YouTube has made a straight-to-series order for Weird City, a half-hour comedy created by Jordan Peele and Charlie Sanders.
The six-episode series is scheduled to debut on YouTube Premium in 2019.
YouTube has been adding content to its subscription channels. It is among the digital companies spending big on TV programming, putting pressure on the traditional networks and driving up the cost of Hollywood talent.
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“We are thrilled to be in business with Jordan, Charlie and Jose, who have brilliantly created a highly entertaining satire that will be a timely send up of modern society,” said Susanne Daniels, global head of original content, YouTube. “We are excited to partner with Sonar Entertainment and all of the innovative storytellers behind Weird City to push boundaries and redefine what a comedy series can be."
Weird City is an anthology set in a future metropolis, with each episode looking at a present-day issue through the prism of sci-fi and comedy.
"Writer/creator Charlie Sanders and I collaborated on some Key & Peele sketches that took on everything from the ‘Black Republicans’ to ‘Continental Breakfasts’ to ‘Family Matters’,” said Peele. “Now, with YouTube we present a series of comedy driven twisted-ass science fiction stories that take place in a world close to ours but just a little bit off.”
Peele and Sanders are writing Weird City, which is being produced by Monkeypaw Productions, Sonar Entertainment, Mosaic and Raskal Productions.
Jose Molina will serve as showrunner and executive producer.
Adam Bernstein, an Emmy winner, will direct the first two episodes.
YouTube Premium is an ad-free subscription service offering original series, movies and streaming music.
