Snapchat announces 10 new original series for 2019
David Farnor | On 06, Apr 2019
Snapchat is doubling down on its investment in original content, expanding its line-up of series with 10 new titles.
Announced this week at the first Snap Partner Summit, tech company Snap unveiled a varied slate of short-form shows, ranging from docuseries and scripted series to comedies and teen dramas.
“They all have one thing in common. It’s not just the Shows that are original, it’s the way the stories are told. They’re personal, intimate, and made for the way you use your phone today,” says Snap.
“Mobile is now the dominant medium for telling stories and consuming content,” Snapchat original content head Sean Mills told the summit. “In 2019, mobile will surpass television in time spent for US adults. This transformation is creating massive new opportunities.”
Snap has already dipped its toes into original content, with the time Snapchatters spent watching Shows almost tripling in the last year. Endless Summer reached over 28 Million unique viewers during its first season, while over 40% of the viewers of The Dead Girls Detective Agency who completed the first episode went on to watch the entire first season. Both of these Snap Originals, and also Deep Creek, have been renewed and will be back this summer with new episodes.
Snap monetises its original programming with six-second unskippable ads, with some also funded by commercial partners, such as BuzzFeed and New Form, and others produced by Indigo Development, a joint venture between Snap and NBCUniversal that was formed last year.
Here’s the full line-up of new series Snap announced:
Two Sides (New Form)
A young couple navigates a breakup — told from both characters’ points of view at the same time.
Can’t Talk Now (New Form)
A teen soap that takes place inside the phones of a few high school freshman BFFs.
Sneakerheads (Indigo)
Follow the misadventures of three college freshmen as they navigate the crazy, shady, and mercurial world of Los Angeles sneaker culture.
Commanders (Dakota Pictures)
Two high school outcasts discover a retro computer with a mysterious code that can alter real life.
Denton’s Death Date (Insurrection Media)
This series centres on Denton Little: a high school junior whose death date is only a week away.
While Black (Indigo)
A docuseries that explores racially charged social issues through disarmingly candid conversations led by author, filmmaker, recording artist, and educator MK Asante.
Untiled (BuzzFeed)
An upcoming daily afternoon show that will bring viewers the latest celebrity, entertainment, and sheer OMG moments blowing up the internet.
Dead of Night (Bazelevs)
A teenage girl must escape a quarantined city full of zombies armed with only her phone.
Compton Dreams (October Films)
A docuseries following the highs and lows of three up-and-coming artists from Compton.
Stranded with Sam and Colby (Bunim/Murray)
Two paranormal investigators go off the grid into a cursed Pennsylvania town.