That 70′s Show star Laura Prepon just sold her successful web series Neighbros as a half-hour scripted comedy to an undisclosed television network.
“[It's] really, really exciting because I’ll be able to direct the pilot,” Prepon told TV Squad. “We created it. I’m so excited about it because we worked so hard on that web series it’s ridiculous.” The series, which stars Scott Michael Foster of Greek and Jamie Jorn, is “about a couple of dudes that live by each other” and is filmed in their actual apartment building.
Prepon, who writes and directs the series, put together the series on a super low budget of favors and cupcakes. “I was the one-woman crew on it,” she said. “I direct and I edit it, and if I’m lucky one of my friends will hold a boom mic for me. Other than that it’s me and the two leads.”
The series, which launched in April of last year, has garnered only 142,035 views and 1,090 subscribers to its YouTube channel, with the highest viewed episode “Naked Tuesday” earning under 16,000 views—which goes to show that producers don’t necessarily need Fred numbers to get a network TV deal.
You’re right. Producers don’t need “Fred numbers”. They need established recognition within the distribution community they aspire to. Laura is a known quantity in television, thus Laura gets doors opened for her with television networks.
Its nice to encourage independent producers to create content, but lose the Pollyanna close. The odds of an independent web-series producer sneaking one through the five-hole and on to television are incomprehensibly large. Just say “A television veteran scored a deal from a television network with a low-budget proof of concept”.
You’re right. Producers don’t need “Fred numbers”. They need established recognition within the distribution community they aspire to. Laura is a known quantity in television, thus Laura gets doors opened for her with television networks.
Its nice to encourage independent producers to create content, but lose the Pollyanna close. The odds of an independent web-series producer sneaking one through the five-hole and on to television are incomprehensibly large. Just say “A television veteran scored a deal from a television network with a low-budget proof of concept”.
So 10-15,000 views an episode is a “successful” web series now? Not last I checked. Also sure you don’t need Fred numbers to get a network TV show, but if you don’t, guess you do need celebrities.
So 10-15,000 views an episode is a “successful” web series now? Not last I checked. Also sure you don’t need Fred numbers to get a network TV show, but if you don’t, guess you do need celebrities.
Network TV is a bit ambiguous, and who knows the terms of the deal?
Network TV is a bit ambiguous, and who knows the terms of the deal?
Don’t give Prepon too much credit…yet. I wouldn’t call her a television veteran, and she is not involved as on screen talent in this project. You make a good point though, audience is audience, no matter where comes from. But it would be too much to assume that the success of the deal resulted from her status as a television actor. We should wait to see what Network its on, its budget, and the terms of the deal.
Don’t give Prepon too much credit…yet. I wouldn’t call her a television veteran, and she is not involved as on screen talent in this project. You make a good point though, audience is audience, no matter where comes from. But it would be too much to assume that the success of the deal resulted from her status as a television actor. We should wait to see what Network its on, its budget, and the terms of the deal.
I think 12 years in and out of network tv, (counting her CW show from a couple of years ago and T7S,) would earn one legit ‘vet’ status.
I think 12 years in and out of network tv, (counting her CW show from a couple of years ago and T7S,) would earn one legit ‘vet’ status.
Good luck to Laura and friends. I am one of the 142,000 viewers who enjoyed this series, and hope to see more of Laura in the future!
Drooten.
Good luck to Laura and friends. I am one of the 142,000 viewers who enjoyed this series, and hope to see more of Laura in the future!
Drooten.
I think this series is unbelievable funny, and in it Jamie Jorn steals the show. Scott foster comes off kind of as the straight man to his funny guy, and it works. It is a different kind of humor though, you have to be dialed in to it. I wouldn’t call it mediocre at all, just different.
I think this series is unbelievable funny, and in it Jamie Jorn steals the show. Scott foster comes off kind of as the straight man to his funny guy, and it works. It is a different kind of humor though, you have to be dialed in to it. I wouldn’t call it mediocre at all, just different.