Vin Di Bona Productions, the company behind America’s Funniest Home Videos, and online video content provider Maker Studios are partnering on a new YouTube initiative to create original short-form programming for various YouTube stars.
Highlighting that programming will be ShayFV, a five-minute, weekly, 17-episode clip show starring Shay “Shay Carl” Butler. In the series — premiering Sunday, Oct. 19 and available on Maker.tv and youtube.com/shaytards — Shay will give the community special video assignments, which could be included in his show.
The initiative, coming just before the 25th season premiere of America’s Funniest Home Videos on Oct. 5, extends the alliance started earlier this year between the two companies. Through that partnership, other YouTube personalities will appear in two other online clip shows, AFV Do Overs and America’s Funniest Line.
“We are thrilled to be working with Vin and his team to produce the kind of memorable content that took AFV to where it is today and look forward to expanding the profiles of some of our most beloved digital talent with the help of AFV’s passionate television audience,” said Chris M. Williams, Maker Studios’ chief audience officer, in a statement.
AFV Do Overs will feature digital comedians, such as Jason Horton, Ceciley Jenkins and Ed Bassmaster, reenacting and putting their own spin on some of America’s Funniest Home Videos’ most popular clips. Also airing on the AFV YouTube channel will be America’s Funniest Line, a new improv series Horton will anchor before AFV’s studio audience.
In addition, YouTube talent like Sam Macaroni and Barely Political will make appearances throughout America’s Funniest Home Videos upcoming 25th season. They will also provide post-show commentary and interviews for AFV’s YouTube channel and their respective channels.
“We see that as an important aspect for how we move show forward,” Di Bona told B&C. “We’re embracing again something that is a new segment in the show, but yet the show doesn’t change; it’s like a little punctuation mark.”
