The WB is back, starting August 27, when the Warner Bros. Television Group officially launches TheWB.com – a premium, ad-supported, video-on-demand, interactive and personalized network – to the public. Announced in April, TheWB.com had previously been in private beta. TheWB.com will feature full episodes of fan-favorite series that have shaped popular culture and inspired devoted followings over the past decade, including the previously announced “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Everwood,” “Friends,” “Gilmore Girls,” “The O.C.,” “One Tree Hill,” “Roswell,” “Smallville” and “Veronica Mars.” Additional series newly acquired for TheWB.com and not previously announced include “Angel,” “Babylon 5,” “Firefly,” “In Living Color,” “The Loop” and “MADtv.”
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The WB is back, starting August 27, when the Warner Bros. Television Group officially launches TheWB.com – a premium, ad-supported, video-on-demand, interactive and personalized network – to the public. Announced in April, TheWB.com had previously been in private beta.
ReplyDeleteTheWB.com will feature full episodes of fan-favorite series that have shaped popular culture and inspired devoted followings over the past decade, including the previously announced “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Everwood,” “Friends,” “Gilmore Girls,” “The O.C.,” “One Tree Hill,” “Roswell,” “Smallville” and “Veronica Mars.” Additional series newly acquired for TheWB.com and not previously announced include “Angel,” “Babylon 5,” “Firefly,” “In Living Color,” “The Loop” and “MADtv.”
TheWB.com will also debut original series from such creative talent as director/producer McG (the upcoming “Terminator Salvation,” “Supernatural,” the “Charlie’s Angels” films) and writer/producer Josh Schwartz (“Gossip Girl,” “Chuck,” “The O.C.”), among many others. A selection of both fan-favorite and original series will be available at launch and others will roll out in coming weeks and months.
“TheWB.com is a new digital destination built from the ground up for the same 16-34 year-old audience that embraced The WB when it was a television phenomenon,” said Brent Poer, GM, TheWB.com. “We have loaded the site with their favorite classic series like ‘Friends’ and ‘The OC,’ high-quality original programming and a wide array of sharing features, mash-up tools, and interactivity options to fit their lifestyle.”
Original and acquired series will include:
“Sorority Forever” (premieres September 8): Director/producer McG, through his Wonderland Sound and Vision banner, teams up with Big Fantastic – producers of the hit digital series “Prom Queen” – on an innovative mystery/drama which peeks behind the walls of one of the most intriguing secret societies in the world: the sorority. With a mystery around every corner, “Sorority Forever” will provide viewers with a sexy, immersive experience that is simultaneously realistic and voyeuristic: Think “Prom Queen” meets “The O.C.,” but set in college. The series stars Jessica Rose (“lonelygirl15”), Mikaela Hoover, Taryn Southern, Anabella Casanova, Candice Patton, Annemarie Pazmino, Jessica Morris, Cary Hungerford, Angie Cole, David Loren and Joaquin Pastor. McG will executive produce, along with Big Fantastic creators/executive producers Douglas Cheney, Chris Hampel, Chris McCaleb and Ryan Wise.
“Blue Water High” (premieres August 27): The ultimate adventure comes to life for six Australian teenagers in this drama set at an exclusive, ultra-competitive surf academy where they live, study, surf and socialize together. At the end of the grueling 12-month residential athletic and academic program, two surfers – one male and one female – will win the prize they’ve all been fighting for: admission to the professional surfing circuit and a sponsorship contract. Series stars include Adam Saunders, Chris Foy, Kate Bell, Khan Chittenden, Sophie Luck and Tahyna Tozzi.
“A Boy Wearing Makeup” (premieres August 27): Mathieu Francis is a boy … who wears makeup … and looks fabulous. In this highly personal online video diary, Mathieu dispenses makeup advice and fashion tips while taking viewers along on his own personal journey. Imagine what a boy this pretty can teach you.
“Whatever Hollywood” (premieres August 27): Suri, Apple and Shiloh are three best friends who are taking Hollywood by storm and playing by their own rules. Tune in to their self-described fun and silly short films (many featuring their own original music), as well as the reality-style “Whatever Show.” As smart as they are beautiful, this talented trio hates waiting for Hollywood to answer their calls … so they decided to do it for themselves. Whatever, Hollywood! “Whatever Hollywood” stars Ellyn Ruschak as Suri, Alyssa Ruschak as Shiloh and Jenny Alden as Apple.
Additional original and acquired series launching throughout 2008 and first quarter 2009 include:
Untitled Josh Schwartz Music Project: Created by Josh Schwartz (“The O.C.,” “Chuck,” “Gossip Girl”) and executive produced with Alexandra Patsavas (music supervisor for “The O.C.,” “Gossip Girl,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Mad Men”), this new, web-exclusive series is set in the music world, taking viewers to the front of the line and behind the soundboard of a fictional Hollywood rock club and chronicling the lives and loves of the club’s employees, patrons and musicians. The series, from Schwartz’s College Hill Pictures, will also feature on-camera performances by bands both established and unknown. Written in part by some of the music industry’s most original voices – rock critics and musicians alike – and married to a dynamic music networking website, this series will be the place to discover a new generation of stars and the next great bands.
“Rich Girl, Poor Girl”: From Gary Auerbach, the executive producer and creator of “Laguna Beach” and “Newport Harbor,” this reality series takes a wealthy Orange County, Calif., girl and swaps her life with that of a low-income teen from Los Angeles. It’s a comedic experiment in what makes us different – while also pointing out what we have in common.
“Exposed”: Through his Wonderland Sound and Vision banner, McG executive produces a thriller about a college student, haunted by a hidden past, trying desperately to remain undercover when former associates hunt him down and threaten to expose the truth about who he really is. Blake Calhoun and Mike Maden (creators of the hit Internet series “Pink”) are co-executive producers for Alternative Fuel, LLC. Calhoun directs from a story and screenplay by Maden.
“High Drama: Against All Oz”: Created by James Percelay (“Snaps,” “Saturday Night Live”), this unscripted series documents the production of a big-budget high school musical, bringing viewers all the real and imagined behind-the-scenes drama on and off the stage. Percelay, Paul Doyle and Rich Rosenthal serve as executive producers.
“Chadam”: Cutting-edge artist Alex Pardee and producer Jason Hall of HDFILMS Inc. are teaming up on a 3D animation project based upon Pardee’s character of the same name. Initially introduced as a character icon for the popular rock band The Used, Chadam has become an Internet phenomenon. An action-horror-adventure story filled with self-discovery, “Chadam” will come to full 3D animated life via the magic of Unreal Engine 3, the leading technology and development framework that powers cutting-edge games such as “Gears of War” and “BioShock” on today’s popular platforms, including PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
“Downers Grove”: Alden, Brett, Pudge, and Jodi never grew up. When everyone their age went away to college, they stayed in the suburbs, always on the prowl for the next party and never far from disturbing the peace. In Downers Grove, you can never go home again. So they never left. “Downers Grove” stars David Horwitz, Michael Blaiklock, Anne Gregory, Ashton Grant and Kasia Szarek.
“Joni & Susanna”: This series follows two best friends/frenemies in their 20s who redefine codependent and love to hate each other. They do everything together, know everything about each other and talk exclusively about everyone around them. Each episode tracks the couple in a different setting as they call out each other’s insecurities and try and maintain the upper hand at all times. “Joni & Susanna” stars Joni Lefkowitz and Susanna Fogel.
TheWB.com will feature state-of-the-art community and social networking tools as well as editing and mixing capabilities that allow visitors to take ownership of their favorite characters and relationships. Viewers can control, customize, reorder, re-edit and reinterpret shows in a very personal way.
In support of the launch, TheWB.com has created a new application on Facebook® Platform that will allow seamless integration of Facebook’s social utility on TheWB.com, and TheWB.com’s entertainment content on Facebook. Facebook users will have the ability to move, mix-up and share the content on TheWB.com from within their own Facebook environment, which is in keeping with WBTVG’s goal of delivering programming to viewers wherever they may be. Facebook users will be able to add TheWB.com-created application and feature video, photos and more on their profile page; watch full-length episodes or clips from their favorite series, as well as new original series created exclusively for the TheWB.com; and discuss favorite moments, story lines or characters with their network of friends within Facebook.
Additionally, Warner Bros. Television Group has secured distribution agreements with Dailymotion, Joost, Sling Media, TiVo and Veoh Networks to feature TheWB.com programming.
i was never that into friends.
ReplyDeletemy friend LOVED it.
its hard to understand the hype when your not a fan