Roman Kemp and Vick Hope to host 2Awesome on ITV2
James R | On 19, Dec 2016
Roman Kemp and Vick Hope will host 2Awesome, the brand new Sunday afternoon show that will feature exclusive UK premieres of some of AwesomenessTV’s most popular US programmes.
ITV and AwesomenessTV announced a partnership earlier this year, which sees ITV2 acquiring exclusive UK premiere rights to the global youth-brand’s premium series. This mix of drama, reality, comedy and thriller will air in this new two-hour show from 1pm to 3pm, starting on the 8th January. The first episode will feature titles including Guidance, Side Effects, Third Wheel and LA Story.
Roman says: “I can’t wait to start 2Awesome, it’s great to have this type of show back on TV. Working with ITV is something that I am really enjoying, so being asked to co-host a great show like this, was an easy decision to make.”
Vick Hope adds: “I love that ITV2 are passionate about bringing a show like this to its audience. The 2Awesome vibe feels a lot like the weekend shows I watched growing up, so I’m really honoured to be a part of this. Working with such brilliant team, I know this is going to be a lot of fun… What a great start to 2017!”
Executive Producer Debbie David says: “2Awesome will be a brand new destination, bridging the gap between YouTube and TV. As well as celebrity interviews with a twist, we will also be taking some of the biggest social trends and challenges and recreating them with guests.”
In addition to the ITV2 zone, a selection of AwesomenessTV shows will also premiere exclusively on the ITV Hub, with the first series premiere, you’ve been t@gged, now available on ITV Hub. The series is a psychological thriller that follows three teenage girls that become inexplicably connected after a series of violent videos are sent to them from an unknown user. Freakish and Betch will follow you’ve been t@gged as Hub exclusives in January and February – the first time that ITV’s on demand service will feature exclusive original series.
ITV and AwesomenessTV unite to launch 2Awesome
27th November 2016
ITV and AwesomnessTV are uniting to launch 2Awesome, a showcase for new youth series both on TV and online.
AwesomenessTV is one of the biggest players in the modern youth video arena. Founded by Brian Robbins, producer of Smallville and One Tree Hill, and owned by Comcast, what began as a YouTube channel has grown to become a leading global youth brand, with DreamWorks acquiring it several years ago for millions of dollars. The company still has its roots in YouTube, working with some of the site’s most popular vlogging talent, but it creates original shows for other platforms as well, such as Verizon, Netflix and Hulu.
Now, it’s making the leap to linear TV, with 2Awesome set to broadcast exclusive UK premieres of AwesomenessTV’s long-form, premium serise, as part of a two-hour ITV2 showcase on Sunday afternoons. Hosted by UK presenters from both TV and social media, 2Awesome will unveil some of AwesomenessTV’s most popular programmes, including dramas, comedies and docu-reality shows.
It will launch on 8th January on ITV2 with Guidance, Side Effects, Third Wheel, LA Story and Arts Academy.
As well as linear broadcast, of course, 2Awesome will have a permanent digital home on the ITV Hub. A selection of AwesomenessTV shows will premiere exclusively on the ITV Hub, starting on The X Factor finals weekend.
Available from 10th December will be Season 1 of T@gged, a psychological thriller that follows three teenage girls who become inexplicably connected, after a series of violent videos are sent to them from an unknown user. Freakish and Foursome will follow T@gged as Hub exclusives, marking the first time that ITV’s on-demand service will feature exclusive original series.
The partnership will also see AwesomenessTV and ITV Studios joining forces to co-produce scripted and unscripted programmes for ITV2, starting in 2017. ITV Global Entertainment will license these newly co-produced shows in international markets.
Simon Pitts, Managing Director of Online, Pay TV and Interactive at ITV, says: “2Awesome is a really exciting development for ITV2 and the ITV Hub and the first step in our partnership with AwesomenessTV to produce, broadcast and distribute new shows for youth audiences. We can’t wait to launch our first exclusive series on the ITV Hub in December, followed in January by the initial 2Awesome run on ITV2 featuring new presenters and a whole slate of new shows, with plenty more to come throughout the year.”