Nineteen-year-old Vine star-turned-YouTube phenom Jay Versace and trans creator Miles McKenna are at the center of Portal A’s slate of roughly 40 original pilots currently in development — eight of which the San Francisco-headquartered digital studio unveiled this afternoon.
McKenna, who counts a total of 1.5 million social followers, will star in We Out Here, a reality series in which the 21-year-old will travel across the country to help newly out people of all ages plan a dream celebration. Versace, who counts 3 million followers across all platforms, will headline My Wizard & Me, in which he and a “magical ancestor” will sample Los Angeles’ most elusive hotspots.
“Miles and Jay are exactly the type of breakout talent Portal A was built to collaborate with,” said George Woolley, the studio’s head of originals. “These aren’t the type of shows you’d see from the last generation of producers, which is a big part of why we’re drawn to them.”
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Portal A’s most recent original musical comedy series, Song Voyage — which was created alongside YouTube music group The Gregory Brothers — has clocked 30 million viewers since its release earlier this year. A second season is currently in development for linear buyers. Portal A also collaborated with The Gregory Brothers on The Adventures Of Nunchuck Larry — an homage to kung fu movies chock full of YouTuber cameos.
Portal A is also developing a comedy series called Whine And Dine with Popsugar Studios, in which an adult comedian and a hangry child will share a meal, and America AF, co-produced by reality show powerhouse 3 Ball Entertainment (Bar Rescue), in which snarky comedians will have to walk a day in the shoes of some of the country’s hardest professions.
Check out the full slate unveiled today below:
- We Out Here, starring Miles McKenna. Coming out is just the beginning. What comes next is the real story. Social media star Miles McKenna grabs people’s hands on the way out of the closet to give them an empowering welcome to the LGBTQ community.
- My Wizard & Me, starring Jay Versace. With the help of his cultural guru and magical wizard ancestor, the internet’s funniest, crystal-loving teenager Jay Versace is on a quest for enlightenment and friendship that takes him to some of L.A.’s most elusive hotspots.
- Whine And Dine, created in partnership with Popsugar Studios. One famous foodie. One hangry child. An unforgettable meal at one of the world’s top restaurants. Can they get through the meal without tears on either side of the table?
- The Adventures Of Nunchuck Larry, starring Flula, Shameless Maya, and Michelle Waterson. Following the 1970s-style exploitation of Kung Fu master Nunchuck Larry, the series brings an all-time favorite movie genre to the 21st century with each chapter delivering a roundhouse kick of entertainment.
- America AF, co-produced with 3 Ball Entertainment. A millennial comedian hosts set out on a series of adventures to see how they stack up against their badass ancestors. Has America gone soft? We’re about to find out.
- Bomb L.A., from writer/director Marvin Lemus. Xabi, an insular Mexican-American comic book nerd from east L.A., finds his tribe when he falls into a local graffiti crew. But in a neighborhood quickly colliding with gangs, will Xabi spiral into a life of violence?
- Beholder. In the docu-series Beholder, real stories from traditionally marginalized and taboo subjects of the beauty world seek to disrupt conventional, uproot societal stigmas, and honor everyone from female body builders to beauty boys.
- Nice Tan, from writer Carla Lee. A multicultural, female-led sketch comedy series set in the San Francisco Bay area that takes on identity, political correctness, and life in a world that is not as woke as it wants to be.
