E! has launched a new comedy web series that fits its demographic. The NBCUniversal-owned channel is the home of Hashtaggers, which takes place at an “affordable” social media agency.
The four protagonists in Hashtaggers are low-level grunts who run the Twitter accounts of major celebrities. Or, as the show’s opening puts it: “In Hollywood,” it reads, “no one does 140 characters like these four characters.”
In each episode, the Hashtaggers take control of a new celebrity account and use it to drum up some interest on the Internet. The celebrities themselves show up to share their own opinions, and Hashtaggers is filled with fun cameos, ranging from William Shatner to Snooki to Kevin Smith. Here’s the first web series, in which the Hashtaggers use a Twitter feud to deliver a big social media push for sassy figure skater Johnny Weir.
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Hashtaggers, which is one of eight web series developed by E! as part of a big digital content push the channel began last year, is a smart appeal to E!’s core audience of pop culture enthusiasts. Many of the show’s guest stars are the sort of celebs E! viewers love to follow, and their presence within the series allow it to grab an audience it otherwise wouldn’t reach.
For those of us who come to Hashtaggers from the web series side, however, there’s still plenty to enjoy. The jokes are amusing and the production quality is excellent. If E!’s other original programs turn out this well, the channel could build a strong digital presence for itself.
All nine episodes of Hashtaggers are available on the E! website.
