinson and her family during life in quarantine, fresh off planning and celebrating Robinson’s quinceañera. Tara Cole is Supervising Producer.
Continuing to build upon its slate of innovative programming, Awesomeness is also in development on 100+ new episodes and pop culture segments for its ongoing YouTube originals: The Daily Report, Life After Quince, Model Material, Cheerleaders, Growing Up Eileen and Vs., which features new guest stars including Brent Rivera, Lexi Rivera, Lexi Hensler, Andrew Davila, Alan and Alex Stokes, the Lopez Brothers, Hannah Meloche, Alex Guzman and Ben Azelart.
About Awesomeness
Awesomeness, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS, is a media company focused on serving the global Gen Z audience through its digital publishing, film and television studio divisions. Awesomeness has become the destination for youth culture, cultivating a loyal audience with hit programming on the world’s biggest streaming services including Netflix (smash-hit film series “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “Trinkets”) and Hulu (Emmy® award-winning “Zac & Mia”, Emmy® nominee “Pen15”), along with the company’s immensely popular short-form programs on YouTube (“Brent Rivera’s Dream Vacation,” “My Dream Quinceañera,” “Malibu Surf”), that garner hundreds of millions of views. As a leading media brand, Awesomeness’ worldwide distribution footprint spans owned, social and premium SVOD platforms. The company also includes a creative agency, creator network, and brand partnerships division. Founded in 2012, Awesomeness is headquartered in Los Angeles, with additional offices in New York.
From MediaPost:
Awesomeness Greenlights 2 Remote YouTube Series
Rather than waiting out the pandemic, some entertainment companies are adapting to its unique limitations.
ViacomCBS’s Awesomeness just greenlit two original series in remote production, which are expected to debut on YouTube in June.
Tentatively titled “The Click,” the first show is a docu-series that brings together a group of young strangers as they adjust to life under quarantine, and overcome the limitations of video chat to achieve intimate connections.
The second show, “Date Drop,” subjects YouTube influencers to speed dating via videoconference.
Both projects are targeting Generation Z viewers, which have had some of their prime dating years interrupted by the health crisis.
Each series is also designed to serve as a distraction from the seriousness of the COVID-19 crisis, according to Nikki Scoggins, senior vice president, creative at Awesomeness Digital Studio.
“We came up with these new formats as a way to create and connect with our audience while in quarantine, but brands don’t have to be concerned about being associated with the serious tone in today’s marketplace that may not work for them right now,” Scoggins said. “We wanted to do something that’s fresh, fun and will be evergreen when things are back to normal.”
Still looking for sponsors, Scoggins said food and QSR brands would be perfect for both projects.
“Those categories lend themselves to easy integration,” she said. “For the dating shows, eating the same food or getting take out from the same place helps to share an experience, even if you’re on a date on video conference.”
Awesomeness is also developing two new YouTube projects based on its hit show “My Dream Quinceañera.”
One is a three-part multiplatform special, which will attempt to engage fans in planning an at-home quinceañera celebration, while the other will follow Honey Robinson, one of show’s existing stars.
Separately, Awesomeness says that more than 100 new episodes are currently in development to support its existing titles, including “The Daily Report,” “Life After Quince,” “Model Material” and “Cheerleaders,”
If and when entertainment companies can return to normal is an open question. Among other issues, producers and unions must first agree on new post-outbreak industry standards.
As part of a broader restructuring last year, Brian Robbins, Nickelodeon president, was assigned to oversee Awesomeness, which he cofounded. It was acquired by Viacom in 2018.
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Originally published: Tuesday, May 05, 2020 at 01:04 BST.
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