David Farnor | On 01, May 2023

Facebook is moving away from Facebook Watch as it steps more and more into the Metaverse – and it’s leaving its original series behind in the process.

Facebook pivoted heavily to video a few years back, with shows such as Sorry for Your Loss, starring Elizabeth Olsen, and Sacred Lies, as well as Red Table Talk, the buzzy talk show from Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Sacred Lies and an adaptation of podcast Limetown starring Jessica Biel and Stanley Tucci.

Now, none of Facebook’s original programmes are returning again, reports Deadline, with the social network also seeing the departure of Mina Lefevre, the head of Development and Programming at Facebook’s parent company, Meta.

The move is another pivot for the tech giant, which is now focused on creating VR experiences rather than trying to compete with YouTube’s monopoly on free and ad-supported online video. Facebook Watch will still be the video platform for its online streaming, but it’ll be home to such VR content as The Notorious BIG Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience, in celebration of Biggie’s 50th birthday.

The move follows YouTube’s similar step away from original programming and subscription modelling, as it redoubles its focus on user-generated videos that made it an online powerhouse in the first place.

Westbrook, the producer of Red Table Talk, is reportedly looking for a new home for the show.

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