One of this fall's big programming events wasn't actually broadcast on TV. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, a live-action series geared toward the launch of the new Xbox 360 video game, has become a hit for YouTube, where it runs on the young male-oriented Machinima Prime channel.
YouTube is taking on the traditional TV model in a big way, with the help of major stars, original programs like Halo 4 and big events like Felix Baumgartner's space jump, which broke YouTube user records on Oct. 14. A year after YouTube parent Google unleashed an aggressive $100 million initiative to launch around 100 original programming channels (and committed $200 million to market the channels), viewership on the platform was up 11 percent year-to-year in September.
It's a slow build, and so far YouTube's original programming initiative hasn't produced a hit that was big enough to enter the public consciousness. But according to newly released comScore data, YouTube users spent an average of 419.1 minutes watching video in September, compared to 378 minutes in Sept. 2011.
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Another fairy tale is getting the small screen treatment.
NBC is developing a drama series based on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland from CSI creator Anthony Zuiker, Deadline reports.
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YouTube is expected to announce Friday that it has partnered with several big names to present TV-style channels that will feature professionally produced shows, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
Although YouTube has been known to be a hub for amateur-produced fare such as wacky cat videos, makeup application tutorials, backyard stunts or personally recorded greetings, the video-sharing site is looking to branch out with programming that will compete with satellite and cable TV providers.
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Though the lineup leaked months ago, on Thursday the CW confirmed the cast of the upcoming "all-star" cycle of America's Next Top Model (premiering Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 9/8c). Eight out of the 14 aspiring whatevers are 25 years old or older, which is hilarious since even at a decade younger they'd still be kind of old to be getting into modeling. But America's Next Top Model is not the real world or even the fashion world (which is also not the real world), and creator/host Tyra Banks recently told Good Morning America that this cycle will be about more than just modeling anyway. "I have the girls singing songs, doing music videos, creating perfumes. You can't just be a model anymore ... Now it's about celebrity-celebrity, so that's what I'm doing with my all-stars," she said.
Panic attack hits America's Next Top Model
Joining her in doing celebrity-celebrity with her all-stars will be the usual motley crew of guest judges. Hilariously...
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