The motormouthed talking head behind hit YouTube show What the Buck? has signed a development deal with HBO.
Details are scarce about the new pact between comedian Michael Buckley and the cable network's digital media offshoot, HBO Labs. But one thing is for certain: Buckley's rapid-fire delivery of celebrity news won't be part of it.
"I am sure that my YouTube audience will enjoy seeing me in another format," said Buckley, 33, in an e-mail interview Wednesday. "And of course, I am hoping to attract a new audience of people who do not enjoy seeing a camp gay guy taking the piss out of [singer] Miley Cyrus."
The track record for cewebrities attempting to make a splash in the mainstream is mediocre at best. Still, some do crossover successfully: YouTuber Brooke "Brookers" Brodack inked a development deal with late-night TV host Carson Daly in 2006, and LisaNova briefly performed on sketch variety show MadTV in 2007.
"None of these deals have really amounted to much," said Alice Marwick, who studies net celebrities and online culture as a Ph.D. candidate at New York University. "It really remains to be seen if any of these stars -- who are talented in their medium -- are viable when mixed with traditional media."
It remains to be seen if Buckley's HBO work can draw even a portion of his fans from YouTube, where his catalog of more than 200 videos has racked up an estimated 80 million views and gained What the Buck? a coveted slot as one of the site's Top 10 "Most Subscribed" channels. If he can, he might hit a network home run.
According to Marwick, luring old fans to the new project is the hardest part. Buckley's viewership was built around his web personality and his fast-talking, two-minute bursts of opinionated news, but his new show is likely to be a comedy series that follows a fictional story arc.
Buckley declined to provide a time line or any monetary details about the show or his HBO Labs deal, and HBO did not respond to a request for comment. For now, Buckley said, he's putting his pen to the paper, fleshing out concepts for the project.
"The goal is to get it on television," said Buckley. "I am sure there will be a web component since the web is my home."
YouTube fans who watch Buckley's ADD-fueled hybrid between The Daily Show and Entertainment Tonight will still be able to catch What the Buck? regularly on Google's video site: Buckley said he has no plans to discontinue the series (embedded).
Before he trots out his script on the cable network, he'll get the chance to test his acting sea legs on Hooking Up Show, a web serial produced by HBO Labs that debuts Oct. 1. Buckley will appear alongside other well-known YouTube personalities, including sXePhil and LonelyGirl15 alum Jessica Rose.
link
never herd of him.
Details are scarce about the new pact between comedian Michael Buckley and the cable network's digital media offshoot, HBO Labs. But one thing is for certain: Buckley's rapid-fire delivery of celebrity news won't be part of it.
"I am sure that my YouTube audience will enjoy seeing me in another format," said Buckley, 33, in an e-mail interview Wednesday. "And of course, I am hoping to attract a new audience of people who do not enjoy seeing a camp gay guy taking the piss out of [singer] Miley Cyrus."
The track record for cewebrities attempting to make a splash in the mainstream is mediocre at best. Still, some do crossover successfully: YouTuber Brooke "Brookers" Brodack inked a development deal with late-night TV host Carson Daly in 2006, and LisaNova briefly performed on sketch variety show MadTV in 2007.
"None of these deals have really amounted to much," said Alice Marwick, who studies net celebrities and online culture as a Ph.D. candidate at New York University. "It really remains to be seen if any of these stars -- who are talented in their medium -- are viable when mixed with traditional media."
It remains to be seen if Buckley's HBO work can draw even a portion of his fans from YouTube, where his catalog of more than 200 videos has racked up an estimated 80 million views and gained What the Buck? a coveted slot as one of the site's Top 10 "Most Subscribed" channels. If he can, he might hit a network home run.
According to Marwick, luring old fans to the new project is the hardest part. Buckley's viewership was built around his web personality and his fast-talking, two-minute bursts of opinionated news, but his new show is likely to be a comedy series that follows a fictional story arc.
Buckley declined to provide a time line or any monetary details about the show or his HBO Labs deal, and HBO did not respond to a request for comment. For now, Buckley said, he's putting his pen to the paper, fleshing out concepts for the project.
"The goal is to get it on television," said Buckley. "I am sure there will be a web component since the web is my home."
YouTube fans who watch Buckley's ADD-fueled hybrid between The Daily Show and Entertainment Tonight will still be able to catch What the Buck? regularly on Google's video site: Buckley said he has no plans to discontinue the series (embedded).
Before he trots out his script on the cable network, he'll get the chance to test his acting sea legs on Hooking Up Show, a web serial produced by HBO Labs that debuts Oct. 1. Buckley will appear alongside other well-known YouTube personalities, including sXePhil and LonelyGirl15 alum Jessica Rose.
link
never herd of him.